Item No. 2
Town of Atherton
CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT – STUDY SESSION
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
GEORGE RODERICKS, CITY MANAGER
FROM: ROBERT OVADIA, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR
DATE: NOVEMBER 6, 2024
SUBJECT: EL CAMINO REAL COMPLETE STREETS STUDY
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the Council receive a presentation on the El Camino Real Complete Streets Study and provide feedback on the assessment of the various cross-sections developed and proposed alternatives for further evaluation.
BACKGROUND
In an effort to improve safety and mobility on El Camino Real, the Town, with the support of a grant from the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (TA), initiated a study to evaluate how to enhance mobility along the 1.5-mile stretch between Selby Lane and Valparaiso Avenue. While El Camino Real is a State highway and a route of significance to the County and the region, this portion lacks sidewalks, bicycle facilities, and accessible transit stops, and experiences seasonal flooding that presents safety concerns for residents and users of the corridor.
The need for improvement has been outlined in various state, regional, and local plans, including the Town’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, the San Mateo County City/County Association of Governments (C/CAG) Comprehensive Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, Caltrans District 4 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, Reimagine SamTrans initiative, and the Grand Boulevard Initiative. As the roadway segment is under the State’s jurisdiction and flanks several communities (County of San Mateo, Redwood City, Menlo Park), it is not a project that the Town can address or fund on its own.
Through a grant from the San Mateo County Transportation Authority Pedestrian & Bicycle Program (Cycle 6), the Town has initiated a planning study with technical support from the TA and their consultant, WSP. The El Camino Real Complete Streets Study is identifying options to improve mobility and safety for all users while protecting our neighborhoods from cut-through traffic. It includes three key phases, each with extensive public outreach:
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4 • Spring 2024 Evaluate existing conditions
• Fall 2024 Evaluate concepts
• Winter 2025 Identify a preferred concept
A presentation on project status was made to the Transportation, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Safety Committee at their July 23, 2024, meeting.
The review of existing conditions and initial outreach phase have been completed and the development and evaluation of alternatives has begun. Council input on the proposed alternatives for further evaluation is requested.
In addition to this complete streets evaluation, two additional countywide efforts are being coordinated regarding the El Camino Real corridor – the reinitiation of the Grand Boulevard Initiative (TA), and an El Camino Real Comprehensive Multimodal Corridor Plan (Caltrans). The intent is to inform these countywide efforts with the results of our local study.
ANALYSIS
Public Outreach:
As part of the initial phase of the El Camino Real Complete Streets Corridor Study, the Town, TA, and Winter Consulting developed a project website for information about the project, outreach events, data collected and for updates at https://ecrcompletestreets.com. It also engaged in a series of community outreach events to gather input from stakeholders. The goal was to establish a shared understanding of the project and collect insights on existing conditions, needs, opportunities, and challenges. During this engagement phase, the project team organized various engagement activities including a technical working group meeting, three pop-ups, four listening sessions, two focus groups with community-based organization (CBO) partners, and one virtual community meeting. These events were aimed at engaging corridor users, local residents, property owners, advocacy groups, and school administrators, as well as reaching equity priority communities, including Spanish speakers and North Fair Oaks (NFO) residents.
While the format of each event was different and dictated the methods in which feedback was collected from community members, discussions and interactive activities focused on the following questions:
• What challenges do you face while traveling on El Camino Real? • What would make it easier for you to get around El Camino Real? • What qualities of the street do you enjoy and want to maintain? • Are there specific areas of the corridor that you would like to see improved? The study and events were promoted via social media and newsletter through the TA and Town.
Multilingual bus stop signage was posted and flyers were distributed along the corridor to promote participation of the online survey and interactive map; as well as attendance for the virtual community meeting.
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4 In total, there were eleven outreach events/meetings including: one Technical Working Group meeting, three Pop-Up events, four Listening Sessions, one Virtual Community Meeting, two Focus Group meetings, as well as canvasing of local businesses, comprising approximately 290 touchpoints with individuals. The online survey and activity map were active from April 21 to June 28, 2024. Overall, there were 320 responses to the online survey and 59 markers were added to the activity map to show locations that people enjoy visiting or where conditions make it challenging to get around. The online survey was promoted on the Town’s website, through social media posts, shared by funding partners and neighboring cities, promoted at in-person and virtual events, included in outreach letters to local businesses, and posted on temporary signage that were installed at bus stops along El Camino Real within the study area.
Key takeaways from the outreach events are highlighted as follows:
Pedestrian Safety and Infrastructure:
• Community members raised significant concerns about the quality of pedestrian infrastructure along El Camino Real.
• Community members emphasized the importance of adding continuous sidewalks along both sides of the corridor, particularly because rainy conditions make the dirt paths inaccessible.
• Many community members pointed out the risks of crossing multiple lanes of traffic on El Camino Real and mentioned crosswalks as currently built out are often ignored by drivers.
Participants called for more crosswalks with flashing lights and pedestrian refuges midway through crossings.
• Many participants stressed how dangerous it is to walk along the corridor without lighting at night and early in the morning. Multiple participants expressed that they walk along this corridor during these times to get to work.
• Participants expressed a desire to be able to safely walk to the bus stops along El Camino Real.
• Replacing dirt paths with paved sidewalks
Bicycle Lanes and Safety:
• Many community members expressed a willingness to travel more often by bike if infrastructure were improved to create a safe cycling experience. Key suggestions included:
o Improving street level lighting
o Adding protected bike lanes, particularly Class II bike lanes, without taking into account the gutter along sidewalks when determining the width of the lanes o Narrowing or reducing traffic lanes to make space for additional bike lanes o Converting parts of the street median into a bike or pedestrian trail. • School administrators and Safe Routes to Schools coordinators offered varying opinions on whether improved bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure on El Camino Real would lead to an increase in students and staff members using active transportation along El Camino Real. Most parents across focus groups were hesitant to allow their children to bike along El Camino Real regardless of improved bicycle facilities.
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4 • Some participants felt that a bike lane along this corridor would help improve connectivity across El Camino Real as a whole.
Public Transportation and Bus Stops:
• Many community members from North Fair Oaks and other surrounding equity priority communities depend on El Camino Real bus service to commute to work, run errands, and move through the larger area.
• Some North Fair Oaks community members shared that visibility surrounding bus stops is unsafe, particularly for those working in the service and hospitality sectors who have late evening/early morning work hours.
• School administrators, advocacy organizations, and residents along the corridor all highlighted difficulties accessing bus stops. Accessing bus stops is even more difficult during rain, as the dirt paths either flood or become muddy. • Community members suggested installing protective coverings and seating to improve the waiting conditions at bus stops along El Camino Real.
• Some participants suggested installing bus islands for safer transit use. • Participants heavily emphasized issues with bus service reliability, including delays and inaccurate schedules. Participants spoke about how the unreliable bus service negatively affects them when getting to work or other time-sensitive destinations. • Participants also mentioned that because of the lack of lighting at the bus stops, drivers may not always see them at the stops and can be passed up. • Community members called for bus stops to be more evenly spaced out along the corridor. • Some participants felt that a bus lane on El Camino Real would not be worth the loss of a traffic lane considering how infrequently the bus currently runs, though Route ECR is supposed to be at 15-minute frequencies.
• Participants at the North Fair Oaks Community Council listening session identified a potential opportunity to align with the SamTrans Bus Stop Improvement Plan efforts.
Flooding on El Camino Real:
• Participants reported that flooding forces pedestrians and cyclists onto the road during rainy conditions and advocated for a complete sidewalk network to mitigate dangerous conditions.
• Community members also expressed flooding worsens traffic and the experience of commuting by car.
• Flooding on the southbound side of the corridor makes bus stops along the corridor inaccessible.
Top priorities from the on-line survey are summarized as follows:
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4 Existing Conditions:
WSP has also completed its Existing Conditions Report, evaluating roadway, traffic and bicycle and pedestrian issues along the corridor. The purpose of the report, which is part of a larger Traffic Engineering Performance Assessment Report (TEPA), is to document and highlight the collected data.
Key Findings:
• Traffic Volume and Flow: Data from Turning Movement Counts (TMCs) and Automatic Traffic Recorders (ATR) reveal peak traffic volumes during key morning and evening hours. The El Camino Real bi-directional peak volumes reach 2,900 vehicles from 07:45 AM to 08:45 AM, and 2,980 vehicles from 04:30 PM to 05:30 PM. The bi-directional Average Daily Traffic (ADT) is 36,058 vehicles, emphasizing the corridor's essential role in local and regional mobility, underscoring the need for focused traffic management, and planning during these critical periods.
• Crash Analysis: An analysis spanning from 2018 to 2022 identified 73 injury crashes.
Notably, two pedestrian fatalities were recorded, highlighting the need for safety interventions, particularly for non-motorized users.
• Travel Characteristics: StreetLight data analysis reveals distinct travel patterns among bicyclists, pedestrians, transit users, and vehicle drivers. An analysis was conducted to determine the difference between “local’ and “through” vehicle trips, with local trips defined as those that begin or end in the five census tracts surrounding the project corridor and through trips defined as those that begin or end outside those five census tracts. The analysis of local and through vehicle trips indicates that for an average day and time, the project corridor facilitates more through trips within the study area, reflecting its role as a major north-south artery in the county. These patterns change by time of day, with more El Camino Real Complete Streets Study
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4 local trips in the AM peak and more through trips in the PM peak. Additionally, a significant percentage of vehicle trips are under five miles, indicating potential for a shift to bicycles if safer infrastructure is added.
Concept Evaluation (Alternatives Analysis):
The evaluation of potential solutions started with the consideration of seven “build” alternatives that include a combination of pedestrian, bicycle, and transit improvements. These represent the range of options considered by the technical consultants and from public input to address the mobility needs of the corridor. It also included a No Build alternative that considered the implications of continuing the corridor as is. The various alternatives are outlined as follows:
No Build – No Change
1. Sidewalk & Landscape Only – w/o lane reduction
2. Sidewalk & On-Street Bike Lane – w/o lane reduction
3. Sidewalk, Landscape & Bus Only Lane – lane reduction in both directions
4. Sidewalk, Landscape & 1-Way Separated Bikeways/Buffered Bike Lane - lane reduction in both directions
5. Sidewalk and Elevated Bike Lane (One-Way Separated Bikeways)– lane reduction in both directions
6. Sidewalk, Bike Lane and Two-Way Bikeway (Two-Way Separated Bikeway + Bike Lane) – lane reduction in both directions
7. Sidewalk and Asymmetric Vehicle Lanes and Bikeway (Asymmetrical Vehicle Lanes & 2- Way Separated Bikeway) – lane reduction in one direction The Alternatives Analysis evaluated these concepts against a range of criteria that reflect the goals of the project (i.e., Quality of Life; Safety; Multimodal Options, Equity & Access; and Construction Cost and Complexity).
The intent was to screen these alternatives and identify the most promising concepts for further technical analysis and public review and comment. The results of the initial screening are being presented to the Town Council at this Study Session with the intent on confirming the alternatives being carried forward for a more detailed evaluation to assist in selecting a preferred alternative.
After review by the consultant team, staff and partnering agencies, the alternatives recommended for continued evaluation are as follows:
1. Alternative 2 – Sidewalk & On-Street Bike Lane – w/o lane reduction
2. Alternative 4 – Sidewalk, Landscape & 1-Way Separated Bikeways/Buffered Bike Lane - lane reduction in both directions
3. Alternative 5 – Sidewalk and Elevated Bike Lane (One-Way Separated Bikeways) – lane reduction in both directions
4. Alternative 7 – Sidewalk and Asymmetric Vehicle Lanes and Bikeway (Asymmetrical Vehicle Lanes & 2-Way Separated Bikeway) – lane reduction in one direction
FISCAL IMPACT
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4 None at this time.
GOAL ALIGNMENT
This Report and its contents are in alignment with the following Council Policy Goals:
• Goal Area B – Preserve Small Town Character and Quality of Life • Goal Area D – Manage Circulation and Improve Safety
• Goal Area F – Be Forward-Thinking, Well-Managed, and Well-Planned
POLICY FOCUS
Policy focus should be on addressing mobility needs along mobility needs and challenges associated with El Camino Real.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Public notification was achieved by posting the agenda, with this agenda item being listed, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting in print and electronically. Information about the project is also disseminated via the Town’s electronic News Flash and Atherton Online. There are approximately 1,200 subscribers to the Town’s electronic News Flash publications. Subscribers include residents as well as stakeholders –to include, but be not limited to, media outlets, school districts, Menlo Park Fire Protection District, service provides (water, power, and sewer), and regional elected officials.
COMMISSION/COMMITTEE FEEDBACK/REFERRAL
This item has not been before a Town Committee or Commission
ATTACHMENTS
1. ECR Complete Streets Phase I Engagement Summary
2. Conceptual Cross Sections