Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Steve Monowitz, Director of Planning and Building
Subject: Get There Together: An Action Plan for Transportation Choices in Half Moon Bay and the Midcoast
RECOMMENDATION:
title
Adopt a resolution to adopt “Get There Together: An Action Plan for Transportation Choices in Half Moon Bay and the Midcoast.”
body
BACKGROUND:
Transportation demand management (TDM) encourages the use of sustainable transportation options while discouraging driving, managing congestion, and reducing Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT). TDM strategies aim to shift travel from single-occupancy vehicles to other modes through financial incentives, services, and programs.
On October 18, 2022, the Board adopted Resolution No. 079264 to adopt the 2022 San Mateo County General Plan Climate Element and Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP). The CCAP found that vehicle emissions represent 40 percent of the County’s total emissions inventory and is the single largest contributor to emissions, and recommends the County pursue TDM solutions. On July 26, 2022, the Board adopted Resolution No. 079050 to adopt Connect the Coastside: The San Mateo County Midcoast Comprehensive Transportation Management Plan (CTMP). The CTMP identified the need for TDM to reduce traffic congestion in the unincorporated Midcoast, and to partner with adjacent City of Half Moon Bay (City). On June 14, 2022, the Board adopted Resolution No. 078950 supporting the development of a joint Midcoastside Transportation Demand Management Plan (Plan) with the City, and to submit an application to the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA) for Measure A Alternative Congestion Relief and Measure W Transportation Demand Management (ACR/TDM) Program Funding. On August 4, 2022, the SMCTA Board of Director’s programmed and allocated up to $200,000 in funds from the ACR/TDM Program for the Plan, with the County and City contributing matching funds of up to $10,000 each. On February 23, 2023, the SMCTA, County, and City entered into a funding agreement, with the County and City as co-sponsors and County responsible for procuring and administering professional service contracts to complete the Plan. Planning and Building administered a request for proposals to procure support, and on April 11, 2023, the Board approved Resolution No. 079558, authorizing the execution of an agreement with Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates (Consultant) in an amount not to exceed $218,840.
In May 2023, the County, City, and Consultant began development of the Plan, branded “Get There Together: An Action Plan for Transportation Choices in Half Moon Bay and the Midcoast”. The Plan’s Study Area includes the unincorporated urban Midcoast (Montara, Moss Beach, Princeton, El Granada, and Miramar) and entirety of Half Moon Bay. Developing the Plan involved:
1. Reviewing existing transportation plans, policies, and programs
2. Conducting analyses of existing conditions and travel trends
3. Gathering TDM best practices and identifying gaps and opportunities
4. Recommending potential policies, programs, and plans to address needs; and
5. Developing and refining recommendations through iterative public and stakeholder engagement.
The team released a Draft Plan for public review on October 16, 2024, subsequently incorporating comments to prepare the Final Draft Plan. Stakeholder engagement was critical to the Plan’s development to ensure that recommendations are specific to the Midcoast and Half Moon Bay, leverage existing TDM programs offered by partners such as Samtrans and Commute.org, and meet community-identified needs. Over the course of the project, the team engaged over 680 people, held 14 engagement activities, presented at 6 advisory body and/or decision-making bodies (City and County), and held 5 advisory committee meetings with staff representing 15 agencies.
DISCUSSION:
The unincorporated Midcoast and Half Moon Bay have unique mobility challenges, with Highways 1 and 92 serving as the primary routes with no functional alternative routes that must serve drivers, transit users, bicyclists, and pedestrians, and for different trip types and purposes, including local and visitor recreational serving. The Coastside has higher single-occupancy vehicle use: 86 percent of commute trips are made by single occupancy vehicles, compared to 66.5 percent countywide. Once implemented, the Plan’s recommendations will help people use all available transportation options, resulting in a more efficient transportation system and supporting goals to reduce VMT and greenhouse gases, congestion, and increase mobility and access.
The Plan recommends 14 overarching strategies, each of which includes specific tactics and actions to guide implementation. Strategies aim to make it easier, more convenient, and more affordable to walk, bike, share rides, and use public transit. The Plan also includes an Implementation Roadmap, which considers current resources and prioritizes strategies accordingly. The Plan does not include infrastructure recommendations, as those are identified in other adopted County and City plans. Examples of the Plan’s recommendations (Attachment A, Chapter 4) include:
1. Transportation options to add, modify, or expand services, such as securing funding and collaborating with SamTrans to expand Ride Plus service hours;
2. Programs that support or incentivize non-driving transportation options such as a carpooling promotion and education campaign; and
3. Policies, regulations, and management strategies to support ongoing TDM success, such as securing funding to hire a TDM fellow to advance near-term strategies.
The Plan has been reviewed for consistency with the County’s General Plan and Local Coastal Program, and Staff has concluded the Plan complies, as provided and considered by the Planning Commission (Attachment B). Board adoption of the Plan does not amend existing policies; the Plan recommends future actions necessary to foster implementation of recommendations. Depending on the specific strategy, implementation actions may be brought to the San Mateo County Planning Commission, this Board, and/or California Coastal Commission for consideration.
The County Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the resolution as to form.
Environmental Review:
The Plan is not considered a project under California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (see CEQA Guidelines Section 15378) because it contains only recommendations and will not result in a direct or indirect physical change in the environment. As recommendations contained in the Plan are brought forth for consideration or implementation, they will be subject to CEQA review.
EQUITY IMPACT:
The project team used demographic and travel data to identify people and places most impacted by the lack of transportation options and identify priority populations to engage, including monolingual Spanish-speaking residents, farmworkers, older adults, and low-income residents. Staff engaged these stakeholders through focus groups, and events at manufactured housing communities, food distributions, and senior housing. Once implemented, the Final Draft Plan’s recommendations will positively impact these stakeholders by making it safer and more affordable to travel to priority destinations.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact from the adoption of the Plan. However, implementation of the Plan will require funding and staff resources. The County will need to commit and leverage its own funding and seek external grants to fund the Plan’s recommendations, such as SMCTA Alternative Congestion Relief / Transportation Demand Management Call for Projects. Having an adopted Plan may increase the County’s competitiveness for certain external grants. Proposed projects, requests for authorization to enter into funding agreements for potential external grant awards, and internal County funding requests may come before the Board for consideration on a case-by-case basis.
Attachments:
A. Get There Together: An Action Plan for Transportation Choices in Half Moon Bay and the Midcoast, Final Draft
B. Staff Report to San Mateo County Planning Commission, January 22, 2025