San Mateo council directs staff to pursue partial Humboldt parking restoration, pilot bike boulevard and lighting upgrades

The San Mateo City Council on Feb. 3 directed staff to pursue a negotiated approach to community concerns over the North Central Bike Lanes, asking for deeper outreach, a pilot bike-boulevard option on a parallel street, a focused street-lighting program and a return to council with funding options and a refined implementation plan.

City public works engineer Jay Yu told council the Humboldt segment of the North Central project removed about 170 parking spaces and that community feedback since 2022 has focused on those parking impacts. "When we present all the data, all the facts, all the alternatives, we will be asking council to provide direction on addressing community impacts of the North Central Bike Lanes Project," Yu said during his technical presentation of usage counts, collision records and cost estimates.

The council’s direction came after more than 60 members of the public spoke for and against keeping the Humboldt bike lanes, and after extended council discussion about equity, neighborhood impacts and safety. Several council members said they want more neighborhood outreach before any permanent changes. Councilmember Diaz Nash said North Central residents "need agency" in decisions about their neighborhood and later supported restoring parking if a robust mitigation plan is provided. Deputy Mayor Lorraine and other members pressed staff to pilot alternatives before permanently removing bike infrastructure.

Why it matters: The Humboldt bike lanes (installed July 2022) remain a rare north–south protected connection in San Mateo that links several schools, parks and transit nodes. Residents who use the lanes said the separation makes commutes and school trips safer; neighbors who lost curb parking said the change increased evening parking stress and spillover into nearby streets. The council’s decision aims to balance those competing concerns by piloting alternatives and returning with a concrete funding and implementation plan.

Key details from staff analysis

- Project history and scope: The broader North Central project included two corridors; the Humboldt segment removed about 170 of roughly 210 curbside spaces. The bike lanes were completed in July 2022 following a 3–2 council direction earlier in 2022.

- Usage and collision data: Staff counted bicycle trips at eight intersections during AM and PM peak periods and reported that many recorded trips are intersection counts (a single rider can be counted multiple times when crossing consecutive intersections). Police-reported collisions from 2017 through Oct. 2024 show a low absolute number of bicyclist collisions at the eight counted intersections; staff cautioned that reported collisions undercount near-misses and that pre/post comparisons are limited by differing sample periods and COVID-era travel changes.

- Alternatives analyzed (summary and ballpark costs from staff): • Alternative 1 — Keep existing lanes (no change). Cost: none. Timeline: ongoing. • Alternative 2 — Convert Humboldt to a full bicycle boulevard and restore about 70 parking spaces. Estimated all-in cost: about $3.0 million (roughly $850,000 to remove thermoplastic bike-lane markings and restripe, plus ~$2.2 million for significant speed-calming capital to reduce speeds toward 20–25 mph). Implementation: 6–12 months to restore parking; 1–3 years for full boulevard infrastructure. • Alternative 3 — Partial restoration (remove parking impacts on a central segment = ~60% Restoration; roughly 100 parking spaces returned) and pilot a bike boulevard on a parallel street (Idaho or Fremont). Phase 1 removal/restoration estimated at ~$620,000; pilot boulevard ~$150,000–$300,000; a long-term connectivity study and implementation could add ~$1,000,000 over 1–3 years. • Alternative 4 — Full removal of the Humboldt bike lanes and full parking restoration. Estimated cost: ~$850,000. • Alternative 5 (add-on) — Street-lighting upgrades: Humboldt ~$45,000; Fremont ~$25,000; Idaho ~$20,000; combinations proportionate.

Council direction and next steps

- Staff were asked to refine and return with a detailed outreach plan, funding options and a schedule for pilot implementation. Council members asked that staff complete stronger neighborhood engagement on the three streets under consideration (Humboldt, Fremont, Idaho) and that a pilot bike-boulevard be deployed and evaluated before any permanent removal of Humboldt bike lanes.

- Staff said they will prepare a funding plan and return to council with the outreach results and recommendations. No formal ordinance or final vote to remove lanes was taken at the Feb. 3 meeting.

Quotes

Jay Yu, Public Works engineer: "We will be asking council to provide direction on addressing community impacts of the North Central Bike Lanes Project."

Councilmember Diaz Nash: "This lack of agency for North Central needs to change." (paraphrase of longer remarks stressing equity and neighborhood outreach.)

Public comment snapshot

- Pro-bike-lane speakers (students, school officials, commuting parents, the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition and several residents) said the protected Humboldt lanes improved safety and encouraged biking to school and work. "Biking is a good way we live those values," a parent said during public comment.

- Opponents (many North Central residents) emphasized parking loss and daily hardships: several speakers said parking removal forced household members to park multiple blocks away, impede visitors, and create safety concerns for seniors and shift workers.

What the council asked staff to do next

- Conduct further neighborhood outreach with mailed surveys and community workshops focused on Humboldt, Idaho and Fremont. - Develop and implement a pilot bike-boulevard on a parallel street (Idaho or Fremont) before any permanent removal of Humboldt bike lanes. - Return with a funding plan, clearer collision and circulation analysis and a recommended decision package for council consideration.

Ending: The council did not vote to remove the Humboldt bike lanes on Feb. 3. Instead, members agreed on a path of deeper engagement, pilot testing and a financial plan before any permanent changes, and they asked staff to return with specifics for council action.