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.

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

The San Mateo County Transit District (SamTrans) is now accepting project submittals for participation in the Grand Boulevard Initiative’s Complete Streets Design Case Studies.

The Complete Streets Design Case Studies is part of the Grand Boulevard’s “Removing Barriers to Sustainable Communities Project” funded by a DOT TIGER II Planning grant and local support. The Complete Streets project will facilitate the design of demonstration projects on El Camino Real to integrate the roadway with sustainable development, encourage pedestrian and transit activity, and promote investor confidence.

Only San Mateo County and cities in San Mateo County that include El Camino Real or Mission Street are eligible to apply. Submitted projects must be for a minimum of one block sections of roadway along El Camino Real/Mission Street and must include a transit stop.

Applications are due no later than 5 PM, Friday, April 29, 2011

View the complete Call for Projects here (PDF)

The GBI announces the launch of the online Street Design Toolbox, based on the 2010 Grand Boulevard Multimodal Transportation Corridor Plan. The Toolbox contains the guidance from the Corridor Plan in a more user-friendly online format, including the Street Design Guidelines, Street Design Prototypes, and a Caltrans Design Guideline Matrix. The Street Design Guidelines promote the basic elements of the Grand Boulevard vision, while remaining consistent with Caltrans and regional agency standards. They encourage multimodal access and a boulevard street environment, and are intended to spur locally-initiated street improvement projects.

Read more: New! Street Design Toolbox

The goal of the ECHO Phase I is to define the overall development potential for the El Camino Real Corridor and make the case for why new development, if carried out well, will benefit individual communities as well as the region.  The findings from the completion of Phase I, as presented by Sujata Srivastava of Strategic Economics at the December GBI Task Force Meeting, showed that the Corridor does have the capacity to accommodate future growth and can accommodate significant employment growth.  The study demonstrated the fiscal benefits of infill development, such as increases in tax revenues and lower municipal and infrastructure costs, as well as fiscal benefits from conversion of low-performing retail sites to higher intensity uses, such as multi-story residential or office buildings.  The final report will be presented to the ABAG Regional Planning Committee in February 2011 and coordinated with an event of the ABAG and MTC FOCUS Program.

Download the Final Report (PDF, 3MB)

Click here to read more about ECHO and to download the report by chapter