PUBLIC OUTREACH
DATE: July 23, 2024
TO: Matthew Rubble, PE | City of South San Francisco
Lawrence Henriquez, PE | City of South San Francisco
FROM: David Mahama, PE | DKS Associates
Bincy Koshy | DKS Associates
SUBJECT: Junipero Serra Boulevard and Westborough Boulevard Bikeway Feasibility Study: Public Outreach Summary
P#20143-014
INTRODUCTION
This memorandum summarizes the general themes of the public outreach feedback and comments received from the project website, pop-up events and community workshop conducted for the Junipero Serra Boulevard and Westborough Boulevard Bikeway Feasibility Study Project in the City of South San Francisco.
KEY THEMES
Key themes from the community workshop include:
• Many participants mentioned their preference for a multi-use path along Junipero Serra Boulevard and Westborough Boulevard with separate lanes for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Some participants expressed their concern about a two-way cycle track on the same side of the roadway given the speed differential while biking and chances for conflicts. This is also the case for pedestrians and bicyclists.
• Several participants expressed their interest in the diverging diamond interchange configuration at the interchange and acknowledged the safety benefits. Most participants mentioned that they prefer the median pedestrian and bicycle facility over the grade-separate multi-use path through the interchange due to it being too long to traverse the interchange area and higher costs being another factor.
• Participants agreed with removing the pedestrian overhead crossing at Clay Avenue and signalizing the intersection to avoid vehicles making tight right turns at high speeds onto Clay Avenue. Participants also agreed that signaling Arroyo Drive will help slow down fast turning vehicles.
ATTACHMENT 6
2 • Participants mentioned the high speeds and lack of crossing opportunities and continuous pedestrian and bike facilities at Hickey Boulevard.
• Some participants expressed the importance of American Disability Act (ADA) accessibility along the pedestrian and bicycle facilities given the topographical elevation gain/drop in the area which makes it challenging to navigate for ADA populations. Some participants suggested making facilities wide enough and installing benches along the facility to accommodate seniors and ADA populations.
• Participants indicated the need for proper lighting and vertical physical separation of pedestrian and bicycle facilities from motor vehicle lanes along Junipero Serra Boulevard and Westborough Boulevard.
• Some participants mentioned the uncomfortable experience associated with crossing or traversing specific locations for pedestrians and bicyclists such as Camaritas Ave, Juniper Serra Boulevard/Westborough Boulevard, Junipero Serra Boulevard/I-280 ramps due to high vehicular speeds.
• Participants suggested giving pedestrians/bicyclists a lead timing advance to cross at intersections before motor vehicles.
Key themes from the project website include:
• About 372 people visited the website, 187 people viewed the project information, 53 participants provided feedback/comments, and 106 comments in total were provided. • Majority of the comments received (65% of total comments) were related to biking and walking concerns.
• The top challenges include lack of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, high vehicular speeds, walking/biking alongside vehicular traffic, and crossing challenges. o Respondents expressed the need to improve accessibility and connectivity for pedestrian and bicyclists by installing dedicated off-street facilities including access to major destinations such as Westborough Square from Buri Buri neighborhood and Avalon Park.
o Several respondents indicated that high vehicular speeds are a major barrier to walking and biking in the area, especially along Junipero Serra Boulevard, Westborough Boulevard, the interchange, the I-280 ramps along Westborough Boulevard, Clay Avenue, Arroyo Drive, Chestnut Avenue/El Camino Real. o Many participants also mentioned the challenge with a lack of vertical separation (physical buffer) for bicyclists along major roadways (Junipero Serra Boulevard, Westborough Boulevard). Currently, they bike/walk alongside high vehicular capacity traffic travelling at high speeds along with topographical elevation gain/drop which makes the overall experience very uncomfortable.
o Participants relayed that crossing at certain locations and intersections is challenging due to high traffic speeds specifically at Junipero Serra Boulevard/Hickey Boulevard, Chestnut Avenue/Antoinette Lane, I-280 ramps/Westborough Boulevard, and Gellert Boulevard/Westborough Boulevard.
3 • Respondents expressed the need for traffic calming measures to reduce speeds; dedicated bike and pedestrian facilities with vertical physical barriers along Junipero Serra Boulevard and Westborough Boulevard; and safe and comfortable crossing opportunities; proper lighting along pedestrian and bicycle facilities; and signage and markings (green paint) to alert drivers of pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
PUBLIC OUTREACH BACKGROUND
In order to provide guidance to the City of
South San Francisco for the development of
non-motorized alternatives for Junipero Serra
Boulevard and Westborough Boulevard, a
community workshop was conducted to solicit
public input on potential alternatives for the
two roadways. The following sections provide
an overview of the process and results of the
community workshop. Social Pinpoint website
(BikeLanesfortheBoulevards.com) was
available online for almost one year; July 17,
2023 to the present, and 53 participants
provided responses and input. Four different
pop-up events were also held around the City
over the past year to solicit feedback. The following sections summarize the responses from the community workshop, website, and pop-up events in detail.
COMMUNITY WORKSHOP
On June 25th, 2024, a community workshop was
conducted from 6pm – 8pm at the South San
Francisco Public Library located at 901 Civic
Campus Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080.
Around 20-30 people attended the workshop. In
coordination with City staff, DKS Associates
collaborated with Mark Thomas to prepare
materials for the workshop such as:
• Welcome sign
• Website sign with website link and QR
code
COMMU N ITY WORK SHO P , SOUTH SAN FRAN C IS CO PU BL I C L IBRA RY , JUNE 2 5 TH , 2 0 24
COMMU N ITY WORK SHO P , SOUTH SAN FRAN C IS CO PU BL I C L IBRA RY , JUNE 2 5TH , 2 0 24
4 • Presentation board displaying all concepts and
alternatives proposed for Junipero Serra
Boulevard and Westborough Boulevard
(prepared by Mark Thomas)
• Presentation (prepared by DKS Associates)
• FAQ document summarizing project
background
• Sign-In sheets for participants
• Comment sheets to write down comments
• Spanish interpretation
Public input is vital to the development of this study
and the community workshop was one of the ways
where the public could share their thoughts and
ideas. DKS conducted a presentation on the study to
introduce pedestrian and bicycle concepts being proposed after which the public were allowed to review the boards at different stations showing the alternatives. City and consultant staff were present at each station to explain the different alternatives being explored. The public were given opportunities to provide feedback in many ways including:
• Verbally through discussions with staff (documented in the section below).
• Project website using the QR code which was shared during the presentation and included in all the materials.
• Comment sheets.
• Sticky notes which were pasted on the boards.
COMMU N ITY WORK SHO P , SOUTH SAN FRAN C IS CO PU BL I C L IBRA RY , JUNE 2 5 TH , 2 0 24
PRESENTAT ION A T COMMUN IT Y WORK SHO P
BOARD S D IS PLA Y ING ALT ERN AT IVES FOR JU N IPE RO SER RA BOULEVA RD AND WESTBORO UGH BOULEVARD 5 Public Feedback Notes
The following notes what we heard from the public at the community workshop:
Location Specific Comments:
• At Clay Avenue:
o Participants agreed with signalizing this intersection and removing the pedestrian bridge.
o Speeding vehicles making tight right turns onto Clay Avenue. • At King Drive, participants suggested:
o Getting rid of the right-turn slip lanes to slow down motor vehicles. o Replacing parking lanes with bike lanes to improve safety and non-motorized travel. • At Hickey Boulevard:
o Traffic speeds are high and seems less comfortable for bicyclists crossing the intersection.
• At Arroyo Drive:
o Participants agreed with signalizing this intersection. Other suggestions at the intersection include:
▪ Continuing the multi-use facility (alternative) through the intersection. ▪ Consider slowing down westbound right-turning vehicles to increase comfort for pedestrians and bicyclists.
BOARD S D IS PLA Y ING ALT ERN AT IVES AT COMMU N IT Y WORK SHO P
PU BL IC INTE RA CT IO N W ITH C ITY/ CONSUL TANT
STAFF ABOUT PRO JE CT A LTE RNAT IVES
6 • At Oakmont Drive:
o Westbound left green time is considerably short especially during school pick-up times (allows around three vehicles) per participants.
• At Fleetwood Drive:
o A participant suggested signalizing this intersection. • At Olympic Drive:
o A participant suggested signalizing this intersection due to downhill eastbound through traffic speeding along Westborough Boulevard, therefore not allowing gaps for westbound left turns onto Olympic Drive. It should also be noted that this is the roadway that drivers take to get to Monte Verde Elementary School located further south.
• At Gellert Boulevard/ Westborough Boulevard:
o A participant indicated the need for a bike box in the westbound direction to reserve space for bicyclists at the intersection.
o A participant also expressed their concern for fast-right turning vehicles from Gellert onto Westborough Boulevard.
• At Antoinette Lane:
o One participant expressed the need to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. • At Orange Avenue:
o A participant mentioned the high number of conflicting movements between pedestrians, bicyclists, and motor vehicles, making it less comfortable for all. • Two participants mentioned the lack of comfort for pedestrians and bicyclists near slip lanes as motor vehicle speeds are high (at Camaritas Ave, Juniper Serra Boulevard/Westborough Boulevard, Junipero Serra Boulevard (I-280) Southbound Ramps).
Comments on proposed alternative options include:
• Many participants expressed their interest in a multi-use path along Junipero Serra Boulevard and Westborough Boulevard with separation for pedestrians and bicyclists within the facility. o One participant mentioned the multi-use path along Westborough Boulevard is the best option given Westborough Middle School is located along the roadway, just to the east of Callan Boulevard - the facility would be ideal for students. o In addition, the participant suggested the need for pedestrian crossing signals or other safety improvements at the school entrance along Westborough Boulevard to alert drivers during school drop-off and pick-up times.
o The participant also added that it would be ideal for parents driving to wait in their vehicles within the school premises parking lot rather than along Westborough Boulevard during school pick-up time if the school allows it. o Participants discussed a need to consider American Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility and inclination of terrain/elevation when considering a multi-use path along Junipero Serra Boulevard and through the interchange.
o Inclusion of wheelchair along with bicyclists should be accounted for with width of multi-use path as wheelchair users would be moving at a slower pace compared to 7 bicyclists. Separation of pedestrian and bicycle paths within the multiuse path facility should be considered.
o Some participants suggested installing benches by the multi-use path specifically at elevation gain points such as through the interchange especially for older populations. • At places with steep elevation gain/drops, for example, along Westborough Boulevard from Skyline Boulevard to Gellert Boulevard, a two-way cycle track can be less comfortable for bicyclists going in the opposite direction given the speed differential. This could also be the case for pedestrians and bicyclists – several participants expressed concerns over this. Thus, although many participants indicated their preference for the multi-use path facility, some participants suggested directional bike lanes and sidewalks on either side of the road or clear separation between pedestrians and bicyclists within a multi-use path to avoid conflicts. • Many participants preferred the diverging diamond configuration at the interchange and acknowledged the safety benefits for all users, especially for pedestrians and bicyclists. o Some participants expressed concern over the separate pedestrian and bicycle facility through the interchange being too long to traverse the interchange area. A participant also expressed concern over the increased delay of motor vehicles with this configuration.
o Participants preferred the median multi-use path through the interchange over the grade-separated multi-use facility that loops through the interchange, cost being one of the factors mentioned.
o Many participants fully support the median pedestrian and bicycle facility along Westborough Avenue.
General comments include:
• Some participants indicated that existing bike lanes along Junipero Serra Boulevard are not well maintained or cleaned.
• Many participants emphasized the high speed of motor vehicles on these roadways which makes biking less comfortable.
o Adding speed limits specifically for electric bikes was suggested. • Improve lighting near pedestrian and bicycle facilities especially in neighborhood areas. • Participants stressed the need for proper separation/buffer between bicyclists/pedestrians and motor vehicles.
o Some participants mentioned the pedestrian volume is high along Westborough Boulevard between Junipero Serra Boulevard and El Camino Real and motor vehicle speeds are very high. Hence, there is a need to improve safety by installing vertical barriers for sidewalks.
• A participant mentioned the importance of aesthetics of pedestrian and bicycle facilities. • Few participants mentioned exploring bike signals.
• Some participants suggested giving pedestrians/bicyclists a lead timing advance to cross at intersections before motor vehicles.
• Couple of participants requested bicycle repair stations. 8 POP-UP EVENTS
Four pop-up events were conducted in collaboration
with the City to inform the public, solicit feedback
from the public. The events took place at the
following locations around the city:
• National Night Out Event at Buri Buri Park,
August 1, 2023.
• South San Francisco Public Library, October
28, 2023.
• Farmer’s Market at Orange Memorial Park,
April 27, 2024.
• St. Augustine
Catholic Church,
June 21, 2024.
At these pop-up events,
the Project website was
used to collect feedback
as comments on the map
and document the public’s
concern. Based on
comments, the project team expanded the extent of the
project to address concerns. The section below (Project Website) includes the summary of what we heard from the public – a summary of the comments received thus far is provided.
PROJECT WEBSITE
The DKS team created a project website using Social Pinpoint that provides an overview of the project and also includes an interactive map that visitors can click and leave feedback/suggestions/concerns related to pedestrian facilities, bicycle facilities, safety challenges etc. at specific locations. The website (BikeLanesfortheBoulevards.com) was available online for almost one year; July 17, 2023 to the present. Figure 1 shows the project website with the interactive map.
PO P-U P EVENTS A T VA R IOU S LO CAT IO NS AROUND THE
C ITY
9 FIGURE 1. PROJECT WEBSITE
As shown in Figure 2, 372 people visited the website, 187 people viewed the project information, 53 participants provided feedback/comments, and 106 comments in total were provided.
FIGURE 2. WEBSITE STATISTICS
The comments were categorized into the following categories:
• Bike concerns
• Pedestrian Concerns
• Safety Concerns
• Other Comments
In total, 106 comments were received via the website. As shown in Figure 3, 40 comments (approximately 38%) fall under bike concerns, 29 (approximately 27%) fall under pedestrian concerns, 22 (approximately 21%) fall under safety concerns, and 15 (around 14%) fall under other comments.
10 FIGURE 3. WEBSITE COMMENTS CATEGORY
Barriers to Walking and Biking
Participants provided comments describing the challenges they face walking and biking in the study region. Key themes that appeared in multiple responses included:
• Narrow lanes
• No pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure
• Walking/biking alongside vehicular traffic
• Poor lighting
• High vehicular speeds
• Crossing challenges
• Vehicle turning movements
• Landscaping challenges
• Elevation gain/drop challenges
Figure 4 illustrates the number of comments received related to each of the challenges mentioned above. As shown, the top challenges include lack of pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure (22 comments), high vehicular speeds (22 comments), walking/biking alongside vehicular traffic (19 comments), and crossing challenges (17 comments).
Respondents indicated there is no dedicated pedestrian and comfortable bicycle infrastructure (sidewalks and bike lanes) along Junipero Serra Boulevard and Westborough Boulevard roadways and the interchange. There is a lack of dedicated, connected and accessible facilities to get to major destinations like Westborough Square in the west from Buri Buri neighborhood in the east and Avalon Park in the south – they currently have to go further out of the way along King Drive in the north to get to Westborough Square. Near Hickey Boulevard, where there are residential and commercial areas, there is a lack of connected and continuous pedestrian and bicycle facilities whereas along El 38%
27%
21%
14%
Bike Concerns Pedestrian Concerns Safety Concerns Other Comments 11 Camino Real, respondents indicated the need for dedicated facilities especially around the Chestnut Avenue/El Camino Real area.
Many respondents indicated that high vehicular speeds along Junipero Serra Boulevard and Westborough Boulevard, specifically around the interchange and I-280 on-ramps and off-ramps are major barriers to walking and biking. Other locations include Juniper Serra Boulevard/Clay Avenue where vehicles make right turns heading southbound on Junipero Serra Boulevard into Clay Avenue at very high speeds; Juniper Serra Boulevard/Arroyo Drive where it is challenging for bicyclists to make a left turn from Arroyo Drive onto southbound Junipero Serra Boulevard; El Camino Real/Chestnut Avenue where there are multiple lanes with traffic traveling at high speeds on both main roadways, making it challenging for people to walk/bike through the intersection.
Respondents expressed that the lack of physical protection for bicycle infrastructure (dedicated lane with protection) makes it challenging to bike in this region, especially with higher vehicular capacity, speeds, and topographical elevation gain/drop along Junipero Serra Boulevard and Westborough Boulevard.
Many respondents indicated challenges crossing roadways in the region due to high vehicular speeds, no crossing opportunities/no connected facilities etc. specifically at Junipero Serra Boulevard/Hickey Boulevard, Chestnut Avenue/Antoinette Lane, I-280 ramps/Westborough Boulevard, and Gellert Boulevard/Westborough Boulevard. Respondents also mentioned the lack of lighting along Westborough Boulevard.
FIGURE 4. BARRIERS TO WALKING AND BIKING
3 22
19 7
22 17
7 1
7 30
0 5
10 15
20 25
30 35
Narrow LanesNo Ped-Bike InfrastructureWalking/biking alongside Vehicular Traffic
Poor LightingHigh Vehicular SpeedCrossing ChallengesVehicle Turning MovementsLandscaping ChallengesElevation Gain/Drop ChallengesOther 12 Gaps and Needs
Figure 5 shows the number of comments received related to the needs and gaps in the study region.
Per the comments, respondents expressed the need for:
• Traffic calming measures to slow down vehicular traffic as currently speeds are too high (along Junipero Serra Boulevard, Westborough Boulevard, interchange, I-280 ramps, Clay Avenue, Arroyo Drive etc.) making it harder for bicyclists to bike alongside vehicular traffic and also for pedestrians to use crosswalks.
• Installing crosswalks in all directions and signalizing intersections to improve safety, increase facility connectedness etc. at intersections such as Hickey Boulevard, Clay Avenue, Arroyo Drive, Gellert Boulevard etc.
• Providing vertical separation/barrier along dedicated bike lanes/multi-use path for bicyclists along Junipero Serra Boulevard and Westborough Boulevard. • Install (or extend) dedicated sidewalks and bike lanes and provide signage and markings for bike lanes (green paint) to alert drivers of bike lane presence along Junipero Serra Boulevard, Westborough Boulevard, El Camino Real etc.
• Provide proper lighting along Junipero Serra Boulevard and Westborough Boulevard.
FIGURE 5. GAPS AND NEEDS
CONCLUSION
The project team will take into consideration the public feedback and will refine the alternatives that are being explored as needed.
16 13
15 17
6 26
7 0
5 10
15 20
25 30
Physical Barriers
between Bikes and
Traffic
Dedicated Bike
Lanes/Paths
Sidewalks/Pedestrian
Path
Crosswalks/SignalizationSignage/MarkingsTraffic Calming Measures
Lighting