San Mateo · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in San Mateo public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Hillsdale High School parking permit program expansion appeal
Neighbors near Hillsdale High School asked the city to expand residential parking permits because students, staff, and faculty keep clogging their streets. The approved expansion is now on appeal, and this hearing is where residents get their say before a final decision.
Central El Camino Real Multimodal Plan and corridor redesign
SamTrans is leading a plan to redesign El Camino Real for safer walking, biking, and transit across San Mateo, Belmont, San Carlos, and part of Redwood City. Council approved $70,000 in Measure A funds for extra local study and outreach; the actual choice of a design alternative comes in 2027-2028.
Sidewalk tripping hazards and pedestrian safety
The stalled Block 21 site has sat vacant behind chain-link fencing for years, and commissioners hear about it constantly in public comments on other projects. Concerns include narrowed, cracked sidewalks that block wheelchairs and strollers, outdated no-parking signs, and graffiti risk. Staff will take the sidewalk and signage questions to Public Works.
Bay Meadows-area traffic monitoring (2025 TMA Annual Report)
Big developments near the Hillsdale and Hayward Park Caltrain stations have legally binding caps on car trips, checked once a year with driveway and license-plate counts. Almost everyone is under their limit this year, but two properties went over and must add trip-reduction measures. Commissioners questioned whether the report explains WHY trips go up or down — not just how many.
Delaware Street congestion and safety
Commissioner Narita described witnessing unsafe moves by drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists during the 5-6 p.m. crunch on Delaware, and warned that new construction (MU 2 and MU 3) will make it worse. Staff pointed to signal improvements coming with the Delaware corridor project and safety work at Peninsula/Delaware.
Highway 92 noise and sound wall advocacy
A resident living near Highway 92 asked the city to work with Caltrans on a long-term sound wall, noting 222 new homes will sit next to the freeway. Commissioner Patel noted state housing laws limit the city's leverage but urged continued pursuit of noise mitigation for sensitive uses within 500 feet of freeways.
Hillsdale Boulevard corridor improvements and US 101 bike/ped crossing
The Clearview project will build a long-missing sidewalk along West Hillsdale Boulevard toward the College of San Mateo, on Caltrans right-of-way. Commissioners urged designing it so a future separated bike lane on that stretch can be added without redoing work.
Pedestrian safety at Fifth/Laurel and Fifth/Ellsworth intersections
Dozens of speakers — many seniors — described near-misses and dangerous crossings near Central Park and asked for high-visibility crosswalks, signalization, and moving-van routing on Seventh Avenue. Staff said the project can't legally be required to fix intersections that don't fail traffic thresholds, but the city's Local Road Safety Plan flags Fifth Avenue as a priority.
20th Avenue corridor capacity
Multiple large housing projects are planned along 20th Avenue, but traffic studies look only at single intersections. Commissioners urged the city to plan corridor-wide improvements before traffic worsens.
19th Avenue / Fashion Island Boulevard Multimodal Improvements
The corridor sees heavy congestion and 80 collisions near the Delaware/SR 92 ramps between 2019 and 2025, including a pedestrian fatality on the Seal Slough Bridge. The project adds protected bike lanes, fixes the Norfolk bottleneck, and separates freeway off-ramp traffic from the gas station driveway. Drivers get big eastbound time savings; some street parking disappears.
Pedestrian Safety at Delaware & State and Citywide
A March 28 crash that injured a father and his two children in a crosswalk drew 14 speakers demanding the city treat street safety as a crisis. The city is installing flashing beacons and high-visibility crosswalks within months, and has millions committed to North Central safety projects.
U.S. 101/SR 92 Direct Connector
The Transportation Authority says no houses or parks will be taken and is studying Hillsdale ramp fixes that could cut northbound 101 congestion by 45%. Transit advocates fiercely opposed the project as a failed freeway-widening approach.
Local Roadway Safety Plan Funding
Residents want a faster, less complicated process to get speed humps and traffic calming installed, with better grant funding. Council discussed lowering thresholds, increasing the traffic calming budget, and possibly a rapid implementation team.
Villa Terrace Rail Crossing Closure
The city accepted $1.128 million in federal Section 130 funding to permanently close the Villa Terrace railroad crossing with cul-de-sacs and fencing — a safety project.