San Carlos council votes to retain Greater East Slow Streets pilot after mixed feedback

The San Carlos City Council voted unanimously Sept. 8 to maintain the Greater East San Carlos Slow Streets pilot, concluding a months-long review of before‑and‑after traffic data, resident surveys and public testimony.

Staff presented a nine‑month after‑study showing a 4.7% decrease in cut‑through traffic and a small shift of some vehicles onto higher‑capacity corridors. Mark Spencer, the consultant who led the study, said the pilot’s partial curb closures and pylons “redistribute traffic to streets better designed for through movement,” but that some residents on peripheral blocks reported losing on‑street parking and feeling disproportionally affected.

The staff recommendation to retain the pilot included keeping the existing pylons and red curb, improving signage, and making the Public Works Department the ongoing steward of the project. Hanya Hushandi, the city’s senior traffic engineer, described the program as a proactive response to anticipated development pressures that could increase cut‑through traffic.

Public comment at the meeting was largely supportive. Residents who live inside the pilot area told the council they had noticed slower traffic and increased safety for children walking to school. Max Schneider, representing the neighborhood group Greater East San Carlos (GESC), urged aesthetic and sign improvements to reduce driver confusion. Other speakers asked the council to study one‑way streets and to reduce the amount of red curb where possible to ease impacts on neighbors who rely on street parking.

Council members pressed staff on turnout and methodology. Council member Adam Rack noted the survey drew 72 responses from roughly 400 residences — about an 18% response rate — and said the split on whether the pilot should remain was close. Staff explained the survey was widely distributed with a postcard and a QR code and that speed measurements used multiple cameras and a short license‑plate matching method to identify cut‑through trips.

Several council members said they supported making the program a regular part of Public Works operations rather than a temporary pilot, but also asked staff to continue outreach and to test relatively low‑cost fixes such as additional advance signage on Industrial and Old County roads and adjusted pylon placement. Vice Mayor Venites asked staff to add routine escalation/maintenance costs to future budgets so the city could plan for replacing pylons and signs.

The council’s official action authorized the Public Works director to issue and record a notice of completion for the pilot and to maintain the project with the department managing future maintenance, monitoring and small operational changes. The motion passed on a recorded vote: Rack — yes; Dugan — yes; Leighton — yes; Venites — yes; Mayor McDall — yes.

What’s next: staff said it will bring minor operational changes (signage and pylon refinements) into routine maintenance, continue monitoring cut‑through patterns as nearby development comes online, and report back if larger design or policy changes are requested by the council.