Posted by commuter, a resident of the South of Midtown neighborhood, on Jun 14, 2012 at 8:42 am

Palo Alto may have started this bike-friendly trend 40 years ago, but Mountain View has long since passed us in creating fantastically useful family-friendly bicycle routes like the Stevens Creek Trail and now the Permanente Creek Trail. These trails connect businesses, schools, parks, and residential areas with safe car-free family-friendly bicycle and pedestrian routes.

There are currently zero family-friendly bicycle routes to Palo Alto's two nicest parks (Arastradero and Foothill on the west side of I-280). The Embarcadero bicycle bridge over Hwy 101 is obsolete and unusable by many users (wheelchairs, child trailers) because of the narrow width and sharp turns. The Adobe Creek bike path under Hwy 101 is completely unusable by everyone for all of this year. The lack of safe bicycle and pedestrian routes to these parts of town is a disgrace.

We spend hundreds of millions of dollars on car projects (like the Hwy 101 boondoggle going on right now). How about dedicating a tiny fraction of that budget to pedestrian and bicycle projects? For years now, city transportation engineers have had a long list of high priority, high demand bicycle and pedestrian projects with no funding. I'm not calling for cancelling all car projects. Just dedicate a small portion of that huge pot of money towards non-car transportation infrastructure.

Posted by Donald, a resident of the South of Midtown neighborhood, on Jun 14, 2012 at 11:23 am

commuter,

It may get better instead of worse. The federal transportation budget has, for the last few decades, included a tiny fraction for ped and bike projects, too tiny a fraction to meet the demand. Nevertheless, the House is presently trying to eliminate even that tiny fraction from the new transportation bill. If you are fed up with that situation, contact your legislators now using the link below.

Web Link

Posted by Donald, a resident of the South of Midtown neighborhood, on Jun 14, 2012 at 11:23 am

Oops. I meant it might get worse instead of better.

Posted by eric, a resident of Mountain View, on Jun 14, 2012 at 11:42 am

I especially enjoy the photos of families riding bikes on the new bridge where the kids have helmets but mom and dad don't. Way to set an example.

Posted by P.A. Native, a resident of Mountain View, on Jun 14, 2012 at 2:05 pm

@ eric,

Well it would be illegal for the children to not be wearing helmets. The adults have the option and they don't have to answer to anyone for not choosing to wear them. Not even you.

Posted by Peter Carpenter, a resident of Atherton, on Jun 14, 2012 at 2:25 pm
Peter Carpenter is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online

"Palo Alto may have started this bike-friendly trend 40 years ago, but Mountain View has long since passed us ...."

Palo Alto is the leader in starting many things but quickly falls behind because the well known Palo Alto Process takes forever to get anything decided. Mountain View is a much better grounded and focused community and simply gets things done.

Posted by Mountain Man, a resident of Mountain View, on Jun 14, 2012 at 2:50 pm

MV is a far more enjoyable place to live in because of these little things. The sense of community pride is evident in so many places from the neighborhood blocks to the overall infrastructure and convenient access to groceries and other daily task destinations. We moved from PA 8 years ago and wondered why we didn't do it sooner. Our general life is sooo much more enjoyable(not as many selfish/rude people either.)

MV is getting it done!

Posted by PA Resident, a resident of the Palo Verde neighborhood, on Jun 14, 2012 at 5:46 pm

@ P.A. Native

Read his post, @eric didn't say anything about it being illegal.

Wearing a bike helmet is absolutely a good idea, and not wearing one is absolutely a bad idea.

Posted by musical, a resident of the Palo Verde neighborhood, on Jun 14, 2012 at 6:54 pm

Is this trail open 24/7 or do they prohibit access after sunset like in so many Palo Alto public parks?

Are the trail tunnels and bridges covered with graffiti yet?

I'll try to find time to check it out this weekend.

Is it my imagination or do cars really pass much closer to me when I'm cycling with a helmet on vs not wearing a helmet?

Posted by Guest, a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Jun 14, 2012 at 9:12 pm

Did MV's bike/ped. bridge over 101 cost more than $10 million?

Copy it.

Posted by Peter Carpenter, a resident of Atherton, on Jun 14, 2012 at 9:29 pm
Peter Carpenter is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online

"Copy it."

Palo Alto would never stoop to copying a good solution from someone else. Everything Palo Alto does has to be unique even if it costs far more than a proven solution from somewhere else. And, if you disagree, just give one example where Palo Alto had adopted a solution/design/concept proven elsewhere.

Posted by P.A. Native, a resident of Mountain View, on Jun 14, 2012 at 9:55 pm

Clearly I read the post. I was tryin to make a point about being less judgmental. Ultimately it's up to the adult rider regardless of opinion.

Posted by Anon., a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Jun 15, 2012 at 11:07 am

Mountain View and its Steven's Creek Trail is AWESOME. If I start in the Baylands at the Interpretive Center I can ride or walk if I wanted to over 20 miles all the way into Mountain View and now into Sunnyvale I guess. The Mountain View part is pleasant and shaded and well maintained.

Palo Alto should be ashamed of the mess we have out at the Baylands which to a large extent is due to:

1. Stink from the outdated sewage treatment center.

2. Neverending noise that you cannot talk above from the Palo Alto Airport and the airplane and helicopter operation.

We in Palo Alto also seem to do the best to make the place look like crap as well. It's a completely unpleasant assault on the sense when we are blessed with a most amazing resource - waterfront land that we just do not have the will or the intelligence to take advantage of.

There is something completely dysfunctional about the vision out city government has for this community. They are not serving the people of Palo Alto by ignoring our Baylands.

Posted by Not a NIMBY, a resident of the Downtown North neighborhood, on Jun 15, 2012 at 4:14 pm

"Palo Alto may have started this bike-friendly trend 40 years ago, but Mountain View has long since passed us ...."

Places become nice, this then attracts affluent people who then become NIMBYS, and the place shuts down. Eventually it turns to crap and the NIMBYS move on to the next nice place.

Posted by Peter Carpenter, a resident of Atherton, on Jun 15, 2012 at 4:44 pm
Peter Carpenter is a member (registered user) of Palo Alto Online

In Palo Alto the quest for the perfect solution, which never exists, is the enemy of the good solution. Mountain View has mastered reaching good solutions while Palo Alto continues its endless quest for perfect solutions.

Posted by paloaltotreewatch, a resident of the Palo Alto Orchards neighborhood, on Jun 15, 2012 at 8:22 pm

Mountain View also cares more about their trees than Palo Alto.

It is not even close anymore.

In Mountain View on several sidewalks where tree roots had caused the concrete to buckle they replaced the concrete and preserved the trees.

That kind on thinking does happen in Palo Alto anymore.

We have urban forest management on the cheap and also biased towards

saving Oak trees over all other trees.

Thanks Mountain View for the beautiful Redwoods and Gynkos on Middlefield.

Posted by danielle, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Jun 16, 2012 at 11:57 am

it's up to the adult rider not to wear a helmet if they want a brain injury

Posted by Crescent Park Dad, a resident of the Crescent Park neighborhood, on Jun 17, 2012 at 4:40 pm

@ commuter: Seriously?...You want bike paths and separation to Foothills Park?

Page Mill is a mountain road west of 280. It is not a thoroughfare or city street. The amount money required for property acquisition, grading, removal of hillsides, shoring up the downsides ... astronomical.