Millbrae Campaign Update: Station Area Plan Approved

After several weeks of deliberation and discussion, Millbrae City Council approved the Millbrae Caltrain/BART Station Area Specific Plan on February 9. SVBC first became involved in the Millbrae project over the summer, joining with partners to hold a community workshop to educate residents and gather feedback. The Plan will guide the development and circulation of the area around the Station, including adding housing, offices, and retail to the Station Area (where currently there are mostly parking lots).SVBC is most interested in the bicycle connections to and from the Millbrae Station. This station is a regional hub for San Mateo and Santa Clara County residents, connecting to BART to San Francisco and the East Bay, as well as San Francisco International Airport. We wanted to make sure that this station, nestled between the high volume roads of El Camino Real and Millbrae Avenue would be accessible by bike. The Plan includes a new bike/ped bridge over Highway 101 at Millbrae Avenue, connecting the Bay Trail to two new Class I multiuse paths, one that will go on the north side of the station and the other across the tracks parallel to Millbrae Ave. There are also planned bicycle facilities from the south on Rollins Road and California Drive.The revised plan added a requirement that "all new development projects pay their fair share for any needed infrastructure improvements, including all pedestrian/bicycle path facilities identified in this Plan." From the first to second draft of the Plan, a continuous Class II bike lane was extended on South Station Road to provide access from the south.Although, SVBC and other community members have encouraged the city to take a more detailed look at El Camino Real and provide safe and comfortable connections on and across that street, this was not specifically added to the Plan. We will continue working with the City of Millbrae to get this road addressed.Thanks for everyone who attended meetings and sent in comments!