SamTrans, Belmont introduce Central El Camino Real multimodal study; no council action requested

SamTrans officials and Belmont staff on Tuesday introduced the Central El Camino Real multimodal plan, an 8.5-mile study of El Camino Real spanning San Mateo, San Carlos, Belmont and a portion of Redwood City, at the May 27 Belmont City Council meeting. The presentation was informational; no action or vote was requested of the council.

The study, led by SamTrans in partnership with the four cities, aims to create a locally defined multimodal vision and produce an alternatives analysis to address safety, walking and bicycling gaps, and transit performance. Cassie Halls, a manager with SamTrans, told the council the project was funded in part by a 2023 Metropolitan Transportation Commission transit performance initiative grant and SamTrans district funds, with in‑kind staff support from the participating cities. “I imagine many of you find El Camino to be very frustrating, in, you know, various modes,” Halls said during the presentation.

SamTrans and Belmont staff described the corridor as having gaps in sidewalks, limited low‑stress bicycle facilities, inadequate or widely spaced crosswalks, narrow sidewalks and slower bus speeds compared with autos. Asya Patel, a planner at SamTrans, summarized local priorities: “The top concern is active transportation, the lack of continuous biking or walking facilities, and also the heavy vehicle traffic that we see on El Camino Real, and also safety.” The presentation noted the SamTrans 2022 bus speed and reliability study did not recommend dedicated bus lanes along this segment of El Camino.

The study timeline is roughly 18 months. Early work will document corridor needs and gather community input, followed by development of multiple design alternatives and a later recommendation of a preferred alternative. The selected alternative(s) will then be positioned to move through Caltrans’ project delivery process; presenters said coordinated work across cities is intended to streamline the typically burdensome Caltrans approvals.

SamTrans described a multi‑pronged public outreach plan that includes pop‑up events, multilingual printed materials and an online map‑based survey where residents can drop pins and comment on specific problem locations. Staff said outreach materials are available in English, Spanish, simplified Chinese and Russian, and that SamTrans will hold events such as a pop up at Belmont’s Music in the Park on June 22. Project materials and the online survey are posted at central.samtrans.com. Charlesy (SamTrans outreach) said teams will bring QR codes, bus card handouts and temporary bus signage to increase participation.

Council members praised the cross‑jurisdictional approach and urged extensive outreach to neighborhood associations and bicycle groups. Several council members and public commenters recommended that SamTrans coordinate with local bicycle advocacy groups and place survey access on buses and Caltrain to broaden response rates. SamTrans indicated it will return to the council with design alternatives early next year.

The presentation produced discussion and questions but no formal direction or vote. Staff said the project will consider Belmont’s prior planning efforts, including the 2016 Belmont Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan, the Belmont Village Specific Plan and the 2024 local roadway safety plan, when developing alternatives.