Dedicated to Empowering and Informing the Burlingame Community

California Dr: From bad to worse

Now that the El Camino Real project, The Little Big Dig, is in full swing things have gone from bad to worse on the reroute path–California Dr. It was unpopular two years ago as we noted here. But now with the additional volume it’s downright frustrating. The bike lane seldom has even one biker on it. Turning left out of Floribunda or Douglas has become perilous due to the steadier flow of traffic. The cars parked alongside the bike lane all seem to know how to protect their mirrors and doors by parking as close to the bollards as possible. And the mostly empty middle turn lane beckons to drivers like the sirens of Greek mythology calling sailors to the rocks.

I know it’s hopeless, but I can’t help but wish things would just Go Back To The Way They Were on California. In the meantime, if you must park on the Caltrain side, do as the locals do. Squeeze in.

Posted in , , ,

8 responses to “California Dr: From bad to worse”

  1. Burlingame

    “Why Can’t Things Just ‘Go Back To The Way They Were’” is *chef’s kiss* a perfect summary of this blog. Bravo & commendable honesty.

  2. Gerald Weisl

    Some years ago with the El Camino project looming in the future, I asked Council members and other City Officials if changing California Drive at that time was a wise idea? They were so intent on spending money and making these changes that there was but little consideration of the impacts on traffic. Illustrating how little thought had been given, one Council member told me “It’s only a paint job. We can always easily change it back.” Apparently they were unaware of the bollards and concrete islands. I have periodically experienced the sluggish traffic in the afternoon on California Drive. This is a real shame.

  3. Phinancier

    Have you noticed the city likes to do surveys of its residents before a project gets started, but never ever does a survey about what we think after it’s completed?

  4. Peter Garrison

    The surveys are so slanted. I received a phone survey concerning a school tax. All the questions were slanted to get a “Yes”. I started teasing the survey and we both ended up laughing at the process.

    Like HSR: Would you like to go to LA in one hour for $25? Sure!

  5. Mom

    I drove up California Dr. yesterday as BHS was letting out. There were lots of kids walking across California at Oak Grove. The number of kids biking up California? Zero.

  6. Bruce Dickinson

    Well, as Bruce Dickinson sees it, a classic “solution in search of a problem” that spawned out of the Covid times, when everyone was bored and riding bikes outside. Unfortunately, some very vocal biking advocates adeptly harnessed “let’s do everything outdoors” zeitgeist and advocated for something that only a small minority use and unfortunately the city fell for it, hook, line and sinker! And let me tell you it’s exceedingly small! Not only does yours truly barely see anybody use the bike lanes, but I still see bikes using the car lanes! What is going on here!??

    Hopefully the City should have some honest port-mortem re-assessments, for decisions that not only went well, but those that were completely wrong, and trust me this one is up there with the best (worst) of them! What did we do, how much was spent, what was the feedback, how many people did it benefit, did it enhance or worsen overall community life, if mistakes were made, how do we not repeat them etc etc. By doing this, may cause a little self-introspection, ego checks, lessons about democracy, and critical thinking. At the time, anyone could have seen the train wreck in the making of this ill-conceived idea. Hopefully something to learn for the future members of Burlingame government!

  7. Grace

    No, the City Council has not learned a thing. They now admit that their primary purpose was to reduce speeds. The bike lane was secondary. I see more kids walking in the bike lane going to school than I see cyclists. A few months ago they posted the results of their finds on the change – before the bike lane, the average speed was 35 mph and now its 25 mph. So they claim it’s a success. Yet they fail to mention that the speed limit was 35 mph before the change and now it is 25 mph. Talk about gaslighting. I’m sure phase 2 which is the section from Burlingame Ave., past the car dealerships will be just as insane.

  8. Maggie

    I bike in this bike lane every day, 2x a day. When school is in session, I see many kids using the bike lanes to get to school. I really appreciate the bike lanes being added as it makes bike commuting much safer and less stressful. One of the main issues is that there needs more connectivity so that more people feel safe using the bike lanes to get places.

Leave a Reply

RECENT COMMENTS

RECENT POSTS

CATEGORIES

ABOUT THE VOICE

The Burlingame Voice is dedicated to informing and empowering the Burlingame community.  Our blog is a public forum for the discussion of issues that relate to Burlingame, California.  Opinions posted on the Burlingame Voice are those of the poster and commenter and not necessarily the opinion of the Editorial Board.  Comments are subject to the Terms of Use.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

All content subject to Copyright 2003-2026

Discover more from The Burlingame Voice

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading