The Bay Trail Gap Closure Project targets the completion of the Bay Trail at Airport Boulevard between the Burlingame and San Mateo borders. This current section of does not have an official path of travel for Bay Trail users and is considered a high-priority location for by the Burlingame Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee and the Traffic Safety and Parking Commission, as well as, the City’s 2019 General Plan and the 2020 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments conducted an evaluation of the Bay Trail to identify and prioritize existing gaps within the existing network. The City of Burlingame conducted a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan in 2020 highlighting the current gaps within the City’s existing bicycle network and specifically calls out the need for gap closures to create a continuous link through the city to the benefit of the residents, businesses, and visitors of Burlingame. During community outreach events regarding the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, the gaps in the Bay Trail were frequently mentioned as an area of improvement for the existing bicycle and pedestrian network within the City. The existing site along Airport Boulevard, where the Bay Trail gap currently exists, presents several challenges for active transportation users. The area is characterized by a lack of continuous, dedicated pathways for pedestrians and cyclists and the absence of a connected trail forces users to navigate alongside a busy street. The existing connection between the two segments of the Bay Trail currently is a 400 LF pathway consisting of an existing sidewalk and a dirt and gravel pathway along Airport Road. The northern section of the Bay Trail ends at the sidewalk along Airport Boulevard and continues south before transitioning to a dirt and gravel path at the intersection of Beach Road and Airport Boulevard all the way to the southern section of the Bay Trail. Bicyclists travelling northbound along the Bay Trail are directed to a Class II bicycle facility on Airport Boulevard before transitioning to a Class III bicycle facility at the intersection of Beach Road and Airport Boulevard without offering a clear connection back to the existing Bay Trail.
