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B’way Observations

I always appreciate tips from regular readers and I got one today about the Broadway intersection.  I've heard a few complaints (separate from the crane mishap) about delays and long hours of the day when nothing seems to be happening, but in the meantime one reader notes

At least 5% and as many as 10% of the cars coming south on 101 and getting off at Broadway are making illegal u-turns at Rollins causing a very significant risk of injury to many drivers. Have not seen any police presence there whatsoever. I am planning to contact Burlingame PD as well.

I'll add it to my list for the Chief as well, so thanks.  In other news, the two months might be even tighter than usual at that intersection

Beginning this Sunday evening, September 27, 2015, and continuing through November 22, 2015, PG&E will be working at the intersection of Rollins Road and Broadway between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. every night except Saturday. PG&E’s proposed work involves necessary improvements to an existing PG&E underground electrical transmission main. As the work is within the intersection, there will be lane reductions on all approaches. 

As of yesterday when I went through the whole maze twice, here is what the dirt pile on the east side looked like.

Dirt pile_0915

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31 responses to “B’way Observations”

  1. Michelle

    There is no sign saying No U Turn onto Rollins, so not clear that this is illegal or dangerous.

  2. Steve Kassel

    It is absolutely NOT legal. There is oncoming traffic going from Broadway onto Rollins as both have green lights at the same time.

  3. hollyroller@hotwire.com

    Thanks for the wildlife photo.

  4. Anon

    I made that U-turn yesterday. Looked for a sign because it is an awkward U-turn, but didn’t see one. If I am not mistaken, the traffic coming from Broadway right onto Rollins is no turn on red. If this is illegal, it needs to be more clearly signed.

  5. Michelle

    The traffic coming off the ramp has a left turn arrow onto Broadway, the Broadway traffic couldn’t have a green light at the same time or they would crash right into the turning cars. The only possible hazard is the traffic that might turn right onto Rollins from Broadway, which they would have to do after stopping at the red light. (I don’t think there is a no right turn on red sign there.) U Turns aren’t inherently illegal or dangerous because of traffic that can make a right turn on red.
    Bottom line is, if we aren’t supposed to make the U Turn PUT UP A VISABLE SIGN! As of yesterday there was none, though my husband said he thought he saw one previously, but further down the barricade where turning drivers wouldn’t see it.

  6. theshortbus

    There is a sign. It’s affixed to a folding barricade and is rarely out. Most days it can be found on Rector’s lawn, where in my opinion, it belongs.

  7. Steve Kassel

    You are correct that it is not green at the same time. My error. But, the cars making a right onto Rollins are legally permitted to do so. That means that the cars making ILLEGAL u-turns can crash into the oncoming vehicles and it holds up traffic that has come off of the southbound exit off 101.

  8. Steve Kassel

    “U Turns aren’t inherently illegal or dangerous because of traffic that can make a right turn on red.”
    It IS very dangerous in that location. Park your car and walk over there for five minutes and I guarantee you will come to the same conclusion.

  9. Joe

    The pairs of hovering helicopters we saw tonight were watching this:
    “Due to a traffic accident, westbound Broadway at the railroad tracks is closed. Traffic is being diverted to southbound Carolan Ave.
    Expect delays. Updates are forthcoming”
    We’ll update as information come available. The road reopened a couple hours later, so that is probably not a good sign.

  10. hollyroller@hotwire.com

    Does anyone know why the pedestrian walkway was built so many years ago?
    It looks like it can handle a fire truck or police car.
    I was wondering if it was built in case ‘Ye olde bridge failed during an earthquake for emergency responders to get across HWY 101.
    Without a doubt, at the time, that had to be the most expensive pedestrian overpass ever built in the US.

  11. Peter Garrison

    I believe that it will be torn down soon.

  12. Joe

    According to the Post today, the accident was a northbound train hitting not one, but two unoccupied cars on the tracks!

  13. Jennifer

    Actually as far as I know, the ped overpass, that was very expensive, will not be torn down as originally planned. Some adjustments were made in the overpass planning to spare the bridge from the wrecking ball. I think it is only a decade old or thereabouts.

  14. Jennifer

    And HR, the reason I think it was built, was because it was unclear when the Broadway overpass would finally be funded and constructed.The very narrow (nearly nonexistent) pedestrian sidewalk on the overpass and hokey stairs were really the only way to cross over the freeway, so something had to be done that could be completed faster than the actual interchange overpass.

  15. hollyroller@hotwire.com

    Thank you Jennifer..
    I “believe” you are tree authority here at Burlingame Voice.
    Do you know if the Rec&Park Dept. Tree Dept are going to continue planting trees, and watering/maintenance of the trees on El Camino Real?
    Unfortunately, there is ZERO communication from the Rec&Park Dept., Street,Sewer, and Water Dept. here, at this site, regarding the most basic community information.
    The Burlingame Voice is a very important link to the continuity, and support of The City of Burlingame “Everyday People” who live here.
    Why are the City of Burlingame Dept. supervisors not allowed to speak their minds, and respond to questions from the people who live here?
    Basically, I would rather hear from Ms. Jennifer.
    Ms.Jennifer seems to be more informed, as well as qualified to respond to all City of Burlingame Tree maintenance issues.
    Thank you Jennifer.
    I do not think the community of Burlingame is being served as well as it could be under the current Management.
    We are the wealthiest community in the US.

  16. BMW

    The whole temporary traffic setup is a mess:
    1. The Broadway/Rollins lane lines are confusing. From the Broadway overpass, the left lane(s) are supposed to turn left but they don’t. People go straight towards Mike Harvey Acura because there lane arrows are confusing or insufficient.
    2. The signals at Broadway/Rollins are visible to drivers who aren’t meant to see them. I’m always afraid someone will go thru because they’re looking at wrong signal. The angle of the intersection is not 90 degrees so there is potential for bad crashes. The signals should be aimed more properly and be outfitted so that the almost-parallel, unintended direction does not see them.
    3. The lane lines coming from the Bayside loop is a mish mash of old lane lines and new temporary looking lane lines. Coming from that Crowne Plaza signal, the lane lines go all over the darned place.
    4. The double left turn into Carolan from Broadway doesn’t work. Drivers are confused and go thru in the wrong lane.
    I hope someone is paying attention. Daylight saving time is only a month away. Add rain to that and these are all intersections pregnant with resultant crashes.

  17. Jennifer

    HR, I think additional tree (elm) plantings will be delayed until (and if) the rains come in the fall. Caltrans owes us several new elms from the last removals that occurred about a year ago, but the water is an issue and new ones are very vulnerable to drought. Thankfully, our Parks Dept. has continued to water the existing saplings (with the baggies) throughout this crisis, and big Thank You is in order to Parks for that. I think most of them are going to make it through– For the new ones we are owed, we’ll just need keep after Caltrans, we’ll get them– eventually.
    Regarding the chaos at Broadway, I had no idea what any of you were talking about until we drove through the area last night after coming off the freeway. It is true, there is a lot of confusion. My husband and I were in complete disagreement about whether a U-Turn is allowed on Rollins, just to get back to the Lyon & Hoag neighborhood, so we went all the way around using Carolan (IF he had been alone, without hearing my objections, he probably would done the dreaded “U”.)
    The most obvious problem, and (probably easiest issue to fix) is the misdirected hanging signal. It also presents a problem as related to the U-turn issue, because of cars coming off the overpass turning southward on Rollins. As stated above, the signal is not facing Rollins, rather it hangs at a strange angle and it is extremely difficult (particularly at night) to tell which signal is valid for the Rollins northbound.

  18. fred

    The pedestrian overpass was built using Caltrans money from the 101 lane widening. It was slated to be used to make Peninsula a full interchange but the city was against it so they used the money for the bridge which exits at a goofy point on Rollins. I don’t know if it will be improved or just as hazardous when the overpass is complete.

  19. Joe

    Back to the original question that caused the post, BPD’s response (slightly edited) is:
    The sign is getting knocked over, moved or ignored. As long as the sign is up we would enforce the violation. A more permanent solution is required and we will be talking with Public Works and Caltrans next week regarding a better solution.
    For now our officers will conduct passing checks to make sure the sign has not been moved, or knocked over and we will ask them to increase enforcement at that location.
    ——————–
    Thanks, BPD.

  20. Cathy Baylock

    Thanks, Joe for the intersection update and the BPD for keeping an eye out. It is treacherous!!! Also, thanks to the Parks guys for keeping after the Elms on El Camino. Saw a Parks worker today in his white truck parked between Ray Drive and Adeline, checking out the Elms. Our city is not perfect, but it seeks perfection each and every day! And special thanks to all the community watchdogs that watch out for all of this stuff! And of course, you too, St. Jude (JEP)!!

  21. Michelle

    Was just there again, there is no sign. Resisted doing the U only because of this discussion even though the two cars in front of me did.
    If a sign is put up, it needs to be at the end of the orange plastic pillars, or hanging under the traffic signal, where driver who would be making the U turn would actually see it.

  22. fred

    “Highway 101 projects get OK: San Mateo County Transportation Authority allocates $108M in local sales tax money”
    http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2015-10-02/highway-101-projects-get-ok-san-mateo-county-transportation-authority-allocates-108m-in-local-sales-tax-money/1776425151162
    Burlingame and San Mateo could use money for a full interchange at Peninsula. Or another pedestrian overpass.

  23. Joe

    The Daily Journal is noting the increased enforcement at B’way. I think Steve and Melissa (above) helped raise this issue even before the last couple of accidents.
    ——————-
    “Running 92 trains per day on a corridor with more than 40 roadway crossings presents a unique set of challenges. Those challenges have become more difficult with increased traffic congestion and more drivers, cyclists and pedestrians crossing our tracks on a daily basis,” Caltrain General Manager Jim Hartnett said in a press release.
    A typical train takes nearly a mile to stop, even after pulling the emergency brake, and 95 percent of all rail-related deaths involve drivers trying to beat a train or people trespassing on the tracks, according to Caltrain.
    Of the seven vehicles struck this year, three have occurred in Burlingame. Caltrain plans to collaborate on both short-term solutions like restriping intersections as well as long-term plans like considering grade separation at the busy Broadway crossing, said Caltrain spokeswoman Jayme Ackemann.
    Transit authorities stepped up enforcement at Broadway in Burlingame Wednesday in an effort to deter drivers rushing to cross an intersection from stopping on the tracks. Twelve citations were issued during the morning alone and although tickets start around $200, they can quickly stack up to $450 or more as vehicles stopped on the track are committing multiple violations of the penal code, Ackemann said.
    “As troubling as these things are,” Ackemann said of the high number of accidents in Burlingame, “they also begin to seem pretty anomalous and coincidental as well, that you have all these problematic situations in the same area.”
    With the state in the midst of improvements to the Highway 101 interchange at Broadway, it appears the project could be exacerbating congestion and having an impact on drivers’ behavior on the tracks.
    http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2015-10-15/caltrain-seeks-to-detour-growing-rate-of-collisions-vehicles-pedestrians-struck-on-tracks-prompts-action/1776425151896

  24. Mike

    I usually take Rollins Road off of the Broadway Exit. I have seen people make u turns onto Rollins South the last couple of months or so while the construction has been going on. I drove this way early Friday morning, and did not see any ‘no u turn signs’ and then in the afternoon, around 6pm I was there again, noticed a no ‘u turn’ sign for the first time. Does anyone know when the no u turn sign was posted?

  25. Steve

    As was reported by Mike two weeks ago, there are two No U-turn signs that are up. No question that the number of illegal U-turns is down significantly, but even with the signs, some people make the turn anyway.
    The other major problem is the two turn lanes at Carolan on eastbound Broadway. I’m in the far left lane 99% of the time to pick up or drop off my son at BHS, but the second lane is VERY confusing. Some interpret the turn sign as meaning to turn left onto Carolan. Others interpret the sign as meaning to turn left onto California. When the light for the left turn onto Carolan turns green, some cars turn and others just sit there. Not a good situation.

  26. Joe

    The new bridge cannot be done soon enough”
    A two-car collision in Burlingame Friday morning sent three people to a hospital, police said.
    Officers responded to a report of a collision at Broadway and Rollins Road near Highway 101 shortly before 7:30 a.m., police Sgt. Kevin Kashiwahara said.
    Police arrived to the scene where they found the collision was between a minivan traveling on northbound Rollins Road and a four-door vehicle heading east on Broadway, Kashiwahara said.
    One of the vehicles ran a red light and broadsided the second car, he said.
    Kashiwahara said two people inside the four-door vehicle and one person in the van were all found conscious and transported to a hospital, but didn’t have know the extent of their injuries.
    Both vehicles sustained major damage and were towed from the scene, he said.
    The scene was cleared nearly an hour later, Kashiwahara said.
    http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2015-11-28/two-car-collision-sends-three-to-hospital/1776425154274

  27. Beenhereforever

    Driving home from Palo Alto on 101 in the pouring rain last night and for off on Broadway exit. I wonder if anyone has exited off the new, yet to be completed overpass as one rounds the tight 15 mph curve, since there is no caution tape or DO NOT ENTER or any such signage warning. I wonder if anyone unfamiliar with the area has started up that area, rather than staying on the road. A nightmare in the making. How can it not be marked clearly?

  28. Joe

    I’m beginning to think the B’way – Rollins intersection may need a slightly different traffic pattern. Going east on B’way (towards the Bayfront) you run into a pair of left-turn-only lanes that are set pretty far to the right of the intersection. No issue with the left-most left turn lane, but the right-hand one looks like a series of rear end collisions waiting to happen. I came to a stop there yesterday to await the arrow and another vehicle was not expecting that since it feels like a straight ahead lane or at worst an optional straight or left lane. He chose to zoom around me rather than come to a stop and figure out how to change lanes safely. Be careful over there at least until the locals get accustomed to the layout.

  29. BMW

    This is true. The lanes going eastbound towards overpass. There’s always honking when people go where they’re not supposed to go. It’s the same going the other way – westbound Broadway at the Valero gas station. The lane you’re in is the same lane that the driver the next lane over is for him/her.

  30. hillsider

    Wait until a self-driving car goes through those intersections.

  31. John Wilson

    Is it me or is Broadway getting worse in the last two years. My husband and I occasionally walk down to Broadway and have dinner and stop for ice cream. We both noticed over the last two years since the broadway symposium took place nothing in the way of appearance has been completed.
    It is sad to hear from the shop owners about crime, filth on sidewalks, pot holes in the middle of street, traffic, homeless harassment’s, shops in ill-repair, cigarettes everywhere, cheap banners, and so on.
    I am in favor of either turning this into a commercial area with small companies who have a level of respect and duty to keep the street clean and presentable. High techs are seeking affordable space in and around Burlingame and so far they have done fantastic at contributing to the beauty of Burlingame.
    Its embarrassing I guess more then anything especially when we walk down there with visiting friends.
    Who is currently responsible for Broadway? Is this managed by a Business District coordinator and can we we find a new person to manage this street? If we are paying someone to perform this job with our tax dollars, we certainly are not getting our money’s worth.
    I am all in for conducting a search for a person or group ASAP.

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