Appendix B Millbrae Station Table B-3: Bicycle profile Millbrae station Total rack spaces 28 Key features Occupied rack spaces 17 Total locker spaces 53 The Millbrae Station is owned and operated by the Bay Rented lockers 16 Area Rapid Transit District and is served by Caltrain and BART, which connects to San Francisco AM passenger boardings, northbound (NB) 308 International Airport. The station has three tracks: two AM passenger boardings, southbound (SB) 643 used by Caltrain, and one by BART. Most passengers AM passenger boardings with bikes, NB 11 traveling on both systems must go through the AM passenger boardings with bikes, SB 15 elevated concourse level to descend to their train Observed bumps (number, time, direction) 3, AM, SB platform. Recent station history Bicycle access to station The Millbrae intermodal station opened in 2003 when BART to SFO service commenced. Approaching the Millbrae station from the west/El Camino Real is very challenging. El Camino Real is intimidating for all but the most experienced cyclists. Station plans Serra Avenue, Linden Avenue, California Avenue and Neither BART nor Caltrain has plans to modify the Murchison Drive have less traffic, but provide a more Millbrae station. The City of Millbrae’s 1998 Millbrae circuitous biking route to the station. These streets also Station Area Specific Plan calls for redeveloping 116 lack bicycle‐oriented way‐finding signs. acres around the BART/Caltrain Station over a 25 year horizon. The Plan envisions redeveloping the west There are no vehicular left turns or crosswalks on side surface parking lots to mixed‐use, transit‐oriented southbound El Camino Real between Victoria and development, including a civic plaza and open space, Millbrae avenues. The Millbrae Avenue overcrossing as well as upgrading El Camino Real to an “urban of the tracks has no bicycle lanes. boulevard.” Millbrae station is one of the regional hub stations identified in MTC’s Transit Connectivity Plan. Bicycle parking “Coat hanger” Bicycle rack There are five distinct bicycle parking areas at the Bicyclist data Millbrae Caltrain/BART station. There are eight “coat The Millbrae station has the smallest number and hanger” bicycle rack spaces under the Millbrae Avenue proportion of passengers boarding with a bicycle of the overcrossing, which are outdated and poorly lit. ten stations profiled in this chapter. 54 | Caltrain Bicycle Parking and Access Plan Station Details There are four sets of modified inverted U‐racks (with Recommendations a wider arch), whose design is unique to this station, which are located south of the escalators on the east Near-term Caltrain responsibility side of the station and in three southbound Caltrain • Upgrade 46 keyed lockers to electronic lockers and platform locations: two sets north of the lockers (one of relocate bicycle racks from the southbound platform which is hidden from view by the lockers) and one set closer to the existing racks that are located in the near the main ticket vending/validators machines. middle of the southbound platform near the base of the stairs When bicycle parking was surveyed, half of the rack • Replace “coat hanger” bike racks under the Millbrae spaces near the escalator and the more visible of the Avenue overcrossing with inverted U racks. Hidden bicycle racks two near the lockers were occupied. The racks with the • Post rental information at all blocks of bicycle highest visibility—across from the BART fare gates— lockers. were fully occupied; and there were no bicycles parked at the racks hidden by the lockers. No bicycles were Multi-agency responsibility locked to other fixtures at this station. • Work with Caltrans and the City of Millbrae to Caltrain and BART each administer bike lockers at the install bicycle way‐finding signage between El Millbrae station. Most are located on the west side of Camino Real and the station via Serra and Linden the tracks. Some blocks of lockers lack rental contact avenues and California and Murchison drives. information. (Short‐term) • Work with Caltrans and the City of Millbrae to develop pedestrian crossings of El Camino at Bicycle access to platforms Victoria Avenue, Chadbourne Avenue and/or Isabel All Caltrain passengers, except those heading Alley to facilitate bicycle and pedestrian access from southbound from the west side of the station and those the west. (Long‐term) transferring from northbound Caltrain to BART, must • Work with the City of Millbrae and the San Mateo go up to the station concourse before descending to the County chapter of the Silicon Valley Bicycle Caltrain platforms. There are elevators between each Coalition when the Millbrae Station Area Specific platform and the concourse, but elevator destinations Plan is implemented to ensure construction of are poorly marked. Stairways are not equipped with bikeways from El Camino Real to the station. Define bike channels and bicycles may not be carried on an alignment for a short path on the west side of the escalators. Station signage is confusing to Caltrain and Caltrain tracks between Linden Avenue and BART passengers with and without bicycles alike. Hillcrest Boulevard to eliminate the need to ride on El Camino Real north of Millbrae Avenue. Caltrain Bicycle Parking and Access Plan | 55 Appendix B • Work with BART to install stairway channels to provide an alternative to elevator access for passengers with bicycles. • Work with BART to develop a clear, unified signage program throughout the Millbrae station based on MTC regional hub way finding signage guidelines, especially maps inside the station to bicycle parking and the bicycle train car. All passengers would benefit from better signage of both systems’ platforms, each platform’s direction and destinations, ticket vending machines, and buses and shuttles that serve the station. • Work with BART to post rental information at all blocks of bicycle lockers. 56 | Caltrain Bicycle Parking and Access Plan Station Details See following pages for illustrations of issues and recommendations Caltrain Bicycle Parking and Access Plan | 57 Appendix B 58 | Caltrain Bicycle Parking and Access Plan Station Details Caltrain Bicycle Parking and Access Plan | 59 Appendix B San Mateo Station to the station by bicyclists and pedestrians traveling along Railroad Avenue from surrounding neighborhoods. Although there is a pathway on the Key features other side of the fence leading to the nearby San Mateo station is located in downtown San Mateo, neighborhoods, there is no opening in the fence to an active and vibrant district. There is an underground connect the path to the platform. parking garage beneath the station. The northbound platform is very narrow and access is constrained. Table B-4: Bicycle profile San Mateo station Signage at the station is clear, plentiful and attractively Total rack spaces 6 designed. Occupied rack spaces 3 Total locker spaces 24 Recent station history Rented lockers 15 No recent improvements have been made to the station AM passenger boardings, northbound (NB) 327 since 2002, when it was renovated to include a pedestrian plaza and underground parking. AM passenger boardings, southbound (SB) 362 AM passenger boardings with bikes, NB 20 Station plans AM passenger boardings with bikes, SB 26 Observed bumps (number, time, direction) 3, AM, SB In 2008, the San Mateo County Transportation Authority (SMCTA) plans to conduct a study to identify alternative grade separation options for the Bicycle parking Way‐finding sign existing at‐grade highway‐rail crossings near the The bicycle lockers at this station are administered by station. the City of San Mateo. Bicyclist data The station’s only bicycle racks—inverted‐U racks constructed in the surface parking lot—were installed Passengers with bicycles boarding in the morning peak too close to the wall to allow adequate access. period are evenly split between the two directions. Additionally, these racks were installed in the incorrect direction; in order for each rack to accommodate its full Bicycle access to station potential of two bicycles they must be installed parallel to one another, rather than in a line (see Appendix D). Primary access to the San Mateo station is from First Street, at the opposite end of the station as the bicycle There are no racks for bumped bicycles on either car. There is a continuous fence along the outside edge Existing inverted‐U bicycle racks platform. of the northbound platform, which blocks direct access 60 | Caltrain Bicycle Parking and Access Plan Station Details Bicycle access to platforms Long-term Caltrain responsibility Way‐finding and informational signage at the San • Provide a connection (ramp or stairs) through the Mateo Caltrain station is ample and attractive. fence leading from the north end of the northbound platform to Railroad Avenue, which would benefit There are elevators and stairways (with stair channels all passengers, and discourage cyclists from riding for bicycles) from each platform to the underground on the platform. parking garage. The garage provides a grade‐separated platform crossing at this station; passengers may also Multi-agency responsibility cross the tracks along First Street. Bicyclists exiting the • Work with the City of San Mateo to take over elevators on either platform are reported to have management of the bicycle lockers, as the City unintended conflicts with passing pedestrians. wishes to relinquish responsibility. Passengers with bicycles headed for northbound trains have to walk a long way to the north end of the northbound platform, which is very narrow and constrained. Bicyclists can ride through the surface See following pages for illustrations of issues parking lot to get closer to the north end of the and recommendations Stairway channel southbound platform before dismounting to walk on the platform. The northern end of the southbound platform—where the bicycle car lands—is the narrowest portion of the platform. Recommendations Near-term Caltrain responsibility • Convert 18 existing keyed lockers to electronic lockers, install 18 new electronic lockers, and move two bicycle rack spaces to be available for bumped bicycles.