How did we decide which side of the street to remove parking on Poplar Avenue and Humboldt Street?

To evolve our streets to paths for multi-modal travel, some of our traditional parking locations must be removed. To prepare, staff collected and analyzed data such as number of parking spaces on the project street and nearby side streets, number of homes, and number of driveways. Results from the data analysis found that there is sufficient parking capacity in the immediate vicinity to accommodate parking removal on the south side of Poplar Avenue, east side of Delaware Street, and west side of Humboldt Street. Comparing street parking on both sides of the roadway, the south side of Poplar Avenue and west side of Humboldt Street have fewer driveways and homes fronting the street and less parking supply. This led to the decision for proposed parking removal on the south side of Poplar Avenue, east side of Delaware Street, and west side of Humboldt Street.

What is "Complete Streets"?

"Complete Streets" is a nationwide effort to create streets that can accommodate all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, vehicles, and mass transit. We will begin the development of a Complete Streets Plan as part of the General Plan, an important guiding document for project planners.

How are projects in the 2020 Bike Master Plan prioritized? When will projects on the list be implemented? 

Projects were prioritized based on the goals of the 2020 Bike Master Plan. The prioritized list is used to determine the general sequence of project implementation and to help determine priority for fund allocation. Some projects may be implemented out of sequence for a variety of reasons, including when they can be implemented in coordination with our pavement management program.

Will there be parking impacts on Indian Avenue where a Class III bike boulevard is proposed?

No, there will be no parking impacts on Indian Avenue.

Why is a Class II bike lane being installed on Humboldt Street from Peninsula Avenue to Poplar Avenue when the 2020 Bike Master Plan recommends a bicycle boulevard for this segment?

The data analysis on the volume and speed of vehicles for this segment of Humboldt Street showed that a bike facility with more protection and separation was necessary. The bike boulevard was upgraded to a Class II bike lane to separate bicyclists from vehicles, to provide a safer and more comfortable ride for bicyclists of all ages and abilities.

What will happen to the recently built curb extensions on Humboldt Street?

The existing curb extensions were installed to improve pedestrian safety and are being incorporated into the design of the new bike lanes. Project planners are considering adding “sharrows,” or arrow pavement markings, and conflict striping in the design to keep the curb extensions and maintain safety for all road users. An example of a “sharrow” and conflict striping can be seen in the images below.

   Sharrow                                                                                           Conflict Striping

Is the issue of bicyclists colliding into open car doors in the bike lane being considered in the project design?

Bicyclists colliding into open car doors (i.e., “dooring”) is being considered as part of the project design. On-street parking is anticipated to be partially removed on Poplar Avenue and Humboldt Street, which will lessen the impacts of dooring because there are no parked vehicles adjacent to the bike lane.

Will the new bike lanes impact Recology (trash) pickups?

There are no anticipated impacts to trash pickups. Trash bins should be placed on the curb or driveway and not in the bike lanes. California Vehicle Code 21211 prohibits the placement of objects, including trash bins, in bike lanes.

What can residents do to support the North Central Bike Lanes project?

Residents can support the project by sharing the project website with others and spreading the word about the project.

Are the proposed bike improvements permanent or are they part of the Safe Streets San Mateo program?

The bike improvements are a permanent installation. As part of this project, the street will be paved to create a smooth surface before the bike improvements and traffic calming treatments for the bicycle boulevard are installed.

How is the North Central Bike Lanes project being funded? 

We receive Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). We are using a portion of the funding for these projects because they are in the CDBG area and are high priority projects in the 2020 Bicycle Master Plan.