Update: the application deadline has been extended to 5pm, Wednesday, October 12th, 2011.
The San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) is now accepting applications for participation in the Grand Boulevard Initiative’s Economic and Housing Opportunities (ECHO) Assessment - Phase II.
The ECHO Phase II Case Studies build upon ECHO Phase I (completed in December 2010) and are part of the Grand Boulevard Initiative’s “Removing Barriers to Sustainable Communities” project funded by a Department of Transportation (DOT) TIGER II Planning grant and local support. The ECHO Phase II Case Studies will address development scenarios and potential barriers, assess urban design strategies to achieve revitalization and redevelopment, and analyze multimodal access and circulation. The intent of the ECHO Phase II Case Studies is to create a common basis for understanding the effects of corridor-wide development patterns and streetscape enhancements and to develop corridor guidance for cities that address the “how to” of implementation.
Cities in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties that include El Camino Real (or Mission Street and The Alameda) are eligible to apply.
Applications are due no later than 5pm, Wednesday, October 12th, 2011.
Click here to view the ECHO Phase II Call for Projects
Click here for more information on ECHO Phases I and II
Street Design Toolbox
The Grand Boulevard Initiative announces the launch of the online Street Design Toolbox, based on the 2010 Grand Boulevard Multimodal Transportation Corridor Plan. The Toolbox contains the guidance from the Corridor Plan in a more user-friendly online format, including the Street Design Guidelines, Street Design Prototypes, and a Caltrans Design Guideline Matrix. The Street Design Guidelines promote the basic elements of the Grand Boulevard vision, while remaining consistent with Caltrans and regional agency standards. They encourage multimodal access and a boulevard street environment, and are intended to spur locally-initiated street improvement projects.
Read more ...
The goal of the ECHO Phase I is to define the overall development potential for the El Camino Real Corridor and make the case for why new development, if carried out well, will benefit individual communities as well as the region. The findings from the completion of Phase I, as presented by Sujata Srivastava of Strategic Economics at the December GBI Task Force Meeting, showed that the Corridor does have the capacity to accommodate future growth and can accommodate significant employment growth. The study demonstrated the fiscal 
benefits of infill development, such as increases in tax revenues and lower municipal and infrastructure costs, as well as fiscal benefits from conversion of low-performing retail sites to higher intensity uses, such as multi-story residential or office buildings. The final report will be presented to the ABAG Regional Planning Committee in February 2011 and coordinated with an event of the ABAG and MTC FOCUS Program.
Download the Final Report (PDF, 3MB)
Click here to read more about ECHO and to download the report by chapter
