Measures taken after child almost hit in San Mateo crosswalk

Li is shaken but thankful his daughter is alright, noting the area needs further pedestrian protections. Li said people who come around the curb and toward the intersection don’t see the crosswalk in time and that was likely the issue this time.

Li and his family live nearby on Baze Road and often use the intersection when walking to school in the morning. While a flashing sign is usually enough to make people stop, there is no stop sign, with cars often going faster than the speed limit through the intersection. Li said people sometimes continue through despite the flashing sign. He is asking for a permanent stop sign, at the minimum, and potentially a traffic signal, given that there are several apartment complexes in the area and new developments coming. He felt an additional crosswalk on Franklin Parkway in a more visible area would benefit pedestrians and cars, as other neighbors have complained about the dangers.

“Once everything comes to capacity, there is going to be a lot more traffic and a lot more pedestrians,” Li said.

Franklin Parkway also used to be blocked off by the tracks until it opened six months ago, causing an increase in cars using the road. People now use the street to go straight to the mall instead of the busier Hillsdale Boulevard.

“I think that’s increased a lot of traffic and causing more of these potential issues,” Li said.

Dr. Jison Hong, who witnessed the accident, said the intersection had been an issue for a long time, with her family avoiding the intersection when going on evening walks. Last weekend, she saw a group of adults at the intersection press the walk button and start the signal, which caused cars to accelerate instead of slow down.

“This is not a new thing,” Hong said of the issues. “This is something we have been bringing up for a while.”

She believes access from El Camino Real and the 35 mph speed limit at the intersection are emboldening cars to go faster than should be allowed on a residential street.

“I think a lot more cars access it [now], and they treat it like El Camino instead of a residential street,” Hong said.

San Mateo City Manager Drew Corbett said by email the city is making immediate interim improvements, like reducing speeds in the area by temporarily removing a lane in a section of Franklin Parkway, adding another pedestrian crossing beacon to improve pedestrian visibility and increasing police presence. Long-term steps include looking at whether an all-way stop sign can be installed at the intersection, along with conducting a traffic study to determine what type of safety improvements it can make under state law. The city is collecting data to explore engineering improvements and increased enforcement. It is also preparing a local highway safety road plan to find the best way to address specific traffic issues.

“Even though the flashing pedestrian beacons worked as designed, this inexperienced driver clearly failed to stop for the young child in the crosswalk,” Corbett said. “When something like this happens, we have to ask why and, as a result, we’re taking immediate action to further improve safety at this intersection. Our council prioritizes neighborhood traffic safety and, in response to this incident, we’re increasing pedestrian visibility and reducing speeds in this area while we continue to look at longer term options that legally require more analysis. We also need a communitywide approach to improve roadway safety and everyone, whether you’re driving, biking or walking, plays a role in making sure we protect each other.”

Mayor Rick Bonilla stressed the city must provide safety for residents and was glad the Public Works Department is exploring temporary safety measures while studies are ongoing before permanent changes occur. He also noted state grants could provide cities with the money needed to make the necessary infrastructure projects.

I think it’s critical that the city does everything it can to slow traffic down and make it safer on our residential streets.” Bonilla said. “I have advocated for 20 mph residential speed limits because it would cause fewer collisions between cars, bicyclists and pedestrians.”

The San Mateo Police Department stated Wednesday it would increase traffic enforcement in the Bay Meadows area, although the specific details are still being determined. Spokesperson Officer Allison Gilmore said the driver in the Sept. 14 incident did stop and was cooperative, with a police report taken at the scene.

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

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