The PBPC is your local source for bicycling and pedestrian information in San Mateo County. Check this page to learn about interesting events, volunteering opportunities, and current issues facing bicyclists and pedestrians.
Join us Thursday May 1, for our monthly meeting!
LOCATION
Ladda’s Thai Cuisine
2053 Broadway Street
Redwood City CA
6:00-7:00PM Social Time and discussions on:
North South Route. Review progress and future planning
Discussion on suggestions for bicycling improvement in SMC
Tomorrow night, at the San Carlos City Council meeting, they will be discussing their (tentative) plan to eliminate this crosswalk and to force
pedestrians to cross San Carlos Ave at some other intersection.
PLEASE attend tomorrow night’s City Council meeting. (Tues, Nov 13th) It starts at 7:00 pm and is held in San Carlos City Hall (600 Elm Street). Here’s a link to the agenda — this item is number 9 (a) under “Unfinished Business” –
http://www.cityofsancarlos.org/sirepub/pubmtgframe.aspx?meetid=601&doctype=AGENDA
If the City Council sees a lot of unhappy people in the audience, disapproving of their plans to outlaw crossing the street, it will have a strong impact on their decision.
Hope to see you there!!
Earlier this month, the PBPC voted to merge with SVBC - What this means is that we will be operating as a committee under the SVBC name. Don’t worry, San Mateo will not be forgotten, it just means that now we have more man power and money to back us up! We will still be holding meetings in San Mateo, still be advocating for your bike and pedestrian issues, and now improving conditions all throughout the Peninsula and Silicon Valley! Over the next few months we will be moving over information to http://www.svbcbikes.org/ — so we will keep you posted! If you want more direct input on the website and how San Mateo County information should be presented, please attend the November SVBC general meeting. Check their website for more details about date and time.
I hope everyone is as excited as we are about this merge!
BiPed News Distribution Changes Don’t forget to sign up.
This will be the last issue of the manual emailing method
With the new website we are changing our distribution of the Biped News.
Current recipients of the BiPed News should have received an email with a
link to update their email address to continue to receive the BiPed News. If
you did not receive this or do not want to use this method, go to
http://www.penbiped.net/portal/about/email-lists/ and complete the on line form.
Encourage your friends and neighbors to receive the BiPed News.
On August 11 2007 we completed a group ride to review the Millbrae and South San Francisco sections of the route. Originally, the Millbrae section used El Camino Real and the SSF section used Grand Avenue to cross over 101. In Millbrae we tried out a route on the West side of El Camino Real using Magnolia Street and another route on the East side of the BART station which uses a series of residential streets. In SSF two routes were tried, one using Oyster Point Boulevard to cross 101 and the other using San Mateo Avenue to cross 101. In Millbrae, the Magnolia Street route was judged to be not suitable, as it was too long, had two crossings of El Camino and was a hilly and slow route. The recommendation for Millbrae was to keep the current route using El Camino as the primary route with the East side of the BART station route as an alternative for riders seeking an easier and lower traffic alternative to El Camino Real. In SSF, the San Mateo Avenue route was rejected due to the narrow tunnel under 101 and heavy business and truck traffic on San Mateo Ave. After the ride, the group chose a route using Oyster Point Boulevard to cross 101 when riding northbound and Grand Avenue to cross 101 going south. Based upon further reviews of the route it was decided to drop the crossing of 101 in South San Francisco and instead continue on Airport Boulevard from Linden. Airport Boulevard becomes Bayshore Boulevard. Continue on Bayshore Boulevard until turning right on Tunnel Ave. This route change eliminates the crossing of 101 and is shorter and easier to follow. For additional information see www.penbiped.net
Several PBPC members are participating in Caltrain’s outreach groups for bike planning. The main group, the TAG, is working with Caltrain on survey data analysis, station site visits, and bike parking and storage options. PBPC members are also active on the TAG Bikes-on-Cars subcommittee, which specifically addresses accommodation for bikes on board. The subcommittee is currently discussing recommendations for bicycle accommodation on future Bombardier-style cars, establishing priorities and guidelines for capacity, storage, and car positioning. Further information on both groups, including current progress and information on how to give your input or get involved, can be found on the PBPC website at www.penbiped.net.
On Aug 15th, PBPC received a note that the signs allowing bike access to the shoulders of I-280 above Millbrae were changed to prohibit bikes, as well as horses and walkers. A visit to the site showed that the “BIKES MUST EXIT” signs have been removed from the off-ramps as well. We assume the closure of the on-ramps at night to allow paving work on the freeway prompted the new signs. Bikes have been allowed to use the shoulders to get from Millbrae Ave to Trousdale Blvd, where Skyline Boulevard disappears into the freeway, ever since the freeway was built.
In the hope that the change was due to ignorance, rather than a change of the rules, a polite e-mail was sent to Julian Carroll, Caltrans, District 4 Bike Co-ordinator, as well as Maintenance and Public Relations contacts, asking that the signs be changed back. As of this writing, we have been told only that Caltrans is looking into the matter.
The City of San Carlos is considering closing the crosswalk pedestrians currently use to cross San Carlos Ave at Chestnut St. There have been complaints that cars go too fast, and it’s too dangerous for pedestrians. So the City Council thinks the solution might be to ban pedestrians from that intersection. No pedestrians = no danger (so they think). For additional details and pictures of the intersection see our website www.penbiped.net. Some people disagree with the City Council, and feel that safety can be improved while not disadvantaging people who want to walk around that neighborhood.
There will be a public hearing at the Transportation and Circulation Commission meeting at 7:00 PM Tuesday, September 25th at San Carlos City Hall (in City Council Chambers), 600 Elm St, San Carlos.
Please attend, and make your opinion known. You don’t have to live in San Carlos to attend or speak. Anyone with an interest in pedestrian safety is welcome.
If you have an opinion you would like heard, but can’t attend the meeting, please send your comments to Parviz Mokhtari, City Public Works Director, City of San Carlos, 600 Elm St, San Carlos, CA, 94070, or by email to:pmokhtari
The 2009 RTP is the MTC’s 25 year 100+ billion dollar regional transportation plan. To ensure this plan fully supports and encourages public transportation, bicyclists and pedestrians, the TALC (Transportation and Land Use Coalition) has completed a draft platform. To learn more about the 2009 RTP go to the TALC website http://www.transcoalition.org. Your participation is vital to ensure the 2009 RTP fully supports public transit, bikes and pedestrians.
On Sep 25th, the San Carlos Transportation and Circulation Commission is holding a hearing on potential closure of the crosswalk on San Carlos Ave at Chestnut. — Please take a few minutes now to send in your concerns by mail and email! Also, please try to make it to the meeting and help us stop the closure of this very important crosswalk!
Comments/concerns can be presented to the T & C commission in person at
the Sept 25th hearing, or can be sent in writing to:
Parviz Mokhtari,
San Carlos Public Works Director
600 Elm St, San Carlos, CA 94070
His email: pmokhtari
The Meeting will be held:
September 25th, 2007, 7:00pm
City Hall Council Chambers,
600 Elm St, San Carlos, CA 94070
In December 2003, an elderly woman leaving the San Carlos Senior Center, walking across San Carlos Ave at Chestnut St, was killed by a motorist who didn’t see her. Ever since then, that intersection has been the focus of pedestrian safety measures in town.
First, they put orange flags at the intersection– pedestrians crossing the street were instructed to carry/wave the flags to attract the attention of motorists.
Then the City installed pedestrian-activated yellow caution lights there. But still people complained (rightly!) that cars went too fast there, and did not yield to pedestrians sufficiently. There were many stories of near-collisions at that intersection.
The City studied all collision incidents involving motor vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians along that entire 5-block stretch of San Carlos Ave (from Cedar to El Camino) over the past 3 years, illustrating clearly that the entire stretch is dangerous, with other intersections suffering a larger number of incidents than the Chestnut intersection (although no other fatalities).
In May 2007, the San Carlos Transportation and Circulation Commission was asked to recommend some action at the Chestnut intersection. Although “close the crosswalk to pedestrians” was one of the options, the Commission voted to keep the intersection of San Carlos Ave and Chestnut Street OPEN for pedestrians. The Commission members agreed that the cars going by constitute a dangerous condition for pedestrians. (It’s not that we don’t care– we were hoping for a better solution at a later date…)
The San Carlos City Council considered this recommendation from the T & C Commission, decided to ignore that recommendation, and voted 4 to 1 to CLOSE the intersection. (Council members Grocott, Tiegel-Doherty, Grassilli and Lewis were in the majority. Mayor Tom Davids alone voted “no.”) They felt that, if no one crossed the street there, the danger would evaporate. They also felt that closure of the intersection was the least expensive “solution” for pedestrian safety. They weren’t willing to
do something more difficult (like figuring out a way to make the cars go slower) that might take longer to implement (or cost a lot of money). Even though the City Attorney advised against closing the intersection (for legal liability reasons) the City Council acted contrary to his recommendation.
Please feel free to contact the PBPC at info or Margaret Pye at pyem our representative in this issue if you have any further questions about this. And thanks in advance for your support and help!!!
Click here for more information
Comments from Manish Champsee, the head of “Walk SF” and a prominent pedestrian safety advocate in the City of San Francisco.
“-The reality is that most of the time, pedestrians will cross there anyway and all that things like this do is shift the blame to the pedestrian.
-If we are going to inconvenience someone for safety reasons, it should be people driving rather than seniors, disabled and children who are walking.
-We should encourage walking for public health, environment, global warming, etc. reasons. Closing this intersection to pedestrians will mean that many people will drive because they don’t want the hassle of going out of their way to walk.”
Comments from Dan Burden of “Walkable Communities Inc.”
“Sending the pedestrian away from a problem that has surfaced and festered is like coming down with a horrible skin rash that has been identified as skin cancer, then putting some gauze over it so that you do not have to see it or think about it.
This is a very sad indicator that your community is willing to give up on walkability, civility and common sense.
Most forms of cancer, and all bad behaving intersections can be treated. And must.
Please feel free to send these comments to whoever is left in your town with a heart.”