Safety Petition Results – Safer Palo Alto Way

 Safer Palo Alto Way CrosswalkOur community very strongly supports a safer Palo Alto Way crosswalk on Santa Cruz Ave, including a pedestrian activated light to alert motorists of crosswalk use.   Our petition effort resulted in over 200 residents being contacted and with over 98% of them in support for this important safety action.  

The petition asks for a pedestrian activated light system to let motorists know that the crosswalk is being used and the addition of stop limit lines to keep stopped motorists safely away from the crosswalk and thus creating a high visibility buffer to further safety.   See the Safety Issues Report section 6 – Palo Alto Way Crosswalk.

Pedestrian activated lights are common farther north on Santa Cruz Ave and other locations in the Menlo Park area.  Federal Highway Administration states that safety is significantly improved by use of these light systems.

The intersection at Palo Alto Way and Santa Cruz is a major crosswalk that connects to the Palo Alto Way bus stop and allows the various communities (Menlo Commons, Oak Hollow, University Park) to connect with each other. Students that access the local schools and school bus stop near Palo Alto Way need a safer crosswalk at this location.

The petition involved over 200 community members of the Santa Cruz/Alameda traffic corridor and was primarily a door-to-door campaign by several residents over a period of a little over 2 weeks. In the last few days of the petition, online signing was also provided.

Resounding support for pedestrian activated crosswalk lightsThe community support for this safety improvement is extraordinary.   The number of supporters itself is impressive and double the number of community members that attended the overflow event of the August 28th, 2017 County-Community Safety meeting at Oak Knoll school.  The community has a very high interest addressing the many traffic and road safety issues in our neighborhood that exist in the Santa Cruz/Alameda traffic corridor (between Sand Hill Rd and Avy Avenue to the north).

 

Comments from the safety petition:

Comments

The proposed measure needs to be implemented before the beginning of the school year this fall since automobile, bicycle and pedestrian traffic will increase significantly and, along with it, the safety risks to all concerned.

Help!

About time!

Please approve!!

Hoping this will be done by the city.  I don’t cross there, but I see the problem every time I drive along Santa Cruz Ave.

Please install

Much needed!

I am a witness to the death of Atefeh “Amy” Bijan in this very crosswalk. I know firsthand the dangers of this intersection and will not allow my children to cross here until safety measures are in place. The county should be ashamed to have let so much time pass without a resolution.

great proposals

For safety

I understand that a few years ago a lady was struck & killed at this location. Palo Alto is a very narrow street & intersects with a heavily fast moving thoroughfare.  Let’s do something to make Palo Alto Way safer for pedestrians, bikers & cars entering & leaving this narrow road & outlet. Thank you

Set up yesterday.  Will help get out of my driveway.

Great!

Save us !!

My 11 year old daughter uses this 4+ lane crosswalk on occasion. It’s like she’s the frog in the video game, Frogger. Cars just don’t see her. The southbound cars are focusing on the Sand Hill traffic lights ahead and the northbound traffic is accelerating to get to their proper lane- Alameda or Santa Cruz. If the outside lane cars does stop, it’s is common for the cars behind to change lanes to avoid the delay thereby driving right through the crosswalk on the inside lane.  It’s just a matter of time until someone gets hit. 

We need this

Thank you!!

Help ü !

Awesome plan !

Please please please approve this! 

This is a needed change

This group has done a superlative job outlining the problems and providing reasonable, doable solutions.

This would be a good idea. 

 

 

 

Scroll to Top