Editor,
Appalling situations are easy to stomach when you don’t live smack in the middle of them. Last Monday night, chairs were dragged in front of City Hall for our North Central San Mateo neighbors to accommodate the elderly or those with canes. This was their rally and they weren’t going to miss it. The music, clapping, prayers and demands to return parking to their Humboldt Street homes was meant for the City Council to hear — again.
Former Mayor Claire Mack (a North Central resident), heads of a local church, members of San Mateo United and Indivisible San Mateo, along with the NAACP stood under the flag at City Hall seeking “justice for all” to restore resident parking.
Imagine this happening on your street. Two-hundred parking spaces gone. For years.
Why? When avid bicyclists agree that Humboldt is too busy and these dedicated bike lanes aren’t the safest option? Why? When friends and family won’t come visit you because there is no parking in front of your home? When the few bikes seen riding down Humboldt are using the sidewalk and not the lanes? When the city finally agrees to give back some parking, but then waffles?
And it’s wholly unjust when organized special interest groups have more manpower to attend yearslong city meetings so the council feels pressure not to represent their own constituents.
Shamefully now, a bunch of wealthy, white bike coalition folks are planning a one-time bully bike brigade media-blitz on this underrepresented, minority-dominated street to force the continuation of their misery. Wrong is wrong. Write citycouncil@cityofsanmateo.org now to stand with our North Central neighbors.
Decisions will be made Feb. 2.
Lisa Taner
San Mateo
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(3) comments
Thanks for your letter, Ms. Taner, and for highlighting inconveniences to folks who live in the area. I’d bet that most cyclists riding through the area are recreational riders and don’t live in the area. But I could be wrong, as we don’t have data. Or do we? Official or unofficial? Meanwhile, I haven’t looked outside but there may be pigs flying – I agree with Mr. Caggiano’s stance on this issue, as well as exploring some of his suggestions. I’ll be sure to keep my eyes open when I go outside. A hoof in the head never sounds enjoyable.
It was special interests that influenced the decision to install the bike lanes over resident voices in 2022. It is now special interests over resident voices pushing to keep these dangerous, truck thoroughfare bike lanes. As a community, we need to look at islower, safer streets where bikers are already riding today, and not on Humboldt. We need common sense and safer bike lanes. That is what I hope council will look at on Monday. Restore the parking to Humboldt and integrate San Mateo’s quieter streets into the bike plan. It’s the right, and safe, thing to do for all San Mateo residents.
Super letter Lisa!! You framed it and put it into the proper perspective. I recently was made aware of the fact that Humboldt is actually a TRUCK ROUTE as well!!! So, planning to encourage bikers/scooters/skaters to use an unprotected bike lane and "Dance with the Diesels" seems beyond comprehension. I keep coming back to my years old suggestion of making narrow streets "one way" and have them be the preferred routes for non-car travelers. Also, to get rid of the "bulb outs" which are more dangerous than not.
Way to go Lisa.
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