San Mateo residents talk traffic and pedestrian issues

“I know this is an extremely frustrating subject matter for residents and for us,” Barberini said.

Real Talk San Mateo gives police, city staff and residents a public forum setting to discuss issues as part of a series of meetings put on by the San Mateo Police Department. Traffic Sgt. Craig Collom said police noticed an uptick in speeding last year, with some unprecedented speeding incidents.

“We have had a lot of speed complaints in the past year that we are really trying to focus on and bring down,” Collom said.

Police are also trying to bring speeds down on El Camino Real due to several serious collisions involving pedestrians while also trying to address pedestrian violations.

Bethany Lopez, a senior engineer with the city, said the Public Works Department receives lots of requests for stop signs to address speeding issues and visibility at intersections. The city is also aware of lots of cut-through traffic, particularly around the Highway 101 and State Route 92 entrances and surrounding areas. The city often reaches out to neighborhoods on strategies to try and minimize the impact on residents in the area.

“When we go to address cut-through traffic issues, it usually comes through traffic diversions, and it’s important for us to recognized the specific routes being taken to make sure we are very specifically addressing the cut-through traffic issue,” Lopez said.

The public spoke at the meeting about several pedestrian and traffic safety concerns in San Mateo. Resident Laurie Watanuki asked if anything could be done to make seniors feel safer walking downtown. She had heard from seniors who feel in danger of being hit when drivers downtown make right-hand turns. She suggested more signs or stricter rules on turning right downtown.

Lopez said the city is looking into pedestrian safety and how to address it downtown, along with potential changes to busier intersections.

“This is right in that realm, and so absolutely we are going to be looking at measures that we can take to help protect pedestrians while they are walking, and this would be one of those,” Lopez said.

Lopez also mentioned the city is proposing for Third and Fourth avenues a cycle track, which is a separated bike lane on the roads the city believes will help bicycle riders.

Kevin Dodson, a resident, said the narrow streets in the North Central neighborhood are dangerous when he bikes, and his mirrors are often sideswiped in his car. He said it is hard for two cars to pass each other, and the narrow streets are unsafe for pedestrians.

Lopez said the city does try and address its narrow streets case by case, but noted narrow streets also make cars slow down, which helps with safety.

“Certainly, the sideswipes are not the desired outcome of that, but I think the slower lower speed streets can be,” Lopez said.

The police encouraged people to report any violations and provide community camera footage to help capture incidents and license plates, citing a driver in a Mustang doing doughnuts in an intersection in the North Central neighborhood that police identified through a security camera.

“We were able to follow up and do something about it, but that was because of people in the community who were willing to send us that information, traffic Sgt. Glen Teixeira said.

curtis@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 102