South City El Camino Real upgrades may reduce vehicle lanes

The Grand Boulevard Initiative is a nearly 20-year-old effort that involves ECR improvements throughout the entire county, however, it has undergone some twists and turns. The initiative was once focused on housing and land use along the corridor but, with stricter housing mandates from the state, SamTrans recently pivoted to focus more on transit-related projects. However, minimal funding has been secured.

According to a presentation during a City Council meeting Oct. 22, the South City section of ECR south of Hickey Boulevard has “more lanes than needed” — three lanes in each direction — and reducing the lanes would subsequently decrease the number of total vehicles traveling on the corridor. During the presentation, it was also noted that 40% of trips are longer than 10 miles, meaning those traveling through the city still have alternatives, such as Interstate 280 or Junipero Serra Boulevard, leaving ECR for more local traffic.

The third lane could be converted to accommodate cyclists, buses or pedestrians.

Councilmember Mark Nagales said he was slightly concerned with school-related traffic, however, overall supportive of potential improvements. Councilmember James Coleman said he’d like to see the lane converted into protected bike lanes.

“Right now, I’m leaning toward bike lanes, and it’s because BART and Caltrain already serve that north-south connectivity to transit,” Coleman said.

The Grand Boulevard Initiative would make additional upgrades to the area along ECR, including installing curb extensions and upgrading crosswalks. The council also mentioned the need for improved bus stop shelters.

The entire Grand Boulevard Initiative, which includes about 22 miles of redesign, could take up to a decade to complete.