Letter: Foster City is underestimating its commuting issue

The article says that this office campus will bring nearly 1,600 employees to Foster City. The article goes on to say that the Foster City Planning Commission estimates that these employees will generate 631 daily vehicle trips.

Really? Sixteen-hundred employees need to go to work and then go home each workday — that’s 3,200 movements. There might be a few bicyclers and very few might walk to work, but most would drive, so 631 seems very low unless there is a huge amount of telecommuting or fleets of company buses.

Later in the article it says that Illumina’s commuter incentives would entice employees to Caltrain and BART. Unless Illumina is also providing bus shuttle service, then the existing bus service would not allow much of such commuting. Also, any bus shuttles would exacerbate existing near-gridlock on Hillsdale Boulevard during commute hours.

The Foster City Council has listened to residents regarding impact on quality of life here caused by ever-increasing residential population. Shouldn’t the City Council (and the Planning Commission) consider this increased office population in a similar light?

Jerry Terstiege

Foster City