Sunnyvale has secured a $15.5 million federal grant for final design of the Mary Avenue Caltrain grade separation, the city said Nov. 5. The same Railroad Crossing Elimination round also funded Burlingame’s Broadway project, Caltrain said.
Why it matters: The project would lower Mary Avenue beneath the tracks, removing one of Sunnyvale’s busiest at-grade crossings. The city said the federal award and already secured local money are expected to cover the full $19.6 million final-design cost, though construction funding is still needed.
Sunnyvale’s $4.107 million local match is already in place through the 2016 VTA Measure B transportation sales tax, the city said. Caltrain described the local share as a 21% match. The city called the grant one of the largest it has ever received and the second-largest of six California awards in this round.
“This funding brings us much closer to making Mary Avenue safer and improving how people get around our city,” Mayor Larry Klein said. Rep. Ro Khanna said, “Grade separations take years of planning before the first shovel hits the ground, and this federal investment gives Sunnyvale the head start it needs.” Related: Burlingame’s $90.4 million construction grant.