Improving Travel Options and Quality of Life

The Town of Atherton is studying how to enhance traffic safety and quality of life by providing more options for travel along a 1.5-mile segment of El Camino Real (State Route 82) from Selby Lane to Valparaiso Avenue. This is one of the final gaps in the county-wide effort to close travel gaps on El Camino Real and expand available travel options and quality of life for users of the corridor. 

Phase 1 of the study was completed in Fall 2024 and included a technical analysis of existing traffic conditions, safety data assessment, infrastructure inventory, and identified potential needs grounded in stakeholder input and conversations with the local community.

Project Goals:

1. Improved Safety and Quality of Life
   

   Create a study that prioritizes and enhances safety and comfort for all road users, particularly vulnerable users, (e.g., older adults, children, and people walking and bicycling), while addressing seasonal flooding along the corridor.

2. Enhanced Equity and Access

   Prioritize equity and access for all road users and for people of all ages and abilities.

3. Expanded Travel Options

   Optimize active transportation options (e.g., walking, cycling) and taking transit to make it easier or more convenient for people to travel without a car.

4. Improved Connectivity

   Improve connections between key destinations along El Camino Real and create a consistent experience for people walking, riding bikes and transit, and driving.

What is the Purpose of the Complete Streets Corridor Study?

The El Camino Real Complete Streets Corridor Study will analyze and develop options for adding walk and bike facilities along El Camino Real. These improvements may include sidewalks, improved bus stops, and bikeways. 

The study will result in identifying potential changes to the road based on technical analysis of traffic conditions including safety, infrastructure requirements, stakeholder input and conversations with the local community.

Project Timeline

Phase 1: Spring 2024
Existing Conditions

Phase 2: Winter 2025
Evaluate Concepts

Phase 3: Spring 2025
Preferred Concept

Next Steps: 2026
Grand Boulevard Initiative

Contact Us
Have questions or want to learn more about the project, contact us below:
Contact Douglas Kim, Project Manager at dkim@ci.atherton.ca.us. 

Phase 2

We are now in Phase 2, and the Town is collecting input from the community on an enhanced design for El Camino Real to determine the best design for transportation improvements on El Camino Real. Community input will be considered along with the Phase 1 findings and technical requirements to select a preferred design concept for El Camino Real to advance through the project development process.

At the end of this study, the Town Council will select a preferred design concept for El Camino Real and pursue funding to design the enhancements and move the project towards implementation. The preferred design and input gathered from the community will set the foundation to advance the project through the Caltrans project development process once funding is secured.

Preferred Design Concepts

Three design concepts are proposed that would serve a variety of corridor users including people walking, riding bikes or other devices, riding the bus, and driving. This segment of El Camino Real is generally 100-feet wide. The preferred design must be feasible within the existing right-of way and consider traffic/parking impacts, technical constraints and requirements, and construction costs. For example, adding sidewalks and bicycle lanes to improve safety will require more space. The design concepts explore the tradeoff of elements that can fit within the right-of-way for each design.

Design Concept #1

Added sidewalks and painted bike lanes

Design Concept #1 will add continuous sidewalks on both sides of the street to improve pedestrian safety. The width of the sidewalk will remain the same, and at some locations sidewalks will share space with bus stops and utilities. No vehicle lanes are removed. 

This concept provides a one-way painted bike lanes (Class II bikeway) on both sides of the street to provide a dedicated lane for people on bikes and scooters.

Design Concept #2

Wider sidewalks and Separated bike lanes (Convert 2 vehicle lanes)

Design Concept #2 will convert the outer vehicle lanes in each direction to add wider continuous sidewalks on both sides of the street to improve pedestrian safety. This concept provides a one-way buffered or separated bikeway (Class IV bikeway) on both sides of the street to provide a dedicated lane for cyclists. People on bikes are buffered from traffic by a 2-3-foot wide median. One vehicle in each direction (2 total) is converted to make room for enhanced bikeways, sidewalks, and bus stops.

Design Concept #3

Wider sidewalks, separated bike lanes (Convert 1 vehicle lane)

This will add wider continuous sidewalks on both sides of the street to improve pedestrian safety.

Design concept #3 provides a one-way separated bike lane on both sides of the street to provide a dedicated lane for cyclists in wider sections of the corridor. In these wider sections, cyclists are buffered from traffic by a 3-foot wide median that could include a physical barrier. In narrower sections, the bikeway would transition to a striped bike lane. The center median would be shifted in some places to accommodate the conversion of one lane in either direction for these improvements.

Who approves the final Complete Streets Study?

The Atherton Town Council will consider adopting the study in collaboration with local partners and the TA. Because Caltrans owns El Camino Real, the project team will need to prepare a study that meets their standards and requirements. Once the study is approved, the Town of Atherton — in partnership with the TA, Caltrans, and other partnering agencies — can then seek funding to further develop design and construction documents and to implement the corridor improvements.