The Sustainability and Infrastructure Commission on Wednesday heard a multiagency presentation on the Grand Boulevard Initiative, a countywide effort to redesign El Camino Real to improve safety and multimodal mobility.

SamTrans manager of Major Corridors Cassie Halls and Sue Ellen Atkinson of the San Mateo County Transportation Authority told commissioners the corridor program spans about 22 miles and 15 jurisdictions and would take roughly eight to 10 years to move from planning into construction. Halls said the group estimates about $750,000,000 to implement corridor-wide improvements and is sponsoring the initial Caltrans approval steps to reduce cost and complexity for individual cities.

Why it matters: El Camino Real is a high-injury corridor that crosses many cities and requires coordination of design, policy and funding. Presenters said a coordinated approach will help cities access larger funding sources and achieve continuous facilities for transit, bicycling and walking across city boundaries.

Halls, identified as manager of Major Corridors at SamTrans, said the initiative is “a multi agency partnership” and that a key objective is to “advance a coordinated Caltrans process” so cities do not “have to go at it alone.” Sue Ellen Atkinson, manager of planning and fund management with the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (the TA), said the TA’s role would be to co‑sponsor the effort so it can be treated as a countywide project; the TA may be able to fund up to 50% of qualifying corridor projects under its Highway Funding Program but noted that even that share would need to be phased over many years.

Caltrans system planning branch chief Jake Buffenberger said Caltrans will incorporate the Grand Boulevard Initiative’s action plan into its Comprehensive Multimodal Corridor Plan (CMCP) for Highway 82 and use the initiative’s stakeholder framework for broader engagement.

Public commenters who addressed the commission were largely supportive. Paul Krupka, introduced as a San Mateo resident and professional transportation consultant engineer, said, “I’m a big supporter of this project.” Seema, introduced during public comment as chair of the city planning commission but speaking on her own behalf, urged inclusion of multimodal elements and referenced a state law by the spoken name “SB 9 60” requiring Caltrans to integrate Complete Streets elements into highway projects. April Webster, who identified herself as vice chair of a Caltrans District 4 advisory body, said earlier projects in Santa Clara County demonstrate the feasibility of protected bike lanes and urged San Mateo to “uphold the vision.”

Commissioners asked about tradeoffs such as loss of parking or travel lanes for protected bike lanes, ways to phase work across the corridor and how to accelerate spot improvements. Staff and presenters said local studies — including a Central El Camino Real multimodal plan involving San Mateo, Belmont, San Carlos and Redwood City — will produce design alternatives in coming months and that SamTrans/TA plan to seek adoption of the action plan by countywide agencies this winter. Presenters also said the group expects to begin the Caltrans Project Initiation Document (PID) or conceptual planning phase in early 2026 and that the full corridor program will include subsequent design (PAED) and construction phases.

The commission did not take a formal vote on the initiative. Commissioners and members of the public encouraged early coordination with cities, continued outreach and learning from nearby Santa Clara County projects; several commissioners said they would support the initiative moving forward but pressed staff for clearer descriptions of costs, phasing and likely city responsibilities.

Next steps noted in the presentation: central El Camino alternatives outreach in January–February 2026, SamTrans and TA board briefings toward the end of the calendar year and entry into the Caltrans PID process in 2026. Presenters said some cities may be able to advance spot improvements before corridor-wide construction through TA and other competitive grants.