San Carlos aims for pedestrian safety with improvements

Improved bike infrastructure and new sidewalks, traffic signals, striping and drought-resistant greenery now line San Carlos Avenue between Alameda de la Pulgas and Prospect Street after phases I and II of the improvement plan were completed in 2021.

Additional final improvements are now planned for a stretch of the road between Beverely and Wellington drives, which, once complete, would create a continuous sidewalk trail from downtown to the western city limits.

The final phase of the improvement plan was developed following a series of community meetings in which residents expressed concerns about not being able to see around vehicles parked on the street when backing out of their driveway and traffic congestion during construction.

Brian Fletcher, principal with Callander Associates Landscape Architecture, the firm contracted by the city to work on the project, said the feedback resulted in the removal of parking on parts of San Carlos Avenue. He noted the project team has also agreed to meet with residents directly affected by the project to workshop other solutions.

Currently, 16 homes are expected to need their driveways repaved, which the city is doing free of charge as part of the project. Not all 16 households have discussed the potential impacts, though, despite receiving a letter informing them of the future work, Fletcher noted.

Commission and local bicycle advocate Sonia Elks praised the project for bringing much-needed improvements, including buffered bike lanes, to the area, which Elks said has gone a long way in increasing “the perception of safety both for the rider and the parents of riders.”

But Elks and commissioners questioned whether the city intends to pursue a phase 4 lane and continue the project down the rest of San Carlos Avenue toward Carlmont High School and beyond, an area heavily trafficked by both cars, pedestrians and cyclists.

Though the project will complete work on sidewalks, Roof noted safe bike routes are also key to the updates and should be prioritized in future project considerations.

Additional questions were raised about the potential for planting more trees in the area, a promise made by the city after eucalyptus trees were removed. The tree species is loved by some in the region but has become the target for removal because it’s not native and known to be highly flammable.

“I know that it’s an investment and it’s a maintenance issue so we have to be thoughtful about where we do that. But I think the more we have street trees, and we have good bike lanes, the more people will take to the street and get out of their cars and I think people in this area want to do that,” Vice Chair Kristen Clements said.

A phase 4 lane isn’t currently in the works, Public Works Director Steven Machida said, but additional improvements are called out in the city’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, a document adopted in 2020 that lays out the city’s long-term vision for mobility improvements.

Tree planting is not part of the current plan either but Machida said he would take the commission’s notes to the City Council, which is slated to review the proposal next week.

Still, commissioners took a formal vote to recommend the council consider more bike lane improvements and street trees in the area. If the city were to move forward with additional work from Beverly Drive to Carlmont High School, Machida said the project would likely need to be divided into segments given how long of a stretch through which the area extends.

“It’s difficult to do as much as you want in every phase and this phase has finite boundaries and there’s opportunity to do more in the future,” Commissioner Ellen Garvey said. “We don’t want to lose sight that there’s more to do, but having said that, this is a very good project.”