Advocates Save Humboldt Street Bike Lanes

There are almost 6,000 free on-street parking spots in the North Central neighborhood of San Mateo. But that didn’t stop drivers from attempting to remove a bike lane that runs by several schools in order to add more free on-street private car storage.

Fortunately, advocates blocked the effort at last week’s meeting of the San Mateo City Council. “Move San Mateo and the 800 community members who signed our petition appreciate the City Council’s decision to keep the Humboldt bike lanes in place,” wrote advocate Mike Swire. “These bike lanes are an important piece of safe streets infrastructure in San Mateo.”

Some background from the San Mateo Daily Journal, which covered the story:

The bike lanes, which were constructed in 2022, necessitated the removal of around 200 parking spaces in the North Central neighborhood, to the frustration of residents who say they are unable to find parking near their homes in the already-congested area. 

The Humboldt lanes were part of a larger project to increase safety and bike accessibility.

The lanes are used by students and faculty to access San Mateo High, College Park/Fiesta Gardens Elementary, and San Mateo Adult Schools.

Meanwhile, advocates contend that parking spaces in the community are often squandered on airport parking or filled with abandoned or broken-down cars. Regardless, the safety of cyclists has to be weighed against people’s parking needs. “Humboldt is one of the city’s most dangerous streets,” said Swire. “We support the proposal for a permit parking program ,which will improve parking efficiency and value and provide all residents with equitable access to public street parking.”

The fight to preserve the bike lanes has been a year-long endeavor. In 2025, the City of San Mateo’s Sustainability & Infrastructure Committee voted unanimously to keep the bike lanes on Humboldt Street. Removing the lanes would have cost some $2 million.