Residents urge swift fixes after family struck at Delaware and State; city outlines near-term beacons and short-term projects

Dozens of San Mateo residents urged the City Council on April 6 to move quickly to fix a stretch of North Delaware Avenue after a March 28 crash at Delaware and State left a father and two children seriously hurt.

Brandon Madrigal, speaking on behalf of his family, described seeing his relatives taken from a marked crosswalk and said his 8‑year‑old brother suffered a skull fracture and his father multiple broken ribs and internal injuries. “These last couple of days have been the most mentally, physically, and emotionally draining days of my life,” Madrigal said.

The plea set off a string of public comments from longtime and newer residents who described repeated collisions at the corridor and nearby intersections. Kevin Simpson asked the council to treat recurring crosswalk deaths as a crisis and to reallocate staff time and budget toward traffic enforcement and short‑term physical interventions. “This is happening too often,” Simpson said. “We’ve got to do something different.”

Several residents recounted prior fatalities and near misses and urged the council to install speed cushions, temporary signage and lighting, shorten crosswalk spans and pursue federal HSIP grant funding for permanent fixes. Max Motner, joining virtually, called for a two‑track approach: identify an interim local funding source for immediate quick builds while applying for federal HSIP funds for permanent improvements.

City Manager Kajikian and Public Works Director Matt Fabry responded that staff has moved to procure rectangular rapid flashing beacons, add high‑visibility striping and delineators, and deploy temporary signs immediately. Fabry said the beacons have the longest lead time and estimated a procurement schedule of roughly three to four months at the high end; staff also said temporary signage and frame signs could be placed in the coming days.

City staff outlined several related funding and project commitments tied to the local roadway safety plan: $400,000 for street lighting and traffic calming on Humboldt, $450,000 for pedestrian safety along school and senior routes in North Central, $550,000 for protected left turns at Poplar and Humboldt, and $1,000,000 for pedestrian improvements at Peninsula and Delaware. The city manager said staff is also pursuing grants and reallocating local funds where feasible.

Council members and residents said they want clearer timelines and a formal quick‑response policy that sets goals and deadlines when crashes occur. Several speakers said the city’s prior focus on parking studies had diverted staff capacity from safety work. City staff said they have reorganized the transportation team, are conducting traffic surveys by June, and continue enforcement patrols by the San Mateo Police Department.

The council did not vote on a new policy at the meeting. Council member Diaz Nash later announced she will attend a county board meeting in support of a proposed alternative site for a separate behavioral health facility; she and other members also committed to a special council meeting April 15 to question the Horizon provider and discuss local responses to community safety concerns.

The city’s next steps: deploy temporary signage and high‑visibility markings immediately, complete procurement of flashing beacons and related quick‑build elements in the coming months, pursue HSIP and other grant applications for permanent improvements, and complete traffic surveys and near‑term capital work as scheduled.