Uploaded: Tuesday, October 24, 2000

Measure A would fund new Palo Alto transit center—maybe

by Marc Igler

A project that has been on Palo Alto's drawing board for the past seven years--overhauling the area around the University Avenue underpass and turning the downtown train station into a so-called Intermodal Transit Center--may finally get built if voters approve Measure A.

The tax plan would provide $45 million for the ambitious project, which would include a park-like gateway between downtown and Stanford and enlarge the station so it can handle at least twice as many Caltrain passengers and bus riders as it currently does.

Even if the measure passes, however, the project still faces an uncertain future. That's because Palo Alto officials estimate building the center will cost $100 million. The city would have to apply for state and federal grants to come up with the remaining $55 million.

Critics of Measure A argue that the Intermodal Transit Center is a prime example of one of the measure's weaknesses: It provides only partial funding for projects that voters are being led to believe will be built.

"Will the transit center ever be built," asks Kimberly Strickland, Silicon Valley Coordinator of the Bay Area Transportation and Land Use Coalition. "Who knows. It's a question that should have been thought about before this was put on the ballot."

Joe Kott, Palo Alto's chief transportation official, says he's confident the project will be built if Measure A is approved.

"We feel a project of this importance should attract the interest of the state and federal government," Kott said.

The concept of the gateway and transit center has been knocking around City Hall since 1993. It was then that the city estimated the cost at $45 million and submitted the plan to the Valley Transportation Authority's priority list.

The plan would leave the existing station intact, but greatly expand both its bus and train facilities. The number of bus stalls would be doubled, and two additional train tracks would be built. The double set of tracks would improve express service so trains wouldn't get stuck behind non-express lines. The extra set of tracks would require the construction of an extra platform.

The Palo Alto station is currently the second busiest station on the Caltrain line between San Jose and San Francisco. It handles roughly 1,500 boardings a day. The San Francisco terminus at 4th and King streets is the only station that handles more, Kott said.

As part of the plan, the Alma Street underpass and El Camino overpass at University Avenue would be torn down and reconstructed. University Avenue would be reconstructed so each direction branches off in a semi-circle at one point. A park would then be built in the center.

Bicycle and pedestrian circulation routes between downtown and the Stanford Shopping Center would be significantly overhauled, Kott said.

"One of our main interests is to convince people coming to downtown to do so in ways other than in single-occupancy autos," Kott said.

He added that existing tenants of the area, including MacArthur Park restaurant and the Red Cross would not be forced out.