Skip to main content

San Mateo Smart Corridor project

San Mateo County in California is to implement a US$35 million dollar smart corridor project which will apply the latest management technology along twenty miles of El Camino Real from San Bruno to Menlo Park and on local streets in San Mateo County. “We’re working together to help people get to where they are going easier and faster,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “This is a good example of how technology can help us make better use of the roads we already have.” The Intelligent Transportation
November 9, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
San Mateo County in California is to implement a US$35 million dollar smart corridor project which will apply the latest management technology along twenty miles of El Camino Real from San Bruno to Menlo Park and on local streets in San Mateo County.

“We’re working together to help people get to where they are going easier and faster,” said 3879 Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “This is a good example of how technology can help us make better use of the roads we already have.”

The Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) includes a fibre optic communication system that will connect to Caltrans’ Transportation Management Center in Oakland and ten San Mateo County cities; electronic message signs that guide motorists through detour routes during freeway incidents; sensors providing information about the volume of traffic at specific locations; and closed circuit television cameras allowing Caltrans and the ten cities to monitor traffic flow and determine the most effective way to reroute motorists during major congestion.

“Drivers will benefit from this innovative use of technology,” said Rich Napier, executive director of the city/county Association of Governments of San Mateo County. “When a traffic incident occurs, motorists will be provided with real-time information to help them choose whether to remain on the highway, choose a detour, or travel to the nearest public transit station.”

One of the major benefits of the project is that it will link more than 250 state and local traffic signals, enabling the signal timing to be adjusted remotely to better manage the flow of traffic during incidents, eliminating the need to drive to the signal to make adjustments.

The project also will improve communication and coordination among emergency responders, local agencies and Caltrans because they will all have access to the same information.

“We are excited to be a part of this cooperative effort to improve travel in San Mateo County,” said Bijan Sartipi, Caltrans District 4 Director. “Smart corridor projects are an important component of Bay Area mobility and Caltrans is working with its partners to blaze a trail on this promising new technology.”

Related Content

  • October 12, 2023
    San Francisco deployment for Rideflag HOV verification app
    Metropolitan Transportation Commission has one of world's largest express lane networks
  • December 17, 2014
    Communications redundancy increases VMS reliability
    Hybrid communications to variable message signs increase resilience to natural disasters and enable deployment in remote areas, as Alan Allegretto explains. Variable Message Signs (VMSs) are a common sight and a well-proven means to improve public safety on our roads and highways. ITS professionals rank the VMS as second only to interoperable radios as the most important technology to improve effectiveness during emergency incidents and evacuations. Ironically, however, current systems suffer from one criti
  • April 19, 2012
    PB designing fibre network for MDOT
    The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has awarded a contract to Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB) for the design of a new fibre-optic communications network in metropolitan Detroit. The project is a multi-phase effort to build an MDOT-owned fibre-optic network for communications with the Detroit region’s intelligent transportation system deployment, including hundreds of closed-circuit television cameras, dynamic message signs and vehicle detection systems along regional freeways.
  • April 22, 2013
    Delcan touts award-winning ICM project at ITS America
    Delcan is the systems integrator for a major integrated corridor management (ICM) pilot site being highlighted by the US DOT. The San Diego ICM project, led by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), has deployed an advanced system designed to manage and optimise all available infrastructure, routes and modes in a pro-active, coordinated manner. The project won the Best of ITS Award presented at the opening plenary