Annual Transportation & Mobility Update for 2025 - Staff Report.docx
STAFF REPORT
Meeting Date: March 10, 2026
Agency: City of Belmont
Staff Contact: Josh Sun, Senior Civil Engineer, [email protected] Agenda Title: Annual Transportation and Mobility Update Agenda Action: For Information Only
Recommendation
This is an informational item only; no action is required.
Strategic Focus Area
Infrastructure and Mobility
Background
Infrastructure & Mobility remains a core Strategic Focus Area within the City’s Strategic Plan. A key objective under this focus area is to enhance multimodal transportation for all users. This objective is advanced primarily through the Capital Improvement Program, Operations and Maintenance activities, and the Parking and Traffic Safety Committee (PTSC).
Belmont’s street network and hillside terrain continue to create a distinctive set of considerations in planning for and maintaining a safe, accessible, and multimodal transportation system. Many neighborhood roadways are narrow and constrained, limiting how fully multiple travel modes and community needs can be accommodated simultaneously. Providing sidewalks, parking, and bicycle or traffic-calming features must often be balanced against circulation demands, emergency access, and ongoing maintenance obligations.
As a result, improvements often require careful balancing of competing priorities, including pedestrian and bicyclist safety, vehicle operations, neighborhood parking needs, and long-term infrastructure sustainability. The City approaches these decisions comprehensively and evaluates how each action can best contribute to a transportation system that is safe, practical, and responsive to community needs.
This report provides the Council and community with a 2025 update on major transportation efforts that have been completed, are underway, or are anticipated in the coming years. It also includes a summary of the PTSC’s role as a forum to review system performance, identify emerging trends, and help guide traffic management strategies and future mobility and capital improvements.
Analysis
The City of Belmont improves traffic and mobility safety through a coordinated approach grounded in the” Three Es”: Engineering, Education, and Enforcement. This framework combines infrastructure improvements, community awareness, and consistent enforcement to address safety challenges comprehensively. Each component plays a critical and complementary role in supporting the City’s 476
Annual Transportation & Mobility Update for 2025 - Staff Report.docx ongoing efforts to enhance safety, accessibility, and overall mobility for all roadway users.
Engineering:
Traffic and Congestion Relief Strategies
The Public Works Department is advancing strategies to improve safety, accessibility, and efficiency across Belmont’s transportation system while reducing congestion and supporting the City’s 2035 General Plan, Belmont Village Specific Plan, and Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan. Key efforts include:
• Optimizing signal timing to improve traffic flow
• Implementing traffic calming measures to enhance neighborhood safety • Expanding multimodal connections for walking, bicycling, and transit • Advancing Safe Routes to School improvements
The City also continues to coordinate with SamTrans and Caltrain to strengthen transit access, deploy smart transportation technologies such as adaptive signal control and real time monitoring, and promote Transportation Demand Management strategies in partnership with employers and new development to reduce peak period travel.
Regional Collaboration
Belmont recognizes that effective transportation solutions require strong partnerships. The City works closely with surrounding jurisdictions and regional agencies to improve connectivity and mobility beyond its borders. Examples of regional projects are listed later in this report. In addition to project coordination, Belmont has adopted the San Mateo Countywide Local Roadway Safety Plan and Vision Zero goal.
Adoption of the Local Roadway Safety Plan strengthens the City’s eligibility for grant opportunities, including the MTC OBAG 3 County and Local Program, the Caltrans Highway Safety Improvement Program, and the U.S. Department of Transportation Safe Streets for All program. The plan also provides a strategic framework to advance Vision Zero principles and guide future safety improvements.
Parking and Traffic Safety Committee (PTSC)
The Parking and Traffic Safety Committee (PTSC), which includes staff from Belmont Public Works, the Belmont Police Department, and the San Mateo Consolidated Fire Department, advances traffic and mobility safety through the Three Es framework.
Public Works continues to address safety concerns citywide, many of which are raised by residents through the PTSC process. In 2025, Public Works reviewed 51 requests, an increase from 32 in 2024.
Routine items, such as red curb renewals and damaged signage, are typically resolved through Operations.
More complex issues receive PTSC evaluation and may be implemented directly by Public Works or incorporated into development projects or the Capital Improvement Program.
Operations and Maintenance
In addition to responding to PTSC requests throughout the year, significant progress occurs behind the scenes. The Streets and Traffic Operations teams work year-round to enhance safety, reliability, and overall roadway conditions for all users. Notable accomplishments in 2025 include:
477
Annual Transportation & Mobility Update for 2025 - Staff Report.docx • Refreshed:
9,587 feet of red curb
3 crosswalk located in a School Zone
3,597 feet of thermoplastic striping
• Replaced:
62 regulatory signs
29 warning signs
30 guide signs/street signs
• Repaired:
165 potholes
• Crack Sealed:
15,460 linear feet of pavement
• Installed:
250 tons of asphalt
18 yards of concrete
Capital Improvement Projects Delivery and Program Updates Capital Project Completion and Advancement
• 2025 Pavement Rehabilitation Project
Completed rehabilitation of over 2.8 centerline miles of roadway. • Ralston Avenue Cabinet Relocation Project
Construction completed in Fall 2025.
• Belmont Village HAWK Crossing Project
Design completed and Caltrans permit obtained. Construction scheduled to begin in 2026. • Belmont Village Bike and Pedestrian Project
Bid and construction contract award completed. Construction expected to begin in early 2026. • Ralston Segment 4 Feasibility Study
Scope and goals refined; study funded. Project kickoff scheduled for Spring 2026. 478
Annual Transportation & Mobility Update for 2025 - Staff Report.docx • Alameda de las Pulgas Multimodal Safety Project
Stakeholder coordination underway; project scope refinement and grant pursuit ongoing. • 2026 Pavement Rehabilitation Project
Project development underway.
Policy and Plan Updates (part of the Enhance Multi-Model Transportation objective):
• Transportation Master Plan
Awarded the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant in July 2025 • Pavement Distress Survey
Completed in March 2025, resulting in a citywide Pavement Condition Index of 71 • Pavement Management Technical Assistance Program (P-TAP) Completed the biennial P-TAP for Belmont’s pavement condition assessment.
Regional Project Participation
• SMCTA 101 Corridor Connect Mid-County Multimodal Strategy Three Belmont projects identified as priority projects. • Central El Camino Real Multimodal Plan
Corridor alternatives have been established; project advancing to the Caltrans Project Initiation Document (PID) phase this year.
• Grand Boulevard Initiative (GBI)
Action plan has been finalized as the first step toward redesigning El Camino Real.
Private Development Coordination
Public Works continues to coordinate with private developments to incorporate frontage improvements, such as bike lanes, City standard driveways, sidewalks, curb and gutter, to enhance public safety and mobility in conjunction with new development. These efforts support General Plan Policy 3.1-5, which requires new developments to contribute their fair share towards multimodal improvements.
Sidewalk Improvement Coordination
Public Works also coordinates with small private residential construction projects to replace or install sections of sidewalk pursuant to the City adopted MTC’s Complete Street’s Policy and City’s Sidewalk Installation Policy.
Active Transportation and Emerging Mobility
Public Works advances projects that improve safety and accessibility for people walking, biking, driving, and using transit, with a focus on closing mobility gaps, enhancing bicycle and pedestrian connectivity, and upgrading substandard sidewalks. Guided by City Council priorities and community input, the Department continues implementing improvements identified in the Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan, the Ralston Avenue Corridor Plan, and the Alameda de las Pulgas Corridor Plan to support a more connected and user-friendly street network.
As e-bike use and other micromobility options grow rapidly, Public Works is actively evaluating how 479
Annual Transportation & Mobility Update for 2025 - Staff Report.docx these modes will impact and benefit the transportation system, including considerations for facility design, safety, and operations. Public Works is monitoring state legislation, including AB 1557, and coordinating with neighboring jurisdictions to ensure Belmont can effectively accommodate and serve evolving e-bike and micromobility travel needs.
Transportation Master Plan - Major 2026 Initiative
The major initiative looking ahead to 2026 is the development of a comprehensive Transportation Master Plan. Supported by a Caltrans Sustainable Communities grant, the Plan will provide a long-range framework to manage growth, reduce congestion, and advance safe, efficient travel for all modes while guiding coordinated investments and improving connectivity citywide. Community outreach is expected to begin in summer 2026. The final Plan will include recommended improvements and a prioritized project list to guide future transportation investments.
Education:
Public Works informs residents about current and upcoming projects through City social media channels.
For initiatives with broader community impacts, such as the Traffic Calming Policy, staff provide updates and gather input through meetings of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, City Council, and PTSC. Outreach for these meetings includes social media notifications and mailed postcards, creating multiple opportunities for residents to ask questions and share feedback.
The Police Department supports public safety through ongoing education and traffic law enforcement. In addition to targeted enforcement by the traffic unit, officers use routine stops, community events, and daily interactions to reinforce safe driving behaviors, including avoiding distractions, wearing seat belts, and driving sober. These efforts are complemented by social media outreach and community engagement.
San Mateo Consolidated Fire also supports public safety education through year-round fire prevention and emergency preparedness education. By helping residents reduce fire risks and stay prepared for emergencies, especially in hillside neighborhoods, these programs lower the likelihood of fire-related roadway closures and improve the efficiency of community evacuations during natural disasters. This helps maintain safer and more reliable transportation and mobility across the City.
Enforcement:
The Belmont Police Department serves a critical role in supporting traffic safety through education, outreach, and enforcement activities. While the dedicated traffic unit leads many targeted initiatives, traffic law enforcement is a shared responsibility carried out by patrol officers as part of their routine operations. The Department leverages its institutional knowledge of local roadway conditions together with input from community members to identify and prioritize areas of concern. This collaboration helps inform strategic enforcement efforts and supports the identification of traffic hotspots.
One of the key tools used is directed traffic enforcement, which allows officers to concentrate on specific areas across the city over time, with the goal of improving driver behavior and raising awareness. In support of these efforts, the Police Department received another grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety in late 2025. Also during 2025, the department received a grant from the Department of Cannabis Control. These grant funds help continue initiatives aimed at reducing DUI-related crashes and improving 480
Annual Transportation & Mobility Update for 2025 - Staff Report.docx safety for pedestrians and cyclists. The grant funding has provided additional traffic enforcement tools for the department and funded specific enforcement efforts to help keep Belmont’s streets safe for everyone.
Over the course of 2025, the Police Department has performed the following:
• 2,713 traffic stops (up 27% vs 2024)
• 288 bicycle/pedestrian stops
• 438 directed traffic enforcements
• Issued:
1,092 moving citations (up 73% vs 2024)
160 written warnings
550 parking citations
149 criminal citations
Over 1,500 verbal warnings
In response to Assembly Bill 413, the Belmont Police Department has continued with education before moving into enforcement, focusing on schools and areas with higher pedestrian activity. The goal is to raise awareness and help the community adjust to the new requirements. The Police Department will continue partnering with Public Works to share information and provide ongoing outreach and education about the new law. During 2025, one citation was issued for violating the daylighting law.
Alternatives
1. None.
Attachments
A. Annual Transportation & Mobility Update PowerPoint
Fiscal Impact
☒ No Fiscal Impact
Receiving the annual transportation and mobility update has no direct fiscal impact. Capital Improvement Program (CIP) projects related to transportation and mobility are incorporated as part of the five-year CIP plan.
☐ Funding Source Confirmed:
Source: Purpose: Public Outreach:
Staff Council Vision/Priority Posting of Agenda
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