SamTrans leads effort to reshape eight-mile stretch of El Camino for future needs
San Mateo County, California – The El Camino Real was once constructed to quickly convey cars over long distances. The route has changed its purpose over time. Today, it serves thousands of people who travel in different ways every day, putting further strain on safety, access, and general efficiency along this important route in San Mateo County. The Central El Camino Real Multimodal Plan is helping local agencies meet those shifting demands.
The planning project focuses on an eight-and-a-half-mile stretch of El Camino that connects schools, businesses, transportation hubs, neighborhoods, and key downtown areas. Leaders say the goal is to change how the road operates so that it makes it easier for everyone in the community to get around, not just cars. Making connections better and lowering safety issues are two main goals of the study.
SamTrans is in charge of the project, working with the cities of San Mateo, Belmont, San Carlos, and Redwood City. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission gave a grant to the Transit Performance Initiative, which is helping to pay for the project. These partners are looking into design options that could affect how the corridor changes over the next few years.
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Getting people in the community involved is a big part of the process. Residents are asked to go at the proposed ideas and give their ideas by February 28. This will assist decide what improvements will be made in the future. In January, there have already been several outreach events in San Mateo, Belmont, and San Carlos where people had the opportunity to speak and provide their opinions in person.
There is yet more participation to come. On February 7, there will be a pop-up event at the San Mateo Library. Later in the month, on February 26, there will be a virtual community workshop. As they work with Caltrans to improve plans for one of the county’s most vital transportation corridors, officials hope these talks will help them decide what to do next.
