Mobility and Access

Where We Want to

Be in the Future

People waiting at bus stop on Grand Avenue

Travel in South San Francisco is safe and is perceived to be safe by all.
Transit is the first choice for regional travel. South San Francisco’s BART and Caltrain stations, and ferry terminal are all critical hubs of local and regional travel in the Bay Area.
SSF is a city where daily activities and functions can be performed without the need or desire for a single occupancy vehicle.
Plans and development activity emphasize transportation modes and strategies that ensure healthy air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce the need to devote additional lands to transportation uses.
All South San Francisco residents have reliable access to commercial centers, schools, and recreation regardless of their mode of travel.

Performance

Metrics

01Performance Metrics:

Transportation injury collisions

Target:

Eliminate severe injury and fatal collisions on the City’s roadway network

Data:

Total collisions between vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists from 2009-2018: ≥481 Incidents

02Performance Metrics:

Ridership at South San Francisco BART, Caltrain, SamTrans, and ferry facilities.

Target:

Double SamTrans and BART ridership, quadruple ferry ridership, and achieve 10x growth in Caltrain ridership by 2040

Data:

South San Francisco BART station usage as of 2018: approximately 3,500 passengers on an average weekday
South San Francisco Caltrain station usage as of 2018: approximately 470 passengers per day
South San Francisco ferry ridership as of 2018: approximately 580 passengers per day

03Performance Metrics:

Mode split

Note: Mode split targets are citywide. Specific planning sub-areas, like East of 101, may have different targets to meet specific planning objectives.

Target:

Transit, walk, and bike trips account for 40 percent of all trips

Data:

Drive alone: 43%
Carpool: 47%
bike: <1%
transit: 4%
walk: 6%

04Performance Metrics:

East of 101 Area traffic volumes

Target:

East of 101 Area traffic volumes remain within the area’s street capacity

Data:

City to begin tracking data and provide in the future.

How Our Plan

Gets Us There

Transportation policy choices are key to achieving the equity, environment, and quality-of-life outcomes discussed throughout the General Plan. Currently, South San Francisco residents and employees have few convenient choices to travel without a car: approximately 90 percent of all trips by residents and over 80 percent of commute trips by employees occur via driving. The auto-centric nature of the city’s transportation system generates traffic congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, and inequitable access to jobs and services.

South San Francisco relies on transportation infrastructure that was built for a different era when life was lived closer to home and the city had more heavy industry and fewer people and jobs. Today’s reality is more regional in nature, spanning commutes between employment centers, goods movement, and travel to retail, medical, hospitality, and recreational facilities. Freeways are fully built out, yet traffic congestion continues to worsen. With the Bay Area expected to add another 1.5 million people in the next two decades, cleaner, less space-intensive forms of travel will be necessary to keep the region and South San Francisco moving. South San Francisco is well-positioned to capitalize on this shift, with access to two BART stations, a new Caltrain station expected to see a substantial increase in service, a ferry terminal serving regional commuters, and a local network of buses, shuttles, and bikeways. Nonetheless, further modernization of the city’s infrastructure is needed.

Health and safety are inextricably linked to the transportation system. Roadway collisions are the leading cause of death for people under the age of 55, and more than half of all road traffic deaths occur among vulnerable road users — pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists. For South San Francisco to achieve Vision Zero – eliminating all injury collisions on roadways – requires making tradeoffs to prioritize safety, such as reducing vehicle speed limits on local streets or allotting more street space to vulnerable users in the form of bikeways and sidewalks.

Transportation policy offers an opportunity to deliver mobility in a more equitable manner. On average, transportation is the second-largest cost for households, and the cost is largely driven by the location of one’s home in relation to jobs and services. Because housing is costly in San Mateo County, is it often the case that people earning less make the longest, most expensive commutes. Providing more housing close to job centers and prioritizing improvements for the city’s most vulnerable communities represent key strategies for realizing a more equitable mobility system.

Key Issues
and Opportunities

Modernizing the Transportation System
for a Growing City Capitalizing on Regional Transit Improvements to Realize Mode Shift Connecting the City
for Multimodal Travel

Modernizing the Transportation System
for a Growing City

As South San Francisco continues to experience growth and change, its transportation needs are increasingly mismatched with the infrastructure and services constructed years ago to support “the Industrial City.” This mismatch is especially apparent in the East of 101, Lindenville, and the El Camino Real sub-areas, where large auto-oriented streets are increasingly at-odds with higher density developments more oriented toward walking, biking, and transit use. In many areas of the city, residents and employees rely on driving for the vast majority of trips because there are few other viable options.

As the local and regional population grows the number of trips will also increase. Roadways cannot be expanded to accommodate a similar increase in vehicle trips and more trips must be made by non-auto modes. Local trips within South San Francisco should be made by walk, bike, scooter, and transit whenever possible.

Modernizing South San Francisco’s transportation system means giving people choices in how they travel within the city and region. It also means right-sizing the city’s transportation infrastructure, adding new streets and trail connections, and phasing out vestiges of the past like the city’s freight rail spurs. By building a more multimodal transportation network, South San Francisco can achieve a safe, multimodal, sustainable, livable, and connected city.

Capitalizing on Regional Transit Improvements to Realize Mode Shift

South San Francisco is uniquely positioned to capitalize on several regional transportation improvements that can help reshape travel patterns for residents and employees. These projects include planned service expansions by Caltrain, SamTrans, and San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), along with the new Caltrain station providing a more direct connection to Downtown and the East of 101 sub-area. These changes present opportunities to reduce vehicle miles traveled and shift vehicle trips (especially longer distance commute trips) to transit.

In order to realize the full potential of these projects, South San Francisco will need to prioritize walkable station areas along with first/last mile improvements that connect residents and employers with regional transit via shuttles and active transportation facilities. Such improvements are particularly critical for the East of 101 and Lindenville areas, where it is important for buses and shuttles to provide fast, direct, and reliable connections separated from traffic congestion and delays.

Connecting the City
for Multimodal Travel

South San Francisco’s fragmented street grid presents challenges in accommodating growth. These challenges are especially apparent at the gateways to the East of 101 sub-area, which has constrained access via just four streets providing east-west and north-south connections. Other sub-areas experience limited connectivity as well: just four streets provide east-west connections between El Camino Real and Downtown/Sunshine Gardens, and much of Lindenville remains relatively isolated from adjacent areas. Traffic congestion tends to be concentrated on the few streets connecting the city given the lack of alternatives, and constrained right-of-way can limit opportunities for bicycle, pedestrian, and transit improvements.

East-West Connections

South San Francisco is not equally accessible by all modes of travel. For example, from El Camino Real at the South San Francisco BART station, only by traveling in a car can you reach all of the East of 101 area within 30-minutes. North-south connectivity is far superior to east-west connectivity and the East of 101 sub-area – the biggest cluster of jobs in the city – is virtually inaccessible to local bicycle and transit travelers coming from the western neighborhoods including parts of Sunshine Gardens, Serra Highlands, Westborough, and Avalon. Although regional transit travelers can use the San Bruno BART station for closer access to East of 101 jobs, local South San Francisco residents on the west side are disconnected from jobs and other opportunities on the east side. Improving accessibility for transit and active transportation modes (especially east-west access) represents a key opportunity for the city’s transportation system.

Travel Sheds

Focus on Safety

With hundreds of miles of roadway and trails, it can be difficult to focus the City’s energy and financial resources. The desired General Plan transportation outcome is a system that is safe, connected, multimodal, sustainable, and livable. Safety is foundational for the other outcomes. Residents and employees will only choose to bike, walk, and take transit if they feel safe doing so and mode shift will only occur if the city proactively undertakes projects to protect these most vulnerable roadway users. The ability to use these alternatives to get around the city will greatly improve health and environmental outcomes, which when combined, work to improve sustainability and livability.

The priority network provides a roadmap to improve multimodal safety projects in South Francisco in coordination with the City’s Local Road Safety Plan and Active South City Plan. The priority layers include:

High-injury network: The high-injury network is the subsection of streets in South San Francisco where 75% of injury collisions occurred between 2015 and 2019, with greater weighting for collision that resulted in a severe injury or death. The vast majority of collisions are predicted to occur along these same streets in the future unless safety countermeasures are enacted.
Complete streets opportunities: Complete streets opportunities represent streets that are not currently part of the high injury network but are expected to play an outsized role in serving the changing context in the city. While a pattern of injury collisions has not yet been observed, these corridors may present a higher risk as land use and transportation changes occur.
School and community zones: School and community zones highlight the importance of pedestrian and bicycle safety for all ages and abilities within one to two blocks of schools and community centers.
Regional transit zones: Areas within ½ mile of BART, Caltrain, and the ferry are priorities for pedestrian and bicycle safety to support access to regional transit and ridership growth. Referred to as transit-oriented communities in the Land Use Element.

Transportation Priority Layers

Mobility Network

Street
Network Bicycle and Pedestrian Networks Transit
Network Truck
Network

Street
Network

Street Network

In order to accommodate anticipated growth, the city’s street network will need to evolve in the coming decades. Streets in South San Francisco are categorized into five typologies: Boulevards, Connectors, Downtown Main Streets, Industrial, and Neighborhood Streets.

Boulevard

Boulevards (arterials) serve as primary routes to destinations within the city or through the city. These roadways are designed to prioritize mobility and person throughput for all types of road users. They can accommodate larger volumes of travelers. They typically have four to six travel lanes (both directions combined), larger sidewalks, and dedicated bicycle facilities. They may also include dedicated facilities for buses. Where the right-of-way is limited, user safety and person throughput (via vehicle, transit, bicycle, and foot) should be prioritized vehicle delay or parking.

Connectors and Downtown Main Streets

Connectors (collectors) are primary or secondary streets within the city that serve as corridors to major destinations. These streets are designed to provide mobility space for all travelers – vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders. They also provide access to major destinations and denser residential or commercial areas and can accommodate moderate volumes of travelers. Connectors generally have two travel lanes, sometimes with short four lane segments or a center left turn lane. Connectors have sidewalks and provide on-street bicycle facilities and/or on-street parking.

Downtown streets are a special type of connector where mobility related to higher density commercial and housing converge into a single corridor in which people do business, live, and interact with each other. Downtown streets typically serve as destination corridors rather than through routes, with lower traffic speeds, higher pedestrian and bicycle volumes, and flexible use of curb space for high-turnover on-street parking, loading, bicycle parking, and parklets. These streets typically have narrower two-lane cross sections. Design is focused on providing a vibrant walkable setting conducive to local business activity.

Neighborhood and Industrial Streets

Neighborhood (local) streets are primarily located in residential neighborhoods. These streets provide local access to and between residential areas, commercial areas, schools, parks, and community centers. These streets typically have two travel lanes and on-street parking if street widths permit. They may incorporate design features to calm or discourage use by vehicles and prioritize their use as bicycle boulevards or slow streets.

Industrial streets are like neighborhood streets but are designed to serve the needs of manufacturing and goods movement businesses that need access by larger and heavier vehicles. Common vehicles often include vans, single unit trucks, and smaller semi-trucks. Industrial streets may have two vehicle lanes, and occasionally wider lane widths to accommodate larger vehicles. Industrial streets should have speed limits no greater than 25 mph.

Transit Priority Corridors

Some streets in South San Francisco warrant special consideration as transit priority corridors – corridors that serve high frequency bus and shuttle routes under existing or future conditions. Transit priority corridors primarily overlap with arterials and collectors, though they may occasionally consist of local streets. Designated transit priority corridors may evolve over time as bus and shuttle services change. Transit priority routes may incorporate design elements to prioritize transit speed and reliability and passenger experience.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Networks

As South San Francisco adds residents and jobs, more trips will need to occur via walking and biking to keep the city moving. The Active South City Plan presents the City’s roadmap for bicycle and pedestrian network rollout in the near-, medium-, and long-term, with an emphasis on creating comfortable, connected facilities that address key barriers throughout the city, such as US-101, I-280, and El Camino Real. The plan identifies changes to how infrastructure and programmatic elements can grow walking and bicycling in the city.

The Active South City bicycle and pedestrian recommendations should be implemented alongside the street concepts described above and scheduled using the priority network. Reworking the street network to accommodate multiple modes will require further analysis in some places, and tradeoffs where right-of-way is limited.

Transit
Network

Transit Network

South San Francisco’s transit network revolves around its major regional transit stations (South San Francisco and San Bruno BART Stations, South San Francisco Caltrain Station, and the South San Francisco Ferry Terminal) and three frequent SamTrans bus corridors: Route ECR (El Camino Real) and Route 292 (Airport Boulevard) running north-south, and Route 130 (Grand Avenue/Hickey Boulevard) running east-west. Additional local SamTrans bus routes, commuter shuttle routes, and community shuttle routes fill gaps in first/last mile and community connections.

As the city grows, the transit network is expected to evolve over time. In particular, South San Francisco is expected to see a substantial increase in Caltrain service in the coming years as the agency implements its Business Plan service vision, while ferry, bus, and shuttle service is also expected to grow to meet the city’s changing needs. The city can support increased regional transit service via pursuing access improvements to its stations and orienting employer transportation demand management programs around these services. The city can also support fast and reliable bus and shuttle operations by implementing improvements such as transit signal priority, bulbouts and in-lane bus stops, and bus-only lanes, particularly on its transit priority corridors.

Truck
Network

Truck Network

South San Francisco’s truck network differentiates streets that are designed to accommodate large freight trucks. These streets typically require designing for larger vehicles, including lane configurations, curb radii, and pavement types. The truck network is expected to evolve over time as land uses change; in particular, truck routes in Downtown and northern Lindenville should be phased out as more residential development occurs and the Sneath Lane extension is constructed between South Linden Avenue and Huntington Avenue.

Major Transportation
Investments

To support the city’s changing needs and transportation policy framework, various major transportation investments are needed, as summarized in the previous sections and illustrated below. The following table provides an inventory of these major transportation projects in relation to the overall transportation network, including the proposed changes and approximate cost. Projects of citywide or area-wide importance are marked as having a “high” level of City involvement, while projects with more local effects or contingent on individual developments or partnerships with other agencies are marked as having “medium” or “low” levels of City involvement. Additional information on smaller-scale street and active transportation projects may be found in planning documents such as the Active South City Plan. Although these projects alone cannot solve traffic congestion and person throughput needs, when paired with enhanced transit services and stronger transportation demand management programs, these projects can help support the city’s growth. In total, it is anticipated that the city will need roughly $1-1.2 billion in transportation upgrades over the next two decades to support buildout of the General Plan.

City Involvement	STREET	PROPOSED CHANGE	STREET CHARACTERISTICS	PROPOSED TYPOLOGY	PURPOSE	APPROX. COST
High	Oyster Point Boulevard	Addition of bus-only lanes between US-101 and ferry terminal	6 lanes (two bus-only lanes) + bike lanes, 30 MPH	Boulevard (Transit Priority Corridor)	Adds capacity for East of 101 Area and improves first/last mile access to regional transit.	$15M
High	East Grand Avenue	Addition of bus-only lanes between the Caltrain Station and Haskins Way, trail gap closure between Caltrain Station and Forbes Boulevard, and bus-only ramp to Poletti Way	6 lanes (two bus-only lanes) + bike lanes, 30 MPH (Bus-only ramp: 1 lane + multi-use trail, 25 MPH)	Boulevard (Transit Priority Corridor)	Adds capacity for East of 101 Area and improves first/last mile access to regional transit	$25M
High	New East of 101 Trails	Three miles of new multi-use trails along Poletti Way and parallel to Forbes Boulevard, Eccles Avenue, and Harbor Way.	N/A	Class I Bikeway	Expands active transportation network and improves first/last mile access to regional transit	$5M
High	Utah Avenue Interchange	Extension from South Airport Boulevard to San Mateo Avenue with connection to Produce Avenue	4 lanes + bike lanes, 25 MPH	Boulevard	Connects East of 101 Area and Lindenville and improves access to US-101	$100M
High	Haskins Way	Haskins Bridge connecting Haskins Way in the north to North Access Road to the south	4 lanes + multi-use trail, 40 MPH	Boulevard	Adds capacity for East of 101 Area	$130M
High	Oyster Point Boulevard	Extension of Oyster Point Boulevard to Sierra Point via new bridge	2 lanes + multi-use trail, 30 MPH	Boulevard	Adds capacity for East of 101 Area	$50M
High	Railroad Avenue	Connect Sylvester Road and Littlefield Avenue using railroad right-of-way	2 lanes + bike lanes, 25 MPH	Connector	Improves internal connectivity in East of 101 Area and supports corridor redevelopment	$10M
Medium	Sneath Lane Extension	Extension of Sneath Lane from Huntington Avenue to South Linden Avenue & connection between Maple Avenue & Huntington Avenue	4 lanes + bike lanes, 25 MPH	Boulevard (Transit Priority Corridor)	Connects Lindenville to San Bruno	$20M
Medium	El Camino Rea	Grand Boulevard Modernization	6 lanes + bike lanes, 30 MPH	Boulevard (Transit Priority Corridor)	Supports corridor redevelopment	$30M
Medium	South Airport Boulevard	Modernization to add median, protected bike lanes, enhanced bus stops, and wider sidewalks	4 lanes + bike lanes, 30 MPH	Boulevard (Transit Priority Corridor)	Supports corridor redevelopment	$15M
Medium	Grand Avenue	Downtown Streetscape Project	2 lanes + bike lanes, 25 MPH	Downtown Main Street	Improves walkability and first/last mile access to Caltrain station	$20M
Medium	New Street	New street connecting Eccles Avenue to Forbes Boulevard between Rozzi Place and Gull Drive	2 lanes + bike lanes, 25 MPH	Connector	Improves internal connectivity in East of 101 Area	$10M
Medium	New Street	New street connection between El Camino Real and Mission Road aligned with Sequoia Avenue, Grand Avenue, or Oak Avenue	2 lanes + bike lanes, 25 MPH	Neighborhood	Improves east-west connectivity across Colma Creek	$20M
Medium	Medium	Maple Avenue	Connect Maple Avenue between Railroad Avenue and S Canal St including a bridge	2 lanes, 25 MPH	Neighborhood Neighborhood	$15M
Medium	South Linden Avenue	South Linden Grade Separation & Tanforan Avenue Pedestrian Undercrossing	2-4 lanes + bike lanes, 25 MPH	Boulevard	Improves internal connectivity in Lindenville & first/last mile access to BART	$305M
Medium	New Trail	Connect Centennial Way Trail and Bay Trail via US-101 overcrossing	N/A	Class I Bikeway	Improves first/last mile access to BART	$15M
Low	Littlefield Avenue	Extension from East Grand Avenue to Eccles Avenue via Cabot Road, Forbes Boulevard, and Carlton Court	2 lanes, 25 MPH	Connector	Improves internal connectivity in East of 101 Area	$10M
Low	Point San Bruno Boulevard	Formalize connection between Point San Bruno Boulevard and East Grand Avenue	2 lanes, 25 MPH	Connector	Improves internal connectivity in East of 101 Area	$10M
Low	Myrtle Avenue	Extension from South Spruce Avenue to South Maple Avenue	2 lanes, 25 MPH	Neighborhood	Improves internal connectivity in Lindenville	$10M
Low	Harris Avenue	Connect cul-de-sac with E. Harris Avenue	2 lanes, 25 MPH	Neighborhood	Improves internal connectivity in East of 101 Area	$10M
Low	Roebling Road	Extension across East	2 lanes, 25 MPH	Neighborhood	Improves internal	$10M
		Grand Avenue to proposed Railroad Avenue			connectivity in East of 101 Area
Low	Swift Avenue	Extend Swift Avenue to Littlefield Avenue	2 Lanes, 25 MPH	Neighborhood	Improves internal connectivity in East of 101 Area
Low	Wattis Way	Extend Wattis Way to South Airport Boulevard	2 Lanes, 25 MPH	Neighborhood	Improves internal connectivity in East of 101 Area
					Contingency and other local streets and active transportation projects identified in other plans	$200-400M
					Total Cost, $2022	$1-1.2B

Notes:
Streets marked as “high” priority should provide a citywide or neighborhood-wide mobility benefit and should be advanced by the city’s public works department. Streets marked as “low” priority should be considered as redevelopment occurs at the applicable parcels and would primarily have a local mobility benefit. Streets marked as “medium” priority may be pursued by the city or considered as redevelopment occurs, and would provide a neighborhood-wide mobility benefit.
Costs are rough order-of-magnitude estimates based on previous analyses or comparable projects, rounded to the nearest $5 million in 2022 dollars. Costs do not include right-of-way acquisition if such actions are needed. Additional study is needed to refine the cost of each project.

Key Street Changes

A few streets across South San Francisco are expected to play outsized roles in accommodating changing land use and transportation conditions within the city. This section provides additional descriptions, conceptual layouts, and cross sections for these streets to serve as a starting point for planning activities.

Oyster Point
Boulevard Bus Lanes East Grand Avenue Bus Lanes and Caltrain Station Access Haskins Way and Oyster Point Boulevard Bridges Railroad Avenue
and Sylvester Road El Camino Real and South Airport Boulevard Modernization Utah
Avenue Sneath Lane Extension and South Linden Avenue Grade Separation East of 101 Area Trail Network and Bay Trail-Centennial Way Trail Connection

Oyster Point
Boulevard Bus Lanes

Oyster Point Boulevard Bus Lanes

Oyster Point Boulevard will function as the primary or secondary route to access over 100,000 jobs in the East of 101 sub-area, representing one of the city’s biggest bottlenecks. In order to serve this demand and provide sufficient person-throughput along a constrained corridor, it is necessary to prioritize transit operations by adding bus lanes. Bus lanes allow for fast and reliable operations of regional express buses along with first/last mile services to Caltrain, BART and the ferry, while promoting the use of transit and stabilizing transit operating costs. Without bus lanes, bus and shuttle services will experience longer travel times and delays as the corridor develops, resulting in a negative feedback loop that increases operating costs while reducing the usefulness of these services.

Bus lanes may be accommodated on Oyster Point Boulevard between US-101 and Gull Drive through a combination of restriping, repurposing medians and turn lanes, and some widening along portions of the corridor (particularly east of Veterans Boulevard where the right-of-way narrows to roughly 85 feet). A 115 to 120 foot cross-section would accommodate a curbside bus lane and bike lane in each direction along with widened sidewalks while maintaining two through lanes for auto traffic, one left turn lane, and a median. In the westbound direction, bus-only lanes should extend to the US-101 northbound onramp to provide a seamless connection for buses traveling to San Francisco. At intersections where a second left turn lane is needed, the city may consider dynamic lane assignment to convert one left turn lane to a through-left lane during the AM peak period. To improve walkability and traffic operations while reducing conflicts along the corridor, the city may also consider restricting some lower-volume turning movements.

East Grand Avenue Bus Lanes and Caltrain Station Access

Like Oyster Point Boulevard, East Grand Avenue will serve as a key gateway to jobs in the East of 101 Area as well as the primary connection to Caltrain. In order to maximize the corridor’s person throughput, a combination of bus lanes, expanded sidewalks, and trail gap closures are needed. Bus lanes would span most of the corridor from the Caltrain station to Haskins Way, including a new westbound bus ramp directly connecting East Grand Avenue to Poletti Way and the Caltrain station. Widened sidewalks and an expanded trail along the north side of East Grand Avenue would serve pedestrians and bicyclists traveling between Caltrain/Downtown and the East of 101 Area. A 120 to 130 foot cross-section would accommodate a curbside bus lane in each direction, expanded bikeways and sidewalks, two through lanes for auto traffic, one left turn lane, and a median. While the right-of-way varies, widening of the street itself would be necessary east of Forbes Boulevard to achieve roughly 95 feet curb-to-curb (as opposed to about 70 feet existing). Eliminating the channelized right turn “slip” lanes and providing curb extensions would help improve traffic operations and reduce conflicts.

Haskins Way and Oyster Point Boulevard Bridges

The Haskins Way and Oyster Point Boulevard bridges each would each expand capacity into the East of 101 Area to the south and north, respectively, providing access to two underutilized freeway interchanges. The Haskins Way Bridge would connect East Grand Avenue and North Access Road/I-380 with a four-lane bridge, enabling a direct connection between the East of 101 Area, I-380, and US-101. The Oyster Point Boulevard bridge would connect Oyster Point Boulevard and Sierra Point Parkway with a two-lane bridge, enabling a direct connection between the East of 101 Area, Sierra Point, and US-101. Both bridges would also include an extension of the Bay Trail. While these bridges would serve critical roles in expanding street capacity, each faces complex and uncertain paths toward implementation given their high costs and potential effects on the San Francisco Bay; for these reasons, further study is necessary to confirm feasibility.

Railroad Avenue
and Sylvester Road

Railroad Avenue and Sylvester Road

Railroad Avenue would provide a new east-west street between Sylvester Road and Littlefield Road via Gateway Boulevard and Harbor Way, repurposing an underutilized rail spur. Railroad Avenue would provide several benefits to East of 101 sub-area circulation: it would expand capacity for east-west travel, enhance local access for redevelopment opportunities along Sylvester Road and East Grand Avenue, and improve pedestrian and bicycle access to Caltrain. Railroad Avenue would include two vehicle lanes along with sidewalks and bicycle lanes. The right-of-way varies between approximately 50 feet at its narrowest segments and 75 feet at its widest segments; along such wider segments, the street should also include protected bike lanes, landscaping, and a center left turn lane. Sylvester Road would connect to Railroad Avenue and include two vehicle lanes, sidewalks, and a two-way protected bikeway to minimize conflicts between vehicles and bicyclists.

El Camino Real and South Airport Boulevard Modernization

El Camino Real and South Airport Boulevard would be modernized into more walkable and bikeable ‘grand boulevards’ to support their evolution from low density auto-oriented corridors into mixed-use residential, employment, and hotel uses. Both streets have substantial right-of-way along most of the corridor: South Airport Boulevard is typically greater than 100 feet wide, while El Camino Real is typically greater than 120 feet wide. Wider sidewalks, buffered or protected bike lanes, enhanced bus stops, and landscaped medians and sidewalk buffers should be added, while maintaining existing vehicle lanes and a dedicated left turn lane. Signalized crossings should be provided for pedestrians and bicyclists at all marked crosswalks and accompanying bus stops, ideally no greater than ¼ mile apart.

Utah
Avenue

Utah Avenue

Utah Avenue is expected to grow importance as a connection between the East of 101 Area and Lindenville after completion of an overpass connecting San Mateo Avenue and South Airport Boulevard. Utah Avenue has approximately 75 feet of right-of-way east of South Airport Boulevard, which presents an opportunity for wider sidewalks and protected bike lanes while maintaining existing vehicle lanes. A new traffic signal at Harbor Way is recommended, while a signal at Wattis Way/Corey Way may also be considered as land uses densify. Adding a left turn lane (via widening Utah Avenue) or implementing a four-to-three lane road diet may be considered to enable protected left turns at these traffic signals.

Sneath Lane Extension and South Linden Avenue Grade Separation

The Sneath Lane extension from Huntington Avenue to South Linden Avenue would connect Lindenville and San Bruno with a four-lane street along with bike lanes and wide sidewalks. The Sneath Lane extension would enable more direct access to I-380, I-280, and El Camino Real from Lindenville, east-west travel between San Bruno and the East of 101 Area (via San Mateo Avenue and the proposed Utah Avenue extension) and enhanced first/last mile access to the San Bruno BART station.

The Sneath Lane extension would connect to the proposed grade separation of South Linden Avenue crossing Caltrain, realigning the grade separation as a primarily east-west route. A parallel pedestrian and bicycle crossing at Tanforan Avenue would further enhance first/last mile access to the San Bruno BART Station and enable a dedicated connection between the Bay Trail and Centennial Way Trail.

East of 101 Area Trail Network and Bay Trail-Centennial Way Trail Connection

Converting former freight railway spurs and other underused right-of-way into multi-use trails presents a key opportunity to improve first/last mile access and active transportation connectivity within the East of 101 Area. As detailed in the Active South City Plan, these trails connecting employers to regional transit could function as a backbone network for active transportation and first/last mile connections. Priority trail facilities would cover three inactive rail spurs running parallel to Eccles Avenue, Forbes Boulevard, and Harbor Way converging at East Grand Avenue and the Caltrain Station, a trail along Poletti Way to the Caltrain Station, and a trail connecting the Bay Trail and Centennial Way Trail/San Bruno BART Station via a new bridge over US-101. Some of these trail segments have already been constructed, while other gaps remain.

Funding Plan

Funding for the approximately $1-1.2 billion in capital improvements would come from a combination of city, county, regional, state, federal, and private sector sources. Key funding sources include:

City funds: The City of South San Francisco funds transportation improvements through various sources. The primary source is via a Transportation Impact Fee (Resolution 120-2020). At current fees, the General Plan buildout could generate approximately $1 billion upon full buildout of the General Plan (although not all developments may ultimately be realized). The City is also considering a community facilities district (CFD) within the East of 101 Area to augment transportation funding for the district. Preliminary funding plans for the CFD expect it could generate approximately $160 to $290 million.
Private sector funds: Some transportation projects within the city may be partially or fully funded by the private sector as developments occur, particularly new streets, streetscape improvements, or trail connections within or alongside such developments.
County/regional grants and local return: The San Mateo County Transportation Authority and the City/County Association of Governments administer various grant programs funding highway, grade separation, bicycle & pedestrian, transit, and other local transportation projects. Funding for these county programs is primarily derived from the County’s Measure A and Measure W sales taxes and Measure M vehicle registration tax. The City also receives a dedicated local return from Measure A and Measure W. Additionally, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Bay Area Air Quality Management District periodically administer their own grant programs to fund various transportation improvements with an emphasis on equity and VMT reduction. Grant funding varies year to year.
State grants: The State of California administers several grant programs to fund transportation improvements with a focus on the state highway system, active transportation, and safety, including the State Transportation Improvement Program, Active Transportation Program, and Highway Safety Improvement Program. Grant funding varies year to year.
Federal grants:Various grant programs are distributed to cities directly or via state, regional, and county governments. Federal grants are primarily funded via the Surface Transportation Program and Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program. Grant funding varies year to year.

Some projects affecting regional transportation projects identified in the General Plan are expected to be primarily funded by county, regional, state, and/or federal sources, while other projects more local in nature may be funded primarily via the City with transportation impact fees and CFD funds or via the private sector.

Mobility Element Funding Summary

Funding Source	Funding Expectations	Funding Expectations Funding Emphasis
City (Transportation Impact Fee & potential Community Facilities District)	$500-600M (50%)*	Local projects focusing on city circulation needs.
Private Sector	$100-120M (10%)	Local projects on private right-of-way associated with new developments.
County/Regional	$200-240M (20%)	Larger projects of countywide and regional importance, especially those involving regional agencies.
State/Federal	$200-240M (20%)
Total	$1-1.2B

policy

framework

Goal MOB-1 Goal MOB-2 Goal MOB-3 Goal MOB-4 Goal MOB-5

Goal MOB-1

Goal MOB-1:

South San Francisco prioritizes safety in all aspects of transportation planning and engineering.

Intent:

To advance the Vision Zero goal of zero traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by 2025 (Resolution 40-2021).

Policy MOB-1.1: Use a systemic safety approach to proactively identify and address safety risks.

Action MOB 1.1.1: Develop a Vision Zero Action Plan.
Develop and implement a Vision Zero Action Plan that incorporates a prioritization approach for the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and maintenance response process and identifies safety countermeasures to incorporate into all development projects and capital improvements.

Policy MOB-1.2: Strive to reduce vehicle speeds throughout the city to reduce the frequency and severity of collisions.

Action MOB 1.2.1: Incorporate traffic calming.
Incorporate traffic calming treatments into all street projects to support lower design speeds.
Action MOB 1.2.2: Evaluate reducing speed limits.
Evaluate reducing speed limits on the city’s high injury network, transit priority streets, school areas, and other streets with high concentrations of vulnerable street users.

Goal MOB-2

Goal MOB-2:

South San Francisco provides a multimodal network with convenient choices for everyone.

Intent:

To provide low-cost, low-impact travel options and to focus on moving people rather than cars (Resolution 86-2012).

Policy MOB-2.1: Incorporate complete streets improvements into all roadway and development projects.

Action MOB-2.1.1: Complete multimodal design and impact analysis.

Ensure that roadway and development projects are designed and evaluated to meet the needs of all street users, and that development projects contribute to multimodal improvements in proportion to their potential impacts on vehicle miles traveled.
Action MOB-2.1.2: Create multimodal prioritization processes.

Develop Capital Improvement Program (CIP) prioritization criteria to strategically advance multimodal complete streets projects.
Action MOB-2.1.3: Implement Active South City Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan.

All capital improvements and development projects incorporate bicycle and pedestrian improvements identified in the Active South City Plan, such as trails, bikeways, bicycle detection at traffic signals, high-visibility crosswalks, and pedestrian-oriented site plans.
Action MOB-2.1.4: Implement transit speed, reliability, and access improvements.

All capital improvements and development projects near regional transit stations or bus/shuttle routes incorporate improvements to advance speed, reliability, and access, such as in-lane far-side bus stops, bus-only lanes, queue jumps, and pedestrian/bicycle gap closures.
Action MOB-2.1.5: Address ADA accessibility.

Address ADA accessibility gaps in the City’s transportation infrastructure, including at sidewalks, curb ramps, crosswalks, and bus stops.
Action MOB-2.1.6: Pilot an open streets program.

Create and pilot a car-free, open streets program.

Policy MOB-2.2: Advance more equitable transportation within South San Francisco.

Action MOB-2.2.1: Implement Safe Routes to Schools program.

Collaborate with the South San Francisco Unified School District to implement Safe Routes to Schools programs and improvements, with an emphasis on schools serving equity priority communities.
Action MOB-2.2.2: Develop free bus and shuttle service for residents.

Develop a dedicated funding source or leverage private sector contributions to fund the South City shuttle and free bus service for South San Francisco residents.
Action MOB-2.2.3: Incorporate equitable prioritization processes.

Incorporate equity in identifying and prioritizing Capital Improvement Program (CIP) transportation projects.

Policy MOB-2.3: Interaction between truck routes and bicycle / pedestrian priority streets.

When streets are designated as a truck route and a priority street for bicyclists and pedestrian (either in the General Plan or Active South City Plan), complete a more detailed review and study to prioritize intersections and street design for active mobility and limit truck movements to the designated truck routes.

Goal MOB-3

Goal MOB-3:

South San Francisco proactively manages traffic and parking demand.

Intent:

To focus on access for people while ensuring that car travel is a reliable option.

Policy MOB-3.1: Promote mode shift among employers.

Manage the number of vehicle trips, with a focus on promoting mode shift among employers.

Action MOB-3.1.1: Update and implement TDM Ordinance.

Implement, monitor, and enforce compliance with the City’s TDM Ordinance. Maintain consistency with C/CAG’s requirements. Periodically update the TDM ordinance as transportation conditions change. Incorporate a fine structure for noncompliance.
Action MOB-3.1.2: Implement an East of 101Trip Cap.

Implement an East of 101 area trip cap with triennial monitoring and corrective actions if exceeded. Implement project-specific trip caps for large campus developments.

Policy MOB-3.2: Optimize traffic operations on City streets.

Optimize traffic operations on City streets while avoiding widening roadways or otherwise pursuing traffic operations changes at expense of multimodal safety, transit reliability, or bicycle and pedestrian comfort.

Action MOB-3.2.1: Update traffic operations metrics.

Use appropriate metrics (e.g. travel time, vehicle queues, vehicle delay/level of service, and/or person delay) to evaluate and advance projects that manage traffic flow in coordination with the implementation of complete streets.
Action MOB-3.2.2: Incorporate new street connections.

Incorporate new street connections to better distribute vehicle trips across South San Francisco’s street network, especially in the East of 101 Area.

Policy MOB-3.3: Right-size parking supply and maximize the efficiency of curb space.

Action MOB-3.3.1: Incorporate parking maximums.

Incorporate maximum parking requirements for new residential and office/R&D projects that align with TDM Ordinance trip reduction goals.
Action MOB-3.3.2: Evaluate curb management practices.

Evaluate the current and best use of curb space in the City’s activity centers and repurpose space to maximize people served (i.e. for loading, bikeways, bike parking, bus lanes, or parklets)

Policy MOB-3.4: Use parking management tools to manage limited street space in residential neighborhoods.

Action MOB-3.4.1: Create funding and staffing plan for a Residential Parking Permit Program.

Create a funding and staffing plan for a Residential Parking Permit (RPP) Program in higher density neighborhoods.

Goal MOB-4

Goal MOB-4:

South San Francisco’s land use and transportation actions reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gas emissions.

Intent:

To curb greenhouse gas emissions and support mode shift to transit, active transportation, and carpooling.

Policy MOB-4.1: Increase substantially the proportion of travel using modes other than driving alone.

Action MOB-4.1.1: Use site plan review to improve connectivity.

Use the development review process to identify opportunities to enhance bicycle, pedestrian, and transit connectivity.
Action MOB-4.1.2: Expand transit service.

Continue collaboration with Caltrain, SamTrans, Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), and shuttle providers to scale service levels in growing areas. Consider independently operated transit services to fill regional transit gaps.
Action MOB-4.1.3: Leverage employee transit subsidies.

Leverage private sector subsidies of transit fares to support BART, Caltrain, SamTrans, and Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) ridership.
Action MOB-4.1.4: Incorporate first/last-mile connections.

Incorporate first/last mile bus, shuttle, and active transportation connections between employment hubs and regional transit stations.

Policy MOB-4.2: Embrace innovation.

Prepare the City for changes to transportation technology (such as autonomous vehicles and micromobility) and incorporate such innovations into projects when appropriate and where feasible.

Goal MOB-5

Goal MOB-5:

South San Francisco residents have easy access to play, fitness, and active transportation networks.

Intent:

To reduce barriers to physical activity and improve comfort with the city’s pedestrian and bicycle networks.

Policy MOB-5.1: Expand the low-stress bike and pedestrian network.

Capitalize on opportunities to expand the low-stress bike and pedestrian network throughout the city.

Action MOB-5.1.1: Complete rails to trails projects.

Leverage public-private partnerships to complete the conversion of the City’s freight rail lines to multi-use trails.
Action MOB-5.1.2: Develop Bikeways and slow streets.

Grow network of low stress bikeways and Slow Streets that prioritize direct access to recreation and active transportation within the city’s residential neighborhoods.
Action MOB-5.1.3: Expand bicycle parking at activity centers.

Expand bicycle parking at major activity centers throughout the city.

Policy MOB-5.2: Enhance access to the trail network.

Enhance access to Centennial Way Trail, Bay Trail, and other trail facilities through streetscape projects and new developments.

Mobility and Access

Where We Want to

Be in the Future

Performance

Metrics

01Performance Metrics:

Target:

Data:

02Performance Metrics:

Target:

Data:

03Performance Metrics:

Target:

Data:

04Performance Metrics:

Target:

Data:

How Our Plan

Gets Us There

Key Issues and Opportunities

Mobility Network

Street Network

Boulevard

Connectors and Downtown Main Streets

Neighborhood and Industrial Streets

Transit Priority Corridors

Major TransportationInvestments

Key Street Changes

Oyster Point Boulevard Bus Lanes

Funding Plan

Mobility Element Funding Summary

policy

framework

Goal MOB-1:

South San Francisco prioritizes safety in all aspects of transportation planning and engineering.

Intent:

Policy MOB-1.1: Use a systemic safety approach to proactively identify and address safety risks.

Action MOB 1.1.1: Develop a Vision Zero Action Plan.

Policy MOB-1.2: Strive to reduce vehicle speeds throughout the city to reduce the frequency and severity of collisions.

Action MOB 1.2.1: Incorporate traffic calming.

Action MOB 1.2.2: Evaluate reducing speed limits.

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Key Issues
and Opportunities

Major Transportation
Investments