Connect the Coastside:
Final version adopted July 26, 2022
The final version of Connect the Coastside (CTC), San Mateo County’s Comprehensive Transportation Management Plan for this Midcoast area was adopted by the Board of Supervisors on July 26, 2022. The Local Coastal Program (LCP) requires this plan to address the impact of residential development at LCP buildout on coastal accessibility by the public and to propose specific LCP policies designed to offset the adverse impacts on Highway 1, Highway 92 and relevant local streets.
Midcoast ECO was actively involved in the CTC process, contributing important recommendations and encouraging public participation. Click here to read midcoast ECO's April 21, 2022 CTC comment letter.
Background: CTC plan was long overdue, suffering from a 4-year hiatus and heavily reliant on outdated 2014 traffic data. The 2020 final draft did not attempt to move the initial outlook as it limits the future to 2040 instead of full buildout in the LCP. Furthermore, it did not include recognition of the City of Half Moon Bay traffic updates. The draft plan, using a faulty base, proposed how cumulative traffic impacts of residential development could be handled on Highway 1 and Highway 92. In a nutshell, regarding Highway 1 from Half Moon Bay to Montara/Lantos Tunnel, the draft plan recommended:
-
up to 14 new pedestrian crossings
-
5 new traffic lights/roundabouts with a preference for roundabouts
-
Three of these traffic lights/roundabouts are proposed in Moss Beach on Highway 1 over a distance of approximately 1 mile, at 16th St, California Ave, and Cypress Ave.
The draft plan attempted to mitigate some hazard and Level of Service (LOS) issues of increased traffic brought on by development. However, it did not include any assessment of evacuation concerns due to wildfire risk. It also did not adequately assess development impacts on neighborhood streets.
Preliminary cost estimates for implementation were included and funding options discussed. These estimates run up to tens of millions of dollars and are proposed to impact developers as well as current residents. However, the study notes that costs for land acquisitions, grading, retaining walls, watershed land/habitat mitigation, etc., are not included.
NOTE: As of August 2020, San Mateo County has spent $768k of tax payer money on consultants to support the work on Connect the Coastside report, Source : Joe LaClair, Planning Manager, San Mateo County.
More Info - Connect the Coastside
News articles for additional context
CTC
Our Response
• Midcoast ECO comment Letter - April 2022
• Midcoast ECO comment Letter - January 2022
• Midcoast ECO's comment letter - March 2021
Update and correct data:
-
Update 2014 traffic data and information using more recent studies.
-
Incorporate current buildout projections for both the Midcoast and Half Moon Bay.
-
Update lot retirement data to the current situation.
-
Audit and correct raw data as well as calculations across sections.
-
Assess full cost estimates of all major components of improvement options, including grading, land acquisition, watershed / habitat mitigation, etc.
Satisfy defined LCP requirements for a Comprehensive Transportation Management Plan:
-
Include policies for new residential development to mitigate significant adverse cumulative impacts on public access to the beaches. These include substantive lot retirement policy implementation plans, incorporation of information on sustainability given water, sewer, roads and other public works.
-
Include a final plan for lot merger, lot retirement and traffic mitigation fees, including County support for immediate implementation policies and enforcement.
-
Include evaluation of how traffic improvement options are designed to offset the demand for all new vehicle trips generated by new residential development on Highway 1, Highway 92, and relevant local streets.
-
Discuss the impact of buildout and the constrained 2040 development forecasts on local infrastructure, as the LCP clearly indicates that both forecasts exceed current water and wastewater treatment capacity.
-
Clearly state the cumulative impact that approved and planned large commercial and residential (multi-unit) projects will have on coastside traffic beyond that of buildout and 2040 development forecasts.
-
Evaluate the impact of new development on Highway 1’s use for emergency and evacuation of residents and visitors in cases of local emergencies or disasters.
-
Outline how two separate CTC exercises (Half Moon Bay and Unincorporated San Mateo County Midcoast) will be integrated into one overall solution for the San Mateo County Coastside.
-
Contrast and depict the Delay Index, Level of Service, Traffic Flow analysis in the final report. To remove and replace a deficient measure (Delay Index) gives an inaccurate picture of the traffic problem on the Coastside.
In addition to outdated traffic data, significant buildout estimates have not been updated to more recent projections. The January 2020 draft also did not include the required specific LCP policy recommendations designed to offset adverse residential traffic impacts on coastal access. The draft also did not include policies for new residential development to mitigate significant adverse cumulative impacts on public access to the beaches of the Midcoast.
Connect the Coastside is Incomplete:
Outdated Data from 2014
The traffic data for CTC was gathered in 2014. Traffic has significantly increased on the coast in recent years, so 6+ year-old data was not an appropriate guide. Furthermore, evacuation plans for a major wildfire or other disaster were not included in the CTC.
Process was Rushed / Limited Public Participation
The CTC was presented by the County in conjunction with MidPen Housing's massive Cypress Point project in Moss Beach. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the community and the Midcoast Community Council (MCC) called for a postponement of major projects until in-person public participation can be assured and true sources of funds are known. But the County ignored these requests. The County’s virtual public meetings that were held in the Summer of 2020 were inadequate and lacked broad participation. Further, public input was time-limited and was not fully or accurately captured by facilitators who lacked knowledge of the San Mateo County coastside. Why was the Connect the Coastside process rushed at a time when public participation was limited?
Moss Beach / Montara Corridor Proposals are Unsatisfactory:
Moss Beach received special attention in CTC as residents will have to deal with two large scale developments: Big Wave (large commercial office park already approved with an estimated 1500 daily car trips) and Cypress Point (proposed large scale housing development with an estimated 500 daily car trips).
The Moss Beach corridor will be highly impacted by various CTC measures on Highway 1 and the County proposes to significantly alter Moss Beach neighborhood roads. The County has indicated in presentations that these proposals run in conjunction with the proposed Cypress Point development. However, significant pieces with high preliminary costs are projected to be beyond the 5 year window. Early feedback on these Midcoast roundabout vs traffic light options indicate incomplete analysis on feasibility from both Caltrans participation and consideration of water and sewer pipeline locations. Cost estimates and timing need to be reasonably credible and they are not in this draft.
Where’s the Funding?
Connect the Coastside includes cost estimates which are eye-popping, with no committed funding. Preliminary cost estimates run up to over $150 million. Funding options are discussed, however costs for land acquisitions, grading, retaining walls, etc., are not included. Furthermore, proposed measures divert current traffic flow onto neighborhood roads resulting in more Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT), increased congestion, unsafe neighborhood roads, and dangers for pedestrians. These options appear intended to provide mitigation for the significant traffic issues caused by MidPen’s Cypress Pt development; they offer little benefit to the current community and yet MidPen’s “fair share” of the required funding is undefined. Who will pay for these measures?
Buildout is not Sustainable
Connect the Coastside is presented as a plan to help mitigate the effects of buildout on the coast and maintain public accessibility. However, the Midcoast’s current Local Coastal Program (LCP) identifies that buildout as detailed is not sustainable. Half Moon Bay recognizes this in their recent LCP revision. In order to reduce the impact of buildout, a very significant piece of the CTC plan is to develop a lot-retirement program. Unfortunately, this program has not been initiated. In fact, recent changes to County regulations encourage Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), further increasing residential density and accelerating an unsustainable future. Expansion of public transit is another important goal but this, too, is stalled and unlikely to be addressed in this current pandemic outlook.
San Mateo County has introduced a new measure, Traffic Flow, as an alternative to Delay Index. The Delay Index (based on LOS) under build-out conditions in the draft CTC report from 2016 showed all RED from HMB to Montara. The revised Traffic Flow index provides the opportunity to calculate an "acceptable" index within the target range for parts of the Coastside under build-out conditions in 2040. This new measure allows conversion of the Red Delay Index color to mostly Green or Yellow.
The majority of intersections and road segments along the Coastside are projected to become unacceptable by 2040 under build out conditions according to the 2016 Connect the Coastside study
