Change is hard as we get older

Meanwhile, there will be a significant hole in downtown San Mateo. I know there are other food markets and specialty stores in our downtown. But none are like Draeger’s. It was the flagship store, according to Richard Draeger, more of a European style market with everything from a meat counter, deli and flower store. As a longtime resident, I experienced the loss of Trag’s.  Trag’s was a tradition. It was a meeting place for the residents of North Central and for many Hillsborough shoppers. I always saw friends when I shopped there. I knew the butcher and the fish man, all friendly folks behind the counter. Usually there was a member of the Tragoustis family at check-out or available if you couldn’t find some product. Now we have other options.  As good as they are, they are not the same.

I feel guilty I did not shop at Draeger’s regularly. During COVID, it had special shopping times for seniors, from 7 a.m.-9 a.m. It’s where I felt safe shopping at 7 a.m. But when the COVID scare eased, I stopped going every week. Maybe if more of us were regular customers, the store would not be closing.

Tears won’t bring back Draeger’s, but it’s a wake-up call for San Mateo residents. What do you want and need in downtown? Let your Planning Commission and City Council know.

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Several major thoroughfares are in the North Central neighborhood of San Mateo. Residents have suffered the traffic impacts. Most are not supportive of bike lanes because they might not be able to park their cars in front of their house. Most garages are not used to store cars. People park on the streets because they have more than one car or because there is not enough room in the driveway.

The city decided to erect a bike lane on Humboldt Street, one of the main arterial streets in the neighborhood. The residents on Humboldt Street don’t want a bike lane. The City Council will hear their concerns at a meeting tonight.  This is at a time when we are encouraging people to not drive but to bike or walk. Many students, even some who do not live in the neighborhood, ride their bikes to school. Isn’t it the city’s job to protect them?

San Mateo is an old city. Its streets were built a long time ago when cars were small and not everyone drove. Today the city is very aware of climate change and wants to do the right thing.  That means encouraging walking and biking and not driving. But many people need a car to get to work. Some of the cars used for work are large. Some are small trucks. So what to do?

Boulder, Colorado has addressed the problem this way: “Core Arterial Network” is the connected system of protected bicycle lanes, intersection enhancements, pedestrian facilities and transit facility upgrades that will help reduce the potential for severe crashes and make it more comfortable and convenient for people to get where they need to go along Boulder’s main corridors. There are three pathways with the following priorities: #1—pedestrians; #2 buses; #3 automobiles.

Boulder is a relatively new city with wide streets.  That may make it easier to accommodate multiple types of traffic in Boulder than in North Central. But the City Council is responsible for all its residents not just a few. Everyone should be safe on our roads no matter how they get around, whether they are kids biking to school, seniors going for a walk or commuters driving to work. The council should vote to establish a safe pathway for bicyclists on Humboldt Street.

Sue Lempert is the former mayor of San Mateo. Her column runs on Mondays. She can be reached at sue@smdailyjournal.com.