While returning from an early morning meeting in San Mateo last week, I would never have guessed that gas prices were as high as they are today. Both east and west bound directions on Highway 92 were packed with cars while north and southbound 101 resembled a parking lot. It was 9:00 AM. Viewing this massive congestion, I was amazed that the cost of gas as well as the awareness of carbon gas emissions had not deterred these drivers from getting into their cars.
It was clear to me that there has been a failure of our cities to recognize the need to put public transit on the infrastructure needs list. Although there have been significant communications in support of alternative means of transportation, there hasn’t been the ambitious development of a plan that effectively links our cities in a way that the public can trust and depend upon. With the variety of alternatives to driving a car that are available to us, what better time than right now to try a new way to travel around the city, county or Bay Area? Public transit can benefit you personally as well as benefit the environment. We have trains, buses, shuttles, BART and biking opportunities that can be a part of a new commute to work pattern or just getting around our city and county. It’s only a matter of time until public transportation will be a real necessity for all residents of San Mateo County. In my opinion, public policy with regards to local transit opportunities has failed the residents. The system just does not seem to create the ease of connectivity and dependability that will encourage people out of their cars.
How does the public get excited about public transit when funding for this program constantly finds itself on the chopping block and bus or train routes are either eliminated or cut back? We are seeing this happen too often.
Let’s imagine for a moment in the not so distant future when our own proposed redevelopment projects are completed, San Mateo’s Bay Meadows project is completed and the El Camino Grand Boulevard project is beginning to take shape. The evolving and paralyzing congestion mess we will experience will be overwhelming at best if an effective transit option is not in place. Transit hubs in each city could be set up strategically so small city shuttles can circulate throughout neighborhoods taking people around town and/or to the hub where they can connect with SamTrans buses to travel beyond the city and to other modes of transit such as BART or Cal-train. I believe that the efficiency of such a design could streamline the system, save money and inspire public–private partnering. Reliability will surely entice the public trust in using mass transit.
Trying to implement a transit system in our city has been a struggle. The Transportation Ad Hoc Committee spent a lot of time researching the needs of all the residents, whether they were commuters or daily travelers around the city and county. They put together a recommendation that would be appropriate for our city. Other cities are also looking at transit planning that will benefit their residents. The stumbling block, of course, is the funding stream. Although cities like ours have benefited from grant money, these dollars require matching funds from the city. A recent passage of a county measure to increase the VLF fee would bring to our city an additional $99,000 to be used for streets, roads and public transportation needs. Together with grants received from the TA and C/CAG, the cost to our city for the Blue and Red Line shuttles for the next fiscal year would have been about $10,000. This will not be happening now that the city will be withdrawing from the TA’s two year grant funding program for the Blue Line. Public transportation opportunities have still not secured a spot on most cities’ needed infrastructure list. Investing in public transportation for the benefit of residents and the quality of life in our communities doesn’t seem to be a priority…yet!
We all need to be more proactive in making public transportation a reality in our city. Explore the incentive programs designed by the County’s Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance and try our Red Line bus or plan routes with SamTrans to connect with other communities. Mass transit for Foster City residents is not a pipe dream, it will be a necessity.
With the rising cost of fuel, now is the time to make the transition to public transit. Enjoy time out of your cars and let someone else do the driving. Try it and let me know your experience. You can email me at lkoelling@fostercity.org.
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