Title
Report regarding a Resolution of the City Council supporting the City/County Association of Governments of San Mateo County’s (C/CAG’s) 2026 San Bruno / South San Francisco Community Based Transportation Plan. (Megan Wooley-Ousdahl, Deputy City Manager)
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RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt a resolution in support of C/CAG’s 2026 San Bruno / South San Francisco Community Based Transportation Plan.
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BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) initiated the Community-Based Transportation Planning (CBTP) program in 2002 to enhance mobility for residents of historically disadvantaged Equity Priority Communities (EPCs). Beginning in the Fall of 2024, C/CAG led the development of the San Bruno / South San Francisco CBTP to update the initial CBTP created in 2012. Planning and Engineering staff from the cities of South San Francisco and San Bruno served on a working group to support the development of the plan.
Community-Based Transportation Plans focus on areas designated EPCs. EPCs are determined by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. These are census tracts that have a significant concentration of low-income residents and people of color and are prioritized for investment and planning to address historical disinvestment and ensure equitable access to transportation and housing. See Figure 1 below for a map which outlines the EPCs in South San Francisco and San Bruno.
In South San Francisco, the CBTP focuses mainly on the Old Town, Downtown, and Paradise Valley neighborhoods with some recommendations centering on El Camino Real and Lindenville.
Community Outreach
C/CAG’s development of the CBTP has been guided by the perspectives of residents and community organizers in the San Bruno and South San Francisco communities. From South San Francisco, the C/CAG team met with:
• City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and the Traffic Safety Commission
• Rise South City
• YMCA Community Resource Center
• Friends of Old Town
• Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition
The C/CAG team also held bilingual community engagement pop-up events at La Hacienda Market (249 Hillside Boulevard) on April 26, 2025, and All Souls Catholic Church (315 Walnut Avenue) on April 27, 2025.
Figure 1. Equity Priority Communities in South San Francisco and San Bruno
Plan Recommendations
South San Francisco residents and community stakeholders, along with City and SamTrans staff, provided their ideas and experiences to help C/CAG learn what improvements will help the most in relation to buses and paratransit, sidewalks, streets, policies, programs, and educational outreach. The CBTP captures this input as recommended projects and identifies the costs, funding needs, and strategies to implement the recommendations. Table 1 provides an overview of the recommended projects within South San Francisco’s jurisdiction.
Table 1. Recommended Projects Within South San Francisco’s Jurisdiction
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Strategy |
Recommended Project |
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A. Improve pedestrian safety and community access |
• A4. Provide safety and quality of life enhancements to Centennial Way Trail, including more lighting, emergency call boxes, benches, and marking lanes for bicycles and pedestrians. • A5. Coordinate sidewalk repairs along Maple Avenue in Downtown South San Francisco. |
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B. Expand bicycle network connectivity, safety, and amenities |
• B3. Design a multimodal El Camino Real in South San Francisco, incorporating a continuous bikeway and wider sidewalks. • B6. Extend the planned Spruce Avenue bicycle route south beyond Railroad Avenue to connect to the San Bruno BART station. |
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C. Improve local street infrastructure and safety |
• C1. Install a multi-use path with educational and safe use signage for users of scooters and bicycles on Maple Avenue. Pair installation with a safe use educational outreach campaign and policy updates. • C2. Install safety improvements such as speed humps, zebra crosswalks, and a stop sign at the intersection of Cypress and Pine Avenues in South San Francisco. • C3. Repair and repave the roadway along El Camino Real. • C5. Study and implement traffic calming measures such as speed humps along Park Way. • C6. Add traffic calming measures to Cypress Avenue and Linden Avenue in Old Town to address street racing. |
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D. Improve transit amenities |
• D1. Add bus shelters with weather protection and lighting at: • Airport Boulevard stops at Baden Avenue, California Avenue, Armour Avenue, Grand Avenue, and at 200 Airport Boulevard • Bus stops along El Camino Real • Bus stops on South Linden Avenue • D2. Study and implement if feasible new SamTrans bus stops at locations of interest, such as Route 292: Airport Boulevard and Pine Avenue. • D3. Improve lighting inside existing bus shelters and at bus stops in Old Town. |
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E. Extend and adjust transit service routes, times, and frequencies to reflect the needs of older adults, students, and essential workers. |
• E1. Consider increasing frequency and extend evening service on bus routes that serve Old Town, such as Route 130. • E2. Consider increasing frequency on SamTrans Route 141 to every 15 minutes, to expand service options for east-west connections to Skyline College, downtown and transit hubs, as well as key destinations for older adults and low-income residents. • E3. Consider new route (Route 126) to provide additional bus service to BART stations and service in Paradise Valley. |
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F. Improve transit reliability and connectivity |
• F1. Consider a review of transfer locations and times on all area SamTrans buses to ensure windows support riders making connections. • F2. Consider transit-friendly signal policy changes on El Camino Real. |
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G. Expand options for low- or no-cost transportation services |
• G1. Develop a multilingual training session series with trusted community partner organizations such as Rise South City to promote transit discount programs and educate EPC residents on how to apply for and use transit discount programs, such as Clipper START, and Youth and Senior Clipper cards. • G3. Develop implementation strategies for equity mobility programs that encourage mode shift, such as the 101 Express Lanes Community Benefits Program. • G4. Expand free transfer time frames and automatic fare capping to prevent riders from paying multiple times due to missed connections. |
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H. Expand awareness of transit and transportation services |
• H1. Partner with Rise South City and the YMCA Community Resource Center to develop a promotion and outreach program about existing transit and shuttle services, including Transit Ambassadors and “how to ride” programs, focusing on older adults, non-English speakers, seniors, students, and families who use transit. • H3. Provide real-time tracking and access to information about transit and shuttle routes, including multilingual printed information at stops and key community locations. |
Implementation
Staff reviewed the CBTP recommendations in conjunction with development of the City’s FY 2027-2031 Capital Improvement Program and found substantial alignment between the two, particularly for corridor improvements, traffic safety, active transportation, and signal infrastructure. Many of the CBTP’s capital recommendations are reflected in existing or proposed projects and programs in the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
The CBTP also identifies additional needs that are not currently represented in the CIP, including transit amenities, bus service enhancements, and community-based programs. Implementation of these recommendations will require coordination with partner agencies, such as SamTrans, Caltrans, and C/CAG, and with community-based organizations, and may require the pursuit of external funding sources.
Looking ahead, the CBTP includes annual tracking of project implementation. Staff will incorporate tracking of these projects with annual CIP tracking and reporting.
FISCAL IMPACT
While there is no fiscal impact associated with adopting a Resolution of Support for the CBTP, implementing the Plan’s recommendations will require a combination of the following: incorporating the projects into existing CIP projects, seeking grant funding, and partnering with other agencies, such as SamTrans and Caltrans.
Regarding grant funding, projects included in the CBTP generally receive bonus points on C/CAG and MTC grant applications. These projects may also be eligible for targeted funding opportunities, such as Lifeline Transportation Program funding from MTC which seeks to improve mobility in low-income communities.
RELATIONSHIP TO CITY COUNCIL PRIORITIES ACTION PLAN
Support for the CBTP is in alignment with the Infrastructure and the Environment Major Focus Area, and the key strategy of continuing to enhance bicycle infrastructure and building community bicycle culture.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The City Council’s adoption of the resolution supporting the 2026 San Bruno / South San Francisco CBTP is not a “project” under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations Section 15738 because it consists of recommendations for projects, rather than approvals for projects themselves, and therefore will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. These recommendations may be considered and evaluated as appropriate under CEQA by the applicable decision-making body at a future time.
CONCLUSION
The CBTP will be presented to the C/CAG Board on June 11, 2026, for final consideration and adoption. Staff recommends that City Council adopt a Resolution of Support for C/CAG’s 2026 San Bruno / South San Francisco Community-Based Transportation Plan.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Presentation
2. C/CAG’s 2026 San Bruno / South San Francisco Community-Based Transportation Plan
3. Plan Appendices
ASSOCIATED DOCUMENTS
• Resolution 26-1797