Redwood City Council Prioritizes El Camino Safety, Homelessness

REDWOOD CITY, CA — Redwood City’s priorities for the 2022-23 fiscal year include implementing safety measures for pedestrians and bicyclists along the El Camino Real corridor, addressing homelessness, developing an anti-harassment ordinance and building an arts center.

The city council met Saturday at its annual retreat to discuss priority projects to include for consideration in the next fiscal year’s budget.

The following priorities were approved by a majority of the council, according to the meeting summary:

• Accelerate the implementation plan for the El Camino Real corridor by working with staff to address the most acute safety concerns in an interim manner ahead of the Caltrans process and Safety: adding calming measures, stop signs, lights to areas that have high pedestrian and children going to schools.
• Homelessness: add resources and mental health to our responses. Homelessness - take a regional lead in establishing an agency alignment program with the County and State (Caltrans) as critical elements of Functional Zero for Redwood City.
• Develop an Anti-Harassment ordinance. Strengthen Relocation Benefit Ordinance to make it possible for tenants to return to their home if they wish after repairs are completed.
• Include an Arts Center as a Community Benefit sought as part of the Central Redwood City Plan

At least one priority was called for by activists prior to the meeting.

Several Redwood City community members issued a joint letter to the city council last week calling for road safety improvements and the installation of a bike lane along a one-mile stretch of El Camino Real, where three pedestrians have been struck and killed by vehicles since 2019.

Read more: Redwood City Residents Call For El Camino Safety Improvements