Summary
The council had to decide whether to keep the Humboldt Street bike lanes or remove them to restore roughly 100-200 parking spaces for North Central residents. After extensive testimony, the council kept the lanes and instead ordered a residential parking permit program, lighting, traffic calming and enforcement, plus a study of a one-way Humboldt Street.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 5
- Last 30 days
- 0
Discussed at 1 meeting in the last 60 days; most recently Sep 8, 2026.
Impact analysis
Removing the lanes could have cost about $1.7 million plus repaying roughly $273,000 in federal CDBG funds; the chosen direction defers funding decisions to a future meeting.
Cyclists, students and North Central residents who use the lanes keep their safety infrastructure, while residents gain new parking relief tools.
Humboldt Street residents who lost on-street parking will not get it back immediately and must wait for the permit program and other measures.
Mentions & discussions (6)
City Council Regular Meeting - Sep 8, 2026
Longtime advocate Trina Pierce pressed the council again to restore parking removed from North Central and fix the bike boulevard situation. The city manager outlined work underway — new lighting, raised crosswalks, permit parking studies, a possible shuttle — with a full update planned for November; the council declined to move it up to September.
City Council Regular Meeting - Jun 1, 2026
A years-long fight resurfaced: residents want on-street parking back on Humboldt Street, while bike safety advocates defend the lanes. Speakers floated alternatives including San Mateo Drive as a safer bike route.
City Council Regular Meeting - May 18, 2026
North Central residents presented a plan to remove planter strips and widen Humboldt Street to restore parking, fix drainage and improve safety while keeping bike facilities. The city will bring a feasibility report in August; residents say the southbound bike lane is barely used and 215 parking spaces were lost.
City Council Regular Meeting - Feb 2, 2026
The council had to decide whether to keep the Humboldt Street bike lanes or remove them to restore roughly 100-200 parking spaces for North Central residents. After extensive testimony, the council kept the lanes and instead ordered a residential parking permit program, lighting, traffic calming and enforcement, plus a study of a one-way Humboldt Street.
City Council Regular Meeting - Jan 12, 2026
Residents again told the council the Humboldt Street bike lanes have stripped away neighborhood parking and lack community consensus, questioning the city's survey data and asking for residential parking to be restored.
Blame Canada? California city wants to rip out bike lanes, à la Ontario
Blame Canada? California city wants to rip out bike lanes, à la Ontario Canadian Cycling Magazine
We'll email you when it's on an upcoming agenda and when it's voted on, at most once a day.
The weekly brief for San Mateo
What the council decided, in plain English — one email a week.
Free. Unsubscribe with one click any time. We never sell your email.