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Resident recounts El Camino fatality and urges daylighting; commissioners press staff on Humboldt safety and Caltrans coordination
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Summary
During public comment a resident cited a recent fatality on El Camino and urged daylighting and enforcement; commissioners followed up with questions about Humboldt Street, permit programs, bollard crash ratings and a planned coordination meeting with Caltrans on the El Camino intersection.
Public comment and commissioner discussion on March 11 centered on safety concerns for Humboldt Street and the El Camino corridor, prompting staff to schedule coordination with Caltrans and outline immediate steps.
An online commenter identified as Mike Swire told commissioners he and more than 45 supporters backed the Humboldt bike lanes at a recent council meeting and said cyclists have been harassed for using the bike lane. Swire also cited a January 23 fatal crash on El Camino that killed 62‑year‑old Veronica Vasquez at 17th and Beauvais and urged the city to pursue ‘‘daylighting’’ (removal of parked vehicles near crosswalk approaches) to improve sight lines. "I'm really hoping that we can figure out how to make sure this doesn't happen again," Swire said.
Commissioners pressed staff for follow up. In response, staff said the city will meet with Caltrans in April to clarify signal ownership and operations at the specific El Camino intersection and to discuss potential safety improvements for the corridor. "We have a meeting scheduled in April to talk about that intersection as well as the greater El Camino corridor in San Mateo," a staff member said, adding that Caltrans historically operates and owns some signals and the city will seek to clarify responsibilities.
Commissioners and staff also discussed council‑directed actions on Humboldt, including speed calming, lighting improvements, an exploration of a Humboldt permit parking program, additional enforcement coordination with police, and potential shuttle or rideshare solutions to mitigate parking impacts. Staff said the city is applying lessons learned from previous bike boulevard projects and will engage affected residents before returning proposals to council.
Downtown pedestrian mall barriers and bollards were another safety topic. Staff described recently installed crash‑rated meridian barriers and explained emergency access procedures; a deputy explained the barriers are removable with a dolly stored adjacent to the site for emergency responders. Commissioners asked whether planter boxes or vegetative elements could serve as an alternative; staff said the existing meridian barriers are crash‑rated and the planters cannot be stacked with those barriers without impairing performance.
The meeting closed with staff promising further data on Humboldt enforcement and the Fashion Island bridge approach, and with a reminder that the 19th Avenue Fashion Island Boulevard project is expected to return to the commission in May for further review.
