· Main Line (650) 522-7000 ·
January 16, 2024
California Department of Transportation
Division of Transportation Planning
1120 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Re: Grant Proposal for the Downtown San Mateo Area Plan To Whom It May Concern,
On behalf of the San Mateo City Council, I am writing to express my strong support of the City of San Mateo’s grant application for the Caltrans Sustainable Communities program for the proposed Downtown San Mateo Area Plan (the Plan). This plan aims to create a comprehensive, data-driven, and community- based plan focused on land use and multimodal transportation for the heart of San Mateo. This endeavor seeks to shape a future vision for Downtown, encompassing aspects such as business, housing, community, major infrastructure for active transportation and curb management, and recreation needs in alignment with the General Plan 2040 and to meet the City and state climate goals.
To preserve San Mateo as a desirable place to live, work, visit, and raise a family, it is crucial to plan a downtown center that embodies the community's aspirations. The integration of housing, job centers, shopping, and dining in close proximity to transit promotes a vibrant urban environment where people can live, work, play, and shop without heavy reliance on cars. An active downtown not only facilitates cultural and entertainment events but also contributes to the city's fiscal health. Recognizing this, the General Plan calls for the update of the Downtown Area Plan, last adopted in 2009, to reimagine how the downtown can grow to meet the community's future needs.
Given the effort of the City and region to encourage multimodal transportation, equitable access to transportation, and planning cohesively to ensure coordination between land use and transportation, identifying necessary improvements for the future of Downtown San Mateo is of utmost importance. We believe this would be a project that would advance our goals and objectives. Toward this end, we strongly support the City of San Mateo’s grant application for this project.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Lisa Diaz Nash
Mayor
CITY OF SAN MATEO
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo, CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
(650) 522-7000