San Mateo examining bike lanes data, input from the community

The city is currently trying to develop a plan to address resident concerns about the loss of parking, given significant resident resistance.

The city picked these areas because it provides connectivity to parks, schools, work, public transit and downtown San Mateo. San Mateo held an October community outreach meeting for residents, which led to many mitigation proposals to alleviate parking issues.

Since the meeting, the city has focused on community engagement, including online and in-person surveys of residents and pop-up events and information displays in the North Central neighborhood. San Mateo Principal Transportation Planner Sue-Ellen Atkinson said at a Jan. 12 Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission meeting that the city is analyzing survey feedback and will present detailed information next month. The city has also expanded the geographic scope of parking data collection to examine the whole North Central neighborhood after community requests. Officials examined weekday and weekend parking and included information on peak parked car traffic overnight.

The survey gauged residents’ thoughts on parking mitigation options in the survey, like: extending red curbs, driveway apron parking, private vacant parking lot sharing overnight and a residential parking permit program. The extension of the red curb would help stop motorists from blocking driveways. Driveway apron parking would allow residents to park there parallel, creating more parking for residents. The Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission and City Council will receive detailed updates at its February meeting.

“We will be presenting all of that to the commission first in February and then followed by the City Council in later February for direction on how to see how to proceed in terms of the bike improvements in this project,” Atkinson said.

The proposal would place bicycle lanes on East Poplar Avenue from El Camino Real to North Delaware Street, North Delaware Street from East Poplar Avenue to Indian Avenue, and Humboldt Street from Peninsula Avenue to Fifth Avenue. A bicycle boulevard would be on Indian Avenue from Delaware Street to North Humboldt Street, Poplar Avenue from Delaware Street to Eldorado Street, and Eldorado Street from Poplar Avenue to Indian Avenue. The west side of Humboldt Park from Peninsula Avenue to Fifth Avenue would lose 170 parking spaces. The south side of Poplar Avenue from El Camino Real to Delaware Street would lose 43 spots. The project is a high priority in San Mateo’s 2020 bicycle master plan, a road map for expanding safety and accessibility for the bicycle and mobility network.

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

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