Another way of looking at bike lane decision

Feb 9, 2026
Feb 9, 2026 Updated Feb 17, 2026
7

Editor,

Regarding the letter, “Bad Decision,” Tim raises concerns worth addressing directly about Humboldt Street.

(7) comments

joebob91 Feb 10, 2026 8:31am

Yes, thank you.

Terence Y Feb 10, 2026 9:04am

Thanks for your letter, Mr. Mautner. You say usage data from the city shows steady and growing rider counts. Where is this data? I don’t recall “official” numbers ever being reported. Is it from 2 riders to 4? How many riders on average each hour each day, rain or shine? And are these cyclists recreational riders only? Has anyone seen any cyclist lugging home 10 bags of groceries or a case of bottled water? Seems to me these bike lanes should never have been installed in the first place and should rightly be removed. Bikes, as always, can still use the roadway.

easygerd Feb 10, 2026 4:56pm

TBot, old friend.

"Free Private Car Storage" is a very personal and private issue of greed. In this case it only matters to people living directly along Humboldt Street and they say they prefer bike lanes.

"Transportation", "Congestion", air pollution, and carbon emissions on the other hand are regional problems that matter to many, many more people. Basically it matters to all of us.

If you sent out the survey to 7B people on this planet, some 99% of people would "do it - bike lanes are important".

Why do you think so many people from Baywood, Gramercy, Downtown, North Shoreview, Hillsdale neighborhood, Burlingame, Foster City, New Jersey, Siberia are chiming in to protect "Free Private Car Storage" that have never seen and will never use?

All that effort to steal bike lanes from little children riding to school from all these people outside the area, sounds weird to me.

Terence Y Feb 11, 2026 8:29am

eGerd – Tbot here. So you don’t have any answers or links to data to answer my questions? Survey results allegedly from Humboldt Street (I notice you include the qualifier “living directly”) people don’t mean anything unless you verify those respondents live where they say they live. Again, where’s the “official” data? Until there’s data, it is all feelings. Speaking of the personal and private issue of greed, wouldn’t that apply to cyclists who advocate for discriminatory bike lane infrastructure without paying anything for that infrastructure? All that effort to inconvenience others who have to tote 10 bags of groceries or a case of bottled water to their homes. For themselves and for little children who live in the area.

easygerd Feb 11, 2026 12:54pm

You keep forgetting that your daily trips to IKEA and driving around with 10 grocery bags is paid through a "Vice Tax" or "Sinner's Tax", the kind you pay for all kinds of addictions like drinking, smoking, gambling and whoring. They make you pay that because of the enormous cost addiction has on our healthcare system.

But back to our data issue: why would I include any data neither you nor I are believing in anyways?

If San Mateo staff wants a NO, they are asking only a certain group certain questions. But the political winds have changed after the schools got involved. Moms can be a powerful force.

To not look like corporate stooges, Nicole Fernandes, LDN, DCG had to change their tune. Now staff just asked different people different questions.

But here is the "data" you wanted to see:

The city did all kinds of survey in the last 2-3 years. The last versions were fairly clear on residents liking the project. This was a workshop with North Central residents. No Baywood, no Grammercy, no North Shoreview, just North Central. In that NC workshop:

- 100% of Humboldt Street residents voted to keep them

- 65% of NC residents supported retaining them, 35% did not Then they did online surveys as well:

- 74% of Humboldt Street residents voted to keep the bike lanes

- 73% of North Central residents voted to keep the bike lanes

Then there is the data they presented at the council meeting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyymX3AgHL0

You can also look and listen to the meeting speakers. You can easily spot the "corporate shills" that just want the government pay for their expensive hobbies.

And then you have the real residents that care about safety and such.

Terence Y Feb 12, 2026 8:26am

eGerd – TBot here. 100% of Humboldt Street residents voted to keep them (bike lanes)? Prove it. Sounds like you’re resorting to past behavior – tossing anything and everything at the wall and hoping something sticks. Nothing is sticking. TBot out.

easygerd Feb 12, 2026 10:05am

TBot - Read more carefully. in one in-person workshop 100% of Humboldt Street resident - IN THAT particular workshop - said "YES" to the bike lanes.

And you don't have to take my word for it. Read through the Meeting Agendas of several city council meetings and several commission meetings. You find everything on the city webpage. All their council meetings are on Youtube. Have fun.

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