Buses detoured away from El Camino Real construction: SamTrans service in the area will be rerouted to California Drive 

Affected bus lines include the ECR route and the 397, which typically runs along El Camino Real at nighttime. 

“Our absolute goal is to have consistency for riders, so that where they go to catch a bus, they can expect a bus,” White said. 

The detour is due to Burlingame’s El Camino Real Renewal project, a massive three-year renovation project headed by Caltrans that is closing down at least one lane of traffic in each direction in certain sections to allow for over 380 trees to be removed, 460 more to be planted, sidewalk and road repairs and an upcoming undergrounding of power lines. 

Although the transit agency said it will be attempting to make the new California Drive detour easier for riders, including future installation of accessible bus stops on the street where there are currently none present, some riders have concerns. 

For Burlingame resident Steve Appenrodt, who regularly takes the bus, the original 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. detours around specific construction areas were an annoyance, but “it wasn’t really the end of the world.” 

The new plan, however, is extremely frustrating, Appenrodt said, causing him longer commute times and forcing him to take ride-hailing services like Uber more often. He imagines that frustration would be doubled if one isn’t able-bodied. 

“I’m able-bodied, it’s still a massive pain in the butt. California Drive to El Camino Real, it’s not a super short walk,” he said. “The less able bodied you are, the less mobile you are, it’s probably a really, really, really big deal.” 

Appenrodt said that while he understands the detour in the daytime hours while construction is ongoing, he particularly wishes the nighttime bus line could still run along El Camino Real. 

“It feels particularly crappy, and it feels very avoidable. Closing the entire city of Burlingame during the daytime hours is stupid in itself, but at least the guys were working,” he said. “Closing it 24/7 says that they don’t care at all about the bus riders.” 

The construction work itself is well underway, Caltrans Public Information Officer Jeneane Crawford said, with lane delineators being installed to better protect drivers and pedestrians during lane closures. 

“We are in the throes of so much work,” she said. 

Under the new detour plan, northbound buses will go from East Bellevue Avenue to San Mateo Drive, which transitions into California Drive, and return back to El Camino Real at Trousdale Drive. Southbound buses will transition to California Drive at Rosedale Avenue and return to El Camino Real at East Bellevue Avenue, according to SamTrans.