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San Mateo TA kicks off countywide transportation plan update, asks local commissions for priorities to 2050
Summary
The San Mateo County Transportation Authority and CCAG presented a year-long update to the 2017 Countywide Transportation Plan, seeking local feedback on vision, equity, funding strategy and county priorities for 2050; commissioners highlighted east–west access, seniors' mobility and the Broadway grade separation as top concerns.
The San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA) and the City and County Association of Governments (CCAG) presented the kickoff for a countywide transportation-plan update to the Burlingame Traffic Safety & Parking Commission, outlining a roughly one-year process to set goals and a project list through a 2050 horizon.
Suellen Atkinson, manager of planning and fund management at SMCTA, explained that the update will synthesize many recent local and regional studies, focus on funding strategies and equity, and produce a high-level project list for the county and regional transportation plan. The agencies plan stakeholder engagement across the county and expect a draft plan in summer with final adoption in about a year.
Atkinson asked the commission for local input on what works, key challenges and underserved communities. Commissioners praised north–south regional transit (Caltrain and BART), local Vision Zero progress and bike/ped improvements while identifying key gaps: east–west access for hill neighborhoods, mobility options for older adults, first/last-mile connections and the high cost and complexity of the Broadway grade separation.
"This is our opportunity to lay out the higher-level projects that San Mateo County wants to see coming in the next 25 years," Atkinson said. Commissioners and members of the public urged the agency to prioritize outreach to schools, seniors and congregations and to consider shuttle or subsidized-ride programs for older residents who cannot easily access fixed-route transit.
Former mayor Anne Keegan emphasized that older adults need East–West options to reach community centers, libraries and services: "We want them out of their homes. The mental‑health component for older adults is a necessity," she said.
Next steps include developing the plan's visions and goals based on collected feedback, producing a high‑level project list in spring, issuing a draft plan for public review in summer and completing the final plan in about a year. SMCTA and CCAG staff asked the commission to forward local contacts and suggested projects that reflect Burlingame priorities for the countywide list.
