DATE: May 4, 2026
TO: Mayor and Members of the Foster City Council
VIA: Stefan Chatwin, City Manager
Marlene Subhashini, Assistant City Manager
FROM: Andrew Brozyna, Public Works Director
Laura Galli, Engineering Manager
Francine Magno, Senior Civil Engineer
Claire McWilliams, Assistant Engineer
DEPARTMENT: Public Works
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON THE FOSTER CITY BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN MASTER PLAN INCLUDING FIVE (5) PROJECTS
RECOMMENDED FOR FURTHER PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council, by Minute Order, receive and accept this update on the Foster City Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (BPMP) and provide general direction and feedback on the five (5) projects recommended by the project team for further conceptual project development.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City’s consultant, Fehr and Peers, has been developing the BPMP Project (“Project”), a comprehensive plan to improve the way people walk, bike, and roll throughout Foster City. The Project kicked off in April 2025 and is currently in its third phase, in which twenty-four (24) projects have been identified and prioritized using the prioritization methodology accepted by City Council at the December 15, 2025, meeting.
While all projects are important to the fulfillment of the plan, five (5) projects have been identified for further exploration and for a more in-depth feasibility analysis. In selecting the five
(5) projects for further development, the project team considered the scoring methodology, in addition to public feedback received throughout all Project phases, as well as staff’s understanding of the Project’s overarching goals: to develop a safe, well-connected, and sensitively designed bicycle and pedestrian network throughout Foster City.
Prior to finalizing the draft plan, the City Council is asked to provide direction on five (5) projects recommended for further study. The project team will present these projects and provide the rationale for their selection, including the criteria and key factors considered to prioritize these projects. Upon finalization of the draft plan, these five (5) projects will be advanced to a preliminary design stage, which includes written project descriptions, aerial overlays, and rough order magnitude (ROM) costs. These preliminary designs will help guide future capital improvement projects (CIPs) over the next 5 years and position the City to apply for future bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improvement grants.
BACKGROUND/ANALYSIS
Methodology
On December 15, 2025, City Council received and accepted, by Minute Order, a status update on the progress of the development of the BPMP and provided general policy direction on the preliminary plan goals, policies, and prioritization methodology. The prioritization methodology consisted of three overarching categories: Safety, Connectivity, and Feasibility. Each overarching category includes multiple criteria, listed in the table below:
Category Criteria Data Score
Fatal or Injury
Bicycle/Pedestrian Collision
Collision Points
Source: Foster City PD
0-1
Bicycle Pedestrian Collision Collision Points
Source: Foster City PD
0-1
Safety
Level of Traffic Stress Level of Traffic Stress
Analysis
Source: Fehr and Peers
0-1
Connectivity Score Connectivity Analysis
Source: Fehr and Peers
0-1
Tier 1 Priority Intersections Priority Intersections
Source: Fehr and Peers
0-1
Connectivity Increases Connectivity across
Major Roads in Foster City
(Hillsdale, FCB, Hwy 92) or
Access to San Mateo Caltrain
Access Project
Major Roads
Source: Foster City
0-1
Available Right-of-Way
(ROW)
ROW Analysis
Source: Fehr and Peers
0-1
Feasibility Estimated Costs Feasibility Analysis
Source: Fehr and Peers
0-1
Maximum Possible Score 8
Following City Council direction to proceed with the prioritization methodology, Fehr and Peers began the process of prioritizing projects shown on the future bicycle network map (Attachment 1). The future bicycle network map received feedback and direction from both the Traffic Review Committee (TRC) and the public in Fall 2025 during Phase 2 outreach.
Prioritization Results
From the prioritization methodology, the maximum possible score any one project could receive is 8. These high-scoring projects represent the highest measurable increases in the concerns covered by the three (3) evaluation categories. While the prioritization matrix captures empirical inputs such as safety data, available street width, and connectivity, the prioritized project list represents a snapshot in time and will be continuously evaluated against public feedback, underscoring the importance of community engagement throughout the planning process and beyond.
The resulting list consists of twenty-four (24) potential projects, separated into segments with distinct beginning and end points. These projects vary in their level of complexity, with Foster City Boulevard and East Hillsdale Boulevard representing the highest complexity due to their high traffic volume and spatial constraints. Both are currently designated as Class IV Bikeways, pending feasibility due to their potential community and traffic impacts which would need to be evaluated through robust public engagement and traffic studies. In response to an inquiry from Councilmember Jimenez regarding the addition of a Class IV bike lane on Foster City Boulevard as part of the current Street Rehabilitation Project (CIP 726), staff have provided a detailed analysis and response, which can be found in Attachment 2.
While every project is important to the fulfillment of the plan, five (5) projects will be selected to advance to a more in-depth feasibility analysis, consisting of ROM cost estimations, conceptual drawings, and an outline of what further analysis/studies (e.g. traffic impact studies, speed studies, design surveys) are needed to advance the improvements. These five (5) selected projects will help kickstart future CIPs and ascertain the public’s support for the proposed changes. The full project list can be viewed in Attachment 3.
Project Team Recommendations
The projects identified below are the five (5) projects recommended by staff to advance to preliminary design.
Corridor Begin End Type of
Facility
Existing
Facility
Project
Type
Total
Score
Beach
Park Blvd
Foster City
Blvd
Gull Ave Class IV Class III Upgrade 8
Edgewater
Blvd
City Limits E Hillsdale
Blvd
Class IV Class II Upgrade 7
Edgewater
Blvd
Hillsdale
Blvd
Boothbay
Ave
Class IV Class II Upgrade 6
Gull Ave Beach
Park Blvd
E Hillsdale
Blvd
Class III (Bike
Blvd)
Class III Upgrade 5
Marlin Ave Catamaran
St
Beach
Park Blvd
Class III (Bike
Blvd)
Class III Upgrade 5
The justification for the advancement of each of these projects follows themes identified in the previously approved goals and policies, specifically emphasizing increased regional connectivity and improvements near schools and parks. The project team selected these based on a balance of implementation speed, cost-effectiveness, and community impact.
Projects were selected to include both near-term improvements and those requiring a longer planning effort. This approach allows the City to deliver early, tangible benefits, such as bicycle boulevards near schools, while continuing to plan for more complex efforts along Beach Park Boulevard.
Additionally, cost effectiveness was considered through projects that deliver high-impact safety and connectivity improvements relative to investment, including enhancing connections to the levee, schools, and key destinations. Community impact also played an important role. Some projects, such as Beach Park Boulevard, are expected to be well-received based on prior public engagement, while others in the project list, like Foster City Boulevard, will require additional study and public engagement due to their broader impacts.
This balanced list of short- and long-term projects helps build early momentum while ensuring thoughtful planning for larger initiatives. It also supports alignment with future funding opportunities particularly for the larger long-term projects. The project team will provide a presentation of these five (5) projects.
With Council’s acceptance of the five (5) priority projects, staff will authorize Fehr and Peers to begin drafting project cut sheets, which will detail ROM costs, proposed street cross sections, and improvement details. Once the project cut sheets have been developed, the projects will be incorporated into the draft plan. The draft plan will be shared with the public during Phase 3 public engagement, which will consist of an online survey and one in-person workshop. After public outreach has been completed, staff will bring the final plan to the TRC for review and consideration, followed by a public hearing for review and adoption by the City Council.
CEQA
This agenda item is not subject to review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21000, et seq. and the CEQA Guidelines (14 Cal. Code Regs. §§ 15000 et. seq.), including without limitation, Public Resources Code section 21065 and California Code of Regulations 15378 as this is not a "project" that may cause a direct, or reasonably foreseeable indirect, physical change in the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
CITY COUNCIL VISION, MISSION, AND VALUE/PRIORITY AREA
Infrastructure and Facilities; Innovation and Sustainability ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1 – Existing and Future Bicycle Network Maps Attachment 2 – Memo: Addition of a Class IV Bike Lane to Foster City Boulevard Attachment 3 – Prioritized Project List