Circulation and Parking Policies

There are 52 policies in the circulation and parking chapter of the North Fair Oaks Community Plan. Of these, 13 have been completed, 13 have been initiated and partially completed, 11 are ongoing, and 15 have not yet been initiated. Seventy-two percent of the policies in the circulation and parking chapter of the NFO Community Plan have been completed, initiated and partially completed, are ongoing and 28% have not been initiated.

Click on the plus (+) symbol to expand each policy and its completion status. Priority goals or policies are indicated by a diamond symbol (♦) .

Completed

13

Initiated and Partially Completed

13

Ongoing

11

Not Initiated

15

    • Policy 1B: Identify optimal multi-modal railroad crossings across both railroad corridors that would ensure critical north-south connections within the community, and identify needed improvements, potentially in conjunction with potential Dumbarton Rail and High-Speed Rail project improvements, to support pedestrian and bicycle safety. Potential new crossings include 8th Avenue/Fair Oaks Avenue (pedestrian and bicycle-only crossing), Pacific Avenue/Westmoreland Avenue and Berkshire Avenue. Explore, as options for any new rail crossings, pedestrian- and bicycle-only crossings, and at-grade, underground, and overpass crossings. Prior to creating new rail crossings, pursue full feasibility analysis and impact studies, and ensure that assessment of potential crossings includes full participation of local residents in areas that could be impacted by creation of new crossings. Status: Complete

    • Policy 1D: Re-evaluate auto-oriented Level of Service (LOS) policies for certain roadways and intersections within North Fair Oaks, such as the Middlefield Road commercial corridor, to ensure a balance of mobility for all modes of travel. Develop a new LOS policy that includes an emphasis on pedestrian, bicycle and transit access and circulation and maintenance of emergency vehicle response times and does not rely on auto congestion as the only indicator of a significant traffic impact. Status: Complete

    • ♦ Policy 2A: Improve and enhance pedestrian facilities along key streets that connect to destinations throughout North Fair Oaks to prioritize “complete streets” design standards that give equal space to pedestrians, bicyclists, public transit, and cars. The design standards and guidelines in Chapter 7, Design Standards and Guidelines, support this objective. Status: Complete

    • Policy 2B: Modify road standards as presented in Chapter 7, Design Standards and Guidelines, particularly along destination streets such as Middlefield Road and major corridors including El Camino Real and 5th Avenue, to achieve a safe and inviting pedestrian environment. Improvements should include the use of elements such as wider sidewalks, mid-block crosswalks, street trees, planting strips, and curb extensions for urban commercial corridors or residential street improvements. Status: Complete

    • ♦ Policy 2E: Provide high visibility 10-foot wide crosswalks at all controlled intersections and ensure that crosswalks have ramps and warning strips that comply with ADA standards. Status: Complete

    • Policy 2F: Evaluate the feasibility of implementing a lane reduction, or “road diet” for Middlefield Road between Douglas Avenue and 8th Avenue. By reducing the number of travel lanes, the roadway width can be reallocated to provide bike lanes, widened sidewalks, crosswalk curb extensions (bulbouts), and other streetscape improvements. Status: Complete

    • ♦ Policy 2K: Allow use of mid-block crossings at locations with high pedestrian activity between intersections. Ensure that all mid-block crossings include high-visibility, 10-foot wide crosswalks, advanced warning signage, and flashing beacons or in-pavement flashers where possible. Status: Complete

    • Policy 2L: Upgrade traffic signal equipment to ensure that all signalized pedestrian crossings have sufficient crossings times, audible indicators and countdown timers, where feasible. Status: Complete

    • Policy 2M: Explore the use of special paving materials for crosswalks to heighten visibility and lend identity to the area. Status: Complete

    • Policy 3E: Upgrade traffic signal equipment to ensure that adequate bicycle detection is provided. Status: Complete

    • Policy 5D: Implement the reduced parking standards presented in this Plan (see Appendix C) for development within the proposed mixed-use, transit-oriented development areas concentrated along the Middlefield Road and El Camino Real corridors, as well as within the vicinity of the proposed multi-modal transit hub. Status: Complete

    • Policy 5E: Modify parking policies to allow affordable housing developments, minor expansions of single-family homes, transit-supportive development projects, and other uses where reduced parking demand can be demonstrated to qualify for further reduced parking requirements or exemptions per approval from the County Planning Department. Status: Complete

    • Policy 5F: Allow unbundled parking in new multi-family residential developments within the proposed mixed-use districts to allow resident to pay only for the parking spaces they need. Status: Complete

    • Policy 1A: Strengthen and improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and access across the railroad tracks at the four existing at-grade Southern Pacific Railroad crossings (Pacific Avenue, 2nd Avenue, 5th Avenue and Marsh Road). Status: Initiated and Partially Completed

    • ♦Policy 1C: Implement the intersection capacity improvements identified in the Community Plan traffic analysis (see Appendix C) to provide acceptable traffic operations in conjunction with new development contemplated as part of the Plan. However, avoid improvements that provide additional vehicular capacity while degrading pedestrian, bicycle or transit access and mobility. Status: Initiated and Partially Completed

    • Policy 2C: In conjunction with street improvements, implement sidewalk improvements to achieve a continuous ADA-accessible sidewalk that is a minimum of five feet wide along all streets. Provide eight-foot sidewalks on pedestrian-oriented commercial corridors such as Middlefield Road and El Camino Real. Status: Initiated and Partially Completed

    • Policy 3A: Complete the bicycle facility improvements identified in this Plan (see Appendix C) as well as in the San Mateo County Bicycle Route Plan (2011) and Redwood City General Plan (2010) to create a network of well-connected primary bicycle facilities along contiguous sections of Middlefield Road and El Camino Real and secondary facilities along 5th Avenue, Fair Oaks Avenue, Douglass Street, Dumbarton Avenue, 2nd Avenue, and 8th Avenue. Ensure that these improvements are identified, supported, and coordinated in future local and regional plan updates. Status: Initiated and Partially Completed

    • Policy 3B: Provide safe, secure bicycle parking in commercial areas, along designated bike routes and transit corridors, and at parks and schools. Status: Initiated and Partially Completed

    • Policy 3C: Designate “bicycle boulevards” that emphasize shared-use between vehicles and bicyclists on streets that are not main streets, but that provide equivalent connectivity. Status: Initiated and Partially Completed

    • Policy 3F: Explore the implementation of wayfinding signs to guide bicyclists and pedestrians to recommended travel routes and destinations throughout the community. Status: Initiated and Partially Completed

    • Policy 4E: Explore the potential to reroute existing bus service or create a new local circulator route or shuttle service to provide better north-south connectivity within North Fair Oaks. Prioritize 5th Avenue, which serves as one of the few continuous north-south connections through North Fair Oaks, as a preferred route for service improvements. Status: Initiated and Partially Completed

    • ♦ Policy 4F: Where appropriate, provide additional user amenities at existing and future bus stops to provide a safe and attractive environment for transit riders. All bus stops should meet ADA standards and provide standard amenities such as benches and/ or shelters. Enhanced bus stops should include amenities such as lighting, trash receptacles, route maps, bicycle racks, real time information displays, and wayfinding elements. Status: Initiated and Partially Completed

    • Policy 5C: Develop a parking management plan for North Fair Oaks, which could include permit parking, meters, restrictions, and other programs, and ensure enforcement of programs and policies. Designate appropriate areas in which all parking is fee-for-use or time-limited, particularly in commercial areas. Status: Initiated and Partially Completed

    • Policy 5K: Identify streets appropriate for conversion from parallel to angled parking spaces, particularly streets where adequate width currently exists, or where future development/redevelopment provides opportunities to widen parking areas. Status: Initiated and Partially Completed

    • ♦ Policy 5M: Implement regular monitoring programs to assess parking conditions, identify areas of excess or underutilized parking supply, and help guide plans for future parking facilities. Status: Initiated and Partially Completed

    • Policy 5P: Require effective and meaningful Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs for new higher intensity development. Monitor effectiveness of required TDM programs and modify requirements as needed to ensure that demand management is achieving goals, including potential performance standards to help achieve real results. Status: Initiated and Partially Completed

    • ♦Policy 2H: Support the planning efforts and policies of the Grand Boulevard Initiative to transform El Camino Real from an auto oriented commercial corridor into an attractive multi-modal boulevard with design elements that facilitate transit, pedestrian, and bicycle mobility. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 2I: Emphasize ongoing maintenance of facilities while upgrading facilities to urban standards (i.e., ADA-compliant sidewalks and curb ramps, curb and gutter, and other improvements) over time, where appropriate. Status: Ongoing

    • ♦Policy 2J: Use low-cost pedestrian and stormwater improvements such as swales and unpaved pedestrian paths for unimproved areas where sidewalks, curbs, and gutters are missing or inadequate. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 4A: As described in Chapter 2, Land Use Designations, study the feasibility, potential improvements required, and necessary land use and zoning policies needed to support a future multi-modal transit hub in North Fair Oaks, potentially including bus, bus rapid transit (BRT), and train service (see Figure C) for proposed transit hub location). Depending on future rail development, the future transit hub could include potential Dumbarton rail service or Redwood City streetcar service, High Speed Rail, Caltrain, or other rail, in addition to various bus transit types. The hub would connect to pedestrian, bicycle, and automobile facilities and would serve as a multi-modal transit center and a catalyst for surrounding transit-oriented development. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 4B: Explore the feasibility of various transit service types at the identified multi-modal hub location, including Dumbarton Rail, Redwood City streetcar, High Speed Rail, and Caltrain. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 4C: Make required circulation, transportation, and access improvements to ensure that the community has as much multi-modal access to the identified transit hub location as possible. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 4D: Prioritize the El Camino Real and Middlefield Road corridors for transit mobility, service and access improvements. Status: Ongoing

    • ♦ Policy 4H: Support SamTans’ long-range planning goals for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service, including high-frequency rapid service along El Camino Real (SR-82). Also support potential BRT along Middlefield Road. Encourage provision of BRT as a means of providing additional mass transit service at relatively low costs, along existing routes. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 4I: Support Redwood City’s vision for future streetcar service along Middlefield Road and explore opportunities to extend streetcar service within North Fair Oaks, potentially along 5th Avenue to connect to the proposed streetcar corridors on Middlefield Road and Broadway. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 5A: Support the use of transportation modes other than the automobile to reduce the need for additional parking. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 5G: Implement new parking management techniques such as encouraged shared parking in mixed-use developments, reduced employee parking in conjunction with ridesharing programs, stacked parking, and using on-street parking to meet on-site parking requirements of nearby projects. Status: Ongoing

    • Policy 2D: Allow and encourage pedestrian easements within the private realm to provide wider ADA accessible sidewalks for trees, landscaping, street furniture, café space, and other amenities to the pedestrian realm. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 2G: Explore the use of traffic calming elements similar to those that currently exist on Edison Way and other residential streets to help slow vehicles and support a pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly environment along local neighborhood streets. Status: Not Initiated

    • ♦ Policy 2N: Explore, as part of implementation of the Plan, whether any existing narrow residential streets in North Fair Oaks might be beneficially converted to one-way streets, to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 3D: Improve pedestrian and bicycle connectivity within North Fair Oaks by constructing new off-street pedestrian/ bicycle paths along the Hetch-Hetchy right-of way. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 3G: Explore, as part of implementation of the Plan, whether any existing narrow residential streets might beneficially be redesigned to limit parking to one street side, with designated bicycle lanes on the opposite side. Status: Not Initiated

    • ♦ Policy 4G: Require that new development projects improve access to and accommodations for public transit. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 5B: Support the use of parking supply control and pricing as a strategy to encourage use of non-automobile travel modes where feasible. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 5H: Revise parking policies in North Fair Oaks to encourage the efficient use of existing and future parking facilities by allowing new development within the proposed higher-density mixed-use districts and within the vicinity of the potential multimodal transit hub to provide some required parking in off-site public or joint public/private facilities. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 5I: Encourage private property owners to share their underutilized parking with the general public and/or other adjacent private developments. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 5J: Require on-street parking for any newly constructed streets. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 5L: Explore opportunities to expand off-street parking supply by providing County- or privately-owned public parking lots or structures near areas of concentrated parking demand. This could include new surface parking lots or structured parking in commercial districts, or small neighborhood parking lots in residential areas with high parking demand. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 5N: Consider implementation of in-lieu fee programs or special assessment tax districts to fund costs of new parking facilities. In-lieu parking fees are established by municipalities as an alternative to requiring on-site parking. Developers are allowed to avoid constructing parking on-site by paying a fee to the County for the use of off-site parking facilities. Special assessment tax district fees can be implemented by charging each landholder within a defined district a fee based on the value of a site or parcel in order to fund public projects, such as the construction of new municipal parking facilities. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 5O: Encourage the formation of a local Transportation Management Association (TMA) in North Fair Oaks to support, monitor and implement Transportation Demand Management (TDM) programs. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 5Q: Consider the implementation of Residential Parking Permit (RPP) districts or Residential Parking Benefit (RPB) districts to manage parking utilization and limit spillover in residential neighborhoods. Status: Not Initiated

    • Policy 5R: Provide sufficient parking enforcement to consistently support parking regulations in residential and commercial areas. Explore funding mechanisms, subsidies, or partnerships with adjacent jurisdictions to overcome current challenges with providing sufficient parking enforcement personnel in North Fair Oaks. Status: Not Initiated