Preserve the Humboldt Street bike lane — for our families and our future

Jan 30, 2025
Jan 30, 2025
15

Editor,

As a North Central resident and a parent, I urge San Mateo to preserve the Humboldt Street bike lane — not just for what it means to my family, but for what it represents for the future of our city.

(15) comments

Macqueena Jan 30, 2025 7:26am

I totally agree, Mariana. Since the Humboldt bike lanes were installed in 2022, all of my trips to North Central are bike trips. I also use the lanes to get to San Mateo downtown, Caltrain and even Burlingame Caltrain. No need to park and I reduce traffic congestion, and I'm getting some much-needed exercise!

joebob91 Jan 30, 2025 9:22am

Dito

Not So Common Feb 5, 2025 10:15am

Macqueena, no one is telling or stopping you from continuing your much needed exercise routine. How much weight have you lost? You may need to find a different route that makes you feel "safe" and everyone except Jorge will be happy.

easygerd Feb 5, 2025 11:38am

What different routes? Different routes would still require bike lanes.

As an avid driver and multiple car owner I strongly hope you are not suggesting I have to share my road with Macqueena. No 30mph driver wants to share the road with a 10mph vehicle. That is just crazy talk.

Streets are made for transportation.

Just tell these people with 4 cars and more to take care of their own vehicle storage and stop these huge socialist government program. 200 free car storage spots cost the city $6 million in lost opportunity and traffic capacity. Those entitled car-only people should be happy that they still get millions in cost for free.

Why is there no permit system in place? City staff says there is actually no real demand for parking - it's all made up.

These bike lanes on the other hand were only $20,000 in funding and bring only benefits (except for the few people with 4 cars and more).

Every one can chose where they live, where they work, how many cars they "need" and how many cars they want. But suddenly, when they realize they made bad decisions, they come crying for the government to bail them out again.

Make America Healthy Again.

Terence Y Jan 30, 2025 8:41am

So, Mariana, you’re admitting that the bicycle lanes are used enough? And more outreach would increase cycling rates? At what point would you consider the bike lane to reach its full potential? 1000 riders/day or 10,000 riders/day or more? I’d say if there are more riders than the number of folks driving cars then maybe you have an argument. As it is now, cycling remains more recreational and are not as efficient or convenient as cars.

joebob91 Jan 30, 2025 9:22am

Nope. She says that if you promote it it will only get bigger.

The City admitted that lots of people ride Humboldt in the last meeting (were you there?).

Glad you are admitting that cars are about convenience, not public health.

easygerd Jan 30, 2025 10:25am

Street space is expensive. It should only be used for transportation, that means trains, cars, bikes, buses - things that move.

Capacity of a driving lane: <2,000 cars per hour

Capacity of a bike lane: >8,000 bikes per hour

capacity of a bus lane: 10,000 - 20,000 people per hour

capacity of private car storage: 1 every 72h.

If there is congestion in the area, only high-capacity bike and bus lanes can help.

This has nothing to do with transportation, this is all about people with too many private cars wanting more government subsidies.

Terence Y Jan 31, 2025 8:08am

Two for one…

Thanks for your clarification, joebob91, but I’m asking what “bigger” means. One additional rider would make it bigger but not more efficient. Lots of people ride Humboldt? How many and compared to what? Is their comparison valid or cherry-picked? Compared to a street with less traffic? I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make but I have no issues admitting cars are about convenience, in addition to being efficient. Do people still wash dishes by hand? Wash their clothes by hand? And if so, are these folks using modern plumbing with running, and hot water? There’s nothing wrong with convenience and efficiency. It’s obvious those are important considerations in our daily lives. Ask the folks that need to lug home 10 bags of groceries or a case of bottled water or a case of just about anything else. As for public health, I didn't realize cycling was the only activity that benefits public health? I guess we can throw out all those workout machines and free weights. As an aside, I wonder how many indoor, stationary bicycles there are vs. outdoor bicycles, and how many total miles are ridden in both cases.

eGerd – Tbot here. Thanks for providing statistics but they aren’t applicable. How does Humboldt compare? Are 8000 bikes/hour flowing through? Are there 8000 cyclists in the city of San Mateo? And how many are toting 10 bags of groceries or a case of bottled water?

easygerd Jan 31, 2025 10:03am

TBot - Just one bicycle on these bike lanes already beats out the efficiency of 100 driving cars and all stored cars on this street.

10 grocery bags weigh 40-100lbs. A typical monster truck or EV easily weighs 4,000 - 10,000 lbs now. That means a car has the efficiency of 1% and you still need to work out to achieve your daily minimum of 30min.

A 100lbs eBike can also carry 100lbs of groceries and gives you the 30min workout at the same time. Now that is efficiency. It's in fact way above 100% of what humans need.

A private car stored on a public street on the other hand is even less efficient than a driving car, it's very inconvenient, it's hugely expensive, extremely wasteful and basically just another Socialist Government Program.

So cars and EVs are neither convenient nor efficient - even if your new friend Elon is telling you to say they are :-)

Terence Y Feb 3, 2025 8:50am

eGerd – Tbot here… your math doesn’t work. 100 cars can easily hold 1000 bags of groceries and one bicycle can’t hold 10 bags of groceries. A car can quickly and efficiently round trip whether the grocery store is 1 or 10 or more miles away. How long will it take you to round trip 20 miles on a bike? And let’s not forget, you still need to carry 10 bags of groceries? It is patently obvious cars and EVs are both convenient and efficient. BTW, as for Elon and EVs, I’m not a fan of EVs. EV’s are more convenient and efficient than bicycles but not gas or hybrid cars. I am a fan of Elon and DOGE. Didn't your President Elon just shut down USAID?

easygerd Feb 3, 2025 10:04am

Show me one person that is loading 1,000 "grocery bag" and I show you a gang that just looted Nordstrom's handbag section. Not even your cybertruck can load 1,000 grocery bags.

And about getting 10 grocery bags onto a bicycle ... people are geniuses if you just let them be:

- 10 bags on a scooter: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/57QBueEV7Fo

- groceries into cargo bicycle: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rUH2VBKZL3w

- groceries on an ebike https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ShDOyUfHZ10

If San Mateo had 20 miles of continuous separated and protected bike lanes, this would be an outstanding and liberating 3h adventure, even an old lady on an ebike could do it.

And the old lady on an ebike would be healthier and happier, reducing the National healthcare cost.

While the poor guy delivering 1,000 handbags (sorry 'grocery bags) is sitting in traffic breathing in poisonous exhaust from his and other vehicles around him. We will be paying for his hip replacement and his mental health problems for years and years to come. If president Elon really understood savings, we would have more bike lanes in this county and his company would build the "cyberbike" instead.

Terence Y Feb 4, 2025 8:37am

eGerd – Tbot here… your reading comprehension along with your previous issue with math doesn’t work. 100 cars toting 10 bags of groceries equal a total of 1000 bags of groceries. There’s no “each” after “1000 bags of groceries.” Thanks for the links to YouTube but how many of them are in San Mateo? We’ve been delivering handbags and grocery bags and just about everything else known to man using fossil-fuel powered vehicles and we haven’t all been poisoned. Your outrage and non-applicable examples are noted but none change the fact that cars are more convenient and efficient than bicycles.

easygerd Feb 4, 2025 10:59am

We all understand your addiction. Don't worry.

Terence Y Feb 5, 2025 9:37am

eGerd – Tbot here. I’m not worried at all. A healthy addiction to truth, justice, and the American Way, along with a large dose of common sense serves everyone well. That being said, I am worried about those who don’t share the same and who would rather hate Trump more than they love America. They, and we, know who the TDS-infected are.

JustMike650 Feb 4, 2025 1:41pm

What about the SMDJ by-law where we use our entire true identity on LTE's?

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