Publication Date: Wednesday, March 31, 2004
Going with the flow
Going with the flow
(March 31, 2004) New city traffic study aims to improve intersection "performance"
by Dana Green
A honking horn, squealing tires, and then -- BANG!
It's a sound that city transportation staff are hoping to avoid by putting some of Palo Alto's busiest intersections to the test.
The city recently completed a study on traffic flow and safety at 16 of the city's major intersections. They discovered the traffic in some of the intersections could flow more easily -- and put bikers and pedestrians in less danger.
"We think all the intersections are functional," said Joe Kott, the city's chief transportation official. "We'd just like to improve their efficiency -- and in some cases, their safety."
At a public meeting last Tuesday, transportation staff recommended changes to seven intersections, including Charleston at Alma, Arastradero and San Antonio, Embarcadero at East Bayshore and El Camino Real, and Page Mill at Hanover and El Camino Real.
Staff selected junctions that would give the most bang for the city's buck, according to Kott. "Definitely at these seven (intersections), there are cost-effective, feasible things we can do," Kott said. "The other nine, we haven't figured out cost-effective ways to make improvements -- or we thought no action was needed."
At one intersection, Charleston/Arastradero and El Camino Real, the study calls for creating two continuous, 5-foot-wide bike lanes on Charleston/Arastradero, narrowing auto lanes by 1 foot, and eliminating the "free" right turn.
Christopher Thnay of TJKM, the consulting firm that worked with the city, said the free right turn posed a particular danger to pedestrians.
"That's where a lot of pedestrians and cars get into accidents," Thnay said.
School crossing guard Zafar Niazov, who shepherded a crowd of students across Charleston/Arastradero intersection last week, agreed the right turn is dangerous.
"Sometimes people turning do not want to give priority to bikes or pedestrians," Niazov said, shaking his head. "I cannot understand it."
There were 22 accidents in the intersection over the last five years, according to Palo Alto police traffic data.
At another busy crossing -- Page Mill at Hanover -- bike and auto traffic from the Stanford Research Park clashes with drivers rushing home on Page Mill Road.
Transportation staff recommended adding full bike lanes and changing the traffic signal to allow traffic on Hanover to cross from either side of the street on a green light.
"Currently, on Hanover, only one approach can go at one time," Thnay said. "That's very inefficient."
The recommended changes are not just based on current traffic patterns, but future projections as well. Transportation staff used county land-use data to design a traffic forecasting model, allowing them to predict how many cars would utilize the 16 intersections through the year 2015.
"The computer tells us how many cars are going through and how many are turning," Kott said. "We used the model to find out if (the intersections) could handle future capacity."
Transportation staff also used the city's 12-year Comprehensive Plan as a guide, according to Thnay.
"The Comprehensive Plan puts a lot of emphasis on pedestrian safety," Thnay commented. "We worked to not only accommodate auto traffic, but used the plan to accommodate all modes of travel -- including bike and pedestrian."
There is no funding currently available for the proposed changes, but the city is hoping the plan will set a course for the future once money is available.
"The idea is that we have a set of ideas completed for what we want to accomplish," said David Stillman, city transportation engineer. "When a property is redeveloped or we're able to obtain a grant, we have a plan to move forward."
Residents can view draft plans for the Plan Line Study at www.city.palo-alto.ca.us/transportation/plan_line_study.html. A Public Hearing on the Plan Line Study will be held before the Planning and Transportation Commission at 7 p.m. April 28. For more information contact Kott at 329-2578.
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