Residents of San Carlos’ Greater East Side Neighborhood are lobbying the city for a series of street closures meant to combat cut-through traffic expected to get worse once millions of square feet of office is built in the near future — but staff and council support is mixed.
“Hopefully we can try to find a path forward because it sounds to me like the stress on the community is already starting and I can imagine their concerns moving forward, it’s just going to get worse,” Councilmember Laura Parmer-Lohan said during Monday’s council meeting.
Given the amount of commercial development coming to the East Side Innovation District, which abuts the boundaries of the Greater East San Carlos Neighborhood Association, the group has routinely raised concerns for cut-through traffic creating an unsafe environment for residents and children in the area.
After a meeting between staff and neighborhood residents, the group landed on a potential solution that would block off entry from the two busy roads while allowing residents, emergency vehicles and other service trucks to enter. Both the city’s fire and police chiefs eliminated suggestions to use temporary concrete or water barriers out of concern for emergency access.
Public Works Director Steven Machida outlined a potential street closure program that would close off parts of McCue Avenue and Montgomery, Cherry and Hall streets from Old County Road and Industrial Road using rubber curbs.
While neighbors have argued the measures are small doable adjustments, Machida shared concerns the changes would put drivers of Recology trucks in difficult predicaments and would disrupt mail routes.
“We really do need to make sure that we feel comfortable that whatever we do is safe and it really is going to solve the problem,” Machida said, noting the move could also set a precedent other neighborhoods will look to when demanding their own street closures.
Councilmember John Dugan said he appreciated growing up on a cul-de-sac and has a “soft spot” for their request but would need additional information on whether large trucks could turn safely on the narrow streets before he could back the proposal.
Reflecting on his childhood, he said he often saw the trucks struggle to make turns and wanted to ensure children remain safe. He also suggested the city take a wait-and-see approach to the traffic concerns to determine how serious the issue becomes for residents.
“It is a heck of a lot of development coming. I’m very aware and sensitive to that and I don’t blame them for thinking out in front of this,” Dugan said. “But if we’re studying it now and those initial cut-through numbers look fairly minor an argument could be made we should watch this problem over time.”
A traffic study of the area is currently being finalized but early data indicates cut-through traffic would not be substantial, Machida said. Residents disputed that argument during Monday’s meeting, though, and have maintained that their residential roads already experience more traffic than they should.
Councilmembers, when considering both sides of the argument, shared hope for a potential solution and encouraged Machida to continue speaking with residents, involved agencies and businesses in the meantime.
“There are valid concerns both from our standpoint and from the residents’ standpoint so my thought would be to have more engagement before we start making any more changes,” Councilmember Ron Collins said.
Similarly interested in finding a solution that works for the residents and the city, Vice Mayor Adam Rak questioned whether other solutions could be feasible: such as, limits on turns down select roads during parts of the day and additional signs directing traffic.
He also stressed the importance of keeping residential development in the northeastern part of the town and potential related traffic implications in mind to ensure the city is planning long term.
“There has to be some options and solutions,” Rak said. “I’d love to keep this discussion going to see how we can come to something that may work and work in the middle.”
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