County outlines Moss Beach SR‑1 safety plan, two build alternatives and environmental review timeline

County senior transportation planner Chanda Singh told the Midcoast Community Council that the Moss Beach State Route 1 Congestion and Safety Improvements Project aims "to improve traffic operations and increase, safety for all users, pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and drivers, and increase access to the resources on either side of the highway." She said the county and the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA) are working with Caltrans to move the project through the Caltrans project development process.

Singh described two alternatives under study for Highway 1 between Marine Boulevard and 14th Street. Build Alternative 1 would add roundabouts at Cypress Avenue and California Avenue and install a traffic signal at 16th Street; Alternative 2 would rely on traffic signals at those three intersections and omit roundabouts. Singh said both concepts include substantial bicycle, pedestrian and transit improvements, but that the environmental review will determine which alternative is preferred.

The project team completed a project initiation document in 2024 and is now in the project approval and environmental studies phase, Singh said. That work includes technical studies of biological resources, cultural resources and transportation operations and will produce a draft environmental document that Caltrans will review and then release for public comment. "The draft environmental document will be circulated to the public for review and comment for at least 30 days," she told the council, and the team expects to release it in late spring or early summer 2026 and to hold a public open‑house (she said she hopes to hold it in May at Fairlawn View Elementary School).

Council members and residents pressed staff on safety tradeoffs and multimodal access. A council member who cycles asked whether roundabouts are safe for bicyclists; Singh replied that roundabouts generally reduce conflict points and that the project design anticipates two options for cyclists: taking the lane through a roundabout as a "vehicular cyclist" or using a parallel class‑1 trail and crossing points configured for people walking and riding. Singh said the team is studying emergency access and coordination with first responders, and will evaluate operations (level of service) and the alternatives' effects on emergency evacuation and throughput.

Residents at the meeting also raised concerns about lighting, landscaping and potential tree loss, and asked when the community can weigh in on design details such as color and materials. Singh said those matters will be addressed in subsequent design phases after the environmental review; the environmental document will analyze impacts (for example, tree loss, wetlands and cultural resources) and document mitigation measures or design exceptions where required.

Singh said the county and SMCTA have funding and technical assistance for the environmental phase and that the Transportation Authority recommended the project for the next phase of funding. She asked the council to sign up for project updates on the project web page (www.smcgov.org/planning/mossbeachsr-1) and said she expects to return with more information as the draft environmental document is released.

Next steps: the county will finish technical studies, post the draft environmental document for a minimum 30‑day review, hold at least one public meeting, respond to comments, and then Caltrans will determine a preferred alternative and approve the final environmental document. Residents who want to comment should focus on environmental issues and documented errors or omissions to ensure they receive a formal written response, Singh said.