Bay Area Sweeps State Transportation Awards

Five MTC-sponsored programs and projects scooped up awards at the silver anniversary of the 2014 California Transportation Foundation ceremony. The 20 awards distributed in Sacramento on May 22 honor excellence in transportation throughout the state.   



The Caldecott Fourth Bore was crowned “Project of the Year,” and the replacement of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge East Span, Bay Area Bike Share, the I-80 Cordelia Truck Scales relocation project and the Devil’s Slide Tunnel all picked up awards as well.



The Caldecott Fourth Bore opened in November 2013, quickly alleviating the traffic that had long plagued the East Bay tunnel complex. MTC contributed bridge toll funds to the $417 million bore, which is also notable for the art deco medallions created by local youth artists. The tunnel carries 160,000 daily commuters. 



The Special Recognition award went to the replacement of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge East Span, which opened to traffic on Labor Day 2013 after 10-plus years of construction. The sleek white self-anchored suspension span — the largest of its kind in the world — is seismically safe and features unobstructed views of the expansive Bay from the passenger’s seat or the new bicycle path. MTC’s Bay Area Toll Authority bankrolled the project and one of three agencies making up the Toll Bridge Program Oversight Committee, which oversaw construction.



Bay Area Bike Share is the first regional bike sharing program, and it pedaled to popularity quickly after its August 2013 launch. Seven hundred mint-colored bicycles are distributed throughout San Francisco, San Jose and three other South Bay cities, allowing commuters and tourists alike to take inexpensive, quick trips at all hours. MTC is a primary sponsor of the program, which earned the Pedestrian/Bicycle Project of the Year award. 



The Safety Project of the Year title was granted to the Cordelia Truck Scales, which were relocated east of their previous site by the I-80/I-680 interchange, clearing up major congestion. The site also features a large, state-of-the-art inspection facility and efficient weigh-in-motion scales. MTC contributed $49 million in bridge toll funds to the project. 



The Devil’s Slide Tunnel Project, named Conventional State Highway Project of the Year, transformed a treacherously curvy roadway into two ventilated highway tunnels. The old stretch of State Route 1 is now a pedestrian/bike path with a stunning view.  



Other MTC programs, including the 511 traveler information system, the ABCs of MTC publication and the Climate Initiative Program, have received CTF awards in previous years.