City officials were notified by Caltrans recently that San Marcos is the recipient of nearly $1 million in Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grants for two local projects.

The City will receive $490,200 for the East Mission Road Fiber Optic Project. This project will improve traffic safety and circulation on Mission Road, Nordahl Road and Woodland Parkway by installing fiber optic cable, closed-circuit television cameras and traffic signal interconnect systems. These improvements will allow city engineers to interface with 15 traffic signals and observe real-time traffic at intersections from City Hall. Engineers will use this information to evaluate daily traffic patterns and make signal timing adjustments if necessary.

An additional $322,200 will be received for the upgrade of regulatory and warning signs throughout the community. The upgraded signs will have a higher reflectivity, thus improving night visibility for motorists and pedestrians.

“These are critical projects for San Marcos and having grant dollars to move these projects along is imperative during these tough economic times,” explained City Engineer Mike Edwards.

The City of San Marcos has garnered millions of dollars in grants over the past several years, which have significantly helped bridge funding gaps for several capital improvement projects in the community. Grant funding has helped with projects like the Inland Rail Trail, Safe Routes to School Improvements and the San Marcos Boulevard Smart Corridor System.

For more information, please contact Communications Officer Jenny Peterson at (760) 744-1050, ext. 3169.