On Wednesday, July 25, the Palo Alto Planning and Transportation Commission (PTC) recommended that City Council make the Charlston-Arastradero corridor restriping permanent, including some fine-tuning recommended in the staff report.
The route serves eleven public and private elementary, middle, and high schools; multiple preschools; south Palo Alto’s only library; community center; six public and private parks; Arastradero Preserve; a shopping center; and a research project. The traffic calming was a mitigation for a series of development projects since 2003 adding 1000 new housing units in the corridor, about 4% of Palo Alto's population.
Letters to PTC favored the project 26-8. About a dozen people gave public comment in person, slightly more against.
The main arguments in favor of making the restriping permanent were that the project achieved its main goals.
- reducing speeding on Arastradero
- reducing collisions
- increased cycling
- while not decreasing travel time
As Commissioner Fineberg summarized, "mission accomplished."
The main arguments against were from residents of Barron Park who reported more cut-through traffic. City staff will do further measurements before the project goes to Council for final approval in September.
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