Cyclists pay taxes too

The benefits?  It will be safer for cyclists, and drivers will be happier because they won’t need to share the road. Traffic congestion will improve as more people leave their cars at home. Studies have found that mental health improves when we are outside, and property values always increase where there are bike lanes. 

About 200 people attended Peter Grace’s memorial. He had a lot of friends. If all of us asked state Sen. Josh Becker and assemblymembers Papan or Ting to write and vote for a law mandating that 5% of our road spending be spent on safety for those who bike, more people would ride, roads would be safer and less congested. How do you build political will for this legislation? By telling our legislators what we want so that more Peter Graces aren’t killed. Readers, please email or call them today. It helps to repeat this two-minute action every week. 

As the San Mateo County Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Committee chair, I am tired of seeing worthy safety projects not get funded. Safety advocates fight over tiny scraps of money. All of us use the roads, but funding overwhelmingly prioritizes cars. For example, the San Mateo County Transportation Authority approved almost $600 million to widen Highway 101 to reduce congestion. But studies have shown that the relief is temporary and the number of cars increases because it encourages more driving. The 101 widening canceled the much-needed and long-planned Holly Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge in San Carlos and the Hillsdale Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge in San Mateo. 

The Holly Street Bike and Pedestrian Bridge was ready for construction in 2019, but Caltrans prioritized the 101 widening project over the bike/pedestrian safety project. Without any feedback from the community, the project was abandoned. This is a shame because I know of six serious cyclist injuries on the existing overpass. Holly and 101 was identified as a San Mateo County Youth-Based High Injury Network and a highest safety priority area. 

Holly is the only route to access the east side of 101 and the Bay Trail from San Carlos via bike or foot for several miles. Holly is also the main route to access downtown businesses in San Carlos from the Bay Trail. Are you a business owner in San Carlos? Speak up.

San Mateo’s Hillsdale Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge was identified as a priority in 2007. This has been the site of many serious crashes involving cyclists, including one fatality. And like Holly, Hillsdale is part of the Youth-Based High Injury Network due to frequent crashes involving kids. According to the city of San Mateo, the 101 widening “complicated” the design of the planned/bike pedestrian bridge and now the project is on indefinite hold.

Our prioritization of auto drivers’ convenience and speed at the expense of the health and safety of those who leave their cars at home or live in polluted communities adjacent to our highways needs to change. Please email or call Becker and Papan or Ting to ask that they write and vote for legislation mandating a minimum of 5 or 10 cents for bike infrastructure for every dollar spent on our roads. To make this as easy as possible for you, here is their contact info: 

Becker: https://sd13.senate.ca.gov/contact or call (650) 233-2724.

Papan: https://a21.asmdc.org/contact or call (650) 349-2200.

Ting: https://a19.asmdc.org/contact-me or call (415) 557-2312 

Do this action every week and just say:  Please write and vote for legislation mandating a minimum of 5 or 10 cents for bike and pedestrian infrastructure for every dollar spent on roads. Cyclists and pedestrians pay taxes and need this. 

Elaine Salinger is a retired veterinarian living in San Mateo. She is the chair of the San Mateo County Bike and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and leads the SMC chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby. The views expressed are her own.