San Mateo developments getting close to vehicle trip limits

According to a staff report, as of 2024, 26 individual projects have been completed within the designated area. Some of those include massive developments, such as Bay Meadows, an 83-acre site initially approved 20 years ago and comprising  a mix of residential buildings, commercial space and public parks. 

As part of development agreements and transportation management plans with the city, each project has a limit on the number of vehicle trips it generates, with developers employing a mix of benefits and incentives to encourage non-vehicular travel such as subsidized transit passes, display screens with nearby transit schedules and tenant transportation surveys. 

According to its annual report, almost all tracked projects were under their threshold, with the exception of Delaware Pacific and Delaware Atlantic, located on Delaware Street, which were above their limit. The below-market-rate housing developments comprise about 120 units. 

The staff report said the recorded trip generation was 67 trips, exceeding the short-term collective goal by 28%. 

“They’ve been working with the city and city staff on making sure their required measures are being implemented, making sure the existing additional measure that they’ve put in place over the last several years are still active and in place and then whether or not additional measures could be added to the properties that might help them become compliant in the future,” Transportation Management Association Administrator John Ford said. 

Both properties are now owned by MidPen, however, one of the sites was previously owned by another developer.

“City staff has been working with MidPen and since they’ve been on  board, they’ve been very receptive to potential measures being added,” Engineering Manager Jay Yu said, adding that the Delaware Atlantic development will offer fully subsidized transit passes. 

While there are no fines or penalties for noncompliance, San Mateo Sustainability and Infrastructure commissioners raised concern with how close the developments are getting to reaching their limits and especially as development in the area continues. Last year, the Bay Meadows development generated 2,454 peak hour trips, which is still below the maximum threshold but about 12% higher than 2023. The Bay Meadows development is still not fully complete, with two blocks left to construct.