Officials talk bicycle safety concerns in San Mateo

The 2020 Bike Master Plan identified a class I shared-use path at East 28th Avenue between South Delaware Street and El Camino Real that will be the guiding principle of the city’s bicycle infrastructure and all related improvements.

“There is a lot of bicycle infrastructure that is coming into play, and a lot of that is predicated off of a division of the 2020 bicycle master plan,” Jay Yu, engineering manager with the city, said.

A future gap closure project is scheduled to begin this year for a separated bike lane and to design a connection to get bicyclists and pedestrians across El Camino Real more efficiently. The city is also planning a future shared-use path in the area.

As part of the 25th Avenue Grade Separation Project partnership between Caltrain and San Mateo, Caltrain is building a class I shared-use path on the north side of 28th Avenue, as it falls within the scope of the project. The project will raise the tracks and slightly lower the road at 25th Avenue to improve pedestrian, cyclist and motorist safety and reduce traffic congestion in San Mateo.

A class I facility is a shared-use path fully separated for bicyclists and pedestrians so both can use it. Class II is a bike lane and is exclusive for a bicyclist. Class III is a bike route where vehicles and bicyclists are sharing a lane, while class IV is a separated bike lane.

San Mateo will conduct a traffic feasibility study in spring 2022 on the 28th Avenue corridor to have data on queuing and the operational impact of modifications to the corridor to make an informed decision on changes. The city picked spring 2022 to conduct the study because it wanted to wait until traffic normalized following the pandemic and Caltrain projects finished.

“When we undergo our traffic study in spring of 2022, that will ultimately determine how we are going to go ahead and improve the bicycle infrastructure in this corridor,” Yu said.

The city, in the immediate term, will create a shared-use path for bicyclists and pedestrians. Because El Camino Real is a state-owned facility, additional coordination with Caltrans is needed to get state approval for El Camino Real improvements.

“It is a very complicated roadway because it does about state right-of-way, and it will take a lot of coordination with the state in order to get the facilities that we want, but the city is committed to doing that,” Yu said.

Several participants noted the Hillsdale Station and surrounding areas are difficult to safely access by bikes due to speeding vehicles and a lack of protected infrastructure for bike riders. The new Hillsdale Station opened in April and is now accessible from 28th Avenue, with San Mateo said will make it easier for people to access Bay Meadows and Hillsdale Shopping Center. People also wanted to see a protected bike lane for safety, environmental concerns and to reduce speeds for the benefit of all. Others warned about the immediate hazards in the area for bicyclists and pedestrians and the need for current action to improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians using the same sidewalk path.

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

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