CITY OF SAN MATEO
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CITY OF SAN MATEO
Agenda Report
City Hall
330 W. 20th Avenue
San Mateo CA 94403
www.cityofsanmateo.org
Agenda Number: 9 Section Name: CONSENT CALENDAR Account Number: 10-4661 File ID: 26-11592 TO: City Council
FROM: Alex Khojikian, City Manager
PREPARED BY: Public Works Department
MEETING DATE: September 22, 2026
SUBJECT:
2025 Rail Corridor Transportation Management Association Annual Report — Acceptance RECOMMENDATION:
Accept the 2025 Rail Corridor Transportation Management Association Annual Report.
BACKGROUND:
In 2005, the City adopted the San Mateo Rail Corridor Transit-Oriented Development Plan (Corridor Plan) with the goal to "allow, encourage, and provide guidance for the creation of world class transit-oriented development (TOD) within a half mile radius of the Hillsdale and Hayward Park Caltrain station areas, while maintaining and improving the quality of life for those who already live and work in the area." The Corridor Plan includes a framework for (1) creation of a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) zone, (2) implementation of a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program with a goal of achieving an overall reduction in new vehicle trips by at least 25 percent corridor-wide, (3) establishment of trip generation thresholds, (4) establishment of parking standards, and (5) monitoring of trip generation.
The Corridor Plan established a new TOD zone, which generally encompasses key parcels located within a half mile of the Hillsdale and Hayward Park Caltrain stations. This new land use includes transit-supportive development densities, building heights, and design guidelines. The broader Corridor Plan area extends beyond the TOD zone and includes other areas near these stations. The Corridor Plan also called for the creation of a San Mateo Rail Corridor Transportation Management Association (TMA). Participation in the TMA is (1) required for all new development within the TOD zone, (2) strongly encouraged for all new development within the broader Corridor Plan area, and (3) available to any existing uses outside of the Corridor Plan area (Policy 7.18 of the Corridor Plan).
Each TMA member's trip reduction thresholds are set on a project-by-project basis during the city's approval process and recorded as Conditions of Approval (COA). Before receiving city approval, each development must submit a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan prepared by a qualified transportation consultant. These plans estimate how many vehicle trips a project will generate and how many can be reduced through bike, transit, parking management, and amenity programs.
These TDM Plans form the basis for each project's short- and long-term trip reduction targets. Short-term targets for most TMA members reflect a 25% reduction from projected net new trips, consistent with the Corridor Plan. Long-term targets are typically higher, as they account for factors beyond the project itself, including Caltrain electrification, increased neighborhood density, expanded bicycle infrastructure, and the completed Hillsdale Station grade separation. Many earlier TDM Plans used URBEMIS (Urban Emissions Model), a California-specific tool that adjusts standard trip generation rates based on local conditions such as land use density and transit access to estimate vehicle trips and potential reductions.
The Delaware Atlantic (2000 Delaware) project illustrates the typical process, where a TDM Plan establishes the trip
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reduction targets and a separate Traffic Analysis documents them. Most TMA member projects follow this same general pattern. Franklin Templeton is a notable exception: its trip reduction requirement was set specifically to mitigate the impacts at nearby impacted intersections, resulting in the same target for both short- and long-term periods. Once established at approval, these thresholds serve as the benchmarks against which each member's annual trip counts are measured in this report.
The TMA comprises developers and developer representatives that have significant development within the Corridor Plan area. The City participates as a non-voting Board member and does not pay dues to the TMA. The City Council has nominated the Director of Public Works as the City representative to the TMA Board of Directors. The City's role in the TMA is to provide oversight of each applicable development project's mandated participation as required in each project's COA.
Annual Report Process
The TMA facilitates data collection regarding the number of vehicle trips generated by each development per the individual project’s approved TDM plan. Trip generation is determined by collecting driveway counts at all occupied developments. These data are compared to the allowable trip generation threshold identified in each development’s COA.
A development is deemed non-compliant if the observed number of vehicle trips exceeds its trip generation threshold. The TMA Board of Directors hired a data collection firm and traffic engineering consultant to collect relevant data and prepare the 2025 Annual Report (Attachment 1), the findings of which were presented to the Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission (SIC) on August 12, 2026.
2025 Annual Report Summary
As of the 2025 Annual Report, 26 individual projects have been completed/constructed. Per the prepared report by the TMA, most projects were below their short-term trip thresholds on their individual project COAs. For any projects that exceeded their threshold, the City worked with property managers to identify additional TDM measures to increase trip reduction. Per Corridor Plan Policy 7.24, "Projects that exceed their trip generation threshold shall be required to modify their trip reduction and parking management plan and incorporate TDM measures that are expected to increase trip reduction."
Three (3) projects stood out as notable in the 2025 Annual TMA Report:
•Delaware Pacific / Delaware Atlantic (Shared Driveway) Delaware Pacific and Delaware Atlantic share a common driveway, and their trip generation is calculated collectively. During the 2025 PM peak period count, the two properties generated 56 trips, exceeding the short- term collective threshold of 52 trips by four trips. This is a decrease of 11 trips compared to 2024 (67 trips) and represents the lowest combined trip generation recorded for the site since 2019; continuing a downward trend since MidPen Housing assumed management of both properties in October 2024.
Under their original TDM plan, both properties are required to: provide subsidized transit passes for one year, offer bicycle storage, participate in the TMA, promote alternative transportation options, and designate an on-site transportation coordinator to manage vehicle and bicycle parking assignments and monitor compliance.
Delaware Pacific has consistently gone beyond these baseline requirements, having implemented more robust TDM measures for years, including:
•Providing Way2Go transit passes to all residents for over 10 years. •Enrolling all residents in the Clipper BayPass program from 2022-2025. •Conducting resident surveys to analyze travel origins and destinations. •Installing a transit information screen.
•Promoting Commute.org educational meetings to encourage alternative transportation.
As part of this collaboration, MidPen Housing committed extending the following Delaware Pacific TDM measures to Delaware Atlantic in 2025:
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•Extended the Way2Go free transit pass program — a subsidized SamTrans fare program providing unlimited rides on all local and express bus routes — to all Delaware Atlantic residents (began in January 2026).
•Included Delaware Atlantic residents in travel-pattern surveys to better understand transit needs across the combined properties (surveys done in December 2025).
Though 2025 marked a clear and meaningful improvement with these efforts, the combined trip generation for Delaware Pacific and Delaware Atlantic continues to exceed both the short- and long-term thresholds. Therefore, the City has continued working closely with MidPen Housing, which now manages both properties, to identify and apply additional trip-reduction measures. In response, MidPen Housing has agreed to newly apply the following measures:
•Bike repair stations at Delaware Pacific and Delaware Atlantic •Bike classes at Delaware Pacific and Delaware Atlantic With these newly applied measures now extending Delaware Pacific's decade-long track record of proactive TDM management to Delaware Atlantic, MidPen Housing expects continued year-over-year improvement in combined trip generation, building on the progress already reflected in the 2025 count. •Azara
During the 2025 PM peak period count, Azara generated 27 trips, exceeding the short-term threshold of 25 trips by two trips. This is the first year Azara has exceeded its trip generation threshold, and the overage is modest.
Under the project's original TDM plan, Azara is required to provide:
•Bike racks
•Secure bike storage
•Bike repair stations
•Electric Vehicle (EV) charging 1
•Charged parking
•Delivery amenities
Staff reached out to the two listed project contacts and were informed that the project has since switched ownership to Greystar. Staff subsequently spoke with the property management company and discussed possible additional TDM measures, including Way2Go transit passes, a transit information screen, carpool/vanpool parking, and bike safety classes. The property management company is now bringing these options to the new owner for consideration.
The City will continue coordinating with Greystar and the TMA to identify and apply additional trip-reduction measures as needed and expects to monitor progress in future counts. •Bay Meadows Phase II
The Bay Meadows Phase II development has three trip thresholds based on the progress of the development and the completion of grade-separated crossings at 28th and 31st Avenues. The project is currently evaluated against the medium-term threshold.
In 2025, the development generated 2,311 PM peak-hour trips, which is below the medium-term threshold of 2,878 trips. This represents an approximate 6% decrease from 2024 (2,454 trips) and remains under the threshold.
Currently, only two developments, MU-2 and MU-3, remain unfinished in Bay Meadows Phase II, with completion expected in two years.
1 Note: EV charging is considered a TDM measure because it supports fewer trips to the gas station by enabling on-site charging.
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•Short-term threshold: 3,083 PM peak-hour trips
oApplicability: a) completion and occupancy of at least 50% of the collective amount of development approved for the first three blocks to be developed in Phase I, and b) completion of grade-separated crossings at either or both of 28th and 31st Avenues.
•Medium-Term Threshold: 2,878 PM peak-hour trips
oApplicability: a) completion and occupancy of at least 50% of the collective amount of development approved for the first three blocks of Phase II to be developed, and b) completion of grade-separated crossings at either or both of 28th and 31st Avenues.
•Long-Term Threshold: 2,596 PM peak-hour trips
oApplicability: a) approval of a SPAR for each block in the project, b) completion and occupancy of 75% of the collective amount of development approved in the Station/Mixed-Use Parcels, c) completion and occupancy of 75% of the collective amount of development approved in the Residential Parcels, and d) completion of grade-separated crossings at either or both of 28th and 31st Avenues.
When the 2024 Rail Corridor TMA was presented to the SIC, Commissioners provided feedback that in future years, additional data collection about TDM measures amongst building residents should be considered. Because no City funds are used to pay for the activities of the TMA, and this level of data collection is not codified in the TMA, the City does not currently have a mechanism to require this level of data collection in future reports.
August 12, 2026, Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission Feedback At its August 12, 2026, meeting, the Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission reviewed the TMA Annual Report and recommended that City Council accept the report. Discussion focused on trip count thresholds, data analysis opportunities for future reporting cycles, and congestion concerns in the Bay Meadows TMA area. Commissioners also raised broader policy questions regarding TMA membership requirements, shared parking engagement, and employer TDM strategies.
Staff have reviewed the data analysis and report prepared for the TMA Board of Directors and recommend City Council acceptance of the report.
BUDGET IMPACT:
There is no budget impact associated with this item. The TMA is an IRS 501(c)(4) organization that is funded by its participating members. No City funds are used to pay for the activities of the TMA.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION:
This item is not a project subject to CEQA, because it can be seen with certainty that it will not cause a physical change in the environment. (Public Resources Code Section 21065.)
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT
This staff report supports the Transportation initiative.
NOTICE PROVIDED
All meeting noticing requirements were met.
ATTACHMENTS
Att 1 – 2025 Rail Corridor TMA Annual Report
STAFF CONTACT
Ella Phillips, Assistant Transportation Planner
[email protected]
(650) 522-7326
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Jay Yu, Engineering Manager
[email protected]
(650) 522-7323