The Grand Boulevard Initiative
The Grand Boulevard Initiative is a collaboration of 19 cities, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, and local and regional agencies united to improve the performance, safety and aesthetics of El Camino Real.
The Vision
El Camino Real will achieve its full potential as a place for residents to work, live, shop and play, creating links between communities that promote walking and transit and an improved and meaningful quality of life.
The Grand Boulevard Challenge
El Camino Real will become a “grand boulevard of meaningful destinations” shaped by all the cities along its length and with each community realizing its full potential to become a destination full of valued places.
The Grand Boulevard Task Force is a broad federation of interested public and private parties that challenges communities to rethink the corridor’s potential for housing and urban development, balancing the need for cars and parking with viable options for transit, walking and biking.
Stretching from Daly City to San Jose, the vision is of a boulevard that connects communities by a mix of land uses designed to attract people. Cities are encouraged to design for neighborhoods that include high quality building designs and diverse land uses, preserve historic buildings and places, and enhance our economic and cultural diversity, with the broad involvement of residents, workers and local businesses. Rail stations and bus facilities are valued not only as vital transportation services, but as public gathering places and assets to spur transit oriented development. Roadway improvements will be context sensitive while continuing to meet the need to move people and commerce and preserve environmental resources. Above all, change will recognize and incorporate our history and create a sense of community.
The Grand Boulevard initiative will succeed only with the enthusiastic support of public agencies, leading businesses, non-profit agencies, neighborhoods and community advocates. The Task force endeavors to coordinate planning efforts, develop incentives and other mechanisms, and secure funding to make this vision a reality.
Latest News
Grand Boulevard Project List now viewable in Google Earth and Google Maps!
The Grand Boulevard Initiative recently launched on online interactive map of projects currently underway or recently completed along Mission St/El Camino Real/The Alameda in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties.
The projects can be viewed in Google Earth by clicking here to download the file. The Google Earth software can be downloaded free at http://earth.google.com/.
The file can also be viewed in Google Maps by clicking here.
The projects are grouped by agencies in the map menu, where you can find the following information on the projects:
- Photo
- Description
- Link for further information
- Contact details
Contact us for more information or assistance with the map.
Adoption Update
The Guiding Principles for El Camino adopted by the Grand Boulevard Task Force have now been acted on by 16 local governments and are being considered by the other members of The Grand Boulevard Initiative.
- Belmont
- Burlingame
- Colma
- Daly City
- Hillsborough
- Millbrae
- Mountain View
- Redwood City
- SAMCEDA
- San Bruno
- San Mateo City/County Association of Governments
- San Mateo County Transit District
- South San Francisco
Click here to read the Guiding Principles.
Excellence along the Boulevard
The Grand Boulevard Initiative recently recognized 6 projects from 4 jurisdictions that exemplify the changes we hope to see all along El Camino Real.
Click here to learn more about the 2007 Award Winners.
