Traffic in our City
The City of San Mateo is working to address traffic issues in and around our City. Many of the issues are regional, putting unprecedented stress on area streets. Public Works staff are pursuing large- and small-scale projects to do what we can to address the concerns. The City understands that solving traffic congestion is complex and multifaceted, but it is motivated and dedicated to meeting the needs of community members in their pursuit for quality of life.
Explore the tabs below and the navigation links at left for more information on neighborhood traffic forms, community meetings, and past Traffic Action Plans details. In addition, residents can reach Public Works by email at publicworks@cityofsanmateo.org or phone, at 650-522-7300.
Want to know more about the 101 Express Lanes project? Visit this page for the details.
One large-scale project that San Mateo and Foster City are jointly pursuing is improvements to the U.S. Highway 101/SR 92 interchange to help alleviate congestion. We are also looking at the City’s three major east-west connections: Hillsdale Boulevard, 19th Avenue/Fashion Island Boulevard, and 3rd Avenue in order to optimize those corridors wherever possible.
Public Works staff have already identified one of the bottlenecks on Hillsdale Boulevard – the northbound US-101 off-ramp – and will be working with Caltrans to get approval to widen eastbound Hillsdale Boulevard to three through lanes. In late 2018, Public Works staff introduced a corridor study for 19th Avenue/Fashion Island Boulevard with an online survey and a community meeting in the neighborhood. There, citizens provided input to help staff identify short-, medium-, and long-term solutions to mitigate congestion. Next up, we will be taking a look at the 3rd Avenue/Norfolk Street intersection operations and improvement options.
We continually assess the City’s roadway network as a whole, ensuring it is as up-to-date as possible with current traffic management technologies. A traffic management center is in development, which will allow Public Works to view signal operations in real time to ensure optimization throughout the day.
Since 2016, the City identified and mapped areas of the City that could benefit from focused traffic efforts. Today, staff is working with community leaders on the Neighborhood Traffic Action Plans and have made great strides in making those action items a reality, but work continues. The plans address traffic congestion, new curb ramps, crosswalks, and bike lanes, to mention only a few solution-oriented action items. Staff also keep working with other neighborhoods who have requested their own Plan, as well as individual residents.
In addition to focusing on traffic operations and infrastructure, we are working on improving access to transportation and mobility options for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit users. We participate in the General Plan update and convey the views of San Mateo residents on how mobility and transportation should look in the future.
In 2018, we started updating our Bicycle Master Plan and transportation related policies. The goal of this project is to examine the existing bicycle network in the City today, and identify gaps and concerns to build a connected bicycle network that will be easily accessible by users of all ages and abilities.
As part of the Connect San Mateo program, we are partners in free shuttles operated by the San Mateo County Transportation Authority that deliver commuters from Hillsdale and Hayward Park train stations to major workplaces all over the City. Additionally, we are a proud partner in Caltrain’s current 25th Grade Separation Project that will ease traffic flow throughout the City.