OCTOBER 1, 2025
Fall 2025 Progress Update
Atherton City Council
Background and Overview
What is the Grand Boulevard Initiative?
Corridor-wide program to
modernize transportation
infrastructure on El
Camino Real in San Mateo
County.
Convene a Task Force of
staff from cities, countywide
agencies, Caltrans,
advocates, and business
groups to establish a
cohesive vision for the
corridor.
Builds momentum toward
implementation by
advancing a coordinated
project through the Caltrans
approval process.
3 It's Time to Modernize El Camino Real
• GBI is reimagining El Camino Real to meet
21st century mobility and safety needs
• Goes beyond safety and transportation
improvements in local jurisdictions:
• Placemaking with vibrant destinations
• Economic vitality
• Sustainability elements
• Infrastructure that will support future
developments on the corridor
4 GBI Structure
Task Force Working Group
• City and agency staff, advocacy
groups, business groups
• Focused on corridor-wide visioning
• City and agency staff only
• Focused on implementation
5 GBI Agency Partners & Roles
•Owns and maintains El Camino Real
as a state highway (SR 82)
•Reviews and approves proposed
changes to the roadway
•Prepares the San Mateo County
Congestion Management Program
(CMP) and identifies strategies to
relieve congestion
•El Camino Real is a CMP roadway
•Primary bus service provider in
San Mateo County
•Coordinating countywide El
Camino Real planning efforts
with SMCTA
•Coordinates and funds Bay Area regional
transportation
•Providing grant funding for El Camino Real
planning and Caltrans approval efforts
•Funds transportation
improvements in San Mateo
County
•Directs funding towards El
Camino Real projects
6 GBI is coordinating across nine different projects
and studies underway
7 El Camino Real GBI Action Plan & Project Initiation Document Caltrans SR-82 North Comprehensive Multimodal Corridor Plan (including San Francisco and San Mateo Counties)
GBI Action Plan
GBI Action Plan
GBI Action Plan
GBI Outcomes
Caltrans Project
Initiation Document
9 The Action Plan is the precursor to
beginning a countywide Caltrans project
development process:
• Evaluate corridor-wide needs
• Establish a cohesive vision
• Build momentum toward implementation
GBI Action Plan Engagement
10 2024 2025
Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Task Force &
Working Group
GBI Steering
Committee
City Councils
SamTrans & TA
Board
Draft Corridor-Wide Vision
El Camino Real is a safe and
vibrant street where people of all
ages and abilities travel
comfortably
11 Problem Statements and Goals
Transform El Camino Real into a
complete street that works for all
users.
Create a new framework for
change aligning vision, process, and
funding.
El Camino Real has an unusually
high rate of fatal or serious injury
crashes, particularly for people
walking and biking.
El Camino Real’s highway-like
design discourages walking, biking,
and transit use.
It’s too challenging to develop,
implement, and fund transportation
projects on El Camino Real.
SAFETY
Adopt a safety-first mindset to
eliminate fatal and serious injury
crashes.
SAFETY
MOBILITY
PROCESS
MOBILITY
PROCESS
→
→
→
PROBLEM STATEMENTS GOALS
Streetscape Changes Under Study
Safety
• Traffic calming
• Traffic signal gap
closures
• Medians
• Lighting
Active
Transportation
• Wider sidewalks
• Crosswalk
improvements
• Separated bikeways
• Street trees
Transit
• Bus stop
enhancements
• Bus lanes
• Transit signal priority
• Access improvements
13 GBI Builds on Plans and Projects in
Atherton
• Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (2014)
• C/CAG Countywide Local Roadway Safety Plan (2024)
• El Camino Real Complete Streets Corridor Study (2025) 14 Next Steps & Discussion
GBI Timeline and Cost
16 2025 2026
~$750M
Rough order of magnitude cost for
up to 22 miles of streetscape redesign ($2025)
Discussion:
GBI Action Plan Framework
Goals: What goals do you have for the corridor?
Process: How can we best work together to advance the GBI Vision?
Next Steps: Are you supportive of the GBI process as we have described it?
17 Transform El Camino Real into a complete street that works for all users.
Create a new framework for change aligning vision, process, and funding.
Adopt a safety-first mindset to eliminate fatal and serious injury crashes.
SAFETY GOAL
MOBILITY GOAL
PROCESS GOAL
Thank you!
18 For more information please visit
www.samtrans.com/gbi
For questions & comments, please
email:
[email protected]
The GBI Action Plan and Project Initiation
Document are funded by SamTrans, a
grant from the Metropolitan Transportation
Commission, as well as a grant of local
transportation sales tax dollars from the
San Mateo County Transportation
Authority