Menlo Park and El Camino Real: Past, Present, and Future

Join us for a presentation and discussion on the past, present, and future of El Camino Real.  El Camino Real is the backbone of the Peninsula, as it connects historic downtowns and is rich in amenities, including large central parks, diverse shopping opportunities, and Caltrain, BART, and bus service.  Yet El Camino Real has the potential to be so much more for those who live, work, and commute along it.  By rethinking where homes and jobs are located, we can improve community health, support local businesses, and provide more options for getting around.  El Camino Real has changes a lot since it was first paved in 1912; where might it take us in the future?  Join the conversation and share your thoughts with us!

Read more: GBI Walk the Talk Forum - Menlo Park - January 26th

The Grand Boulevard Task Force accepted the Grand Boulevard Initiative Existing Conditions Report 2011 at their November 30, 2011 meeting.  The Existing Conditions Report 2011 (2011 Report) updates the 2006 Grand Boulevard Initiative Existing Conditions Report to reflect the current conditions in the El Camino Real corridor and provides the most current demographic, land use, transportation, and planning/policy information.  The 2011 Report provides comparisons between 2000 and 2010 to show changes within the El Camino Real corridor and summarizes the current local corridor and regional planning efforts.  The intent is to provide a useful planning tool that contains consistent data across all jurisdictions in the El Camino Real corridor and provide a resource for future collaborative planning. 

Grand Boulevard Initiative Existing Conditions Report 2011 (2.5 MB)
        Appendix A - List of Acronyms (64 KB)
        Appendix B - List of References (84 KB)
        Appendix C - Existing Conditions Maps (28 MB)
        Appendix D - ECHO Phase I Assessment Report, Figure III - Development Activity on the Corridor, 2007-Present (2010) (104 KB)

The 2011 Report is also available at the Documents page, here.

A new video from the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) lays out the vision for transforming El Camino Real into a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor in Santa Clara County (connecting the Palo Alto Transit Center and Downtown San Jose) and the project's relationship with the Grand Boulevard Initiative.  

Click on this link to watch this enlightening video:  VTA's El Camino Real BRT Video

The Grand Boulevard Initiative was mentioned in this interesting article about the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority's plans for Bus Rapid Transit on El Camino Real.

http://www.mercurynews.com/traffic/ci_19175306

Update: the application deadline has been extended to 5pm, Wednesday, October 12th, 2011.

The San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) is now accepting applications for participation in the Grand Boulevard Initiative’s Economic and Housing Opportunities (ECHO) Assessment - Phase II.

The ECHO Phase II Case Studies build upon ECHO Phase I (completed in December 2010) and are part of the Grand Boulevard Initiative’s “Removing Barriers to Sustainable Communities” project funded by a Department of Transportation (DOT) TIGER II Planning grant and local support.  The ECHO Phase II Case Studies will address development scenarios and potential barriers, assess urban design strategies to achieve revitalization and redevelopment, and analyze multimodal access and circulation.  The intent of the ECHO Phase II Case Studies is to create a common basis for understanding the effects of corridor-wide development patterns and streetscape enhancements and to develop corridor guidance for cities that address the “how to” of implementation.

Cities in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties that include El Camino Real (or Mission Street and The Alameda) are eligible to apply.

Applications are due no later than 5pm, Wednesday, October 12th, 2011.

Click here to view the ECHO Phase II Call for Projects

Click here for more information on ECHO Phases I and II