The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors this week approved a contract with a consulting firm to design yet another transportation and traffic solution blueprint for the Coastside.
The consultants, Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, are being paid to deliver the Midcoastside Transportation Demand Management Plan, a traffic mitigation project, for Half Moon Bay and much of the unincorporated neighborhoods of the Coastside. The plan would incorporate Montara, Moss Beach, Princeton, El Granada, Miramar and Moonridge.
This effort is similar but separate from the county’s Connect the Coastside transportation plan that was approved by the Board of Supervisors in July 2022. That plan involved seven consulting firms, 20 staff from county departments, eight years of work and community input that formed 32 recommendations for infrastructure improvements along, policy changes and evaluations.
County staff say this new transportation demand management project differs from Connect the Coastside because it builds on prior recommendations and will identify actionable transportation options for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers. One idea recommended for further study in Connect the Coastside was possible intersection controls in Moss Beach at 16th Street, California Avenue and Cypress Avenue along Highway 1.
A project management team composed of staff from the consulting firm, the city and the county, will hold biweekly meetings and submit monthly progress reports. In addition to analyzing the area’s parking policies, transit marketing and services, Nelson\Nygaard is also responsible for organizing public outreach. According to the RFP, the consultants should collaborate with SamTrans to “identify a potential mobility hub.”
The county will pay consultants at least $218,840 to develop the plan starting this month through February 2025. Last year the county and Half Moon Bay submitted a $100,000 request to the San Mateo County Transportation Authority for a transportation demand management study along the Midcoast. Two months later, the Transportation Authority awarded those funds.
The Coastside’s limited infrastructure, low-density land-use zoning and high rates of tourism present challenges to expanding transportation. According to the county’s request for proposal, the Midcoast and Half Moon Bay have a higher use of automobiles than more urban areas as 86% of commute trips are made by driving alone compared to 66.5 % countywide.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.