By the SFexaminer.com
More than 400 San Mateo pedestrians were hit by cars during the last decade and nine were killed, a rate that exceeds the county average. Now a group of residents and city officials hopes a new pedestrian master plan will cut that rate in half.
An early version of the plan, which has been in the works for the past year and is being drafted to make San Mateo’s streets safer and more inviting for pedestrians, is expected to head to the San Mateo City Council in April.
The plan was an outgrowth of city leaders’ efforts to promote environmental sustainability.
“How can you be green if you’re not out there using your body and your muscles?” said Jay Michlin, a San Mateo Depart of Public Works commissioner who helped craft the plan.
Many of the new retirees that Michlin knows would love to walk to stores, churches and other daily destinations. But he said they fear it’s too dangerous for them to try to cross San Mateo streets on foot. Michlin is hopeful that they will soon be able to take advantage of the plan’s recommendations.
Some 63 percent of 475 people surveyed by the city as the plan was being drafted said they walk if they’re traveling less than a mile. Key travel areas included downtown, parks and other retail districts.
Barriers to walking included concerns about safety, insufficient lighting, and poorly maintained or obstructed sidewalks or a lack of sidewalks, the survey results showed.
Better lighting, more prominent crosswalks and more time for pedestrians to cross near retail centers and in areas frequented by children and seniors are some of the 49 suggestions to be considered in the draft plan. Also included are better signage, proposed parklets where outdoor restaurant seating could be placed, and other improvements that would make it easier for pedestrians to cross streets.
The improvements outlined in the plan are expected to cost nearly $84 million over 20 years, with more than $51 million of that for more pedestrian-scale lighting, a presentation on the city’s website shows.
Read full article