San Mateo OKs funds to study ECR upgrades

SamTrans is gathering feedback from cities on a few options. The first two possibilities are widening sidewalks and removing some street parking to make room for either a dedicated bus lane or bike lanes. Another option just proposed widening sidewalks and adding more trees along ECR.

San Carlos and Belmont are leaning toward bike lanes, rather than dedicated bike lanes or the option to solely widen sidewalks for pedestrians.

But San Mateo officials are opting to spend $70,000 to supplement the transit agency’s outreach efforts to get a better sense of residents’ and local business needs before selecting one of the options. During a council meeting Feb. 23, city leaders weighed the options, most of which would likely involve eliminating some street parking on El Camino Real, prompting the council’s direction to conduct more in-depth study and outreach. The $70,000 for the additional parking occupancy study would come from Measure A sales tax funds.

“I’m very supportive of doing the research. I think we need to listen to our residents and businesses first,” Councilmember Lisa Diaz Nash said. “We really haven’t had that much input as of now.”

Enhanced bike and pedestrian infrastructure is a likely outcome for many jurisdictions along ECR, especially as residents have increasingly made calls for improvements along busy corridors. In January, a 62-year-old woman was killed at the El Camino Real and 17th Avenue intersection, prompting renewed concerns over the dangerous intersections along the state highway. A couple months prior to that, another pedestrian was hospitalized after being hit by a vehicle at the same intersection. Changes to the corridor are also particularly difficult and time consuming, as it falls under state, not local, jurisdiction.

“I’m eager, along with others, to see safety upgrades along the corridor that has had some tragic collisions recently,” Mayor Adam Loraine said. “I am excited for next steps because there is tremendous potential here to improve the quality of life of San Mateans in our city’s future.”

Transit leaders are planning to finalize the preferred options and an implementation plan by this summer. The project is still in the very early stages, and it will likely take about eight to 10 years for the project’s full completion, according to a staff report.