“The plan is surprisingly well supported, considering how these things usually go on the coast,” said San Mateo County Parks Department Director Dave Holland, referring to the customary resistance of many Coastsiders to major infrastructure projects.
The latest community meeting to discuss improving pedestrian safety, traffic flow and general mobility on the Midcoast, held last week at El Granada Elementary School, drew fewer than 40 people, but there was “pretty good consensus,” Holland said.
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Vocal attendees raised concerns about virtually every aspect of travel on and across Highway 1, calling for attention to passing lanes, big trucks, jaywalking, bike lanes, speed limits, erosion, and the lack of crosswalks along the roadway, among other issues.
Planners, however, can’t say when any piece of their proposal would come to fruition. Given the intricacies in permitting, bringing concepts to reality is a test of endurance, they say.
Holland and San Mateo County Supervisor Rich Gordon will assemble a technical advisory committee comprised of representatives from Caltrans, SamTrans, and various county departments to thoroughly vet potential projects for logistical issues. They say a citizens committee will also be involved throughout the process, but has yet to be formed.
“Before we put a citizens committee together to guide it, we need to make sure we have the realities of what we can do and not waste people’s time,” Holland said.
Meanwhile, on a parallel track, Holland is looking to secure $150,000 to continue the traffic study through Moss Beach and Montara.
Josh Meyer, commission project manager, says the idea of the meeting was to spark a community conversation that would ultimately flesh out priorities.
“The main thing is to get the broadest amount of citizen involvement and the highest amount of agreement and the things that are most important will have a better chance of getting funding,” Meyer said. “If you get a clear direction and citizen input, you’re in a position to get funding. And transportation project funding is a long, detailed process.”
The final report for El Granada and Miramar is due out before the end of the month. Comments are due by March 8. Download the report at www.mprc.sanmateo.org by clicking on the “Draft Report: Highway 1 Safety and Mobility Improvement” link. To submit an opinion, contact county Senior Planner Sam Herzberg at 363-1823 or sherzberg@co.sanmateo.ca.us.
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