California Avenue in Palo Alto to Remain Car-free
Map image shows car-free section of Palo Alto’s California Avenue, in red.
Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition advocates in Palo Alto and other advocates for safe and pedestrian-friendly streets won a Palo Alto City Council decision this week to keep California Avenue permanently car-free, following a heated and lengthy public hearing.
The council also agreed to create bike lanes down the middle of the street.
The council’s action effectively a pandemic-era emergency measure into a permanent state. In doing so, the council overruled a recommendation from city staff for further analysis, and a proposal from businesses in the area to keep at least one traffic lane.
Debate had been heated, withy support among residents and most council members for keeping the street as a pedestrian promenade, but diverging views from businesses, the news site Palo Alto Online reported this week. “Both sides of the debate came out in force, with the council getting more than 150 pages of letters in the days leading up to the Nov. 6 hearing and hearing from dozens of residents and business owners at the meeting,” the Palo Alto Online said in its coverage.