ITS: Caltrans embarks on San Mateo Smart Corridor Project

Caltrans began work on the San Mateo Smart Corridor Project on Tuesday, which will bring intelligent transportation system (ITS) measures to a 20-mile stretch of El Camino Real in San Mateo County, Calif.

The state agency embarked on the $35 million project along with 10 cities in San Mateo County. The goal of the project, according to Caltrans, is to improve traffic flow in the region, as well as coordination between state and local agencies and first responders.

Among the scheduled ITS improvements are:

• Electronic message signs directing motorists to detour routes during traffic incidents
• Sensors to provide information about traffic flow at specific locations
• Closed circuit television cameras allowing Caltrans and the 10 accompanying cities to visually monitor traffic in real-time

All of these measures will operate in tandem with a fiber optic communication system relaying information back to the Caltrans Transportation Management Center in Oakland as well as the 10 cities.

In total, the ITS system will link state and local agencies to more than 250 traffic signals across the region.

Project completion is scheduled for the fall of 2013. Nearly half of the funding comes from Proposition 1B, a 2006 voter-approved transportation bond.