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corridors
east 14th/international
el camino real
• about san pablo avenue
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About - El Camino Real
El
Camino Real has been reinvented many times over in its long history.
One of America's oldest roads, it originated in 1769 as a walking path
that extended over 600 miles from San Diego to Sonoma. Translated to
English as "The Royal Road," El Camino
El Camino's prominence in the region diminished with the construction of the railroad that later became Caltrain. Built in 1863, the original Peninsula Railroad between San Francisco and San Jose spurred the formation of downtowns. Housing and commercial activity radiated outwards from the train stations. Many of these new downtowns were more than a mile away from El Camino. In the 1890s, concern about El Camino Real's decline led to the creation of a system of symbolic iron mission bell markers along its entire length. A few of these mission bells still stand, and are maintained by local civic organizations.
El Camino Real was reinvigorated in the early 20th century as a part of the new state highway system. The road was paved from the northern end of San Mateo County to San Jose, establishing and unifying its current corridor geography. A building boom followed, spawning many of the roadside motels, restaurants, and businesses that characterize El Camino today. This development character reflects the brief time period in the 1950s when El Camino Real was the key transportation corridor - and therefore the primary engine of economic development - for the peninsula region.
In
the 1960s, Highway 101 supplanted El Camino Real as the quickest auto
route along the Peninsula. Again, new urban
Early attempts to beautify El Camino Real included the planting of elm and eucalyptus trees along its entire extent. Most of these trees were removed as the road was repeatedly widened, leaving shallow lots and decreasing space for pedestrians. Farms and orchards that lined El Camino Real also disappeared.
Today, inter-city travelers continue to use El Camino Real, but fewer trips are for long distance and recreational travel. The road connects highways to neighborhood-serving retail centers containing grocery stores, offices and businesses. Many hope El Camino will continue to shift from a regional thoroughfare to a street that connects neighborhoods and that improving the streetscape will begin the next phase of El Camino Real's history: as a pedestrian-oriented, mixed use boulevard.
Communities From
north to south, El Camino Real passes through the cities of Daly City,
Colma, San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame, San
In 2000, the median household income of people living along or near the corridor was over $68,7000, somewhat higher than the $62,600 median household income for the Bay Area, but lower overall than the San Mateo and Santa Clara County median household incomes ($70,800 and $74,300 respectively). The highest income areas are found in Hillsborough and Atherton, with median incomes of $187,000 and $190,000, respectively. There are great variations in income at the neighborhood level: some areas had incomes as low as $30,700 in 2000. The lowest income areas are in unincorporated San Mateo County, at approximately $47,300, and in the Stanford campus area, at $41,300.
In 2000, about 37,300 people living on or near the corridor were living in poverty. This represents about 6 percent of the corridor's population and includes students.
The
neighborhoods or areas along the corridor that have the highest incomes
also have the greatest numbers of people with college degrees. According
to the 2000 census, 53 percent of residents in the census tracts along
El Camino Real had an Associate's degree or higher. In contrast, 13
percent of adults over age 25 did not finish high school. There is also
variation in educational attainment by cities. Less than 25 percent
of adult residents in South San Francisco, San Bruno, Redwood City,
and
El Camino Real is important to the region, in part, because of its projected population growth over the next 25 years. Since 2000, an estimated 13,000 people moved into the area, a 2.2 percent increase over the last five years. The population is projected to increase to 759,000 people by the year 2030, with a larger proportionate increase around El Camino Real than in the two counties overall.
An important population with special housing and transportation needs along El Camino Real is seniors. The proportion of adults aged 60 and older is expected to roughly double over the next four decades. Aging residents who lose their ability to drive may become homebound without adequate transit and paratransit services or walkable shops and destinations. The senior population in some areas is already demanding more transportation services than are available to meet its needs.
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Real
was California's first highway, connecting pueblos, missions, and military
posts. As San Francisco grew into a major urban center, El Camino Real
played an integral role in the early development of the Bay Area. Small
communities on the Peninsula evolved along El Camino to service the
big city, including farms that grew food for city dwellers and summer
estates for San Francisco's wealthier residents.
development
occurred in response to this new transportation corridor, often in the
form of office parks and campuses. Little housing development occurred,
however, and mass commuting from other areas created highway traffic
congestion.
Mateo,
Hillsborough, Belmont, Redwood City, San Carlos, Atherton, Menlo Park,
Palo Alto, Mountain View, Sunnyvale, and Santa Clara, and the counties
of San Mateo and Santa Clara. The cities range in population from 130,000
to just over 10,000. Nearly 600,000 people lived on or near El Camino
Real in 2000.
unincorporated
parts of San Mateo County had a college degree. In Atherton, Menlo Park,
Stanford, and Palo Alto, more than 75 percent of residents completed
some form of higher education. These variations in educational attainment
underscore the need to maintain a variety of job types within the corridor.