Uptick in Belmont traffic stops, citations: More commuters and higher funding likely contributors of enforcement increase

The increased enforcement is likely coming from a couple different factors, one of them being grant funding from both the California Office of Traffic Safety and the Department of Cannabis Control, aimed at curbing driving-under-the-influence-related crashes.

Officers are also investing more heavily in education, and eventually enforcement, due to Assembly Bill 413, a daylighting law that went into effect recently and mandates that vehicles park their cars a certain distance from intersections.

Senior Engineer Josh Sun said during a March 24 City Council meeting that as in-office work policies increase, the added commutes result in more drivers on the roads as well.

“A lot of Big Tech companies are requiring people back to the office, so we do have more traffic today compared to 2024,” Sun said during the meeting.

The additional enforcement also comes as the city, along with others in the county, is planning to make improvements to one of its major corridors, El Camino Real, as part of an effort known as the Grand Boulevard Initiative. Last month, the council pushed for strong bike lane infrastructure as part of the project — rather than simply widening sidewalks or creating a dedicated bus lane — from both safety and congestion standpoints.

“When we do our citywide surveys and talk to our residents, transportation and mobility is one of the top three in terms of concerns,” Mayor Julia Mates said during the meeting.