Hit-and-run in San Mateo sparks outrage from cyclists

Tim Ryan, San Carlos resident and bicycling advocate, said the community is trying to find the perpetrator — who they describe as an Asian male in his 60s driving a gray car — while adding that such egregious acts affect not only cyclists but entire neighborhoods as well.

“If we are intimidated or hurt, what are we going to do? We’re going to put the bike up in our garage, and we are going to get in our car, and we’re going to compete for parking. We’re going to compete for road space with you, so please be encouraged by the growing community of bicyclists here,” Ryan said. 

Allison MacQueen, a San Mateo resident and member of local advocacy group Move San Mateo said that over the last seven months, the organization knows of at least six accidents in which pedestrians or cyclists have been hit by cars in San Mateo, one resulting in death. One incident occurred not far from her home, on Quebec Street and Second Avenue, when a child who was riding their bike to school broke their collarbone after being hit by a driver, who subsequently left without providing additional help or contact information. 

Mike Swire, member of the San Mateo County Transportation Authority Citizen Advisory Committee, said the issue extends beyond San Mateo as well, referencing two pedestrians that were killed in Redwood City over the past two weeks. And last month, two female bikers were killed by vehicles, one in Palo Alto and one in Los Altos Hills, he added.

“A lot of people will say enforcement and education is necessary but, in the end, if the streets are not designed for safety, people will continue to drive dangerously,” Swire said. 

Both MacQueen and Swire said there are relatively easy and inexpensive ways to make short- and long-term improvements and bolster safety for cyclists, such as placing orange plastic cones in strategic areas to slow down traffic. And though it’s likely to improve via recent state law, more can be done to promote daylighting, which prohibits parking within a certain distance of crosswalks so that drivers, cyclists and pedestrians have clearer views when crossing intersections. 

“Easy fixes is what we’re asking for. This is not hard,” MacQueen said. “Some people complain it takes away parking, but what do we favor? What do we prioritize, safety or parking?” she said.

Correction: The San Mateo woman was traveling northbound on Polhemus Road and did not turn on Polhemus Road from Ascension Drive.