Through this Plan, we are identifying and prioritizing improvements to make San Mateo County a better place to walk and bike. We have assessed existing infrastructure, past planning efforts, transportation data, and your ideas for improving walking and bicycling. Now, we’re proposing a network of walking and bicycling facilities that are safe, comfortable, and convenient for everyone. The plan also recommends programs, policies, and implementation strategies that can help to get more people walking and biking safely.

Unincorporated San Mateo County includes the areas and communities within the County that are not part of a city. For these areas, the Board of Supervisors functions as the "city council," and County departments provide municipal services. View this map of unincorporated community areas to learn more.

The Plan will help to make it safer, more comfortable, and convenient to walk and bike in unincorporated areas of San Mateo County. It will also help us achieve our sustainability goals around Active Transportation, Commute Alternatives, and Climate Change, and the San Mateo County community’s Shared Vision for 2025.

The Plan includes projects, programs and policies to provide safe and accessible infrastructure and encourage more walking and biking in the unincorporated areas of San Mateo County. A proposed bikeway map and pedestrian destination recommendations are included along with recommendations for project priorities, implementation methods, design guidelines and facility cost estimates.

Through collaboration with the community, the Plan identifies existing barriers to walking and bicycling in unincorporated San Mateo County and proposes new projects and programs to close these gaps.

The Plan is funded through a Caltrans Sustainable Communities Grant. Projects identified in the plan will be funded through a variety of implementation methods and funding sources. These may include grants, mitigation as part of future development projects, and coordination with other capital improvements, such as repaving projects.

After this round of outreach, the Plan will be presented to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors for review and adoption. Once the Plan is adopted, funding will need to be secured to implement the projects and programs. As projects begin to move into the implementation phase, community members will be invited to provide input and feedback on proposed designs and voice any preferences and concerns.

We have heard from and talked with many community members over the course of the project. In 2019, our first round of outreach was centered on learning what it is like to walk and bike in the unincorporated areas of San Mateo County. We learned about specific challenges related to walking and biking, and where we could focus our recommendations. In early 2020, we hosted a second round of outreach to share our initial recommendations and receive community input. We heard that community members are especially excited to see improved crossings and dedicated bikeways.

As we enter this third round of outreach to share the Draft Plan, we are offering opportunities to learn and engage through the project website and a digital pop-in event.

We recognize that digital-only engagement, due to COVID-19 restrictions, limits the ability of people to access project information and provide feedback. There will be additional opportunities for community members to provide input as the projects identified in the Plan are funded and implemented. We are committed to ongoing additional community engagement as we move forward, including in-person outreach when safe and appropriate.

This Plan isn’t starting from scratch. Follow the links below to learn more about other planning efforts with recommendations we are studying for this plan.

• Connect the Coastside Plan, in progress
• North Fair Oaks Community Plan, November 2011
• Plan Princeton, in progress
• San Mateo Countywide Transportation Plan 2040, February 2017
• C/CAG Countywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, 2011 (update in progress)
• MTC Plan Bay Area 2040, 2017
• Caltrans District 4 Bike Plan, 2018
• San Mateo County Trails Plan, 2001
• Highway 1 Congestion and Safety Improvement Project, 2015
• Highway 1 Safety and Mobility Study, 2012
• San Mateo County Community Climate Action Plan, 2013 (update in progress)
• San Mateo County Green Infrastructure Plan, 2019

The County’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) advises the County Board of Supervisors on projects, programs, policies, and funding related to improving bicycling and walking within the county. The project team is collaborating with the BPAC throughout the course of the project. These meetings are open to the public and you're encouraged to attend! Learn more about the BPAC’s upcoming meetings and agendas.

The plan is guided by a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) to make sure that we’re coordinating with other planning efforts. There were four TAC meetings held at key points in the development of the Plan to discuss existing conditions, initial analysis and recommendations, and the Draft Plan.