B Street Pedestrian Mall Improvements 

On May 17, 2021, City Council directed staff to establish a year-round Pedestrian Mall on the segment of B Street from 1st to 3rd Avenue (Pedestrian Mall). On October 4, 2021, Council adopted the Pedestrian Mall Ordinance, found in San Mateo Municipal Code Chapter 11.29

B St Sidewalk Art


The Pedestrian Mall permanently creates a pedestrian-only zone while allowing areas for the City’s Outdoor Dining Program. The closure also accommodates use of the street for special events such as City-sponsored festivals and street fairs. To accommodate the lane closures, the Pedestrian Mall establishes a 12-foot fire lane in the center of the street for emergency access for public safety vehicles. The fire lane will also be used in the mornings to allow for garbage service and deliveries to businesses.


East-west traffic can still cross at the intersections of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Avenues. 


After the establishment of the Pedestrian Mall, staff began work on the Pedestrian Mall Improvements Project (Project). The Project includes:

B St Ped Mall - Street Map

  •  -   Landscaping, seating, bicycle, pedestrian and Americans with Disability Act (ADA) improvements within the Pedestrian Mall (B Street).
  •   -  ADA parking improvements on 2nd Avenue between B Street and Main Street. This work will remove (3)-24-minute parking stalls, (3) regular parking stalls, and (3) motorcycle stalls and create (2) new ADA parking stalls and (4) motorcycle stalls.
  •  -  Signage and parking improvements on 3rd Avenue between B Street and Railroad Avenue.
  •  -  Implementation of a Pedestrian Scramble at 1st Avenue & B Street, 2nd Avenue and B Street, and 3rd Avenue and B Street.  A pedestrian scramble temporarily stops all vehicular traffic, and allows pedestrians to cross an intersection in every direction, including diagonally, at the same time.

The Pedestrian Mall Improvements Project started construction in Fall 2024 and will complete in Spring 2025.


City Contact:

Karen Cornejo, Assistant Engineer

kcornejo@cityofsanmateo.org

(650) 522-7576

Stephanie Pinon, Senior Engineer

spinon@cityofsanmateo.org

(650) 522- 7315