EL CAMINO REAL

The El Camino Real study area comprises two distinct zones. The southern frontage-road zone, from Millbrae Avenue to Taylor Boulevard; and the northern zone without a frontage road, from Taylor Boulevard to the North city limit. The proposed functional improvements for each of these zones are described below.

This section describes the ultimate vision for El Camino Real, which requires a reduction in the number of lanes from three through-lanes in each direction to two. In the event that the lane reduction cannot be implemented initially, Chapter 4 describes a strategy for phased implementation.

El Camino Real With Frontage Road Zone

Vehicular Lane

Configuration

Travel lanes are reduced from three in each direction to two in each direction, with left-turn pockets where necessary.

Frontage Road Reconfiguration

The frontage-road entrances and exits are relocated from their current configuration off of the side streets to entering and exiting directly onto El Camino Real. This reduces pedestrianvehicle conflicts and provides the opportunity to create generous plazas and planting areas at the corners.

On-Street Parking and Curb-Lane

The eastern row of parallel parking stalls is eliminated from the frontage road and the frontage-road median divider is relocated westward. The angled parking on the west side of the frontage road is converted to parallel parking.

Parallel parking on the east side of El Camino Real is repositioned to create a protected bike lane. An alternative for further study would be to maintain a multi-use curb lane on the east side of El Camino Real, accommodating parking, parklets, micromobility hubs (bicycle and scooter share stations), and drop-off zones. This may be preferable if there is an increased number of active ground floor uses in the future. This would require a Class II buffered bike lane rather than a Class IV protected bike lane.

Lane Widths

Lane widths are reduced from 12’-6” through lanes and 11’ left-turn lanes to 12’ through-lanes and 12’ left-turn lanes (per the request of Millbrae Fire Department, the left turn lanes are 12’ wide. This exceeds Caltrans minimum standard width of 11’).

The center median is relocated slightly westward, and the median noses are lengthened and widened to 6’ to provide a median refuge at the crossings, allowing for a pedestal for a push-button-activated pedestrian signal phase, per Caltrans standards.

Bicycle Facilities

The southbound bike lane is a 8’-wide Class I lane (potentially allowing for two-lane bicycle traffic), separated from the vehicular lane by a 10’-wide planted median.

The eastern, northbound bike lane is a 6’-wide Class IV protected bike lane with a 4’ buffer.

At bus stops, the bike lanes continue between the bus-stop platform and the sidewalk. The bike lanes are raised to the sidewalk and bus platform level to provide accessible route between the sidewalk and bus platform.

Sidewalks

Medians

The eastern and western sidewalks are widened from 8’ to 15’, including a 4’-wide zone for tree planting. These widths would be within the public right-of-way. During sidewalk extension, the design and dimensions of traffic calming features, i.e., bulbouts will be subject to specifications and approval of the fire department.

Street Trees

Street trees are proposed for the sidewalks and in the new medians, at approximately 30’ on-center spacing. The center-median trees would be unevenly spaced in informal groupings (see the Planting section below). Large existing trees could be maintained within the slightly realigned medians.

Bus-Stop Configuration

Bus stops are aligned with the parking lane in the northbound direction and the bike-lane buffer median in the southbound direction. The bus stops are proposed to be raised bus-stop islands allowing the bike lane to be located between the bus stop and the sidewalk, preventing conflicts between bicycles and buses and avoiding the need for bicyclists to exit the bike lane and enter the travel lane to pass buses at the bus stops.

The northbound bus-boarding platforms are aligned with the parking lane and bike buffer, allowing for a

10’ width. The southbound bus-stop islands are 10’ wide. A minimum width of 10’ is required for bus shelters which are located on the bus-boarding platforms.

The northbound bus stops are located on the far side of the intersection, which improves bus operations. The southbound bus stops are proposed to be located on the near side of the intersection. This reduces conflicts between buses and vehicles entering the frontage road.

EL CAMINO REAL: FRONTAGE ROAD ZONE FINAL VISION

Multi-use lane

Bus stop island

Widened sidewalk with street trees

Pedestrian streetlights along sidewalks

New median with street trees/ stormwater-management planting area

Expanded bike buffer with pedestrian refuge islands

Vehicular streetlights in medians

10’ min. turn lanes per Caltrans

11’ min. through lanes per Caltrans California Highway Design Manual, 7th Edition.

EL CAMINO REAL: TYPICAL SOUTHERN CONDITION (WITH FRONTAGE ROAD)

Median refuge

Vehicular streetlights in medians

Reconfigured frontage road entrance and exit

Bus stop island New median with street trees/ storm-water management planting area

Expanded bike buffer with pedestrian refuge islands

Widened sidewalk with street trees

Pedestrian streetlights along sidewalks

EL CAMINO REAL: SOUTHERN CONDITION (WITH FRONTAGE ROAD)

Widened sidewalk with street trees

New median with street trees/stormwater management planting area

Pedestrianlevel streetlights

Bus stop island

Reconfigured frontage road entrance and exit

Expanded bike buffer with pedestrian refuge islands

Median refuge

Sidewalk Activation

Widened sidewalks provide the opportunity to activate the public realm with cafe seating and public street furnishings. A five-foot-wide path of travel should be maintained by segregating uses into zones as shown below. A sidewalk seating zone should be established along the building frontage, with a publicfurnishing zone aligned with the street trees, streetlights, and planting areas. Extended bulb-outs and refuge islands at interesctions provide additonal space for public-furnishing zones.

Bicycle Infrastructure

Bicycle infrastructure should be designed for safety, including highvisitbility markings and bollards so that bicyclists, pedestrans and drivers can see the bicycle facilities in all light conditions. Safety features include white striping on the pavement and raised curbs, reflective bollards, raised wheel stops, green bike-lane markings, and white pedestriancrossing markings where paths of travel cross the bicycle facilities as well as the vehicular lanes.

NORTHERN EL CAMINO REAL NO-FRONTAGEROAD ZONE

Vehicular Lane

Configuration

Travel lanes are reduced from three in each direction to two in each direction, with left-turn pockets where necessary.

Parking

Parallel parking is provided on both sides of the street.

Bicycle Facilities

The bike lanes are Class IV protected, with 6’-wide lanes and 3’ buffers. The bike lanes continue between the sidewalks and the bus stops. The bike lanes are raised to the sidewalk and bus platform level to provide accessible route between the sidewalk and bus platform.

Sidewalks

The sidewalks are widened from 8’ to 10’.

Median

The median is maintained in its current location, however 6’-wide median noses are extended to provide pedestrian refuges at the crosswalks.

Street Trees

Street trees are proposed for both sides of the street, at approximately 30’ on-center spacing. Existing large trees in the median could be protected and additional median trees would be planted. The median trees would be unevenly spaced in informal groupings (see the Planting section below). ). Final selection of street trees will be subject to City approval.

Bus Stop Configuration

Bus-boarding platforms are aligned with the parking lane and bike buffer, allowing for a 13’ width. Bus shelters are located on the bus-boarding platforms.

Pedestrian-level streetlights

10’ min. turn lanes per Caltrans 11’ min. through lanes per Caltrans California Highway Design Manual, 7th Edition.

NORTHERN EL CAMINO REAL: TYPICAL CONDITION (WITHOUT FRONTAGE ROAD)

Vehicular-level streetlights in medians

Protected bike lanes Bus-stop islands with bus shelters

Pedestrian refuge islands

Widened sidewalks with street trees

Pedestrian-level streetlights along sidewalks

NORTHERN EL CAMINO REAL: TYPICAL CONDITION (WITHOUT FRONTAGE ROAD)

Widened sidewalks with street trees

Pedestrian-level streetlights along sidewalks

Vehicular-level streetlights in medians

Protected bike lanes

On-street parking Bus-stop islands with bus shelters

PROPOSED STREETSCAPE MASTER PLAN - NORTH END

Widened sidewalk with street trees

Bus stop island

Expanded bike buffer with pedestrian refuge islands

Existing palm trees and raised planter to remain

Existing enhanced crosswalk paving to remain

Parallel parking

Streetscape