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With visitors on the rise, Palo Alto eyes safety improvements at Foothills Nature Preserve

Original post made on Aug 24, 2023

With Foothills Nature Preserve seeing a surge of visitors, Palo Alto is preparing to install new pathways, parking areas and traffic-calming measures with the aim of making roads of safer and protecting sensitive habitats.

Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, August 23, 2023, 5:28 PM

Comments (5)

Posted by Bystander
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Aug 24, 2023 at 9:53 am

Bystander is a registered user.

This seems very much out of date. Yes for the first year visitor numbers were vastly increased. But now as a regular season pass holder I see the numbers are back down to what they were before.

I would suggest that we now have a good method of counting visitors, much better than before. So how many visitors pay $6 entry fee? How many season passes are sold? Why can't season pass renewals be paid at the gate? Why can't season pass holders go in the exit when there are several cars waiting to pay, get change, and get a receipt to stick on windshield (I know that one, but it is a nuisance when there is a line of 4 or 5 cars in front).

What is the total income from the gate fee? What additional expenditures have been made? I see large boulders used to prevent parking in the wrong place. There are also signs needed down by the picnic area to say no parallel parking. Are the bathrooms cleaned more often due to heavy park usage? Are the trash cans emptied more often?

As said in my first paragraph, this article seems to be out of date.


Posted by Dean Samos
a resident of Los Altos
on Aug 24, 2023 at 10:15 am

Dean Samos is a registered user.

I am also a season pass holder, and I agree with the former poster that it would be nice to get in quickly when people are in line in front of me. Maybe a faster payment system for day passes?


Posted by merry
a resident of Palo Alto Hills
on Aug 24, 2023 at 11:11 am

merry is a registered user.

And so it begins. A quiet preserve is getting a make over. Fix what’s broke. There is a problem at the entrance.


Posted by Mayfielder
a resident of Monroe Park
on Aug 24, 2023 at 12:52 pm

Mayfielder is a registered user.

How about removing the “no bikes” sign that prevents cyclists from traveling the last 20 feet from Arastradero Preserve into Foothills? That sign makes no sense for gravel bike riders who just slogged up a steep unpaved road and want to transition onto the uphill asphalt road to Vista Point. So much for being a Bicycle City USA.


Posted by Sonia M
a resident of Adobe-Meadow
on Aug 29, 2023 at 2:36 pm

Sonia M is a registered user.

Since the City Council opened the Nature Preserve to everyone out of a sense of equity and inclusion, might I assume that everyone is paying for the upgrades?


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