"The cooperative agreement allows the three communities to work together financially," John Cherbone, Saratoga public works director, said. "It allows the project to move forward in a joint manner."

Last month, Monte Sereno City Manager Brian Loventhal received word that the Metropolitan Transportation Commission had finalized funding for a grant of $1,608,000 for safety improvements to Highway 9. Saratoga, Monte Sereno and Los Gatos have committed $284,000 in matching funds to cover the estimated project cost of $1,892,000.

Highway 9 is popular with pedestrians, joggers, bicyclists and motorists, but the scenic route has been the site of numerous accidents. The open, rural character of the highway combined with sudden narrow sections and a lack of marked bike lanes and contiguous pedestrian trails means a speeding motorist can become a deadly hazard.

The goal of the Highway 9 Corridor Bicycle/Pedestrian Improvements project is to construct safety improvements meant to reduce the number of accidents. But exactly how this will be done is to be determined in stages leading up to the actual appearance of construction equipment and work crews in July 2007.

"At this point the cooperative agreement is what we are working on," Loventhal said. "We believe in October that the funds will be available for us to start making expenditures."

JoAnne Peth and Lana Malloy live on Highway 9 and are the founders of an advocacy group called Citizens For Highway 9 Safety. Peth and Malloy have been pushing for safety improvements since two fatal accidents occurred on the highway last year. For Peth, the grant money from MTC and the start of the project are great news.

"We're thrilled it's moving forward and we can't wait for the public meetings to get started so we can get the public's input on design and what can be done out there to make it safer," Peth said. "We're looking forward to getting Highway 9 made safer for bicyclists and pedestrians as soon as possible."

Loventhal said that by late September he will know when public workshops will be held. The workshops will allow the public to provide feedback during the planning phase of the project.

"It's a two-year long project," Loventhal said. "These things start slow. At the end of next summer, that's when things will start moving more quickly. Between now and then is the planning and environmental stage."

The timeline states that a design consultant will be selected in August 2006 with a public meeting to review design plans in February 2007. Construction begins July 2007 with a scheduled project completion date in March 2008.

In the meantime, the city of Saratoga has moved forward with a safety measure by adopting a resolution prohibiting left turns from Aloha Avenue onto Highway 9. On Aug. 4, the Saratoga Public Works Department erected a sign prohibiting such turns. A recent non-fatal accident involving a bus underscored the problem of the limited sight distance at the intersection. Approximately $250 for labor and materials for the installation of signs at the intersection was approved on Aug. 10.

The sooner something gets done on Highway 9 the better, Cherbone said.