Santa Clara County: Seeking comments on tricky intersection

That is a difficult left turn given the location. It is situated right before a blind corner.

But adding a stop sign for the downhill seems like overkill. I only count 10 lots off of Buena Vista Drive (http://g.co/maps/w3335) if that's all it takes to get your own stop sign, I predict a lot of stop signs popping up on Page Mill.

Wouldn't a well placed mirror be a better fix?

Any how is it cyclists are the problem, are there more cyclists on Page Mill than cars?

Whoever allowed Buena Vista to intersect Page Mill at that location violated highway design standards. It is immediately adjacent to Moody Road, which violates the minimum distance between intersections, and sight distance is insufficient.

This problem should be fixed by relocating Buena Vista so that it either intersects Moody some distance from Page Mill or intersects Page Mill some distance from Moody, in either case where sufficient sight distance exists.

A stop sign on Page Mill is not the right answer.

I bike through this intersection fairly often -- usually on the ascent up Page Mill, turning left onto Moody -- and occasionally on the descent from Skyline. Making that left onto Moody is nerve-wracking; I get fairly close to the center-line, peer around the curve, listen carefully, and then sprint across the other lane as quickly as possible. When descending I make a real point of slowing down before that curve. This past Sunday while descending I saw the new sign and found it distracting and perplexing -- bikes are already supposed to stay to the right.

My vote is for a very distinctive "Slow Down!" sign, possibly with some flashing yellow lights. This of course would apply to cars as well as bikes. There is nothing bike-specific about the need to slow down before that curve. I feel a stop sign is overkill.

I've ridden through this area tons of times during my 20 years of riding in this area.

When I first saw the sign I had no idea what it meant, as it seemed to imply to me that I should descend Moody vs. Page Mill which I thought was very odd. And then basically I've ignored the sign. I finally came to understand its intent when Dan Collen explained it at the VTA BPAC meeting last week.

In all my years of riding in that area I've never encountered a left turning vehicle onto Buena Vista. I'm relatively cautious around all the Page Mill turns including this one.

I think putting a stop sign on the downhill portion of Page Mill in this area is a bad idea, and I'm unconvinced that it will actually be beneficial.

I very much like the suggestion of installing a mirror. The fairly recent mirror that was installed at Old La Honda and 84 (as one is attempting to turn left from OLH onto 84) is just great! I think that's the way to help with this area, a mirror or 2 perhaps positioned in the right place(s).

There are a total of 5 or 6 residences on Buena Vista, the placement of a stop sign to make it easier for that handful of people to make a left turn onto what amount to their shared driveway is absurd.

The MUTCD, section 2B.07 describes the criteria for controlling an intersection with a multi-way stop:

The decision to install multi-way stop control should be based on an engineering study.
04 The following criteria should be considered in the engineering study for a multi-way STOP sign installation:
A. Where traffic control signals are justified, the multi-way stop is an interim measure that can be
installed quickly to control traffic while arrangements are being made for the installation of the traffic
control signal.
B. Five or more reported crashes in a 12-month period that are susceptible to correction by a multi-way stop
installation. Such crashes include right-turn and left-turn collisions as well as right-angle collisions.
C. Minimum volumes:
1. The vehicular volume entering the intersection from the major street approaches (total of both
approaches) averages at least 300 vehicles per hour for any 8 hours of an average day; and
2. The combined vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle volume entering the intersection from the minor
street approaches (total of both approaches) averages at least 200 units per hour for the same 8
hours, with an average delay to minor-street vehicular traffic of at least 30 seconds per vehicle
during the highest hour; but
3. If the 85
th
-percentile approach speed of the major-street traffic exceeds 40 mph, the minimum
vehicular volume warrants are 70 percent of the values provided in Items 1 and 2.
D. Where no single criterion is satisfied, but where Criteria B, C.1, and C.2 are all satisfied to 80 percent of
the minimum values. Criterion C.3 is excluded from this condition.

It seems fairly clear to me that placing a stop sign on page mill to make that intersection safer doesn't meet the requirements. If there is a concern about the safety of that particular intersection, one possibility would be to erect a 'No Left Turn' sign on Page Mill to prevent left turns onto Buena Vista Drive. If there is a safety concern for BV left turns, then this would be the appropriate remedy considering the volume of traffic on page mill vs buena vista.

I too could not understand the "keep right" sign until I read about this issue. A stop sign seems like an overkill to me and will likely not be respected. A better option might be a caution sign warning people about oncoming cars turning left and, perhaps, a lower speed limit in that particular area (or just an emphatic Slow Down! sign).

I'm very familiar with Page Mill Rd as a cyclist. I'm also a driver and typically stop signs are situated where many vehicles would cross. I would think a stop sign would be unexpected and more dangerous. Perhaps a "Slow" warning sign and a mirror to help longer distance visibility for people crossing from Buena Vista.

Please consider alternatives to a stop sign.

Thanks,

Sue Young
(Los Altos resident)

I've been past that intersection hundreds of times the past twenty five years. I've never had a problem until I encountered a station wagon backing out of Buena Vista onto Page Mill about a year ago (I did an emergency turn onto Buena Vista).

That said, I'm glad for this article because it made me more aware of the possibility of cars turning left onto their awkwardly placed street.
To hopefully maximize my visibility, I use a headlight under all conditions and I feel everyone on Page Mill should.

RE a stop sign: I believe having to come to a near complete stop is hardly ideal; that going from 30 mph to zero on such a slope presents its own challenges. I would opt for increased signage or warnings as have been employed on Altamont by the guardrails.

Page Mill is a technically demanding road that is a lot of fun. I think a stop sign would take some of the fun out of it w/o making it necessarily safer.

For those interested in seeing the intersection in question, I took a series of photos of the intersection and posted them on my blog: http://wp.me/p1sDc4-EJ

Also, I received notice from the office of Supervisor Kniss that the decision has been deferred until November 22.

For those interested in seeing the intersection in question, I took a series of photos of the intersection and posted them on my blog: http://wp.me/p1sDc4-EJ

Also, I received notice from the office of Supervisor Kniss that the decision has been deferred until November 22.