No information available for 2019

At the first council meeting of the year in January, County staff presented council members with options for tree layouts, the types of trees they would like to see, the color they would like the street furnishings to be, what sort of bulb-out paving they would like, and what type of bulb-out seating they prefer. Following the meeting, county staff took the councils recommendations and presented them to the County Board of Supervisors for final determination.

Click Here to view the options that were presented to the council

The council members made the following recommendations based on the presentation:

• Tree Layout: Option C - Gateway and Alternating
• Standard Trees: Option C - Brisbane Box
• Accent Trees: Option A - Autumn Gold Maidenhair tied with Option B - Purple Flowering Locust
• Street Furnishing Color: Option C - Rust
• Special Seating: Option B - Precast concrete seatwall with Mosaic
• Bulb-out Paving: Option C - Mosaic tiles with standard concrete paving

Throughout 2018, county staff will continue to work with the utility companies as they plan for the undergrounding of all utilities along Middlefield Road in preparation for construction to begin.

In January of 2017, the County hired Godbe Research to conduct a neighborhood-wide survey to collect community input on specific amenities of the Improvement Project. Community members were asked to rank their preference on options for tree spacing along Middlefield Road, options for bulb-outs, and sidewalk width. Out of the 3,971 surveys that were sent out, there was a 15.1% response rate. 

• 55.1% of respondents marked that they have lived in North Fair Oaks for over 10 years, 60% said the quality of life was between excellent and very good, and 62.6% identified as Latino.
• 67% of respondents preferred trees spaced at 35 feet. Actual spacing may vary due to driveways, store entrances, and signs.
• 47.7% of respondents preferred bulb-outs at every intersection. Respondents cited improved pedestrian visibility and safety as the main benefit of bulb outs
• 38% of respondents preferred the 12-foot sidewalk option

County staff presented the results of the survey to the North Fair Oaks Community Council at their regular meeting on March 23, 2017. At that meeting, staff recommended that the Council approve the streetscape options of buffered bike lanes, trees spaced at 35 feet, bulb-outs at all intersections, and 12-foot sidewalks. The council voted 7-1 in favor of approving the county's recommendation

Small Business Development Pilot Program

As part of the Middlefield Road Construction Mitigation Plan, the County, in partnership with the San Mateo Small Business Development Center and the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights put together a pilot program meant to help a select set of businesses in improving their business practices and asnwering legal questions ahead of the start of construction. The County held a kick-off meeting to launch the Small Business Development Pilot Program in June of 2017 followed by a series of workshops, 1-on-1 sessions, and legal clinics that ran until November of 2017. 11 businesses along Middlefield Road applied and were invited to participate in this program.

Construction Mitigation Plan

As we prepare for future construction on Middlefield Road in 2019 (estimated), the County of San Mateo hopes to minimize the negative impacts of construction to local businesses. The Construction Mitigation Plan outlines potential strategies that the County can look into to support local businesses during construction.

To download the draft of the plan and powerpoint slides, please click on the following links:

• Middlefield Road Construction Mitigation Plan (English)

• Middlefield Road Construction Mitigation Plan (Spanish)

• PowerPoint Presentation - Construction Mitigation Plan (English)

• PowerPoint Presentation - Construction Mitigation Plan (Spanish)

If you have any additional questions or concerns regarding the Construction Mitigation Plan, please contact the Office of Community Affairs: 650-363-1800 or CommunityAffairs@smcgov.org.

Middlefield Road Steering Committee

At their last meeting in 2015, the steering committee asked County staff to address issues about the reduced number of parking spaces there will be on Middlefield Road post construction, as well as concerns that the improvement project would cause further gentrification in the community. The County addressed the concerns about parking by acquiring three adjacent lots on Middlefield Road and built a parking lot that will result in a net gain of 2 spots once construction is complete. To address the concerns of gentrification, the County held two meetings in which experts in the field of gentrification and housing were brought in to talk about the causes of gentrification and answer the steering committee members questions. 

The steering committee reconvened for two final meetings in the 4th quarter of 2016 in order to give their recommendations on selected streetscape amenities. Committee members were asked to give their feedback on bike lanes, tree spacing, sidewalk width, and bulb-outs.

In 2015, the County facilitated another phase of the multi-part community outreach process to gain input on more specific features of the new Middlefield Road streetscape design. A series of Steering Committee meetings and Community Workshops provided opportunities for public input.

• November 4, 2015 Community Workshop #2 Flyer

• September 30, 2015 Community Workshop #1 Flyer

• September 2015: Community Outreach Flyer

Photos from previous steering committee meetings and community workshops:

In 2014, the Board of Supervisors approved a recommendation of the Middlefield Road redesign that includes a conceptual design layout and additional reports. The recommendation was developed after a thorough community outreach process and further analysis conducted by a variety of agencies. 

North Fair Oaks Community Council Recommendation 

• October 21, 2014: North Fair Oaks - Middlefield Road Redesign Recommendation

Community Meetings

• August 21, 2014: NFO Community Council Study Session - Middlefield Road Informational Packet

• July 24, 2014: Middlefield Road Community Meeting Notes

• April 26 & April 29, 2014: Middlefield Road Community Meeting Notes

Community Outreach

• Summary of Outreach Efforts

• Summary of Survey Results

Traffic Analysis

• July 24, 2014: Middlefield Road Simulation Model, 4 Lanes vs. 3 Lanes Configuration

• Middlefield Road: 3 Lanes vs. 4 Lanes Traffic Analysis Comparison Table

Street Design Options

• Examples of Amenities and Sidewalk Widths

• NACTO's (National Association of City Transportation Officials) recommendations for the Middlefield Road Redesign Project

On July 9, 2013, the Board of Supervisors approved $12.5 million in Measure A funding to "redesign and make safety improvements to Middlefield Road." Download the full recommendation below:

• July 9, 2013: North Fair Oaks - Measure A Funding Request