Atherton committee reviews three design concepts for El Camino Real Complete Streets study

Doug, a town staff member leading the El Camino Real Complete Streets study, told the Atherton Transportation Committee that the project team has developed three concept alternatives and is seeking public input before narrowing to a preferred concept. The study covers roughly a 1.5-mile stretch of El Camino Real that fronts Atherton and adjacent jurisdictions from Renato Court north to Valparaiso, and it is funded in part by a San Mateo County Transportation Authority pedestrian-and-bicycle grant with in-kind contributions from Atherton and Menlo Park and technical support from SamTrans.

The project team framed the work as early-stage concept development, not final designs. "What you're gonna hear tonight are not final answers," Doug said, describing the study as a three-phase effort: (1) a baseline inventory of existing conditions, (2) evaluation of concept alternatives, and (3) selection of a preferred concept and development of a Caltrans Project Initiation Document for engineering. He emphasized that Caltrans must approve any change because El Camino is a state highway.

Why it matters: El Camino carries heavy traffic and is the principal east–west arterial in this part of the county, and residents told staff they avoid walking or biking on the corridor. The town presented data and public-response summaries intended to show whether modest investments could make…