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CHAPTER 1 | MOBILItY <br />27Source: Dyett & BhatiaWHY IMPROVE CONDITIONS FOR <br />PEOPLE DRIVING? <br />For many reasons, private automobiles represent the most <br />highly used form of transportation along the Corridor, <br />and this is likely to remain true in the future, especially as <br />travel mode technologies and tendencies change to include <br />greater ride-hailing usage and the adoption of autonomous <br />vehicles. Drivers use El Camino Real both to get to local des- <br />tinations and in “pass-through” trips on their way to other <br />destinations. Many find driving to be a convenient way to <br />travel along the Corridor and reach Corridor businesses, <br />especially from more distant neighborhoods. However, <br />automobile congestion can have negative impacts, including <br />increased air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions and re- <br />duced fuel efficiency—all of which are exacerbated by slow <br />and stop-and-start traffic. Congestion on El Camino Real <br />also makes it more likely that drivers will attempt to bypass <br />the roadway by cutting through nearby neighborhoods. <br />This Plan is intended to ensure that vehicular circulation be- <br />comes more efficient, even as new travel mode technologies <br />and facilities are introduced. As such, vehicular traffic lanes <br />will not be removed, nor will right turn lanes where turning <br />volumes are high. Signal timing and location will be adjusted <br />to improve traffic flow and left turns will be restricted in <br />some locations to remove bottlenecks. In addition, the street <br />network will be realigned in a few places to make crossing <br />the Corridor easier. Refer to the next section, Street Network <br />and Circulation, for more detail on this topic. Because of the <br />prevalence of automobiles, it is also important to provide <br />the right amount of parking—enough to support businesses <br />and allow for short convenient trips, but not so much that <br />it is at odds with other mobility goals, such as creating a <br />safe and pleasant environment for those traveling by other <br />means.