Residents Demand Road Redesign as Agencies Pitch Skyline Safety Plan

Woodside residents, cyclists and business owners packed a Sept. 23 special study session to say that patrols and signs will not tame racing on State Routes 35 and 84. They want the roads rebuilt. Caltrans, the county, the Sheriff's Office and the California Highway Patrol offered a safety audit, a new four-way stop and county-funded weekend officers, but no vote was taken and much of the work is still months away.

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• More than 20 public commenters urged roundabouts, medians and rumble strips over enforcement alone.
• Caltrans commits to safety corridors and a 4-to-6-month road safety audit on Routes 9, 35 and 84.
• All-way stop at Four Corners targeted for end of November 2026 as Alice's Restaurant owners object.
• County to spend about $125,000 for two dedicated weekend CHP officers for a year.
• Speed cameras barred on state highways, and officials say a legislative fix would be needed.

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'Engineering, Engineering, Engineering'

Why it matters: The longest stretch of the night was public comment, which ran nearly 40 minutes. Speakers delivered a near-unanimous message that design, not enforcement, changes driver behavior. That directly challenged the agencies' enforcement-heavy presentations.

Mayor Brian Dombkowski opened by saying "our community is demanding action to make our roadways safe for everyone who shares them." Residents took him at his word.

Where things stand: Commenters from Woodside, La Honda, Kings Mountain and cycling clubs listed specific fixes. They asked for breaking up straightaways, roundabouts, chicanes, center barriers, turn lanes and rumble strips.

"We need roundabouts, stop signs, stoplights, center barriers that keep people from passing," said La Honda resident Anne McMillan, who estimated 8.25 deaths per year on the corridor.

La Honda resident Harlan Chapman thanked the county for its enforcement work. He warned, however, that resurfacing, better sightlines and fresh striping could actually encourage faster driving. "What is needed is engineering, engineering, engineering," Chapman said.

A cyclist identified as Carlini put it bluntly: "Enforcement isn't the solution." Carlini also asked for 5 feet of separation for cyclists.

The other side: Many commenters still wanted more policing, just on firmer footing. Woodside Circulation Committee member Walker Wells cited fire district response delays and called for turn lanes, medians and flexible delineators. He also pressed for a stronger commitment from CHP: "Verbal handshake agreements are not enough. We need dedicated CHP staffing that's contractual."

Others focused on consequences. Resident cyclist Catherine Burke asked about citations and prosecution after cyclist deaths and urged attention to the District Attorney.

Emotions ran high. Deirdre Cromey, a Western Wheelers Bicycle Club board member, said a friend of hers was a cyclist killed July 11. She said she is scared riding Skyline and heard nothing that night that made it safer. "We need engineering and we need the speed cameras," Cromey said.

Longtime resident Krista New described racing, trash and fires at pullouts and criticized the agencies' pace. "Talk is cheap. It's time for all these entities to walk the walk," New said.

Resident Michelle Best described half a dozen near head-on collisions while leaving her driveway and asked for a cross-agency work plan. "We just want our community back," Best said.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: No action was possible in a study session. Cyclists, La Honda residents who depend on Highway 84 as their only road, and Skyline homeowners are now pushing the town to own an engineering agenda rather than defer to state and county partners.

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Caltrans Lays Out a Timeline

The basics: A road safety audit (RSA) is an independent engineering review of a corridor's crash risks. AB 1014 gives Caltrans discretion to lower speed limits on state highways, and safety corridor designation can help unlock that flexibility.

Where things stand: Caltrans committed to several steps. It will designate the corridors as safety corridors, hold quarterly partner meetings and work with CHP on enforcement. It will also phase improvements as immediate (0 to 6 months), near-term (6 to 18 months) and long-term (2+ years).

"Caltrans proposes to conduct an RSA on State Routes 9, 35, and 84. The timeline for this assessment is about 4 to 6 months," said Lester Lee, Division Chief for Transportation Safety, Caltrans District 4.

Lee walked through responses to 16 recommendations from a legislative letter. These covered vegetation management, signage, turnouts, guardrails, mile markers, pedestrian crossings in La Honda and a security gate at Clouds Rest Vista Point. He also reported fatality data by route for 2020 to 2025. Caltrans noted that Pescadero Creek and Alpine roads are not state highways, which puts them outside its jurisdiction.

Four Corners: Caltrans said some immediate work was completed Aug. 21, 2026. That work added red curbs at four locations, north crosswalk enhancements and keep-clear markings. A minor project will convert the intersection to an all-way stop and add warning signs plus a rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) at the north crosswalk. Lee said that project is scheduled for completion by the end of November 2026.

A 15 mph zone near Woodside Elementary is in place. A reduction to 35 mph near Woodside High School is on track for November 2026.

The other side: Andy Kerr, co-owner of Alice's Restaurant, questioned a second red curb line, saying "recently, in the middle of the night, they added the second one." He also said a requested 25 mph limit has not happened. "The speed limit now, I believe, is 40 miles an hour going through the intersection, which is unacceptable," Kerr said.

Fellow owner Jamie Kerr said the business was not informed of the plan and that lost parking pushed truck deliveries onto Highway 84. He said he would prefer a four-way signal over a stop.

A Four Corners worker, Taylor Skills, said the red zones eliminated parking for hikers and cyclists and pushed cars onto driveways along 84. La Honda resident Fred Rosenberg also preferred a stoplight to stop signs.

What's next: Councilmember Jenn Wall asked, "I'm wondering if it might be possible to make available a project plan for the public." Caltrans staff said a website tracking the audit and projects for Routes 9, 35 and 84 is feasible. La Honda resident Jessica Rudolph backed the idea.

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County Buys Weekend CHP Coverage

Why it matters: Weekend racing is the corridor's signature problem, and enforcement there has been thin.

Where things stand: Supervisor Mueller of San Mateo County announced a deal with CHP. "We're going to pay for two officers, one on Saturday, one on Sunday, to be dedicated to this corridor," Mueller said.

The arrangement covers about $125,000 for one year from discretionary Measure K funds. Because Measure K money cannot be contracted directly with CHP, the Town of Woodside will serve as the contracting conduit.

The other side: Lt. Daniel Hill of CHP's Redwood City area office said he was surprised by the announcement but welcomed it. "So I don't have a solid plan as to how that's going to look or when that's going to start," Hill said.

Hill said CHP cannot patrol inside incorporated Woodside. He said a May 2026 weekend reallocation raised enforcement contacts to about 1.51 per day and cut crashes by 33%.

The data: Brandon Hensel, who oversees the Sheriff's Office Headquarters Patrol Bureau, reported the office's Woodside numbers from January 2024 to August 2026:

• 9,225 citations, 1,784 of them for speeding
• 123 collisions
• 309 citations at Four Corners

The office staffs one of two traffic motor officer positions and is recruiting for the second.

Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Woodside takes on a contracting role, and CHP gains funded weekend hours. Residents who called for contractual staffing get part of their ask, but without a start date yet.

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Speed Cameras Hit a Legal Wall

Where things stand: Mayor Pro Tem Paul Goeld asked about speed safety cameras: "Would it be possible to get that as an exemption and implement that even as a pilot program in this area?"

"I believe it does need some sort of legislation on that," Lee replied. He explained that the AB 645 camera pilot program is separate from AB 1014 safety corridors and is barred on state highways except in construction zones.

The other side: Commenter Derek Gurney pointed to Malibu, which won camera authority on Pacific Coast Highway through SB 1297. A Skyline resident named Gary urged lawmakers to grant an exception for remote sensing and to set five-year metrics.

Joan Dentler, staff for Assemblymember Mark Berman, said the office is engaged with the county, CHP, the Sheriff's Office and Caltrans.

What's next: Councilmembers discussed endorsing the South Coast Traffic Advisory recommendations as one step toward a legislative push.

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Minor Items

• Grants: CCAG listed several funding deadlines for safety projects: a planning grant due Oct. 9 and a local HSIP round closing Nov. 2.
• Clouds Rest Vista Point: Resident Kathy Simpson thanked Caltrans for the Heather Heights guardrail but sought nighttime access control at the vista point.
• Regional ally: Campbell Councilmember Sergio Lopez offered cross-county advocacy, calling this "a regional issue that crosses borders."
• Racing meetups: Resident Valia Lubin suggested officers monitor social media groups that organize racing events.
• Drones: Councilmember Dick Brown asked about drone tracking; CHP deferred to the Sheriff's drone program.

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Looking Ahead

Interim Town Manager Pamela Antil reminded the council that it could not take formal action at a study session. Councilmembers informally signaled several follow-up agenda items:

• Town engineering actions
• The project website
• South Coast Traffic Advisory recommendations
• A $100,000 sheriff overtime allocation
• A deep dive on grant opportunities

Assemblymember Berman's office will host a town hall Oct. 20.