In some locations it may be desirable to provide a frontage parking and access area that is separated from through traffic. This condition exists along a three-block stretch of El Camino Real in Millbrae north of Millbrae Avenue, and was proposed by Project for Public Spaces for San Carlos and other locations as part of the Peninsula Corridor Plan. This “international boulevard” design is also similar to the central portion of Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley, and is commonly employed in cities around the world.
This frontage treatment can be particularly effective in supporting street-oriented mixed-use and even residential development. Figure 5-26 depicts a typical condition, with frontage parking and one-way frontage access drive separated from adjacent through-traffic lanes by a landscaped island. Similar to the physically-separated bikeway frontage, a significant parcel size and/or parcel assembly would be required to implement this approach. However, unlike the physically-separated bikeway, continuity from parcel to parcel is less of an issue; i.e., the angled parking frontage could be implemented on a site-by-site basis provided the frontage is long enough to allow for efficient parking and safe access to and from the through-lanes.
In Paris, where this configuration was initially popularized, the City has reconfigured many of the boulevards to eliminate the frontage parking and access drive to create even more expansive sidewalk areas. The change is dramatic along the Champs Elysees, where grand-scale walkways accommodate pavilions, outdoor events, and extensive outdoor dining areas.
