Safety Plan For Hwy. 1 Includes Bike Lanes, Roundabouts

The Midcoast Community Council met with members of the public Thursday evening about proposed changes to Highway 1 meant to increase safety for pedestrians and bicyclists.

These changes, to be made along the stretch of roadway from the Devil’s Slide tunnels to the Half Moon Bay Airport, may include the installation of several roundabouts, pedestrian crossings, bike paths, off-highway trail segments and the adjustment of speed limits to better suit the highway's diverse traffic. Caltrans is funding the project through a grant.

The Midcoast Community Council, which has a say in what aspects of the project are implemented, the Local Government Commission, a non-profit organization that provides ideas and technical support during the planning stages of public projects, Opticos Design and the San Mateo County Planning and Building Department, which has the ultimate authority to approve aspects of the project, called the Midcoast Highway 1 Safety and Mobility Study, presented the proposed safety measures to a group of approximately 40 at El Granada Elementary School.

"Our goal through this is to be as close as we can to being right,” said Stefan Pellegrini, principal of Opticos Design, the firm that’s been contracted for the project. 

The project aims to follow concepts used by the national Complete Streets Coalition, which advocates for equal access to roadways for all users, motorists or otherwise.

“It means streets that can accommodate all users whether you’re in a car, bicycle, walking, whether you’re able, disabled whether your using transit," said Local Government Commission associate director Paul Zykofsky. "We often forget that a third of our population do not drive a car. We have to think about building our communities and making sure they accommodate all users.”

The project to make this segment of Highway 1 safer began after the death of 12-year-old Julian Navarro, who was crossing Highway 1 in Moss Beach in December 2009 when he was hit by an SUV and killed.

The tragedy prompted Caltrans to reassess the safety of Highway 1 from Devil's Slide to the Half Moon Bay Airport. According to California Highway Patrol records, there have been more than 100 injuries on Highway 1 from car accidents between Montara and Moss Beach alone in recent years. 

“What we found over the decades is that if you plan towns and cities for cars and traffic the result is you get lots of cars and traffic,” Zykofsky said. “If instead you plan for people and places you get great places for people. It’s that simple.” 

The proposed changes are meant to address such dangerous crossings as those at Montara State Beach and Gray Whale Cove State Beach--popular weekend destinations for both local residents and tourists. The project would include well-defined pedestrian crossings as well as formal and informal parking spaces at those locations to make beach entrances more accessible.

Though the county cannot lower the speed limit by simply changing the signs, traffic and transportation engineer Michael Moule said, by implementing designs that encourage drivers to travel slower, such as roundabouts, the speed limits may drop organically.

“The comprehensive change in some of the design features change the character of the road,” Moule said. “Therefore resulting in lower speed [that] would result in a lower speed limit.” 

The proposed reduced speed limit through roundabouts would only add 64 seconds to travel time across the span of roadway being considered, Moule said. 

Project planners said they have made it a priority to hear the opinions and address concerns of the community. In several open discussions and small-scale votes, project managers have found that locals of the area value the ocean, open space and the quiet, slow pace of their community above other things.

At the public meeting Thursday evening, community members expressed both complaints and suggestions.

“This is not Foster City,” said local resident Carl May. “You can do a lot of these things without curbs and pavement.”

Other residents present voiced concerns about maintaining the atmosphere and natural appearance of the stretch of Highway 1.

“Sidewalks aren’t the problem, it’s the curbs that are the problem," said Midcoast Community Council member Leonard Woren. "The curbs screw up the character of the town.” 

The proposal to build roundabouts on Highway 1 was questioned by many residents.

“I think they’re a disaster for Moss Beach,” said May.

Project managers encourage any community member to contact them with questions and concerns, but there are no more scheduled public hearings on the issue.

The Midcoast Highway 1 Safety and Mobility Study is set for completion in early fall, at which point construction may begin.

More information about the project can be found here.