Student cyclists call for safer bike routes on the Peninsula

BELMONT, Calif. - Students on the Peninsula are calling for safer routes to bike to school, saying some busy roads do not offer enough protection for young cyclists.

A group of students, parents and bike advocates rode about five miles Friday from Carlmont High School in Belmont through San Carlos and back to the Belmont Library, highlighting trouble spots along the way.

On San Carlos Avenue, students carefully navigated traffic without a bike lane separating them from passing vehicles.

"My usual route to school has no bike lanes on it. I'm forced to ride in the road next to cars going 30, 40 miles an hour, and it's there's no protection at all, no concrete, which is really what we want for bike lanes, and for that reason, I feel unsafe," said Ben Mangiafico, a senior at Carlmont High School and president of the school's transportation club.

Students said close calls with cars are common, and some said concerns about safety keep them from biking as often as they would like.

"I've been hit once going down San Carlos Avenue and I've also had some other close calls, like cars passing really closely like within inches of my bike," said Carlmont sophomore Matei Christodorescu. "I've also had people getting out of their cars, dropping kids off without checking their mirrors, so I just had a door swing out in front of me." 

Parents taking part in the ride said safer streets would benefit more than just students.

"The safer the streets are for cyclists, the safer they are for everyone. I walk, I bike and I drive on these streets. They need work," said Karen Casciotti, a parent.

Belmont engineers join students on ride

Two engineers from the City of Belmont joined the group, riding alongside students to better understand the conditions they encounter.

"Our hope is to get out of City Hall and understand the challenges that people are facing, what's working well, and what isn't," said Daniel Matthews, an assistant engineer with the City of Belmont.

One major project already in the works is a planned overhaul of the Alameda de las Pulgas corridor, where Carlmont High School is located. The multi-million dollar project is intended to improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians, and local agencies are seeking grant funding to help close the remaining funding gap.

"There's challenges on every front – gathering what's most important to the community to finding the funding for these projects," said Matthews.

Bike advocates said they want safer, more connected routes that students can use to get to school.

"The city is going to be redoing Alameda in a few years, maybe sooner than that. I want to make sure we have safe cycling infrastructure from end to end. Right now, too many parents are bringing their kids to school, which leads to congestion. I'd love to see it be safe, so the kids can ride to school on their own," said Giuliano Carlini, a volunteer with the Silicon Valley Bike Coalition.

Students said the ride was about more than pointing out problems. They hope getting city engineers and other decision-makers onto the same roads will help lead to safer routes for students, who want to bike to school.

Betty Yu is a KTVU FOX 2 reporter. Follow her on Instagram and X at @bett_yu.