Issues, Opportunities, and Enhancement Strategies. Evaluation Team: Meghan Mitman, AICP Nicole Hervol, PE. June 2011

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1 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORTATION STUDIES TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROGRAM PT1148 CITY OF SAN MATEO PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ASSESSMENT Issues, Opportunities, and Enhancement Strategies Put Agency Logo Here Evaluation Team: Meghan Mitman, AICP Nicole Hervol, PE This report was produced in cooperation with the City of San Mateo. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Opinions, findings, and conclusions are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the University of California and/or the agencies supporting or contributing to this report South 46 th Street, Building 155, Richmond, California

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7 PT1148 CITY OF SAN MATEO PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ASSESSMENT FINAL REPORT JUNE 2011 EVALUATION TEAM Meghan Mitman, AICP Fehr & Peers 332 Pine Street, 4 th Floor San Francisco, CA (415) m.mitman@fehrandpeers.com Nicole Hervol, P.E. Fehr & Peers 160 W. Santa Clara Street, Suite 675 San Jose, CA (408) n.hervol@fehrandpeers.com UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORTATION STUDIES TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROGRAM

8 c. The Regents of the University of California. This report was produced in cooperation with the City of San Mateo. Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Opinions, findings, and conclusions are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the University of California and/or the agencies supporting or contributing to this report. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. The agency that is subject of this report is hereby granted a non-exclusive right to copy and distribute this report for its own or its stakeholders non-commercial use. All other uses of this report require written permission from the Technology Transfer Program. UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORTATION STUDIES TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROGRAM

9 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary... 1 Benchmarking Analysis of Policies, Programs, and Practices... 1 Walking Audit Suggestions for improvements Introduction Objective Evaluation Approach Organization of this Report Acknowledgements Disclosures Background Pedestrian Safety Overview for San Mateo High Pedestrian Collision Locations Benchmarking Analysis Results and Suggestions Key Strengths Enhancement Areas Opportunity Areas Walking Audit Results and Suggestions General Citywide Suggestions Focus Area 1: El Camino Real and 31 st Avenue Focus Area 2: 25 th Avenue between El Camino Real and Palm Avenue Focus Area 3: Bermuda Drive and Delaware Street Focus Area 4: El Camino Real between 16 th Avenue and 17 th Avenue Focus Area 5: Humboldt Street and Cypress Avenue Focus Area 6: Humboldt Street and Poplar Avenue Focus Area 7: Poplar Avenue and San Mateo Drive Focus Area 8: Hacienda Street Appendix A: Glossary of Pedestrian Improvement Measures Appendix B: Resource List UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORTATION STUDIES TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROGRAM

10 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2-1: San Mateo Pedestrian Collision Locations ( )... 6 Figure 3-1: Fatal Injury Rates by Vehicle speed, by Pedestrian Ages Figure 4-1: Walking Audit Locations Figure 4-2: El Camino Real and 31 st Avenue Suggestions Figure 4-3: 25 th Avenue between El Camino Real and Palm Avenue - Suggestions Figure 4-4: Bermuda Drive and Delaware Street - Suggestions Figure 4-5: El Camino Real between 16 th Avenue and 17 th Avenue - Suggestions Figure 4-6: Humboldt Street and Cypress Avenue Suggestions Figure 4-7: Humboldt Street and Poplar Avenue - Suggestions Figure 4-8: Poplar Avenue and San Mateo Drive - Suggestions Figure 4-9: Hacienda Street Suggestions LIST OF TABLES Table 2-1: San Mateo Summary Statistics... 4 Table 2-2: San Mateo Traffic Collisions and Rankings, Table 2-3: Pedestrian-Vehicle Fatality Collision Locations San Mateo, Table 3-1: Summary of Programs, Policies, and Practices Benchmarking Analysis for san mateo... 7 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY INSTITUTE OF TRANSPORTATION STUDIES TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROGRAM

11 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The City of San Mateo requested that the Technology Transfer Program of the Institute of Transportation Studies at University of California, Berkeley conduct a Pedestrian Safety Assessment (PSA) study. A team of two pedestrian safety experts conducted the PSA field visit for City of San Mateo in April 2011 and prepared this report. The objectives of the PSA are to improve pedestrian safety and to enhance walkability and accessibility for all pedestrians in San Mateo. The City of San Mateo has been striving to accommodate both existing and future pedestrian demand, with efforts including: Developing a Pedestrian Master Plan Applying for Safe Routes to School Grants Developing an ADA Transition Plan The PSA focused on identifying opportunities that could build on these existing efforts and offering ideas for potential enhancements. San Mateo has a population of approximately 97,000 residents. Based on the 2009 California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) safety rankings of California cities, San Mateo ranked 51 st out of 104 California cities in the same population group for the number of pedestrians collisions by average population in the number of collisions involving pedestrians category, with 1 st being the worst and 97 th the best. This ranking is based on rate of collisions per 1000 daily-vehiclemiles-of-travel. Between 2000 and 2010, ten pedestrian fatalities occurred within San Mateo. Chapter 2 provides an overview of collision data for the City. The remainder of this report presents the findings and suggestions derived from: Benchmarking analysis of the City s existing pedestrian programs, policies, and practices (Chapter 3) Field walking audit (Chapter 4) BENCHMARKING ANALYSIS OF POLICIES, PROGRAMS, AND PRACTICES A pedestrian safety interview was conducted with City staff in advance of the PSA field visit to gain an understanding of the existing pedestrian policies, programs, and practices in San Mateo. This interview formed the basis for a benchmarking process that categorized the City s programs, practices, and policies into three groups: Key Strengths (areas where the City is exceeding national best practices) Enhancement Areas (areas where the City is meeting best practices) Opportunity Areas (areas where the City may not meet best practices) i

12 The benchmarking analysis aims to provide the City with information on current best practices and how the City compares. Cities have differing physical, demographic, and institutional characteristics that may make certain goals or policies more appropriate in some jurisdictions than others. Ultimately, City staff may determine where resources and efforts are best placed for meeting local development and infrastructure goals for pedestrians. A discussion of the City s pedestrian safety policies, programs, and practices, and ideas for enhancement is presented in Chapter 3. Key Strengths General Plan Provision for Pedestrian Nodes Neighborhood Traffic Management Program Adoption of Open Space Requirements Pedestrian Traffic Control Audit Public Involvement and Feedback Process Crosswalk Installation, Removal and Enhancement Policy Specific Plans, Redevelopment Areas and Overlay Zones Adoptions of Street Tree Requirements Adoption of Newspaper Rack Ordinance Adoption of Bicycle Parking Requirements Pedestrian/Bicycle Coordinator The enhancement areas for consideration include the following: Enhancement Areas Inventory of Sidewalks, Informal Pathways, and Key Pedestrian Opportunity Areas Ensure that the current sidewalk inventory includes both existing and missing sidewalks and is available in GIS format. Expand the sidewalk inventory to include informal pathways and key pedestrian opportunity areas in the City. Collision History and Collision Reports A field inventory of collision locations and pedestrian volume counts could enhance comprehensive monitoring. With sufficient pedestrian volume data, the City could prioritize collision locations based on collision rates (i.e., collisions/daily pedestrian volume), a practice that results in a more complete safety needs assessment. Treatments could then be identified for each location and programmatic funding ii

13 allocated in the City s CIP. Volunteers can collect pedestrian volumes and other data at collision locations. Collection of Pedestrian Volumes Use the automatic pedestrian counters to routinely collecting pedestrian and bicycle volumes. Consider requiring pedestrian and bicyclists to be conducted in conjunction with all manual intersection turning movement counts (e.g., as part of transportation impact studies). Using the geo-coded pedestrian volume data with GIS software along with other data such as pedestrian control devices and collisions, review and analyze data for trends or hotspots related to pedestrian safety. Implementation of ADA Improvements and ADA Transition Plan Inventory existing ADA improvements and substandard locations. Develop an ADA prioritization plan and dedicate funding for such improvements Ensure that the ADA Transition Plan includes both public buildings and the public rightof-way to reflect current ADA best practice standards Consider hiring an ADA coordinator or formalizing the position of ADA Coordinator by appointing a current employee to that title, even if it is part-time Adoption of Routine Accommodations for New Development To support Complete Streets policies, the City may consider codifying their subdivision and development requirements by establishing a Complete Streets Policy and accommodating all modes in standard cross-sections for collectors and arterials. This policy could include a checklist for use during development application review. Proactive Approach to Institutional Challenges Proactively seek opportunities to collaborate with Caltrans and adjacent local jurisdictions to identify and improve pedestrian safety along El Camino Real. Proactively seek opportunities to collaborate with Caltrain and Samtrans to improve pedestrian access to stations, bus stops, and key transit corridors. Pedestrian Safety Program and Walking Audits Consider including regular walking audits and pursuing funding for a sustained City-wide pedestrian safety program, based on the suggestions of this PSA. This effort could complement other green or health-oriented programs within the City. Design Policies and Development Standards iii

14 Consider developing and adopting a streetscape master plan that specifically addresses pedestrian accommodation. Consider form-based zoning to influence the look and feel of neighborhoods throughout the City. Pedestrian-Oriented Speed Limits and Speed Surveys Consider pedestrian volumes when setting speed limits and employ traffic calming strategies in locations where speed surveys suggest traffic speeds are too high for pedestrian areas. Consider establishing 15 mph school zones. Ensure design standards/design speeds in pedestrian areas do not contribute to a routine need for traffic calming. Pedestrian-Oriented Traffic Signal and Stop Sign Warrants Consider incorporating bicyclist and pedestrian volumes into the City s signal and stop sign warrants and adjust for latent demand and collision under-reporting. Transportation Demand Management Program As part of a comprehensive TDM program: Develop a TDM policy which: Incentivizes non-auto travel options (e.g., commuter checks, parking cash-out programs, transit passes, etc.) Creates support for major employers to implement a TDM program (e.g., emergency ride home programs) Considers variances for parking and transportation demand management program implementation Involves Samtrans transit service in major decisions General Plan: Densities and Mixed-Use Zones Consider zoning more areas of the city as mixed use or TOD, particularly in pedestrian districts/nodes and transit-priority areas. Enhance pedestrian-friendly goals, policies, and actions defined in the City s General Plan, particularly through the development of the Pedestrian Master Plan and establishing transit and auto vehicle policies that support a balanced multi-modal transportation network. Coordination with Health Agencies iv

15 Seek opportunities for technical collaboration and funding with public health and health care professionals. Consider coordinating with local hospitals as another source of collision data. Use of Leading Pedestrian Intervals Consider installing LPIs in areas of high pedestrian activity throughout the City, providing a right-turn-on-red restriction as necessary per recent research findings 1. Use of Street Furniture Requirements Consider adopting a Street Furniture Ordinance. Use of Neighborhood-sized Schools Consider working with the local school districts to establish a policy on neighborhoodsized and oriented schools as part of a Safe-Routes-to-School policy. Consider co-locating parks, sports fields, and schools to create active recreational activities and minimize travel to after-school activity schedules. Develop sports practice schedules to encourage walking/biking to and from activities. Historic Sites Develop a map to showcase natural or local sites of interest, and link key features in the City, including a possible walking route between the sites. Maps of the tour route and historic documentation materials could be made available online and wayfinding signs, maps, and plaques could also be provided throughout the City. Enforcement Hire or identify traffic safety officers that would be dedicated to a local school during the morning and afternoon drop-off and pick-up periods. Implement sustained pedestrian safety enforcement efforts and involve the media. Use enforcement as an opportunity for education by distributing pedestrian safety pamphlets in-lieu of, or in addition to, citations. Train officers in pedestrian safety enforcement principles. Establish a radar gun check- out program for trained community volunteers to record speeding vehicles license plate numbers. Opportunity Areas Pedestrian Master Plan 1 Hubbard, S, Bullock, D and J. Thai, Trial Implementation of a Leading Pedestrian Interval: Lessons Learned, ITE Journal, October 2008, pp v

16 Develop a Pedestrian Master Plan and include policies and suggestions in the Pedestrian Master Plan to prioritize and implement capital and maintenance projects, which could address the following: Pedestrian connectivity Prioritization of sidewalks and other pedestrian facility improvements Opportunities and barriers to pedestrian travel Public safety and eyes on the street design guidelines Consistency of treatments Interdepartmental coordination Safe-Routes-to-School Program and Grant Funding Continue applying for grant funding; apply for non-infrastructure as well as infrastructure projects. Some of the suggestions in this report may be eligible. Consider developing a comprehensive City-wide Safe-Routes-to-School program that encourages walking to school and highlights preferred walking routes. Such a program may involve schools, advocates, parents, City staff, community health representatives and other stakeholders. A coalition may be developed for the program, with committees for mapping/data collection, outreach, education and encouragement, enforcement and engineering, and traffic safety. School-specific committees may also be considered. Consider scheduling regular, ongoing meetings to maintain stakeholder involvement. Attention to Crossing Barriers Identify and create an inventory of pedestrian barriers. Develop policies for reducing the barriers through prioritizing projects and requirements with future development. Economic Vitality Consider using income from parking fees to fund the new downtown Business Improvement District. Consider applying funds towards pedestrian-related improvements in the new downtown Business Improvement District. Consider creating Business Improvement Districts in other areas beyond the downtown. Consider implementing a façade improvement program. Consider adding overlay zones, such as transit-oriented zones, to the Zoning Code. vi

17 Formal Advisory Committee Consider re-establishing a citywide citizen s advisory committee to exclusively address bike and pedestrian needs or create a sub-group of the PWC tasked to focus on bike and pedestrian needs. Pedestrian Safety Education Program Develop a City-wide educational campaign for all ages. Campaigns may include advertisements on buses and bus shelters, an in-school curriculum, community school courses, public service announcements, and/or brochures, among many other strategies. Apply for grant funding to implement the campaign discussed above. WALKING AUDIT SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS Walking audits were conducted at eight focus areas in the City of San Mateo: El Camino Real and 31 st Avenue; 25 th Avenue from El Camino Real to Palm Avenue; Bermuda Drive and Delaware Street; 17 th Avenue from El Camino Real to Palm Avenue; Humboldt Street and Cypress Avenue; Poplar Avenue from Humboldt Street to Idaho Street; Poplar Avenue and San Mateo Drive; and Hacienda Street from 31 st Avenue to Louise Lane, as determined in coordination with City staff. These focus areas were visited during the PSA and the walking audit identified positive practices as well as pedestrian safety and accessibility opportunities. The observations made during the walking audit were used to suggest policies and physical improvements that could enhance pedestrian safety and accessibility, and in some instances, economic vitality. Key suggestions from the San Mateo walking audit include consideration of the following: Adopt a standard, high-visibility crosswalk striping pattern for uncontrolled crosswalks Install standard parallel crosswalk striping pattern for controlled crosswalks Add advanced stop bars for stop-sign or signal controlled crossings Add advanced yield lines for multi-lane uncontrolled crossings Consider use of thermoplastic material instead of paint for striping for improved durability and visibility Work with Caltrans to upgrade pedestrian signals to countdown heads at all signalized intersections on El Camino Real (SR 82) Ensure clearance intervals are adequate for pedestrians (suggest 3.5 feet/second) At all corners where two pedestrian pushbuttons for signals are provided, the two push buttons should be located on poles at least 10 feet apart, no more than 10 feet from the curb and no more than 5 feet from the crosswalk extended boundaries (California MUTCD) vii

18 Install fluorescent yellow green (FYG) signage for uncontrolled marked crossings Strive for pedestrian-friendly medians, which are wide enough (at least 6 for bicycle accommodation) for pedestrian refuge and curb extensions that reduce crossing distances and tighten vehicular turning radii, where feasible For development set back from the sidewalks, provide pedestrian access routes from the sidewalk to the front doors of those uses Provide directional curb ramps (i.e., two per corner), rather than diagonal ramps, where appropriate Maintain ADA-compliant crossings (truncated domes, cross slopes, audible signals, separated pedestrian push buttons, etc.) A narrative description of walking audit observations and suggestions for enhancements (with graphics) are provided in Chapter 4. Many of the strategies suggested in this report are appropriate for grant applications, including Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) or Safe-Routes-to-School funding. The strategies may also be incorporated into a bicycle or pedestrian master plan, documents that could set forth bicycle, pedestrian and streetscape policies for the City and identify and prioritize capital improvement projects. The suggestions presented in this report are based on limited field observations and time spent in the City of San Mateo by the PSA evaluators. These suggestions, which are based on general knowledge of best practices in pedestrian design and safety, are intended to guide City staff in making decisions for future safety improvement projects in the City, and they may not incorporate all factors which may be relevant to the pedestrian safety issues in the City. As this report is conceptual in nature, conditions may exist in the focus areas that were not observed and may not be compatible with suggestions in this report. Before finalizing and implementing any physical changes, City staff may choose to conduct more detailed studies or further analysis to refine or discard the suggestions in this report, if they are found to be contextually inappropriate or appear not to improve pedestrian safety or accessibility due to conditions including, but not limited to, high vehicular traffic volume or speeds, physical limitations on space or sight distance, or other potential safety concerns. viii

19 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 OBJECTIVE The City of San Mateo requested that the Technology Transfer Program of the Institute of Transportation Studies at University of California, Berkeley conduct a Pedestrian Safety Assessment (PSA) study for various locations within the City. The objectives of the PSA are to improve pedestrian safety and to enhance walkability and accessibility for all pedestrians in San Mateo. 1.2 EVALUATION APPROACH Prior to visiting the City of San Mateo, the PSA Team conducted a pre-visit telephone interview with City staff on March 18, The results from this interview provided input into the benchmarking analysis, as described in Chapter 3. The Team visited the City on April 27, A meeting was held with the City staff to discuss initial results from the benchmarking analysis and logistics for the field visit. The Team conducted walking field audits at a number of locations in San Mateo including: 1. The intersection of El Camino Real and 31 st Avenue th Avenue from El Camino Real to Palm Avenue 3. The intersection of Bermuda Drive and Delaware Street th Avenue from El Camino Real to Palm Avenue 5. The intersection of Humboldt Street and Cypress Avenue 6. Poplar Avenue from Humboldt Street to Idaho Street 7. The intersection of Poplar Avenue and San Mateo Drive 8. Hacienda Street from 31 st Avenue to Louise Lane Walking audit participants included City staff from the Public Works Department. The walking audits began with an introduction to pedestrian safety, where a series of photograph examples was presented to illustrate typical areas of concern for walkability as well as best practices for pedestrian safety and accommodation. The Team held an exit meeting with participants from the walking audit at the end of the visit. This meeting included a presentation of the draft concepts for site-specific improvements based on the results of the walking audits. 1.3 ORGANIZATION OF THIS REPORT Chapter 2 presents background information on pedestrian safety in San Mateo, including the safety rankings for the City, the locations of the highest pedestrian-involved collisions, and locations where pedestrian fatalities occurred from 2007 to Chapter 3 presents the 1

20 findings and suggestions from the benchmarking analysis. Chapter 4 presents the findings and suggestions from the walking audit. There are two appendices at the end of the report: Appendix A presents a glossary of pedestrian improvement measures, and Appendix B is a resource list. 1.4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Staff members from the City s Public Works Department contributed to the wide range of topics addressed in this report. In particular, Ken Chin also organized a successful field visit, which included several City staff participants: Gary Heap Otis Chan Andrew Wong 1.5 DISCLOSURES The benchmarking analysis aims to provide the City with information on current best practices and how the City compares. Cities have differing physical, demographic, and institutional characteristics that may make certain goals or policies more appropriate in some jurisdictions than others. Ultimately, City staff may determine where resources and efforts are best placed for meeting local development and infrastructure goals for pedestrians. The suggestions presented in this report are based on limited field observations and time spent in the City of San Mateo by the PSA evaluators. These suggestions, which are based on general knowledge of best practices in pedestrian design and safety, are intended to guide City staff in making decisions for future safety improvement projects in the City, and they may not incorporate all factors which may be relevant to the pedestrian safety issues in the City. As this report is conceptual in nature, conditions may exist in the focus areas that were not observed and may not be compatible with suggestions in this report. Before finalizing and implementing any physical changes, City staff may choose to conduct more detailed studies or further analysis to refine or discard the suggestions in this report, if they are found to be contextually inappropriate or appear not to improve pedestrian safety or accessibility due to conditions including, but not limited to, high vehicular traffic volume or speeds, physical limitations on space or sight distance, or other potential safety concerns. 2

21 2. BACKGROUND With a population of almost 100,000, the City of San Mateo is one of the larger cities located on the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco. The City of San Mateo has been striving to accommodate both existing and future pedestrian demand, with efforts including: Developing of a Pedestrian Master Plan Applying for Safe Routes to School Grants Developing an ADA Transition Plan Undertaking the development of an ADA Transition Plan 2.1 PEDESTRIAN SAFETY OVERVIEW FOR SAN MATEO Based on the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) ranking statistics, the City ranked 62 nd out of 104 California cities in the same population group for the number of pedestrian collisions by average population (with 1 st position being the worst ranking). Based on the number of pedestrian collisions per daily vehicle miles traveled, San Mateo ranked 51 st. The Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) collision rankings facilitate funding decisions and identify emerging traffic safety problem areas. The rankings allow cities to compare themselves to other cities with similar-sized populations and help them identify their potential disproportionate traffic safety problem(s). Please note that OTS rankings are only indicators of potential problems; there are many factors that may either understate or overstate a city ranking. Victim and collision data for the rankings is taken from the latest published California Highway Patrol (CHP) Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) report. OTS provides two types of rankings: victim and collision rankings and DUI arrest rankings. Victim and collision rankings are based on rates of victims killed and injured or fatal and injury collisions per 1,000 daily-vehicle-miles-of-travel (CALTRANS) and per 1,000 average population (Department of Finance) figures. Pedestrian, bicyclist and motorcycle victim rankings do not take into account the size or demographics of a city or county s pedestrian/bicyclist/motorcyclist population. Population groups using 2009 SWITRS data 2 are as follows: Population Group A = over 250,000 B = 100,001 to 250,000 C = 50,000 to 100,000 D = 25,001 to 50,000 Collisions and Victims Rankings 13 cities ranked 56 cities ranked 104 cities ranked 98 cities ranked 2 Reference: California Office of Traffic safety. 3

22 For victim and collision rankings, a Population Group Ranking of 1/104 would be assigned to the city with the highest number of victims/collisions per 1,000 residents in population group C, while a ranking of 104/104 would be assigned to the city with the lowest number of victims/collisions per 1,000 residents in population group C. The 2009 OTS safety rankings for San Mateo are shown in Tables 2-1 and 2-2. TABLE 2-1: SAN MATEO SUMMARY STATISTICS Year City Population Population Group Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) 2009 San Mateo 97,032 C 773,438 Source: California Office of Traffic Safety, TABLE 2-2: SAN MATEO TRAFFIC COLLISIONS AND RANKINGS, 2009 Type of Collision Victims Killed and Injured Ranking by Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled (of 104 cities) Ranking by Average Population (of 104 cities) Total Fatal and Injury /104 (94 percentile) 102/104 (98 percentile) Alcohol Involved 16 90/104 (87 percentile) 97/104 (93 percentile) HBD (Had Been Drinking) Driver < /104 (80 percentile) 88/104 (85 percentile) HBD Driver /104 (89 percentile) 96/104 (92 percentile) Motorcycle 7 74/104 (71 percentile) 81/104 (78 percentile) Pedestrians 21 51/104 (49 percentile) 62/104 (60 percentile) Pedestrians < /104 (54 percentile) 64/104 (62 percentile) Pedestrians /104 (38 percentile) 43/104 (41 percentile) Bicyclists 16 67/104 (64 percentile) 75/104 (72 percentile) Bicyclists < /104 (51 percentile) 60/104 (58 percentile) Speed Related /104 (97 percentile) 100/104 (96 percentile) Nighttime (9:00pm - 2:59am) 9 99/104 (95 percentile) 101/104 (97 percentile) Hit and Run 11 78/104 (75 percentile) 90/104 (87 percentile) DUI Arrests 480 N/A 84/103 (81 percentile) Composite - 100/104 (96 percentile) 103/104 (99 percentile) Source: California Office of Traffic Safety, 4

23 Based on these rankings, the areas of highest concern for traffic safety in San Mateo in 2009 were: Pedestrian collisions, particularly those involving adults over the age of 65 This assessment and report emphasize safety issues associated with pedestrians, including a focus on older and younger pedestrians through suggested treatments such as road diets, curb extensions, and median refuge islands. Many of the suggestions in this report may also improve safety for bicyclists in San Mateo. 2.2 PEDESTRIAN COLLISION LOCATIONS Pedestrian-vehicle collision data for the City of San Mateo from 2005 to 2010 was taken from the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). The locations where collisions with pedestrians occurred are shown in Figure 2-1. Seven pedestrian fatalities resulting from pedestrian-vehicle collisions occurred in San Mateo between 2005 and The locations of these collisions are listed in Table 2-3 and shown in Figure 2-1. TABLE 2-3: PEDESTRIAN-VEHICLE FATALITY COLLISION LOCATIONS SAN MATEO, Intersection Number of Fatalities 3 rd Avenue and South Ellsworth Avenue 1 El Camino Real and 23 rd Avenue 1 East Santa Inez Avenue and North Fremont Street 1 El Camino Real and Bovet Road 1 43 rd Avenue and Olympic Road 1 Edison Street and West 39 th Avenue 1 East 25 th Avenue and Palm Avenue 1 Source: California Highway Patrol Notes: Midblock collisions were assigned to the nearest intersection. 5

24 101 Burlingame San Francisco Bay 82 San Mateo 92 Foster City Hillsborough El Camino Real San Mateo Creek 92 LEGEND Pedestrian Fatalities Pedestrian Collisions San Mateo Figure 2-1 San Mateo Pedestrian Collision Locations ( ) Feet 280 Belmont S C l

25 3. BENCHMARKING ANALYSIS RESULTS AND SUGGESTIONS Prior to the field visit to the City of San Mateo, the PSA team conducted an in-depth telephone interview on March 18, 2011 with City staff regarding the City s pedestrian safety policies, programs, and practices. The City s responses were analyzed with a benchmarking matrix, as shown in Table 3-1 (the highlighted cell represents the closest match). The City s policies, programs, and practices were compared with national best practices. The benchmarking analysis categorized the City s programs, practices, and policies into three groups: Key Strengths (areas where the City is exceeding national best practices) Enhancement Areas (areas where the City is meeting best practices) Opportunity Areas (areas where the City appears not to meet best practices) The items in Table 3-1 are further elaborated in the following sections. The City may select strategies for implementation based on local priorities. The PSA Team presented the results of this benchmarking analysis to City staff during the field visit. TABLE 3-1: SUMMARY OF PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND PRACTICES BENCHMARKING ANALYSIS FOR SAN MATEO Benchmark Topic Key Strength Enhancement Opportunity General Plan: Provision for Pedestrian Nodes Neighborhood Traffic Management Program Adoption of Open Space Requirements Pedestrian nodes are identified; pedestrian-oriented policies are in place for these nodes Has a significant traffic calming program with a dedicated funding source Pedestrian Traffic Maintains an inventory of Control Audit (Signs, pedestrian signs, markings, and Markings, and Signals) signals Public Involvement and Feedback Process Crosswalk Installation, Removal, and Enhancement Policy Specific Plans, Redevelopment Areas, and Overlay Zones Adoption of Street Tree Requirements Pedestrian nodes are identified but pedestrian accommodations are not Has a traffic calming program but no dedicated funding source Pedestrian nodes are not identified Does not have a traffic calming program Has an ordinance Does not have an ordinance N/A Has a formal, active public feedback process (webenabled) Has a crosswalk policy that reflects best practices for signalized and uncontrolled crosswalk treatments Pedestrian-oriented design, walkability, or place-making is stressed in the Plans Has an ordinance that improves pedestrian safety Adoption of Newspaper Has an ordinance that improves Rack Ordinance pedestrian safety Does not have an inventory of signs, markings, and signals Has an ad-hoc public feedback process Has a crosswalk policy but it is not comprehensive or up to date with best practices Plans require pedestrian accommodations Does not have an ordinance Does not have an ordinance N/A Does not have a public feedback process Does not have a crosswalk policy Plans do not address pedestrian needs N/A N/A 7

26 TABLE 3-1: SUMMARY OF PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND PRACTICES BENCHMARKING ANALYSIS FOR SAN MATEO Benchmark Topic Key Strength Enhancement Opportunity Adoption of Bicycle Parking Requirements Pedestrian/Bicycle Coordinator Requires bicycle parking with new development Has a Coordinator on staff who manages the City Pedestrian Program Inventory of sidewalks, Maintains an inventory of missing informal pathways, and and existing sidewalks in GIS and key pedestrian includes sidewalk projects in the opportunity areas CIP Collision History and Collision Reporting Practices Collection of Pedestrian Volumes Implementation of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Improvements and ADA Transition Plan for Streets and Sidewalks Adoption of Routine Accommodations for New Development Proactive Approach to Institutional Challenges Pedestrian Safety Program and Walking Audits Design Policies and Development Standards Pedestrian-Oriented Speed Limits and Speed Surveys Pedestrian-Oriented Traffic Signal and Stop Sign Warrants Creates annual reports or employs other comprehensive monitoring practice Collects pedestrian volumes routinely with intersection counts Uses state-of-the-practice ADA improvements with consistent installation practices Has Routine Accommodations Policy that applies to the development review process and assesses impact fees Has identified obstacles and has implemented efforts to overcome barriers Has significant and ongoing programs which include Walking Audits Has a Streetscape Master Plan Employs comprehensive practice to proactively review speed limits such as USLIMITS Uses relaxed warrants for traffic signals and/or all-way stops Transportation Has extensive TDM programs and Demand Management enforces parking cash out, etc. Programs Does not require bicycle parking Occasionally uses a contract Coordinator Maintains an inventory of missing sidewalks, informal pathways, and/or pedestrian opportunity areas Reviews data only following fatalities or other high-profile incident Collects some pedestrian volumes, but not routinely Has clear design guidelines but no regular practices for ADA compliance Has Routine Accommodations Policy for public works projects only Has identified obstacles Has some programs and may have conducted a Walking Audit Has minimal citywide design policies Reviews data only in response to reported concerns or frequent collisions Uses City-specific Warrants based on MUTCD Has basic TDM policies in General Plan N/A Does not have a Pedestrian Coordinator Does not have an inventory of missing sidewalks. Informal pathways, or pedestrian opportunity areas Does not have set practices for data review Does not collect pedestrian volumes Has minimal design guidelines and practices related to ADA requirements Does not have a Routine Accommodations Policy Does not have any identified obstacles Does not have pedestrian safety programs Does not have a Streetscape Master Plan or design policies for pedestrian treatments Does not have set practices for speed limit reviews N/A Does not have a Travel Demand Management program or policy 8

27 TABLE 3-1: SUMMARY OF PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND PRACTICES BENCHMARKING ANALYSIS FOR SAN MATEO Benchmark Topic Key Strength Enhancement Opportunity General Plan: Densities and Mixed Use Zones Coordination with Health Agencies Use of Leading Pedestrian Intervals Use of Street Furniture Requirements Use of Neighborhoodsized Schools Historic Sites Enforcement Preparation of a Pedestrian Master Plan Safe-Routes-to-School Program and Grant Funding Attention to Crossing Barriers Economic Vitality Formal Advisory Committee Has moderate to high densities in the CBD and mixed use zones Health agencies are involved in the planning of pedestrian facilities and/or programs and collection of collision data Has installed LPIs at appropriate locations Has an ordinance that improves pedestrian safety Has a policy to encourage neighborhood sized schools Cultural and Historic Preservation Plans include a wayfinding and walkability focus Police Department conducts sustained pedestrian safetyrelated enforcement efforts Has a recently-updated Plan and pedestrian projects have been completed recently Has a Safe Routes to Schools program and funding for recent projects Has a recently updated policy and comprehensive inventory of barriers Has several business improvement districts, an established façade improvement program, and/or aggressive downtown parking policies Has a formal, active Pedestrian Committee Has moderate densities with separate uses Health agencies have programs to promote healthy lifestyles through active transportation Has not installed LPIs Does not have an ordinance Does not have a policy to encourage neighborhood sized schools Cultural and Historic Preservation Plans require pedestrian accommodations Has low densities with separate uses Health agencies are not involved in pedestrian safety or active transportation N/A N/A Does not have a policy to encourage neighborhood sized schools and recent schools have been mega schools on the periphery Cultural and Historic Preservation Plans do not address pedestrian needs Police Department conducts Police Department does some pedestrian safety- related not have Traffic Safety enforcement activities Officer(s) Has a Pedestrian Master Plan but it may be outdated and/or no recent projects from the Plan have been completed Has no Safe Routes to Schools program but has obtained funding for recent projects Has an outdated policy Has a business improvement district, façade improvement program, or downtown parking policies Has an ad-hoc Pedestrian Committee Has a Pedestrian Master Plan currently under development Does not have a Safe Routes to Schools program Does not have a policy for pedestrian crossings at railroads, freeways, etc. Does not have business improvement districts, façade improvement program, or downtown parking policies Does not have a Pedestrian Committee 9

28 TABLE 3-1: SUMMARY OF PROGRAMS, POLICIES, AND PRACTICES BENCHMARKING ANALYSIS FOR SAN MATEO Benchmark Topic Key Strength Enhancement Opportunity Pedestrian Safety Education Program In addition to pedestrian safety curriculum in schools, provides brochures and/or conducts education campaigns Has pedestrian safety curriculum in schools and/or Community Centers Does not have pedestrian safety education programs 3.1 KEY STRENGTHS (a) General Plan: Provision of Pedestrian Nodes A city s General Plan is a key opportunity to establish the framework for pedestrian orientation. The Circulation Element of the Plan typically assigns roadway typologies, which can include a layered network approach with prioritized corridors for transit, pedestrian, bicycle, and auto travel. The City s current General Plan has identified several pedestrian nodes requiring attention including the intersection of Hillsdale Boulevard and US 101, where a crossover is needed to connect bicyclists and pedestrians to the Bay Trail. Other important pedestrian nodes include the Downtown Transit Center, the Hayward Park Station, and the Hillsdale Station. Suggestions for Potential Improvement Identify additional pedestrian nodes in future updates to General Plan Consider an overlay district for pedestrian nodes with special pedestrian-oriented guidelines, such as suspending auto Level of Service standards. Prioritize sidewalk improvement and completion projects in these nodes. (b) Neighborhood Traffic Management Programs Neighborhood Traffic Management Programs (NTMP) and policies set forth a consensus threshold on neighborhood requests and approvals, as well as standard treatments and criteria. San Mateo has a Neighborhood Traffic Management Program, which has traffic calming components, initiated in the early 2000s. When the program was implemented, over 100 neighborhoods initially applied. The City reviewed the neighborhoods and prioritized 3 for full traffic calming implementation program. The City currently receives two to three requests per month to review neighborhood traffic issues. Traffic counts and data are collected, and compared to standard criteria defined in the NTMP to determine if physical improvements are warranted. The city also provides education, advice, and information. The program toolbox includes edge striping, bulbouts, driver feedback signs, education, enforcement, curb ramps, stop signs, traffic circles, etc. Driver feedback signs are commonly installed. The program is funded through developer traffic mitigation fees. Funding for the program varies, but the City typically pools monies from several sources to fund the program. Improvements are 10

29 typically funded wholly by the City; however, in one recent case, a neighborhood contributed $5,000 for driver feedback signs. Suggestion for Potential Improvement The following resources are available for the City to use in its Neighborhood Traffic Management Program. Traffic Calming Guidelines from the City of Danville ( Traffic Calming Guidelines from the City of Anaheim ( Traffic Calming Guidelines from the City of La Habra ( (c) Open Space Requirements Residents typically rate open space as among a jurisdiction s key assets and needs. Open space may encourage walking, especially for recreational trips. The City has open space requirements for residential uses. The City also has an in-lieu fee program for residential uses in which developers can choose to pay a fee rather than providing open space. Most commercial areas do include open space, but it is not an official requirement. Suggestions for Potential Improvement Consider establishing an open space requirement and in-lieu fee for commercial uses. (d) Pedestrian Traffic Control Audit The 2009 federal Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) requires the installation of countdown pedestrian signals for all new signals. Replacing traffic signal bulbs with LED bulbs is also suggested to increase visibility and improve efficiency. The City of San Mateo has a policy to replace signal heads with LED displays. The City currently has pedestrian countdowns at every pedestrian signal. The City performs regular maintenance on traffic signals at least twice per year, during which time they can identify if traffic control devices are functioning correctly. 11

30 The City has a crosswalk inventory, completed in 2011, which includes the type of crosswalk, color and presence of in-pavement flashers. The data is available in GIS. A few years ago the city did a citywide sign inventory, but the data has not yet been incorporated into GIS format. Suggestions for Potential Improvement Convert the current sign inventory into GIS format. Ensure that locations with pedestrian desire lines have appropriate marked crosswalks where feasible. The crosswalk policy mentioned below in the Crosswalk Installation, Removal, and Enhancement Policy (section 3.1(f)) can help determine the appropriate crossing treatment at uncontrolled locations without marked crosswalks. (e) Public Involvement and Feedback Process Responding to concerns through public feedback mechanisms represents a more proactive and inclusive approach to pedestrian safety compared to a conventional approach of reacting to pedestrian collisions. San Mateo previously had a Bike/Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) but now the Public Works Commission, which is appointed by the City Council, serves that purpose. The Public Works Commission holds public workshops to get input on pedestrian and bicyclist issues. In addition, the city provides phone numbers and addresses on its website in order to allow residents to file comments or complaints for safety improvements on City streets. When a request comes through administrative staff or a work order, a tracking number is issued for each request All feedback is tracked whether an action is required or not. The city must meet target deadlines for responding to issues or requests (potholes, cracked sidewalks, new stop sign, speed limit change, ADA enhancement, etc.). Suggestion for Potential Improvement Consider adding a category or subcategory to the City s website dedicated to pedestrian topics. This category or subcategory may allow residents to file comments or complaints for traffic control devices or dangerous conditions. Consider adding a public tracking number to allow residents to track comments or complaints. Consider establishing a citywide citizen s advisory committee to exclusively address pedestrian and bicycle needs (see 3.3 (f) below). (f) Crosswalk Installation, Removal, and Enhancement Policy A formal policy for crosswalk installation, removal, and enhancement provides transparency in decision-making and adopts best practices in pedestrian safety and accommodation. San Mateo has a Crosswalk Policy and Treatment Toolbox which was developed in This toolbox guides crosswalk installation, enhancements and removal. The City is currently discussing a plan to update the toolbox as part of the development of the City s Pedestrian Master Plan. Suggestion for Potential Improvement 12

31 When updating the crosswalk toolbox, ensure that it reflects best practices and recent research with respect to the installation, removal, and enhancement of crosswalks, including criteria for installing crosswalk enhancements, such as flashing beacons, inroadway warning lights, or in-roadway pedestrian signs. Crosswalk policy resources include: Pasadena Pedestrian Safety Study and Crosswalk Policy: Sacramento Crosswalk Policy: Stockton Crosswalk Policy: Federal Highway Administration Study on Marked versus Unmarked Crosswalks: National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report on Crosswalks at Uncontrolled Locations: Caltrans/UC Berkeley Study on Pedestrian/Driver Behavior at Marked versus Unmarked Standard Crosswalk Marking Patterns Image source: FHWA, Planning and Designing for Pedestrian Safety Course, 2008 Crosswalks: (g) Specific Plans, Redevelopment Areas, and Overlay Zones As the City of San Mateo is mostly built out, new development mostly occurs as infill and redevelopment projects. Several redevelopment areas and Specific Plans are underway in the City, including several transit-oriented development plans and proposals. Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) includes mixed-use, walkable areas centered on transit stations and/or along transit corridors. When mixed-use development is convenient to transit service, longdistance travel can be accommodated on buses or trains, while short-distance travel is 13

32 accommodated by bicycling or walking. TOD in turn has the potential to reduce automobile dependency and usage, and can result in reduced vehicle-miles traveled. San Mateo currently has three plans related to transit-oriented development: North Central San Mateo Community Based Transportation Plan (2008), Bay Meadows Specific Plan (2009) and San Mateo Rail Corridor Transit-Oriented Development Plan (2005). These plans include pedestrian improvements; pedestrian-oriented design principles; compact, walkable neighborhood design; transit-orientation; and transportation demand management elements. The Bay Meadows Specific Plan also includes pedestrian-oriented Design Guidelines. Suggestion for Potential Improvement Consider areas with mixed-uses, walkability, bikeability, and pedestrian orientation as a high priority for redevelopment. Incorporate pedestrian-friendly policies throughout the San Mateo community planning process. (h) Adoption of Street Tree Requirements Street trees enhance the pedestrian environment by providing shade and a buffer from vehicles. Street trees may also enhance property values, especially in residential neighborhoods. However, street trees, when improperly selected, planted, or maintained, may cause damage to adjacent public utilities. San Mateo has a Heritage Tree Ordinance, which requires a permit for removal of Heritage Trees and a Street Tree Application Permit, which requires replacement of street trees removed with species identified in the Street Tree Master Plan. In addition, the City will pay 50% of costs for repairing sidewalk defects caused by street trees in front of private property. (i) Adoption of Newspaper Rack Ordinance Newspaper racks may obstruct walkways and reduce accessibility and pedestrian conspicuity when ordinances are not in place. A Newspaper Rack Ordinance improves the pedestrian realm by reducing clutter and organizing sidewalk zones. A Newspaper Rack Ordinance details size, location, and maintenance requirements. San Mateo has a Newspaper Rack Ordinance. (j) Adoption of Bicycle Parking Requirements Bicyclists become pedestrians after parking their bicycles. Safe and convenient bicycle parking is essential for encouraging bicycle travel (especially in-lieu of vehicle travel). San Mateo has a Bicycle Parking Ordinance in the Bicycle Master Plan, currently under development. Furthermore, the zoning code requires long- 14

33 term bicycle parking. The Public Works Department determines short term parking needs. Recently, parking meters in the downtown were retrofitted with bike racks to increase available short-term parking in the downtown. Suggestions for Potential Improvement Consider implementation of branded racks for the City (with a unique design or City symbol) such as the branded rack program in San Diego. Suggested bicycle racks (image source: (k) Pedestrian/Bicycle Coordinator The role of a Pedestrian/Bicycle Coordinator is to run pedestrian and bicycle-related programs, apply for funding, coordinate implementation of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plans, initiate interdepartmental coordination and serve as a staff liaison to local non-profits, advocacy groups and schools. Although staffing levels may vary based on local needs, a rule of thumb approximation is to provide a full-time coordinator for every 100,000 population. The City of San Mateo population, just over 97,000 in 2009, is close to needing a full-time coordinator. San Mateo currently has two staff who work part-time on pedestrian and bicycle issues and a fulltime staff member to coordinate the city s sidewalk program. Suggestion for Potential Improvement San Mateo may consider designating one staff member as the full-time Pedestrian/Bicycle Coordinator. 3.2 ENHANCEMENT AREAS (a) Inventory of Sidewalks, Informal Pathways, and Key Pedestrian Opportunity Areas A GIS-based sidewalk inventory enables project identification and prioritization, as well as project coordination with new development, roadway resurfacing, etc. San Mateo has an inventory of sidewalk conditions from an assessment done several years ago. Some older neighborhoods in the city are exempt from city sidewalk standards (they are grandfathered), to maintain a rural feel to these neighborhoods; however, new developments are required to have sidewalks. The City has a 15-Year Sidewalk Repair Program to ensure that all sidewalk problems are addressed at least within a 15 year period. The City gets $500,000 per year from the Council to fund the sidewalk program. Sidewalk repairs are also funded by property owners. The City will inspect sidewalks, determine needed improvements, and identify 15

34 a private contractor to do the work. The City will then send a notice to the property owner to make the necessary repairs. The owner can choose to use the city-recommended contractor or choose a different one. The City will pay for 50% of the costs for defects caused by street trees. The City is responsible for repairing sidewalks surrounding city parks. Informal pathways and cut through routes are often noticeable where pedestrian travel routes have worn down landscaping areas. These routes typically represent pedestrian desire lines the most direct route for pedestrians. An inventory of these facilities may be helpful to prioritize new sidewalk or pedestrian facilities. San Mateo does not currently have an inventory of informal pathways. If the City becomes aware of a location on city property where people are cutting through the area, they would generally make an effort to add a sidewalk. Suggestion for Potential Improvement Ensure that the current sidewalk inventory includes both existing and missing sidewalks and is available in GIS format. Expand the sidewalk inventory to include informal pathways and key pedestrian opportunity areas in the City. (b) Collision History and Collision Reports Identifying and responding to collision patterns on a regular basis is an important reactive approach to pedestrian safety (which may be combined with proactive measures). The City gets an annual report from the police department which provides traffic reporting for injury accidents; however the report does not include property damage accidents. The City reviews the report and determines if improvements may be identified for critical intersections. The City uses the software Crossroads for data maintenance. Crossroads links to GIS, which provides an interface for cross-referencing pedestrian facility inventory, traffic counts, and collision history to identify trends and hot spots more readily. Suggestions for Potential Improvement A field inventory of collision locations and pedestrian volume counts could enhance comprehensive monitoring. With sufficient pedestrian volume data, the City could prioritize collision locations based on collision rates (i.e., collisions/daily pedestrian volume), a practice that results in a more complete safety needs assessment. Treatments could then be identified for each location and programmatic funding allocated in the City s CIP. Volunteers can collect pedestrian volumes and other data at collision locations. (c) Collection of Pedestrian Volumes Pedestrian volume data is important for prioritizing projects, developing collision rates, and determining appropriate pedestrian infrastructure. San Mateo does not routinely collect pedestrian volume data. Over the past year, the City conducted some pedestrian counts using OTS grant funds. The data has been entered into a 16

35 database linked to GIS. The City does not require pedestrian or bicyclist counts for traffic studies. The City recently obtained grant funding to purchase automatic pedestrian counters. These will allow the City to more routinely collect pedestrian volumes in the future with little to no ongoing cost. Suggestions for Potential Improvement Use the automatic pedestrian counters to routinely collecting pedestrian and bicycle volumes. Consider requiring pedestrian and bicyclists to be conducted in conjunction with all manual intersection turning movement counts (e.g., as part of transportation impact studies). Using the geo-coded pedestrian volume data with GIS software along with other data such as pedestrian control devices and collisions, review and analyze data for trends or hotspots related to pedestrian safety. (d) Implementation of ADA Improvements and ADA Transition Plan Compliance with the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) guidelines is important not only to enhance community accessibility, but also to improve walking conditions for all pedestrians. San Mateo does not have city-specific design guidelines for ADA improvements, but uses Caltrans Standards for ADA curb ramp facilities. Curb ramps are generally added as needed but some priority is generally given to locations close to schools, parks, public facilities and areas with high pedestrian volumes. At least $100,000 is set aside per year for curb ramp installations. Curb ramps installations are often included as part of streets projects. In recent years, the City has implemented individual curb ramp projects with an additional $30,000 - $40,000 annually. This additional funding generally comes from the federal government. An ADA Transition Plan sets forth the process for bringing public facilities into compliance with ADA regulations. An ADA Transition Plan could address public buildings, sidewalks, ramps, and other pedestrian facilities. An ADA Coordinator is typically responsible for administering an ADA Transition Plan. San Mateo does not currently have an ADA Transition Plan for either public buildings or the public right-of-way; however, a plan is under development by the Civic Facilities Division. The City does not have a designated ADA Coordinator. The city engineer, facility Example of Two ADA-accessible Curb Ramps per Corner Image source: Armor-Tile 17

36 manager and city attorney are contact points for ADA-related issues. Suggestion for Potential Improvement Inventory existing ADA improvements and substandard locations. Develop an ADA prioritization plan and dedicate funding for such improvements Ensure that the ADA Transition Plan includes both public buildings and the public rightof-way to reflect current ADA best practice standards Consider hiring an ADA coordinator or formalizing the position of ADA Coordinator by appointing a current employee to that title, even if it is part-time The Standard Drawings for the City of Sacramento include best practices for directional curb ramp design (see drawing T-77 at: (e) Adoption of Routine Accommodations for New Development Routine Accommodations or Complete Streets Policies accommodate all modes of travel and travelers of all ages and abilities. The City does not have a Routine Accommodations policy but does assess an impact fee for new developments that funds traffic improvements, which can be a key building block for such a policy. The City uses complete streets principles as an internal practice, but does not have a formal complete streets policy. Developers generally include pedestrian accommodations in new developments but there is no official ordinance that requires this practice. Suggestion for Potential Improvement To support Complete Streets policies, the City may consider codifying their subdivision and development requirements by establishing a Complete Streets Policy and accommodating all modes in standard cross-sections for collectors and arterials. This policy could include a checklist for use during development application review. The following jurisdictions have established practices for Complete Streets and Routine Accommodations, including implementation of these policies through multi-modal level of service thresholds, and may serve as models for San Mateo: Fort Collins, Colorado s Multi-Modal Level of Service Manual: ApdxH% pdf Charlotte, North Carolina s Urban Street Design Guidelines: Sacramento Transportation and Air Quality Collaborative Best Practices for Complete Streets: San Francisco, California, Department of Public Health s Pedestrian Quality Index: 18

37 San Francisco County Transportation Authority s Multi-modal Impact Criteria: %20appendix%2005%20-%20tia.pdf (f) Proactive Approach to Institutional Coordination Numerous agencies have jurisdiction over components of the San Mateo transportation network, including Caltrans, Samtrans, Caltrain and City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County (C/CAG). Coordination between multiple agencies is necessary because of non-local control of right-of-way and differing policies regarding pedestrian accommodation. For example, Caltrans policies have historically discouraged proposals for bulbouts, wider sidewalks, and other pedestrian-oriented improvements. Recent Context Sensitive Solutions and Routine Accommodations policies within Caltrans (refer to the revised Deputy Directive 64 (DD64): now require the agency to consider multimodal needs and engage in collaborative community planning. These new policies may reduce institutional challenges, and the City may work with Caltrans and other agencies to identify new opportunities for joint planning of transportation facilities. The City identified one example of a situation in which it encountered an institutional obstacle to implementing a project. The City proposed a project on a section of El Camino Real to place a median, improve sidewalks, reduce vehicle travel lane widths and reduce shoulder widths. The project was delayed due to awaiting approval from Caltrans. Caltrans approved a layout with shoulder lanes wide enough to accommodate bicyclists while not actually providing a bicycle lane. The City accommodated this criteria and the project was able to move forward. It is expected with DD64, Caltrans may be more open to pedestrian friendly improvements in the future. Generally San Mateo experiences strong political support from the City Council and good relationships with external organizations, such as Samtrans, Caltrain and C/CAG. Suggestions for Potential Improvement Proactively seek opportunities to collaborate with Caltrans and adjacent local jurisdictions to identify and improve pedestrian safety along El Camino Real. Proactively seek opportunities to collaborate with Caltrain and Samtrans to improve pedestrian access to stations, bus stops, and key transit corridors. (g) Pedestrian Safety Program and Walking Audits Walking audits provide an interactive opportunity to receive feedback from key stakeholders about the study area as well as discuss potential solutions and their feasibility. They can be led by City staff, advocacy groups, neighborhood groups, or consultants. The City recently completed three days of walking audits as part of the development of their Citywide Pedestrian Master Plan. Prior to this, walking audits were conducted with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission as part of a regional bicycle and pedestrian training course on El Camino Real in The City is also considering development of an educational and encouragement program in October for Bike and Walk to School Week. 19

38 The City s crosswalk policy addresses pedestrian safety around schools. The City also has a Police Activities League (PAL), which hosts a bicycle rodeo funded by OTS grants. Suggestion for Potential Improvement Consider including regular walking audits and pursuing funding for a sustained City-wide pedestrian safety program, based on the suggestions of this PSA. This effort could complement other green or health-oriented programs within the City. (h) Design Policies and Development Standards Design policies and development standards can improve the pedestrian walking experience, encourage walking, enhance economic vitality, and offer funding opportunities for pedestrian improvements. The El Camino Real Master Plan (2001) includes design guidelines for landscaped median installation and pedestrian improvements at five intersections (20 th, 25 th, 31 st, 37 th, 42 nd ). These improvements include wider sidewalks, benches and transit shelters. The downtown area has a set of standards associated with the Downtown Master Plan, which was completed in the 1970 s and has since had two updates including the latest in However, the standard drawings in this plan have not been updated. The City s Pedestrian Master Plan, currently in development, will include new design standards. The City does not use form-based zoning. Example Sidewalk Corridor Suggestion for Potential Improvement Consider developing and adopting a Citywide streetscape master plan that specifically addresses pedestrian accommodation. Consider form-based zoning to influence the look and feel of neighborhoods throughout the City. (i) Pedestrian-Oriented Speed Limits and Speed Surveys As shown in Figure 3-1, pedestrian fatality rates increase exponentially with vehicle speed. Thus, reducing vehicle speeds in pedestrian zones may be one of the most important strategies for enhancing pedestrian safety. A recent policy directive from the California Department of Transportation, pursuant to the California Vehicle Codes (CVC) and resulting in changes to the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), provides state and local municipalities with the authority to reduce the posted speed limit if an engineering and traffic study demonstrates that a different (lower) speed limit should be a better fit based on local conditions. The allowable reduction is five miles per hour from what the posted speed limit needs to be based on the 85 th percentile speed of free-flowing traffic. However, school zone speed limits are a de facto 25 miles per hour or under. Also, the MUTCD was recently amended to allow local municipalities to reduce the school zone speed to 15 miles per hour without a traffic study if the road approaching the school is in a residential district, has a maximum of two lanes, and a regular speed limit of 30 20

39 miles per hour or less. Under these conditions, municipalities also have the option of extending a 25 mile per hour school zone to 1,000 feet from the school instead of only 500. The City of San Mateo conducts speed studies based on what the police department needs for enforcement. The City may consider a change to some speed limits based on the 15 mph policy directive discussed above. While the general practice of the City is not to post speed limit signs in local neighborhoods unless requested or as part of a traffic calming project, over time the number of signs posted has accumulated so that many local streets now have signs. Suggestions for Potential Improvement Consider pedestrian volumes when setting speed limits and employ traffic calming strategies in locations where speed surveys suggest traffic speeds are too high for pedestrian areas. Consider establishing 15 mph school zones. Ensure design standards/design speeds in pedestrian areas do not contribute to a routine need for traffic calming. Figure 3-1: Fatal Injury Rates by Vehicle speed, by Pedestrian Ages (Florida, , pedestrians in single-vehicle collisions) (j) Pedestrian-Oriented Traffic Signal and Stop Sign Warrants Providing all-way stop or signal control at an intersection may improve pedestrian safety by reducing speeds and controlling pedestrian-vehicle conflicts. The MUTCD defines warrants for 21

40 installing signals and stop signs; however, jurisdictions may choose to define relaxed pedestrian criteria to encourage pedestrian safety. Best practices for stop-sign warrant application include: Requiring a collision history of three instead of five collisions based on routine underreporting Reducing traffic volume thresholds based on latent demand Providing consideration for school children, pedestrians and traffic speeds San Mateo has city-specific warrant policies for all-way stop-controlled intersections based on a combination of MUTCD guidelines and best practices from other communities. These cityspecific warrants have a reduced traffic volume threshold for local streets. The calculations are based on traffic volumes, visibility and accidents. Bicycle and pedestrian volumes are typically not included in the calculations since the majority of traffic is vehicular. Suggestion for Potential Improvement Consider incorporating bicyclist and pedestrian volumes into the City s signal and stop sign warrants and adjust for latent demand and collision under-reporting. (k) Transportation Demand Management Program Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs encourage multi-modal travel by incentivizing non-auto options. As new development occurs, TDM programs can be expanded, formalized, and strengthened. The City of San Mateo currently has a part-time TDM coordinator and has a policy in its General Plan to establish a TDM program. The City currently has a work plan for development of a TDM program for City employees. As the San Mateo County Congestion Management Agency, C/CAG requires development of a TDM program for individual development projects which generate in excess of 100 peak hour vehicle trips. Suggestions for Potential Improvement As part of a comprehensive TDM program: Develop a TDM policy which: Incentivizes non-auto travel options (e.g., commuter checks, parking cash-out programs, transit passes, etc.) Creates support for major employers to implement a TDM program (e.g., emergency ride home programs) Considers variances for parking and transportation demand management program implementation Involves Samtrans and Caltrain transit service in major decisions The City of South San Francisco, California has a citywide TDM incentive program outlined in their Zoning Ordinance: 22

41 (l) General Plan: Densities and Mixed-Use Zones Planning principles contained in a city s General Plan can provide an important policy context for developing pedestrian-oriented, walkable areas. Transit-oriented development, higher densities, and mixed uses are important planning tools for pedestrian-oriented areas. Most of the residential areas in the City (34% of land area) are zoned for single family, lowdensity residential uses; however, 14% of land area is designated for multi-family residences which range from low to high density. Two percent of land area is designated as mixed use and 2% for transit-oriented development (TOD). Suggestions for Potential Improvements Consider zoning more areas of the city as mixed use or TOD, particularly in pedestrian districts/nodes and transit-priority areas. Enhance pedestrian-friendly goals, policies, and actions defined in the City s General Plan, particularly through the incorporation of the Pedestrian Master Plan policies and establishment of transit and auto vehicle policies that support a balanced multi-modal transportation network. (m) Coordination with Health Agencies Involving non-traditional partners such as Emergency Medical Service (EMS) personnel, public health agencies, pediatricians, etc., in the planning or design of pedestrian facilities may create opportunities to be more proactive with pedestrian safety, identify pedestrian safety challenges and education venues, and secure funding. Additionally, under-reporting of pedestrian-vehicle collisions may be partially mitigated by involving the medical community in pedestrian safety planning. 3 The City includes the Fire Department in planning and design of pedestrian facilities. The City is starting to talk with the County Health Department more on planning issues. The County Health Department funded the development of the San Mateo County bike map. Suggestion for Potential Improvement Seek opportunities for technical collaboration and funding with public health and health care professionals. Consider coordinating with local hospitals as another source of collision data. (n) Use of Leading Pedestrian Intervals 3 Sciortino, S., Vassar, M., Radetsky, M. and M. Knudson, San Francisco Pedestrian Injury Surveillance: Mapping, Underreporting, and Injury Severity in Police and Hospital Records, Accident Analysis and Prevention, Volume 37, Issue 6, November 2005, Pages

42 Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPIs) provide pedestrians with a head start signal timing before vehicles on the parallel street are allowed to proceed through an intersection. A 2000 study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that the LPI reduces conflicts between turning vehicles and pedestrians by enhancing the visibility of the pedestrian in the crosswalk. 4 A 2009 study by FHWA found that LPIs improve left-, and in some cases right-turning driver yielding behavior. 5 No LPIs are installed in San Mateo. Suggestion for Potential Improvement Consider installing LPIs in areas of high pedestrian activity throughout the City, providing a right-turn-on-red restriction as necessary per research findings 6. (o) Use of Street Furniture Requirements Street furniture encourages walking by accommodating pedestrians with benches to rest along the route or wait for transit; trash receptacles to maintain a clean environment; street trees for shade, etc. Uniform street furniture requirements also enhance the design of the pedestrian realm and may improve economic vitality. San Mateo does not currently have a Street Furniture Ordinance but they do have a Sidewalk Seating Ordinance for restaurants that specifies where street seating can be located. Suggestion for Potential Improvement Consider adopting a Street Furniture Ordinance. (p) Use of Neighborhood-sized Schools Neighborhood-sized schools, as opposed to mega schools on the periphery, are a key ingredient for encouraging walking and bicycling to school. In addition, pedestrian and ADA improvements could be prioritized near schools. The City does not have a formal policy to encourage neighborhood-sized schools; however, the combination of San Mateo s size with the distribution of existing school locations generally reflects a structure of neighborhood-oriented schools. School boundaries generally coincide with arterials, so that students do not typically need to cross major streets on their route to or from school. Suggestion for Potential Improvement Consider working with the local school districts to establish a policy on neighborhoodsized and oriented schools as part of a Safe-Routes-to-School policy Van Houten, R.; Retting, R.A.; Farmer, C.M.; and Van Houten, J Field evaluation of a leading pedestrian interval signal phase at three urban intersections. Transportation Research Record 1734: Pecheux, K; Bauer, J.; McLeod, P Pedestrian Safety and ITS-Based Countermeasures Porgram for Reducing Pedestrian Fatalities, Injury Conflicts, and Other Surrogate Measures Draft Zone/Area-Wide Evaluation Technical Memorandum. Hubbard, S, Bullock, D and J. Thai, Trial Implementation of a Leading Pedestrian Interval: Lessons Learned, ITE Journal, October 2008, pp

43 Consider co-locating parks, sports fields, and schools to create active recreational activities and minimize travel to after-school activity schedules. Develop sports practice schedules to encourage walking/biking to and from activities. (q) Historic Sites Historic walking routes, such as the famous Freedom Trail in Boston, encourage walking and enhance economic vitality. San Mateo maintains a list of the city s historic buildings. Two to three buildings in the city are on the state s registry of historic buildings. These buildings are mainly located in the downtown area. The City does not have a historic walking route, map, or wayfinding program. Suggestion for Potential Improvement Develop a map to showcase natural or local sites of interest (e.g., local public art installations), and link key features in the City, including a possible walking route between the sites. Maps of the tour route and historic documentation materials could be made available online and wayfinding signs, maps, and plaques could also be provided throughout the City. The map route and list of historic buildings and places of interest may be posted on the City s website. (r) Enforcement Enforcement of pedestrian right-of-way laws and speed limits is an important complement to engineering treatments and education programs. The San Mateo Police Department has a dedicated team of traffic safety officers; however, limited time is spent on pedestrian safety issues. The officers have conducted pedestrian stings in the downtown area, on El Camino Real, and on 22 nd Avenue. The traffic safety officers conduct a safety event annually at local schools during the first week of classes focused around safety during morning drop-off, education, enforcement and information for parents. The City s Police Department recently received a grant from the Office of Traffic Safety to augment staffing levels. The Police Department shares data and resources with neighboring agencies. The City is willing to involve the Police Department in the planning, design, and operation of pedestrian facilities. Suggestions for Potential Improvement Hire or identify traffic safety officers that would be dedicated to a local school during the morning and afternoon drop-off and pick-up periods. The 3-E s of Pedestrian Safety: Engineering Education Enforcement Implement sustained pedestrian safety enforcement efforts and involve the media. Use enforcement as an opportunity for education by distributing pedestrian safety pamphlets in-lieu of, or in addition to, citations. The Miami-Dade Pedestrian Safety Demonstration Project provides a model for the role of media in the sustained effectiveness of enforcement. Information is available at: 25

44 Train officers in pedestrian safety enforcement principles. The Madison, Wisconsin Department of Transportation has developed a DVD in collaboration with the Madison Police Department to train traffic officers in pedestrian and bicycle issues (for more information see The Bicycle Transportation Alliance in Portland, Oregon offers Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Training (for more information on this five-hour course see: Establish a radar gun check- out program for trained community volunteers to record speeding vehicles license plate numbers. Radar gun check-out programs are available in Albany, Pleasanton, and Thousand Oaks, California, among other cities (for more information on the Pleasanton program see: /04/07/MNG8N6 1MGG1.DTL). 3.3 OPPORTUNITY AREAS (a) Pedestrian Master Plan This type of plan includes a large menu of policy, program, and practice suggestions, as well as site-specific (and prototypical) engineering treatment suggestions. A Pedestrian (or Pedestrian/Bicycle) Master Plan documents a jurisdiction s vision for improving walkability and pedestrian safety; establish policies, programs, and practices; and outline the prioritization and budgeting process for project implementation. Combining this with a Complete Streets Policy (described below) would address other suggestions in this report. San Mateo currently has a Pedestrian Master Plan under development. Suggestion for Potential Improvement Finalize the Pedestrian Master Plan which may include policies and suggestions to prioritize and implement capital and maintenance projects: Pedestrian connectivity Prioritization of sidewalks and other pedestrian facility improvements Opportunities and barriers to pedestrian travel Public safety and eyes on the street design guidelines Consistency of treatments Interdepartmental coordination 26 Example Pedestrian Master Plan from the City of Sacramento

45 (b) Safe-Routes-to-School Program and Grant Funding Safe-Routes-to-School programs encourage children to safely walk or bicycle to school. The Marin County Bicycle Coalition was an early champion of the concept, which has spread nationally (refer to best practices at Safe-Routes-to-School programs are important both for increasing physical activity (and reducing childhood obesity) and for reducing morning traffic associated with school drop-off (as much as 30% of morning peak hour traffic). Funding for Safe-Routes-to- School programs and/or projects is available at the state (see: m) and federal levels (see: m). The City of San Mateo does not currently have a Safe- Routes-to-School program, however they are hoping to implement one as part of the development of the City s Pedestrian Master Plan. Safe-Routes-to-School has two grant programs: infrastructure projects and noninfrastructure projects. The City has applied for Safe- Routes-to-School grants in the past but has never won a grant. Past grant applications included infrastructure and physical improvements, and included a letter of support from the school district. Suggestions for Potential Improvement Example Safe Routes to School Activity Continue applying for grant funding; apply for non-infrastructure as well as infrastructure projects. Some of the suggestions in this report may be eligible. Consider developing a comprehensive City-wide Safe-Routes-to-School program that encourages walking to school and highlights preferred walking routes. Such a program may involve schools, advocates, parents, City staff, community health representatives and other stakeholders. A coalition may be developed for the program, with committees for mapping/data collection, outreach, education and encouragement, enforcement and engineering, and traffic safety. School-specific committees may also be considered. Consider scheduling regular, ongoing meetings to maintain stakeholder involvement. (c) Attention to Crossing Barriers Crossing barriers such as railroads, freeways, and major arterials, may discourage or even prohibit pedestrian access. Additionally, crossing barriers are often associated with vehiclepedestrian collisions (including severe injuries and fatalities). Identifying and removing barriers, as well as preventing new barriers, is essential for improving walkability and pedestrian safety. The City does not have a formal policy for identifying barriers to walking. The City has identified several freeways, El Camino Real, several arterials (e.g., Hillsdale Boulevard, Alameda de las Pulgas), and railroad tracks as barriers and has considered ways improve pedestrian access 27

46 across these locations. The Railroad Corridor Master Plan, as part of the City s Pedestrian Master Plan, will identify strategies to improve pedestrian circulation near the railroad corridor. Suggestions for Potential Improvement Identify and create an inventory of pedestrian barriers. Develop policies for reducing the barriers through prioritizing projects and requirements with future development. (d) Economic Vitality Improving pedestrian safety and walkability can enhance economic vitality. Similarly, enhancing economic vitality through innovative funding options such as Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), parking management and facade improvement programs can lead to more active pedestrian areas and encourage walking. San Mateo had a BID in the downtown area which was mainly established around parking and funding for parking garages. The BID was maintained by the Economic Development and Business Department (EDBA). However, during the process of reestablishing the downtown, the BID expired. The City is currently in the process of establishing a new BID in downtown. While the city does not currently have a façade improvement program, the EDBA does have a program through which commercial businesses can request money for improvements including façade and other improvements. Suggestion for Potential Improvement Consider using income from parking fees to supplement funding for the new downtown Business Improvement District. Consider applying funds towards pedestrian-related improvements in the new downtown Business Improvement District. Consider creating Business Improvement Districts in other areas beyond the downtown. Consider implementing a façade improvement program. Consider adding overlay zones, such as transit-oriented zones, to the Zoning Code such as the City of Palo Alto s Pedestrian and Transit Oriented Development Combining District Regulations in of the Municipal Code (see: 4pedestrianandtransitorientedd). (e) Formal Advisory Committee Advisory committees serve as important sounding boards for new policies, programs, and practices. A citizens pedestrian advisory committee is also a key component of proactive public involvement for identifying pedestrian safety issues and opportunities. 28

47 The City previously had a Bike/Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) composed of citizens. Now the Public Works Commission (PWC) serves this purpose. Suggestion for Potential Improvement Consider re-establishing a citywide citizen s advisory committee to exclusively address bike and pedestrian needs or create a sub-group of the PWC tasked to focus on bike (f) Pedestrian Safety Education Program Education is a critical element for a complete and balanced approach to improving pedestrian safety. Education campaigns may target pedestrians of all ages, especially emphasizing education of school children where safe walking habits may be instilled as lifelong lessons. The City does not have a pedestrian safety education program. Suggestion for Potential Improvement Develop a City-wide educational campaign for all ages: Campaigns may include advertisements on buses and bus shelters, an in-school curriculum, community school courses, public service announcements, and/or brochures, among many other strategies. The Street Smarts program in San José, California, provides a model pedestrian safety education program (see for more information). The Bicycle Transportation Alliance has developed a pedestrian safety curriculum for 2nd-3rd graders, which incorporates physical education, health, and social responsibility (refer to: Other safety curriculum resources are available at: Sample pedestrian safety brochures are available at: and Apply for grant funding to implement the campaign discussed above. 29

48 4. WALKING AUDIT RESULTS AND SUGGESTIONS Walking audits are typically conducted as an initial step to improve the pedestrian environment within the selected area. Many individuals can participate in a walking audit: community residents, stakeholders, and affiliated individuals. During a walking audit, positive practices are observed and issues and opportunity areas are noted. Observations are based on how motorists are behaving around pedestrians and how pedestrians are behaving, especially at intersections (for example, if pedestrians are crossing at unmarked locations to avoid certain intersections). For each opportunity area, the group discusses possible suggestions to address pedestrian safety concerns. Walking audits are highly interactive, with many observations explored during the walk. They are a means to observing and learning how to see through the eyes of the pedestrian. This chapter presents the observations and suggestions made during the walking audit conducted in the City of San Mateo on April 27, The suggestions are based on best practices and discussions with the participant group regarding local needs and feasibility. A glossary of the pedestrian improvement measures is presented in Appendix A. The evaluation team worked with City staff to select the focus areas for the walking audit based on the following criteria: Demonstrated pedestrian safety concerns Presence of children/school-related pedestrians No other project or recent walking audit has specifically addressed pedestrian safety needs in the area Proximity to key generators, such as transit, retail, parks, and schools Availability of prototypical sites for broader Citywide application of suggestions The walking audit covered eight focus areas in the City of San Mateo: 1. El Camino Real at 31 st Avenue th Avenue from El Camino Real to Palm Avenue 3. Bermuda Drive at Delaware Street 30

49 4. 17 th Avenue from El Camino Real to Palm Avenue 5. Humboldt Street at Cypress Avenue 6. Poplar Avenue from Humboldt Street to Idaho Street 7. Poplar Avenue at San Mateo Drive 8. Hacienda Street from 31 st Avenue to Louise Lane An overview of the walking audit focus areas are shown in Figure 4-1. The following sections present the key issues identified during the walking audit. Suggestions are presented to respond to the issues at each site. Focus area summary graphics, with a compilation of all suggestions, are provided in the discussion. 31

50 Poplar Ave El Camino Real N Delaware St 19th Ave LEGEND 1. El Camino Real at 31st Avenue 2. 25th Avenue from El Camino Real to Palm Avenue 3. Bermuda Drive at Delaware Street 4. 17th Avenue from El Camino Real to Palm Avenue 5. Humboldt Street at Cypress Avenue 6. Poplar Avenue from Humboldt Street to Idaho Street 7. Poplar Avenue at San Mateo Drive 8. Hacienda Street from 31st Avenue to Louise Lane 17th Ave San Mateo Figure 4-1. Walking Audit Locations Feet 31st Ave 8

51 4.1 GENERAL CITYWIDE SUGGESTIONS The following general suggestions have been noted as appropriate for City-wide implementation: Adopt a standard, high-visibility crosswalk striping pattern for uncontrolled crosswalks Install standard parallel crosswalk striping pattern for controlled crosswalks Add advanced stop bars for stop-sign or signal controlled crossings Add advanced yield lines for multi-lane uncontrolled crossings Consider use of thermoplastic material instead of paint for striping for improved durability and visibility Work with Caltrans to upgrade pedestrian signals to countdown signals at all signalized intersections on El Camino Real (SR 82) Ensure clearance intervals are adequate for pedestrians (suggest 3.5 feet/second) At all corners where two pedestrian pushbuttons for signals are provided, the two push buttons should be located on poles at least 10 feet apart, no more than 10 feet from the curb and no more than 5 feet from the crosswalk extended boundaries (California MUTCD) Install fluorescent yellow green (FYG) signage for uncontrolled marked crossings Strive for pedestrian-friendly medians, which are wide enough (at least 6 for bicycle accommodation) for pedestrian refuge and curb extensions that reduce crossing distances and tighten vehicular turning radii, where feasible For development set back from the sidewalks, provide pedestrian access routes from the sidewalk to the front doors of those uses Provide directional curb ramps (i.e., two per corner), rather than diagonal ramps, where appropriate Maintain ADA-compliant crossings (truncated domes, cross slopes, audible signals, separated pedestrian push buttons, etc.) 4.2 FOCUS AREA 1: EL CAMINO REAL AND 31 ST AVENUE Observations The intersection of El Camino Real and 31 st Avenue is signalized, with crosswalks and pedestrian countdown signals on all approaches. The crosswalk on the north leg of El Camino Real is very long and bent, and has frequent pedestrian activity. A narrow median is provided 33

52 along El Camino Real. During the audit it was noted that pedestrians had trouble clearing the El Camino Real crossings during the allocated signal timing. Bent crosswalk across El Camino Real, looking west Auxiliary lane on El Camino Real, looking south The area experiences high pedestrian demand, since several key generators surround the intersection. The Hillsdale Shopping Center is located on the west side of El Camino Real. The Caltrain right-of-way runs parallel to El Camino Real to the east, and the Hillsdale Caltrain station is located approximately ¼ mile south of the El Camino Real/31 st Avenue intersection. Much of the Hillsdale Shopping Center parking area is bordered by landscaping with limited formal pathways to access the front doors of the shopping center from the sidewalks. Pedestrians wishing to cross the landscaped areas have worn down landscaping into informal pathways through these areas. El Camino Real is a busy thoroughfare, with commercial uses on both sides of the corridor. There are three vehicular travel lanes, plus a protected left-turn lane in each direction. An auxiliary lane is provided approaching 31 st Avenue in the northbound direction. Motorists may either turn right into the Hillsdale Caltrain Station parking lot or continue north and merge with through traffic on El Camino Real. 31 st Avenue intersects El Camino Real from the west and has two through lanes in each direction. The City of San Mateo has developed some positive elements of a walkable environment at this intersection. The following positive characteristics were observed: Pedestrian median islands on 31 st Avenue and El Camino Real are provided Landscaping and street trees are provided along portions of El Camino Real Crosswalks are marked across each leg of the intersection Pedestrian countdown signals are provided 34

53 Informal pedestrian pathway to parking lot Pedestrian crossing to Hillsdale Shopping Center Plans under Development Three planning efforts are currently under development to identify future improvements to the area: the El Camino Real Master Plan, the Hillsdale Station Area Plan (SAP) and the Bay Meadows Specific Plan. The El Camino Real Master Plan includes plans to realign the crosswalk across the north leg of El Camino Real, improve the median island on east side of El Camino Real (using a Transportation for Livable Communities grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission), and install tactile warning surfaces (truncated domes) and directional ramps at each of the corners of the intersection. The Hillsdale SAP includes plans to redevelop the area north of El Camino Real into residential and mixed uses. It also includes relocating the Caltrain platform north of its current location. The Hillsdale SAP and Bay Meadows plans both call for a grade separated crossing of 31 st Avenue over the Caltrain tracks. Suggestions for Potential Improvement Beyond the improvements suggested by the existing plans, the following improvements may also be considered. Consider installation of curb extensions on all four corners of the intersection to shorten crossings and improve pedestrian visibility. Median thumbnail islands are proposed as part of the El Camino Real Master Plan. Long-term, consider a road diet on El Camino Real. A bus stop is located on El Camino Real about 300 feet north of the intersection. This stop is located at a mid-block location with the nearest crossings at 28 th Avenue and 31 st Avenue. As an interim solution, consider moving the bus stop closer to the intersection. Long-term, consider installing a signalized, staggered crosswalk to provide a safe crossing for pedestrians to access the stop at the current stop location. Consider providing a bus bulb with the curb extension on the southwest corner of the intersection. This would create a smoother and faster pick-up and drop-off transition for buses. 35

54 Consider adding advanced stop bars to further enhance pedestrian safety at the crossings. Consider formalizing access to the shopping center by paving informal pathways and creating curb cuts, allowing pedestrians to access the shopping center directly from the sidewalk and street corner. An auxiliary lane is currently located in the northbound direction on El Camino Real, south of the intersection. This lane then merges with El Camino Real traffic north of the intersection, which can cause vehicle conflicts. Consider striping merge arrows in the receiving lane north of the intersection. Three options can be considered to improve this configuration: 1. Consider closing the auxiliary lane by eliminating turns from West Hillsdale Boulevard to El Camino Real 2. Consider providing a dedicated phase at the traffic signal for traffic from the auxiliary lane 3. Consider implementing right-turn only into the Caltrain parking lot in advance of the El Camino Real/31 st Avenue intersection 36

55 Existing bus stop Relocate Caltrain platform as part of Hillsdale Station Area Plan 31st Avenue extension and grade separation as part of Hillsdale Station Area Plan Long term: - Provide signalized crossing to serve bus stop and future land use - Consider road diet on El Camino Real Short term: Relocate bus stop Add merge arrows Formalize pedestrain access path through parking lot Auxiliary lane from W. Hillsdale adds to long crossing distance for pedestrians. Suggestions: 1. Close auxiliary lane by eliminating turns from Hillsdale 2. Provide dedicated signal phase for the auxiliary lane 3. Implement right-turn only into future station with curb extension LEGEND Blue = El Camino Master Plan Red = Hillsdale Station Area Plan 31st Ave Provide curb extension to reduce crossing distance and provide bus bulb Existing Caltrain Station Black = PSA Suggestion San Mateo Figure 4-2. El Camino Real & 31st Avenue - Suggestions Feet El Camino Real

56 4.3 FOCUS AREA 2: 25 TH AVENUE BETWEEN EL CAMINO REAL AND PALM AVENUE Observations 25 th Avenue feeds into the San Mateo County Event Center, so attendees of events will often park in this area and then walk to events. Numerous restaurants and services are located along 25 th Avenue which also adds to the pedestrian activity along the street. El Camino Real has three travel lanes in each direction. West 25 th Avenue has one travel lane in each direction, while East 25 th Avenue has two travel lanes in each direction. The intersection of El Camino Real and 25 th Avenue is a signalized intersection with crosswalks on the north, east, and west legs. The south leg of El Camino Real has a stop line for vehicles that extends far into the intersection. Cars were frequently observed to stop in advance of the stop line. In addition, northbound right-turn vehicles were observed to travel at high speeds. The intersection of 25 th Avenue and Palm Avenue is a side-street stop T-intersection, with Palm Avenue being stop-controlled. The intersection has Keep Clear pavement legends to manage queue spillback from the traffic signal at El Camino Real. No marked crosswalks are provided. A fatal pedestrian collision occurred here in Cars stopping before stop line on El Camino Real Intersection of 25 th Avenue and Palm Avenue Suggestions for Potential Improvement At the intersection of El Camino Real and 25 th Avenue: Consider installing curb extensions on the southeastern and southwestern corners. This would help to tighten the turning radius and reduce speeds of right-turning vehicles. In addition, consider installing a crosswalk between these two curb extensions. This would help to pull back vehicles, which are currently stopping very close to the intersection. Relocate the northbound bus stop to the far side of the intersection (northwest corner) At the intersection of 25 th Avenue and Palm Avenue: 38

57 Consistent with the City s crosswalk guidelines, conduct pedestrian counts to determine whether the pedestrian demand threshold is met during the peak hour to install a marked crosswalk. If the intersection meets the threshold, consider the following enhancements: o o o o Install a marked crosswalk across 25 th Avenue Install a raised pedestrian median island Install four rectangular rapid flashing beacon signs at the crosswalk: one doublesided flashing beacon in the raised median and two pole-mounted flashing beacons on either side of the street facing on-coming traffic Install advanced yield lines on 25 th Avenue If the intersection does not meet the threshold, consider installing pedestrian lighting, traffic calming measures and directed police enforcement for speeding and pedestrian right-of-way control. 39

58 Delaware St 23rd Ave Palm Ave Provide ADA curb ramp Flores St Rapid rectangular flashing beacon - double sided on median - pole mounted either side Provide ADA curb ramp th Ave Median island 25th Ave Provide ADA curb ramp Confirm if pedestrian demand (peak hour) meats thresholds in City s crosswalk policy. - If yes, install crosswalk as shown - If no, install improved lighting, traffic calming, and provide directed police enforcement Tighten right-turn radius Lula Belle Ln Existing Bus Stop Provide gateway feature at entrance to 25th Avenue in only Install crosswalk with advanced stop bar Palm Pl Narrow approach to align intersection 25th Ave Relocate bus stop El Camino Real San Mateo Figure th Avenue between El Camino Real & Palm Avenue - Suggestions Feet Mary Lou Ln 26th Pl

59 4.4 FOCUS AREA 3: BERMUDA DRIVE AND DELAWARE STREET Observations The intersection of Bermuda Drive and Delaware Street is a signalized, T-intersection with crosswalks marked on the south and east legs. Delaware Street has two travel lanes in each direction. Bermuda Drive intersects Delaware from the east and has one travel lane in each direction. Delaware Street includes Class II bicycle lanes south of Bermuda Drive. North of the intersection, sufficient right-of-way does not exist to stripe bicycle lanes. A bus stop is located on the southeastern corner of the intersection. The parcel west of the intersection will be redeveloped into affordable housing with a new driveway located immediately west of Bermuda Drive. Ten foot wide sidewalks will be constructed as part of the new development. Many vehicles use northbound Delaware Street to access the SR 92 freeway on-ramps located approximately 200 feet north of the intersection. The Hayward Park Caltrain station is located approximately 1 / 3 mile northwest of the intersection and some pedestrians walk through the intersection to access the station. A gas station is located northwest of the intersection on Delaware Street. Intersection of Bermuda Drive and Delaware Street During the walking audit, northbound vehicles on Delaware Street were frequently observed to turn at high speeds, as the wide bike lane increases the effective corner radius. 41

60 Bike lane on Delaware Street, looking northbound Bus stop on Delaware Street, looking southbound Suggestions for Potential Improvement Consider the following improvements to the intersection to enhance both walkability and bikeability. Add a bulb out on the southeastern corner of the intersection. Reducing the radius of this corner would slow right-turning vehicles. Additionally, the bus stop could be moved to this bulb out, creating a bus bulb. Narrow the northbound bicycle lane to 6 feet and paint it green south of the Delaware Street/Bermuda Drive intersection in order to improve the contrast of the bicycle lane versus motor vehicle lanes. Add a bike box over either one or two lanes on the northbound approach of the intersection. This will help prevent both cars and bikes from encroaching upon pedestrians in the crosswalk. Add skip-striping to delineate the bicycle lane through the intersection. Install sharrows north of the intersection to improve wayfinding for cyclists through the interchange. Stripe a crosswalk across Delaware Street on the northern side of the intersection, especially with the construction of the parcel west of the intersection planned for redevelopment. Install leading pedestrian intervals (LPIs) on all approaches. 42

61 State Hwy 92 19th Ave Provide a leading pedestrian interval across Delaware Street Consider providing sharrow skip striping through intersection New Driveway Bermuda Dr Bike lane turns right onto Bermuda Drive Mongini Ct Housing Redevelopment Consider installation of a bike box across one lane minimum Narrow bike lane to 6 to reduce vehicle confusion for travel lane Delaware St Reduce right-turn radius by installing curb extension, which functions as a bus pullout and may reduce vehicle turning speeds. Existing bus stop Dublin Way San Mateo Figure 4-4. Bermuda Drive & Delaware Street - Suggestions Feet 10 sidewalks planned with redevelopment Consider green bike lanes on Delaware Street to Bermuda Drive Texas Way

62 4.5 FOCUS AREA 4: EL CAMINO REAL BETWEEN 16 TH AVENUE AND 17 TH AVENUE Observations El Camino Real at 16 th and 17 th Avenue has three vehicular travel lanes in each direction. The intersection of El Camino/17 th Avenue is signalized with pedestrian signal heads and marked crosswalks on all four approaches. 17 th Avenue approaches El Camino Real from the east with one lane in each direction. On the western side of El Camino Real, 17 th Avenue becomes Bovet Road, which has two travel lanes in each direction. Pedestrian crossing across 17 th Avenue Crosswalk with landscaping and street trees along 17 th Avenue Borel Avenue approaches El Camino Real from the west, forming a T-intersection. The intersection of El Camino Real and 16 th Avenue is also a T-intersection, with 16 th Avenue approaching El Camino Real from the east. 16 th Avenue has one travel lane in each direction. These intersections are side-street stop-controlled and with no marked pedestrian crossings. West of El Camino Real, there are several office buildings and service retail uses. Along the eastern side, there is a Safeway grocery store with a surface parking lot. The Safeway parking lot has three driveways: one located on 17 th Avenue and two along El Camino Real. There are also several businesses located along the south side of 17 th Avenue. Several destinations are located near these two intersections. The Hayward Park Caltrain station is located to the east, the SR 92 interchange is located to the south and Borel Middle School is located to the southwest. The City of San Mateo has developed some positive elements of a walkable environment in this area. The following positive characteristics were observed: Landscaping and street trees provide character and shade along portions of the streets Pedestrian signals are provided with pushbuttons at traffic signals 44

63 Long traffic queues were observed on 17 th Avenue approaching El Camino Real, which spilled back to block the Safeway driveway. The El Camino Real/17 th Avenue intersection currently operates with permitted left-turn phasing on 17 th Avenue. During heavy volume periods, the left-turn queues do not clear, as conflicting through traffic has the right of way. The City has received many complaints regarding traffic congestion and pedestrian safety in this area. A neighborhood retail center is located on the southeastern corner of El Camino Real and 17 th Avenue. The parking area consists of a single aisle with angled parking on both sides, which exits onto El Camino Real. City staff noted that cars often have trouble exiting this driveway and merging into northbound traffic on El Camino Real. Car attempting to exit parking lot on El Camino Real Safeway driveway along 17 th Avenue Vehicle congestion at driveway Suggestions for Potential Improvement To evaluate the potential signal timing and phasing improvements suggested blow, the City may consider conducting a more detailed operational traffic study to determine the most appropriate enhancements for this area. A micro-simulation using software such as SimTraffic or Vissim would be particularly useful to evaluate the multi-modal nature of the corridor and the tradeoffs associated with potential changes. The following improvements may be considered to enhance pedestrian safety at the intersection of El Camino Real and 17 th Avenue: 45

64 Consider installing a curb extension and removing two to three on-street parking spaces on the southeastern corner of the intersection to improve pedestrian sight lines to vehicular traffic. Consider reversing the direction of the neighborhood retail center parking lot so that drivers would to enter from El Camino Real and exit on Ivy Street. This would help to reduce turn movements and friction on El Camino Real. Consider adding a no right turn on red restriction for vehicles turning right from El Camino Real to 17 th Avenue Consider modifying the traffic signal phasing to provide protected left-turn phases for vehicles turning left from 17 th Avenue and Bovet Road. To better clear queues on the westbound approach, consider leading the westbound left-turns so that they run first, and concurrently with the westbound through vehicular traffic. Eastbound left-turns and through traffic would lag the westbound direction. Additionally, the following two options are suggested for improving pedestrian access across El Camino Real. Option 1: o o o Consider installation of a traffic signal at the intersection of El Camino Real and Borel Avenue. This would require consolidating and realigning the Safeway driveways so that a single access point is formed at the new signal. Consider marking crosswalks across El Camino Real on either side of Borel Avenue with the new signal Consider relocating the bus stop currently located midway between 16 th Avenue and 17 th Avenue to the far side of this new signal Option 2: o o o Consider installation of a traffic signal at the intersection of El Camino Real and 16 th Avenue Consider installing crosswalks across El Camino Real on either side of 16 th Avenue Consider moving the bus stop currently located on El Camino Real midway between 16 th Avenue and 17 th Avenue closer to 17 th or 16 th Avenue (far side stop) In order to improve traffic flow through the area, consider the following changes: Add a new access corridor between Borel Avenue and Bovet Road passing through the existing parking lot. Add a new access driveway to the Safeway on 16 th Avenue 46

65 In Out Conduct operational study to identify signal and corridor improvements. Consider: - Option A: Signalization of El Camino Real/Borel Avenue - Option B: Signalization of El Camino Real/16th Avenue - Option C: Completion of grid street network 16th Ave Relocate bus stop with Option B Option B Jasmine St Existing bus stop Consider relocation of driveway if new signals are added 17th Ave Palm Ave Option A Improve pedestrian access to front door Consider signal upgrades - Protected left-turn phasing on 17th Avenue/Bovet Road - Lead eastbound lefts to clear queue more quickly Relocate bus stop with Option A Reverse parking circulation pattern Kalmia St Borel Ave Add red curb to restrict parking to improve sight lines Ivy St Option C El Camino Real San Mateo Figure 4-5. El Camino Real between 16th Avenue & 17th Avenue - Suggestions Feet Bovet Rd 18th Ave

66 4.6 FOCUS AREA 5: HUMBOLDT STREET AND CYPRESS AVENUE Observations The Humboldt Street and Cypress Avenue intersection is side-street stop-controlled. The Cypress Avenue approaches are stop-controlled. Humboldt Street is classified as an arterial. Residents have expressed concern about high vehicle speeds along this street, which has a posted speed limit of 25 mph. The City recently reviewed all-way stop installation warrants at this intersection; however, they were not met. A school bus pick-up point is located nearby, as Humboldt Street is a major thoroughfare for school buses as well as for bicyclists and pedestrians. Intersection of Humboldt Street and Cypress Avenue, looking north Intersection of Humboldt Street and Cypress Avenue, looking south Suggestions for Potential Improvement Due to concerns about speeding in the area, the City may consider conducting a speed survey along Humboldt Street. The City may also want to re-evaluate the all-way stop-control warrant at the intersection, including pedestrian and bicycle volumes in the calculations. The following improvements may be considered at the Humboldt Street/Cypress Avenue intersection, as well as all uncontrolled intersections along the corridor in order to slow speeds and enhance the pedestrian environment: Install pedestrian scale lighting Stripe high visibility marked crosswalks (at least one crosswalks at each intersection may be enhanced; two may be improved with appropriate pedestrian desire lines) Provide pedestrian median islands Install curb extensions Install speed feedback signs 48

67 Amphlett Blvd Tilton Ave Improvements for Humboldt Street/Cypress Avenue intersection are prototypical for the Humboldt corridor. Improvements may serve to slow vehicle speeds Existing side-street (Cypress Avenue) Stop Control Suggestions: - Build curb extensions (A) or median island (B) - Install advance stop bars on Cypress Avenue - Add pedestrian safety lighting - Install high visibility crosswalk markings A Grant St Idaho St Cypress Ave Install speed feedback signs along Humboldt Street B Humboldt St Consider conducting a speed survey on Humboldt Street Fremont St San Mateo Figure 4-6. Humboldt Street & Cypress Avenue - Suggestions Feet Install red curb on each corner to prohibit parking and improve sight lines 2nd Ave

68 4.7 FOCUS AREA 6: HUMBOLDT STREET AND POPLAR AVENUE Observations The intersection of Humboldt Street and Poplar Avenue is a signalized intersection. Several schools are located in the vicinity of this intersection including San Mateo High School, College Park Elementary School and the San Mateo Adult School. The presence of these schools translates to high pedestrian activity at the intersection. US 101 freeway on- and off-ramps from Poplar Avenue are located two blocks east of the intersection. In between, the intersection of Idaho Street and Poplar Avenue has a high collision rate. Furthermore, queuing from the on-ramp can spill back along Poplar Avenue beyond Humboldt Street. To reduce queue spillback from the interchange, a median along Popular Avenue from Idaho Street to the on-ramps is currently being evaluated by C/CAG and the City of San Mateo. During the walking audit, heavy vehicle volumes were noted, including frequent heavy vehicles such as large trucks, school buses and Samtrans buses. Truck traffic at Humboldt Street and Poplar Avenue School bus at Humboldt Street and Poplar Avenue 50

69 Vehicle queues spill back from US 101 at Humboldt Street, looking east Vehicle queues from US 101 at Humboldt Street, looking west Suggestions for Potential Improvement The following improvements may be considered to improve walking and bicycling conditions in the vicinity of the Humboldt Street/Poplar Avenue intersection: Restripe the northbound, eastbound, and westbound approaches to add left-turn pockets. Since on-street parking is prohibited along this segment, adequate right-of-way exists to stripe these improvements without acquiring right-of-way. Modify the traffic signal to provide protected left-turn signal phasing. Protected left-turn phasing reduces conflicts between pedestrians and left-turning vehicular traffic (as well as vehicle-vehicle conflicts). Install pedestrian countdown signals Upgrade ADA facilities (provide tactile warning surfaces on curb ramps, consider directional curb ramps, ensure slopes are adequate and pedestrian push buttons are appropriately placed) Near the US 101/Poplar Avenue interchange, consider the following improvements: Consider installation of a median on Poplar Avenue between US 101/Amphlett Boulevard and Idaho Street. Installation would require right-turns only from Amphlett Boulevard With median installation, consider relocation of the stop-sign at Amphlett Boulevard to Idaho Street to improve right-of-way control between vehicles and pedestrians 51

70 Existing stop sign. Consider relocation to Idaho Street with median construction Becomes right-turn only with median installation Us Hwy 101 Humboldt St Amphlett Blvd Existing traffic signal Suggestions: - Stripe left-turn pockets on south, east, and west legs - Install protected left-turn signal phases - Install pedestrian count down signals Install median between US-101 and Idaho Street Consider installation of all-way stop at Idaho Street US-101/Poplar Avenue interchange improvements currently under study by C/CAG and City of San Mateo Idaho St Adult Education Center Poplar Ave San Mateo School District Property San Mateo Figure 4-7. Humboldt Street & Poplar Avenue - Suggestions Feet Indian Ave

71 4.8 FOCUS AREA 7: POPLAR AVENUE AND SAN MATEO DRIVE Observations The intersection of Poplar Avenue and San Mateo Drive is a signalized intersection. Several businesses and schools are located in the vicinity, which generate pedestrian activity through the intersection. Additionally, many people walk south along San Mateo Drive to access the downtown. San Mateo Drive is also designated as a county bike route by C/CAG s Countywide Bicycle Plan. Poplar Avenue has one travel lane in each direction; although, it flares to two lanes at the intersection. San Mateo Drive has two lanes in each direction. However, a traffic study recently completed by the City preliminarily concluded that San Mateo Drive has adequate capacity with one lane in each direction. Intersection of Poplar Avenue and San Mateo Drive Intersection of Poplar Avenue and San Mateo Drive Suggestions for Potential Improvement San Mateo Drive may be a good candidate for a lane reduction or road diet. Consider the following improvements: In collaboration with the City of Burlingame, reduce San Mateo Drive from four to two through lanes Stripe a two-way left-turn lane Stripe Class II bicycle lanes on San Mateo Drive Consider the following improvements along Poplar Avenue: Eliminate the additional through lane at the intersection, and remove merge arrows on the western side of Poplar Avenue 53

72 Restripe the street to narrow parking and providing 11 foot lane widths Stripe Class II bicycle lanes on Poplar Avenue At the San Mateo Drive/Poplar Avenue intersection, consider the following improvements: Stripe left-turn pockets at the intersection and install protected left-turn signal phasing Add advanced stop bars on each approach Install pedestrian signals, countdown heads, and pedestrian push buttons Upgrade ADA facilities (provide tactile warning surfaces on curb ramps, consider directional curb ramps, ensure slopes are adequate and pedestrian push buttons are appropriately placed). 54

73 Bellevue Ave San Mateo Drive is designated a North-South County bicycle route Ellsworth Ct Ramona St Williams Pl Road diet (narrowing from four to two lanes with center turn lane) allows for right-of-way to provide bike lanes Verify crosswalk enhancements are consistent with the City s crosswalk policy Turner Ter Existing traffic signal Suggestions: - Install pedestrian signals, count down heads, and push buttons - Upgrade ADA curb ramps (including truncated dome installation) - Add advanced stop bars - Install left-turn pockets and protected phasing on San Mateo Drive Single lane eastbound allows for merge area elimination Ellsworth Ave Poplar Ave Existing two lane approach. Modify to left-turn and shared through/right-turn lanes. San Mateo Dr Consider restriping San Mateo Drive with narrower lanes to provide right-of-way for bike lanes Road diet on north leg allows merge lane on south leg to be eliminated Bike Bike Highland Ave Santa Inez Ave San Mateo Figure 4-8. Poplar Avenue & San Mateo Drive - Suggestions Feet Elm St

74 4.9 FOCUS AREA 8: HACIENDA STREET Observations Hacienda Street between 28 th Avenue and Sylvan Avenue is a narrow street with front-on residential housing, one travel lane in each direction, curbside parking on both sides and no sidewalks. The street is exempt from the City s sidewalk policies. However, the area has frequent pedestrian activity and City staff has received complaints about safety concerns since pedestrians must walk in the street close to traffic, due to the lack of sidewalks. The speed limit is currently posted at 25 mph. The street does not qualify for traffic calming improvements under the City s policy, since it is designated as an arterial. Adding sidewalks to Hacienda Street would improve pedestrian safety, but several obstacles exist to their installation. Sidewalk installation would require removing on-street parking or reclaiming the City s right-of-way, which includes a portion of what is considered the residents front yards. Reclaiming this property to install sidewalks may require eliminating trees and shorten driveways so that residents would no longer be able to fit a parked car in their driveways. Hacienda Street Hacienda Street Suggestions for Potential Improvement Four options have been considered for this street section: Alternative 1: Woonerf or shared street Maintain parking on both sides of street Stripe an edge line between the parking and travel lane Create a woonerf or shared street with the following characteristics: o Vehicle traffic circulates in both directions and vehicles yield to oncoming traffic to share the narrow street 56

75 o o The street is also shared with pedestrians and bicycles Vehicle speeds are slowed to less than 15 mph Substantial improvements would be needed to achieve the speed reduction, including narrow travel lanes, enhanced pavement treatments, and potentially a policy change to allow traffic calming improvements on Hacienda Street. The implementation of this alternative may create inconsistencies with the rest of Hacienda Street, and other similar streets in San Mateo. Alternative 2 (Preferred Alternative): Partial sidewalks Restrict parking on one side of the street, alternating sides along Hacienda Street to create a chicane effect Install sidewalk on one side of the street using the additional right-of-way gained from parking restrictions (sidewalk should be placed on the side of the street with minimal impact to residential properties) Stripe edge lines and center lines to delineate vehicle travel lanes This alternative provides a compromise between residents who prefer to maintain on-street parking and those who prefer to provide sidewalks for pedestrians on Hacienda Street. Partial parking restrictions should allow for minimal impact to residential properties, but still provide right-of-way to install sidewalks on one side of the street. Alternative 3a: Full sidewalks no parking Restrict on-street parking on both sides of Hacienda Street Install sidewalks using the additional right-of-way gained from parking restrictions This alternative provides the right-of-way to install sidewalks on both sides of Hacienda Street using the right-of-way gained from on-street parking restrictions. The parking restrictions should allow for minimal impact to residential properties, but still provide right-of-way to install sidewalks on Hacienda Street. Alternative 3b: Full sidewalks with parking Maintain parking on both sides of Hacienda Street Reclaim City right-of-way from property owners along Hacienda Street Install sidewalks using the additional right-of-way reacquired from residents This alternative provides the right-of-way to install sidewalks on both sides of Hacienda Street using the right-of-way gained from reacquiring property from residents. However, this alternative may have maximum impacts on the residents, as several large trees may be impacted and property owners driveways may be too small to park a vehicle in. Costs are also likely the most substantial of the alternatives, since a significant amount of grading, drainage, and construction would be needed compared to the other alternatives. 57

76 Alternative 4: Time of Day Restricted Parking Restrict on-street parking during the day to provide a designated street space for pedestrians In the evening hours, when parking demand is highest, pedestrians would continue to share the street with motor vehicles. This alternative would provide a designated area for pedestrians to walk during the time that onstreet parking is restricted. However, much of the neighborhood s pedestrian activity happens in the evening, when local residents are at home (and after dark). 58

77 31st Ave Suggestions: - Option 1: Woonerf or shared street - Maintain parking on both sides of street - No sidewalks are provided - Pedestrians share street space with vehicles - Requires slowing vehicle speeds to 12-15mph or less - Option 2: Partial sidewalks (shown) - Restrict parking on one side of street, alternating sides - Install sidewalk on one side using additional right-of-way - Stripe edge lines and center lines to delineate vehicle lanes - Option 3: Full sidewalks - no parking - Restrict parking on both sides of street - Install sidewalks using additional right-of-way - Option 4: Full sidewalks - with parking - Assume city right-of-way to install sidewalks - Residents would be impacted (driveways) - Option 5: Time of Day Restricted Parking - Restrict on-street parking during day to provide designated street space for pedestrians Tighten corner radii On-street parking provided on alternating sides of Hacienda Street Hacienda S Provide sidewalk on one side (for illustrative purposes, west side is shown) Arbor Lane Briar Lane Louise Lane W. Hillsdale Boulevard LEGEND New sidewalk Chicane San Mateo Figure 4-9. Hacienda Street - Suggestions Feet