Half Moon Bay preps for summer influx

“We have to continue searching for other ways to manage our traffic,” Bozorginia said. “Unfortunately, the capacity on 92 is limited, and widening 92 is not something that has been favorable from a community perspective. It’s very limited what we can do internally when the highways have reduced capacity.” 

A transportation demand management study is being conducted with the county, he said, and solutions like real-time coordination of traffic lights, intelligent transportation systems, shuttle services and park-and-ride locations are all being considered. 

The city is also considering installing a gate on Redondo Beach Road, a decision that Vice Mayor Harvey Rarback strongly favors. 

“We have volunteers who say they’d open it in the morning, I think the Sheriff’s [Office] would close it at night,” he said. “I think we really should install that gate. While we’re at it, we really need to fix that road. It’s horrible, and I have a feeling if we don’t do it, there’s gonna be an accident there the city might be on the hook for.” 

The city could also issue coupons for downtown restaurants during peak traffic hours to keep cars off the road and promote local business, Councilmember Debbie Ruddock suggested. She also proposed the idea of checking beaches and public facilities for safety concerns before peak summer months. 

“It’s kind of a good idea, sometime before Labor Day, to do kind of a safety audit at Poplar Beach or other areas, if we have any kind of a responsibility just to make sure fencing is secure, stairs are safe, just general upkeep,” she said. 

Half Moon Bay will use 511 messaging and the San Mateo County alert system as well as portable signs on local roads and highways and social media to promote information about beaches and traffic, Bozorginia said. 

The Sheriff’s Office will also provide increased beach and trail patrols, increased parking lot patrols and work with California Highway Patrol for traffic enforcement purposes. The city is looking into offering increased trash bins and maintaining portable toilets near beach hot spots to minimize refuse. 

“Access to the coast is part of the backbone of the local economy,” Bozorginia said. “We want to make it as pleasant as possible for locals that hunker down during busy seasons … it’s also about visitors [being] able to experience what the coast provides as a natural amenity.”