Palo Alto and Hillsborough bike and pedestrian plans advance

Palo Alto and Hillsborough bike and pedestrian plans advanced, SVBC supporters in Palo Alto and San Mateo played key roles in successfully advocating to advance safer-street plans in Palo Alto and Hillsborough.

In Palo Alto, the City Council this month voted to enact a "safe system" policy for road improvements that prioritizes bike and pedestrian safety. The proposal  includes re-examining intersections where collisions have occurred and making possible improvements, implementing traffic-calming measures in residential neighborhoods and adding bike lanes, Palo Alto Online reports.

Arnout Boelens, an SVBC Palo Alto local team member who chairs the Palo Alto Council of PTA's Safe Routes to School committee, brought a petition signed by 450 residents urging for improving bike safety. More than a dozen attended the meeting to lobby in person.

In Hillsborough, the City Council endorsed adding a Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan to its priorities for 2023 and future years. Four of the five council members ranked the plan as their top priority.

Hillsborough is one of the few municipalities in the San Mateo County area that lack a Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan, said Mike Swire, of SVBC’s Move San Mateo local team. A bicycle and pedestrian plan examines conditions for walking and biking, and issues and needs, and proposes improvements. The lack of a plan limits the town’s ability to attract funding for bike and pedestrian projects and has contributed to a lack of new bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

The SVBC local teams will track action on the plans – stay tuned.

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