Horizon Detox & Traffic Safety Updates

I want to share three important developments with you that are a direct result of you, our residents, speaking out to make good change happen.  It has been my privilege to be your advocate and voice on all these issues.  I thank you for your partnership and support.

First, Horizon Treatment Services has announced they have finalized an agreement with the California Department of Health Care Services to transition their proposed behavioral health/detox center from El Camino Real in San Mateo to Mahler Road in Burlingame.  I have worked with County Executive Callagy and County Supervisor Speier over many weeks to get to this conclusion.  They deserve our thanks for their leadership and unwavering focus to find the right solution for our community.

Second, as many of you know, there was a terrible accident at Alameda and Aragon where a student was hit by a car in the crosswalk.  We all are so grateful that the student is alright.  But it showed again the need for traffic safety improvements along Alameda.

After being invited to meet with concerned residents, the family and injured student, I brought your concerns and traffic safety ideas back to City staff and worked with them to implement as many improvements as possible as quickly as possible.  Staff worked hard and put together a robust list of short-term actions that should improve the safety of all who walk, cycle or drive along Alameda near our schools, as well as a commitment to size the longer-term cqpital improvement projects (e.g. protected Left turn signal).

Third, our City Council on Monday night was presented with the results of a citywide Speed Survey necessary under State law to enable speeding tickets.  There were no changes proposed for Alameda.  However, there were increases proposed for 15+ street sections across the city.  Our Council unanimously accepted the results for those streets where the updated speed limit would stay the same or be decreased.  We did not take a vote on the 15+ streets where speed increases were indicated based on survey results.  We will discuss them at a future study session.  But we were united in the belief that there is no reason to increase speed limits anywhere in the city when speeding is such a safety concern for all of us.

As I said at our Council meeting, I will continue to take responsibility for making sure these agreements are implemented and that your voices remain part of all conversations.