SamTrans outlines El Camino Real 'Grand Boulevard' vision; Millbrae questions costs, metrics

SamTrans and its regional partners presented a corridorwide plan Tuesday to redesign El Camino Real across San Mateo County — including a Millbrae segment — with the goal of improving safety, multimodal access and economic vitality.

"Our goal is really to reimagine El Camino to meet 21st‑century mobility and safety needs for all users," SamTrans planning director Millie Tolleson told the Millbrae City Council. She said the Grand Boulevard Initiative (GBI) is producing an action plan that will serve as a feasibility study required by Caltrans before starting a Project Initiation Document (PID).

The plan would stitch together prior local studies and create a unified framework to move projects through Caltrans’ project development process. Tolleson and partners described potential treatments including protected bike lanes, improved crosswalks and lighting, narrower or reconfigured travel lanes where appropriate, enhanced transit facilities and local place‑making elements.