News Digest News Digest (March 17, 2004)

Organization formed to quell traffic on higher volume streets

To local attorney Kathleen Rotow, the process that brought barriers to Downtown North streets was undemocratic and unjust, with a small minority of residents benefiting at the expense of moving traffic to other neighborhoods and streets.

In response to that "dangerous precedent," Rotow has formed the "Palo Alto Arterial Association." The group aims to organize those who live on the largest, most high-traffic streets throughout Palo Alto, and who would be most harmed by any future street closures.

By design, the city's plans call for such streets -- known as arterials -- to handle more traffic than smaller streets.

But by advocating street closures, Rotow said, the city's transportation officials exploit the people living on those arterials, who have up until now been politically unorganized.

So far, 200 residents have signed up to be a member of the association, according to Rotow, who lives on University Avenue in Palo Alto. Information about the group can be found at www.paata.org.

The City Council will be voting on the controversial Downtown North street closures at its next meeting, on Monday, March 22. --Bill D'Agostino
Channing traffic calming delayed slightly

The city's transportation officials have delayed installing a long-promised "traffic calming" trial along Channing Avenue until April, so they could gather more data before putting the car-slowing measures on the streets.

The four-month trial -- which includes two speed tables and a raised crosswalk -- was initially supposed to be installed in February. Now it will begin during the school holiday, April 5 through April 9.

A speed table is similar to a speed bump, but is more gradual. There will also be other measures installed to help pedestrians and bicyclists navigate the street.

"It's a rather moderate program," said Joe Kott, the city's chief transportation official. "It should have the effect of greatly reducing the higher end of speeds."

Traffic studies have found that 15 percent of vehicles go 33 mph or faster in the 25-mph zone on the street.

During neighborhood meetings, parents expressed concerns for their children's safety -- Duveneck Elementary School and St. Elizabeth Seton School are both located on the street. Neighbors also said commuters were using the street to get from Embarcadero Road, near Highway 101, to Middlefield Road.

The entire trial will be located between Guinda Street and Greer Road on Channing.

A final element to the traffic trial -- flashing lights that are embedded in the crosswalk pavement and set-off by pedestrians -- is expected to be installed later, Kott said. --Bill D'Agostino
Riot nearly erupts outside The Edge nighclub

Officers from the Palo Alto Police Department, and five other enforcement agencies, successfully quashed a potential riot outside The Edge nightclub Saturday morning.

According to the police, the incident began at 3 a.m. at 260 S. California Ave., when approximately 600 attendees from various fraternities gathered outside the club and the surrounding neighborhood.

Words between two different fraternities were exchanged, and one person allegedly grabbed a baseball bat and wielded it in a threatening manner, escalating the incident, the police reported.

The Palo Alto Police Department only had eight officers on the scene, therefore 20 officers from the Menlo Park Police Department, Mountain View Police Department, Stanford Department of Public Safety, the Santa Clara Sheriff's Office and Los Altos Police Department responded to the scene.

The crowd was under control and began to disperse within a half-hour, according to the police, and there were no reports of injuries, arrests or property damage. -- Bay City News Service
World-class paraplegic athlete honored

Cheri Blauwet of Menlo Park was honored Tuesday by the American Association of People with Disabilities as one of three emerging leaders of the national disability community.

The Stanford medical student, four-time Paralympic medallist and winner of both the 2003 Los Angeles and New York City marathons in the women's wheelchair division received the $10,000 Paul G. Hearne/AAPD Leadership Award in Washington, D.C. While an undergraduate at the University of Arizona, Blauwet founded the International Institute for Disability Advocacy, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for disabled people in developing countries. She hopes someday to work in family or pediatric medicine as well as international public policy.

A profile of Blauwet is archived at www.PaloAltoOnline.com.

--Jocelyn Dong

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