SAN CARLOS, Calif. (KRON) — Street safety advocates pleaded with the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA) at a meeting Thursday night, demanding something be done to make the Holly Street Overpass in San Carlos safer.
“I cannot think of a more dangerous spot in all of San Mateo County for cycling,” said Tim Ryan, a San Carlos resident and bicycle safety instructor.
“I did the research and there have been several dozen crashes, at least a few deaths in that area,” said safe streets advocate Mike Swire. “A lot of serious injuries and God knows how many close calls there that don’t get reported.”
Nearly three weeks ago, 31-year-old Andrea Vallebueno, a Mexico City-born data scientist who worked for Stanford University, was hit and killed by a car while riding her bike.
“We are here to commemorate her passing while advocating for better funding for safety projects for pedestrians and cyclists,” said Andrew Hsu, a San Carlos resident and transportation advocate.
Cyclists said Vallebueno’s death could have been prevented by a pedestrian and bike bridge that never got built.
Advocates also spoke before the San Carlos City Council last Monday. At that meeting, San Carlos Mayor John Dugan explained why the project failed.
“Because of the 101 express lane project, and by the time that project was concluded, we were left having to reline up the regional and state funding sources,” said Mayor Dugan. “So just to be clear, this remains a top priority for San Carlos.”
The SMCTA said it’s working with the city to see how they can get the project re-ignited. Advocates fear it could take years for a pedestrian bridge to be built. Until then, they’re hoping leaders consider a quick build.
“Sometimes all it takes is some traffic cones, some paint, and you can actually implement things, one, much more quickly and, two, at much lower costs to prevent these tragedies from happening,” Swire said.
“We are going to hold them accountable to make some changes,” added Ryan.
Street safety advocates plan to put a ghost bike near the Holly Street Overpass to honor the lives lost but also serve as a cautious reminder to all.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
