DATE: August 3, 2026
TO: Mayor and Members of the 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: Public Hearing to Hear and Consider Comments Regarding the Foster City Draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council take the following actions by Minute Order:
1. Receive a presentation from the Foster City Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan project team; and
2. Open a public hearing and receive public input regarding the contents of the draft Plan; and
3. By Minute Order, provide direction regarding its comments and revisions to the Draft Plan.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Project Team, comprised of staff and Fehr and Peers (F&P), have been developing the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (BPMP), a comprehensive Plan to lay out the future of bicycling, walking, and rolling in Foster City. The Draft BPMP (Draft Plan) consolidates the work completed throughout the planning process, including existing conditions analyses, policy recommendations, a recommended project list, and conceptual designs for the City's priority projects. The August 3, 2026 meeting is a
public hearing intended to be a part of gathering community feedback on the Draft Plan.
No formal action to adopt the Plan is being requested at this time, and staff will return with a final version of the BPMP for adoption after incorporating Council and public input.
BACKGROUND
The Foster City BPMP was initiated in response to the July 2023 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury report entitled “Bike Safety in San Mateo County,” which recommended “each city, town, and unincorporated county should update or generate a new Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan if their current plan is older than five years.”
In November 2023, staff applied for grant funding in the amount of $80,000 from the City/County Association of Governments (C/CAG) and was approved to receive an allocation of TDA funds for the BPMP Project in August 2024, offsetting half of the City’s currently budgeted funds.
On November 4, 2024, the City Council adopted City Resolution 2024-116, approving the RFP for the BPMP and authorizing staff to begin consultant selection. On March 3, 2025, the Council awarded the contract to Fehr and Peers, a transportation engineering and planning firm, which has a strong familiarity with Foster City due to their work on past studies.
In April 2025, City staff and Fehr & Peers kicked off the BPMP with Phase 1 – Existing Conditions, which ended in July 2025. In September 2025, the project team sought feedback on the proposed future bicycle and pedestrian network maps as part of Phase 2 – Draft Projects and Programs. Phase 3 – Draft and Final Plan is currently ongoing and is the final phase in the project, which aims to get feedback on the draft Plan and priority projects concept sheets.
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.
On May 4, 2026, the City Council participated in a work session and provided feedback on the five (5) priority projects recommended by staff to advance to further conceptual development. At this work session, the City Council added two (2) additional projects to the priority project list.
ANALYSIS
A Draft Plan has been developed (Attachment 1) following approximately 16 months of technical analysis, community engagement, and collaboration between Fehr & Peers and City staff. The Draft Plan consolidates the work completed throughout the planning process, including existing conditions analyses, policy recommendations, a recommended project list, and conceptual designs for the City's priority projects.
The Draft Plan, including priority projects concept sheets, was reviewed by the Traffic Review Committee (TRC) on July 9, 2026. Following the TRC’s review, the project team published the Draft Plan for public feedback on the project website, on July 13, 2026, initiating the public review period. Comments are encouraged from the public through mid-August, at which time staff and Fehr & Peers will review and incorporate revisions, and work towards finalizing the Plan for adoption.
The August 3, 2026 public hearing provides another opportunity for the City Council and community to directly comment on the specific recommendations outlined in the Draft Plan. Staff are seeking comments on the Draft Plan, including the priority projects concept sheets, and direction from the City Council to help inform revisions prior to bringing the Final BPMP forward for adoption.
Plan Overview
The planning process began with a comprehensive assessment of Foster City’s existing bicycle and pedestrian network to identify current conditions, opportunities, and connectivity gaps. This data informed the development of bicycle and pedestrian network maps, future policy recommendations, and project goals.
The BPMP is based upon three overarching goals brought to the City Council at the December 15, 2025, meeting. These goals are woven into every step of the Plan’s development. The goals are as follows:
1. Safe Routes to Key Destinations
2. Design with Intent
3. Develop a Connected and Flexible Network
Recommended Projects List & Priority Projects
Using the developed bicycle and pedestrian network maps, Fehr & Peers developed a recommended project list consisting of twenty-four (24) potential projects. These recommended projects were then prioritized using a data-driven prioritization framework that captures empirical inputs such as safety data, available street width, and connectivity to use as a starting point for prioritizing projects based on safety, connectivity, and feasibility. The recommended projects are comprised of both pedestrian and bicycle improvements, detailed below:
1. Pedestrian Improvements – Potential pedestrian improvements could include high-visibility crosswalks, ADA curb ramp upgrades, bulb outs, and median refuge islands.
2. Bicycle Improvements – Development of a new, low-stress network, including 13 miles of new Class IV bike lanes on major boulevards (bike lanes with a form of physical buffer between the rider and vehicle) and Class III bike boulevards in residential areas (whereby improvements to the road are designed to slow the speed of vehicles to enhance safety for all users of the road).
Of the twenty-four (24) recommended projects, seven (7) projects were selected by City Council for a more in-depth feasibility analysis at the May 4, 2026, Work Session, listed below:
1. Beach Park Boulevard (Gull Avenue to Foster City Boulevard)
2. Gull Avenue (Connected via Grebe Street)*
3. Marlin Avenue (Connected via Grebe Street)*
4. Edgewater Boulevard (Hillsdale Boulevard to Boothbay Avenue)
5. Edgewater Boulevard (City Limits to Hillsdale Boulevard)
6. Foster City Boulevard (Hillsdale Boulevard to Beach Park Boulevard)
7. Beach Park Boulevard (Shell Boulevard to Foster City Boulevard) *Gull and Marlin Avenues are identified in the BPMP as two separate projects but are shown together in the priority project concepts.
The additional analysis produces project concept cut-sheets consisting of rough-order- of-magnitude (ROM) cost estimations, conceptual drawings, and an outline of what further analysis/studies (e.g. traffic impact studies, speed studies, design surveys, public outreach) are needed to advance the improvements. The priority project concept cut sheets are included in Chapter 6 of the Draft Plan. These project recommendations represent the potential improvements for incorporation into the City’s multi-year capital improvement program, providing a roadmap for future bicycling and pedestrian investments throughout Foster City.
The project list will be continuously evaluated alongside public feedback to implement projects that both improve safety, connectivity, and have strong public support.
Goals and Policies
While capital improvements are vital to creating a greater sense of physical safety and connectivity through intentional design, the BPMP recognizes that infrastructure alone is not enough. In the goals and policies, the Plan outlines non-infrastructure strategies to support a culture of biking, walking, and rolling. These strategies were developed based on public feedback, industry best practices, and consideration of previous studies.
Some of these include lowering speed limits in accordance with Assembly Bill AB 43 Traffic Safety Speed Limit Flexibility, creating strong community partnerships to address issues collaboratively, and increasing public engagement and education.
The City has already made good progress by adopting the following policies and practices and continues to pursue additional opportunities to improve safety and influence behavior beyond construction related improvements such as: implementing the AB 413 daylighting law at all schools, parks, and throughout residential neighborhoods as part of the annual street paving projects; adopting an ordinance reducing speed limits in the vicinity of schools; reprogramming traffic signals with a pedestrian lead time; upgrading curb ramps as part of paving projects; etc.
Public Outreach
Public outreach was, and continues to be, an important component of the BPMP and occurred concurrently with several tasks in the scope of work. Outreach aimed to include the community throughout the Plan development process, ensuring that the Final BPMP will be based on community priorities, opinions, and feedback. Below is a summary of completed and planned outreach efforts as of July 16, 2026:
Date Phase Outreach Type Location / Platform Topic
4/21/2025 Phase 1 TRC Meeting Council Chambers
Conference Room
Internal Kickoff/Project
Briefing
5/29/2025 Phase 1 TRC Meeting Council Chambers
Conference Room
Phase 1 Kickoff
6/11/2025 -
7/18/2025
Phase 1 Online Survey Social Pinpoint Existing Conditions:
Opportunities and
Needs
6/12/2025 Phase 1 In-person Event Family Movie Night, Leo J.
Ryan Park
Existing Conditions:
Opportunities and
Needs
6/13/2025 Phase 1 Distributed
Flyers
PJCC, Starbucks, The Vibe,
Foster City PD, City Hall, FC
Library, etc.
Link to project website
6/13/2025 Phase 1 Messaging FC Marquee Link to project website 6/23/2025 Phase 1 Email Blast Email to Mailing List Phase 1 Survey Reminder
6/30/2025 Phase 1 Flyers Levee Kiosks Link to project website 7/3/2025 Phase 1 Social Media Facebook Phase 1 Survey
Reminder
7/10/2025 Phase 1 Social Media Facebook Phase 1 Survey
Reminder
7/16/2025 Phase 1 Email Blast Email to Mailing List Phase 1 Survey Reminder
7/18/2025 Phase 1 Social Media Facebook Phase 1 Survey
Reminder
8/14/2025 Phase 2 Social Media Instagram Mayoral Minute 9/11/2025 Phase 2 TRC Meeting Council Chambers
Conference Room
Phase 2 Event Reminder
9/11/2025 Phase 2 Messaging FC Marquee Link to project website 9/17/2025 Phase 2 Email Blast Email to Mailing List Phase 2 Event Reminder 9/17/2025 Phase 2 Social Media Facebook Phase 2 Survey
Reminder
9/18/2025 -
10/20/2025
Phase 2 Online Survey Social Pinpoint Draft Pedestrian and Bicycle Networks
9/21/2025 Phase 2 In-person Event Boothbay Park Draft Pedestrian and Bicycle Networks
9/22/2025 Phase 2 Email Blast Email to Mailing List Phase 2 Survey Reminder
9/25/2025 Phase 2 TRC Meeting Council Chambers
Conference Room
Draft Pedestrian and
Bicycle Networks
10/2/2025 Phase 2 Press Release Online Phase 2 Survey
Reminder
10/7/2025 Phase 2 PRC Meeting Council Chambers
Conference Room
Project Update and
Draft Networks
10/7/2025 Phase 2 Social Media Facebook Phase 2 Survey
Reminder
10/13/2025 Phase 2 Social Media Facebook Phase 2 Survey Reminder
10/15/2025 Phase 2 IDEC Meeting Council Chambers
Conference Room
Goals and Policies
10/16/2025 Phase 2 Virtual Event Online Focus Group (PTAs) Safe Routes to School and Draft Networks
11/20/2025 Phase 2 TRC Meeting Council Chambers
Conference Room
Goals and Policies and
Project Prioritization
12/15/2025 Phase 2 City Council
Meeting
Council Chambers Goals and Policies and
Project Prioritization
4/30/2026 Phase 3 TRC Meeting Council Chambers
Conference Room
Priority Projects
5/4/2026 Phase 3 City Council
Work Session
Emergency Operations
Center
Priority Projects
7/9/2026 Phase 3 TRC Meeting Council Chambers
Conference Room
Draft Plan and Priority
Projects
7/13/2026 –
8/17/2026
Phase 3 Online Survey Social Pinpoint Draft Plan and Priority Projects
7/13/2026 Phase 3 Messaging FC Marquee Link to project website 7/14/2026 –
8/17/2026
Phase 3 Social Media Facebook Phase 3 Outreach
Reminders
7/20/2026 Phase 3 Email Blast Email to Mailing List Phase 3 Survey and Event Reminder
7/29/2026 Phase 3 Email Blast Email to Mailing List Phase 3 Survey and Event Reminder
7/29/2026 Phase 3 In-person Event The VIBE Teen Center/Off the Grid
Draft Plan and Priority
Projects
7/30/2026 Phase 3 Email Blast Email to Mailing List Phase 3 Survey and Public Hearing Reminder
7/31/2026 Phase 3 Social Media Instagram Video
8/3/2026 Phase 3 City Council
Meeting
Council Chambers Draft Plan and Priority
Projects
8/6/2026 Phase 3 Email Blast Email to Mailing List Phase 3 Survey Reminder
8/13/2026 Phase 3 Email Blast Email to Mailing List Phase 3 Survey Reminder
9/21/2026 Phase 3 City Council
Meeting
Council Chambers Draft Plan and Priority
Projects
Next Steps
Because this Plan is intended to reflect community priorities, staff are requesting review and feedback on the Draft Plan. Any comments received during the public hearing, together with input collected through the remainder of the public review period, will be thoughtfully evaluated and incorporated into the Final BPMP, as appropriate. Staff will return to the City Council on September 21, 2026, with the revised Final BPMP for consideration of adoption.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT
No CEQA determination or filing is requested or is required tonight. When staff returns to the City Council for adoption of the final BPMP, staff will recommend that the City Council find the Plan exempt from CEQA pursuant to under PRC § 21080.20, which states that CEQA does not apply to an active transportation plan, a pedestrian plan, or a bicycle transportation plan for the restriping of streets and highways, bicycle parking and storage, signal timing to improve street and highway intersection operations, and the related signage for bicycles, pedestrians, and vehicles. Before determining that a project is exempt pursuant to section 21080.20, the lead agency must hold noticed public hearings in areas affected by the project to hear and respond to public comments. The public hearing on August 3, 2026 will satisfy that requirement. City staff have prepared and published the required public hearing notice (Attachment 2).
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this item, it is for informational purposes only.
CITY COUNCIL VISION, MISSION, AND VALUE/PRIORITY AREA
Infrastructure and Facilities; Innovation and Sustainability
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Draft Foster City Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Attachment 2 – Public Hearing Notice