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Atherton council approves $250,000 bike-and-ped master-plan update, defers Selby Lane project
Summary
The Atherton City Council authorized a professional services agreement with Alta Planning + Design to update the town's bicycle and pedestrian master plan (not to exceed $250,000) and agreed to defer the previously planned Selby Lane bike-lanes project pending the broader plan update and additional public engagement.
The Atherton City Council voted to authorize a professional services agreement with Alta Planning + Design to update the town's bicycle and pedestrian master plan and to defer implementation of the Selby Lane bicycle lanes project.
Town staff and consultants told the council the existing master plan dates to 2014 and that the San Mateo County Grand Jury has recommended that local plans older than five years be refreshed. Robert Ovadia, a staff member presenting the item, said the update will document accomplishments, revisit previously identified projects, conduct robust public engagement and produce cost estimates for prioritized projects. "Through the public engagement efforts that we have led, there's been significant opposition to the project as it was originally outlined," Ovadia said of Selby Lane.
The council approved a contract amount not to exceed $250,000, including contingency, and directed staff to use contingency funding for expanded neighborhood engagement and targeted bike counts if needed. Councilmembers also asked staff to research traffic- and transportation-modeling software and return with a purchase recommendation so the town can analyze future projects without waiting a decade between updates. Council direction included returning to the council if the contract or related work would exceed the authorized amount.
Council members debated public-notification methods, the geographic scope of engagement and the need for financial impact estimates that residents and developers might face if proposed projects are implemented. Several members emphasized that targeted notification for specific blocks or neighborhoods will be important to avoid surprises like those that arose around earlier Selby Lane outreach.
Public commenters and council members asked staff to include private schools (Menlo School, Sacred Heart and Menlo College) in outreach because their travel patterns were described as relevant to safe routes planning. Ivana Rodriguez, a resident who submitted a comment read into the record, noted youth biking near Adelante Selby and referenced helmet donations by Safe Routes to School.
The motion approved by the council incorporated staff's recommendation to engage Alta Planning + Design for the update and to defer Selby Lane implementation pending findings of the updated master plan. Staff will report back to the council if additional contract funds are required to expand engagement or to purchase modeling software.
Votes at a glance: the motion to approve staff's recommended action and to proceed with the contract at or below $250,000 passed on an aye vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript.
Why it matters: The master-plan update will set priorities and estimated costs that guide future designs and construction of bicycle and pedestrian improvements across Atherton. Council direction to require more neighborhood notification, public engagement, and possible traffic modeling may change how projects such as Selby Lane are planned or prioritized.
What happens next: Staff will finalize a contract with Alta Planning + Design; execute within the approved limit; expand outreach and, as needed, use contingency funds for additional counts and engagement; and return to council with any recommended contract amendments or a modeling-software purchase recommendation.
