I traverse the Ross Road/Louis intersection quite frequently. I fail to see what the problem is with the new dividers.

I assume that these dividers were put in to prevent cars from turning the corner at excessive speeds. I suggest that if drivers slow down, the "hazard" will disappear.

They've had them at Lincoln and Channing for a couple of years now. As the previous poster has stated - slow down and take the turn slowly and you'll be just fine (as opposed to taking the turn fast and cutting into the lane for the cars coming from the opposite direction.

For the two posters above, the problem is not at Ross/Louis intersection.

The problem is between Meadow and Loma Verde!!!!!!

We all get to ride bicycles!!! In the rain!!!! When we are 75 years old!!!! Yippee!!!!

Who the hell is running this town?!

This road adventure started out with median planters (?) in the middle of the road near Louis. Now the project has expanded to add planters on the sides of the road near the YMCA. This is similar to Willow Road - an off-ramp of the freeway no less.
So now we are going to have road impediments in the bike lanes near a well-used facility. Given the concern about the city budget this seems like an expenditure that is exacerbating a problem instead of solving a problem. Why did we spend money on bike lanes when we are now putting concrete in bike lanes. And where are the bikers suppose to be when this is completed? So who is the city planner for this effort? And who is approving the project? And who is paying for this project? This is a city with a right brain vs left brain competition issue. What is even worse is that the tree people for the city want "canopy" which in the winter drops leaves, grows like crazy requiring city maintenance for overhead haircuts which are underfunded and a street cleaner that does not have proper signage in half of the city. These are all "road issues" which are working against each other. And everyone points to someone else on these issues. How about garbage pickup when there are concrete sections next to the sidewalk? Do the arms of the garbage truck extend the width of the concrete barriers? Or are all of the garbage cans required to be moved in a group in front of someone elses's house?

Any comments on how garbage day went this week, today, Tuesday?

The method Palo Alto has chosen to transform Ross Road into a bicycle path is so counter-intuitive that it is startling. By putting pinch points in the street, the parade of children bicycling to school is periodically forced from the side of the street directly into traffic. This forces the cars to slow down - or else results in kids getting injured. Would it have been safer and more cost effective to apply some bike lane stripes and lower speed limit?

"major hazard area" Declared by...me! Haha.

I have no issues with it. The only time I see hazards they are because of drivers who lack self control. Reign in the drivers and it will be better, but in reality, there REALLY are too many cars for PA to handle. Really really really! It's been warned for decades, ignored by most and now it is upon us...REALLY!! There is no road solution just like there is no cup solution trying to fit 10oz into an 8oz cup.

[Post removed.]

A few months back, I witnessed three ladies with clip boards looking at a newly planted tree. It was situated in a two foot median between the street and the sidewalk, near the library near Collage Ave. So, I went up to take a look, evidently they were from CANOPY.They were there to study the health of the new tree, check for mechanical damage ect... So asked them what kind of tree it was. Two of the ladies had no clue, the third had to look at the tag. Before she replied, I informed her that it was a Quercus lobata. I stated that these trees grow can grow up to 100 feet high, and can have a diameter up to ten feet. I also told them that it was extremely irresponsible to plant it in a two foot wide planting strip. Let alone, they have jurisdiction to impose fines on unwary contractors, due to mechanical damage, especially on a tree that they have not a clue what it is. Someone in CANOPY decided to plant it there. This is the same group of folks that wanted different trees planted on Cal Ave, now it looks like crap. Who are these People!? And Where did they come from?

This is a a prime example of the idiocy that goes on in this city. Enough is enough!!!

" Let alone, they have jurisdiction to impose fines on unwary contractors, due to mechanical damage, especially on a tree that they have not a clue what it is."

No they don't. Learn something besides showboat Latin.

The City also wants to eliminate parking on the north side of Loma Verde and put a two way bike lane on that side, Then put an $11,000,000 ( It will be $22,000,000 by the time they are done) bike underpass under the train tracks at Alma. Oh yea, I forgot to add that they slipped it under the guise of $340,000 +/- Matadero creek bike path study. I wish I was making this stuff up, but I am not.

@ Curmudgeon

I should have written: Canopy has the influence to bring to the attention of the city arborist, who then has the jurisdiction to impose fines on unwary contractors.

So, what what you are saying is that it is OK to put a ten foot wide tree in a two foot median? The fact still remains that CANOPY puts trees in areas were the trees do not belong.

Showboat Latin?! Just say'in.

Quercus lobata also known as the Valley Oak

Web Link

The traffic on Ross won't magically disappear. I imagine that the increases in traffic on Louis and probably streets like Ames, Christine, and others near the YMCA are increasing.

The City traffic engineer should put up one of the traffic counters outside Palo Verde school on Louis and these other connector streets to see just how much extra traffic these streets are getting. I feel sure the residents of these streets are not enjoying the extra traffic!

1, 2, 3, 4....too many for the roads to handle no matter what the configuration is.

There done.

The traffic on Louis Road has increased at an alarming rate. Some times there are streams of cars going by. Why? Is there some computer program that is directing people down Louis? Why not the road next to the freeway on the west side and east side? Louis is not a commercial road so why? If anyone has a clue as to why please inform.

The question on the table is why all of these irrational road blocks are being built around the city with no forewarning to the residents? Someone thinks they are "controlling" the situation but reality is cars are not going to go away and should be kept separate from children. They are now being smashed into a small space. Also interferes with fire trucks, ambulances, street cleaning. garbage pick-up. Who is in charge here? Name, rank and file number please. We do not need anonymous people changing the city around with no notification.

What the City will tell you is that there were several meetings for public input. In the case of the new Loma Verde Bike lane, we were all under the assumption it was for a path next to the creek. So most people that will be effected did not attend the meetings. After all how could a bike path next to the creek, morph into A divided bike lane, with a curb divider all the way down Loma Verde, with an $11,000,000 bike underpass at Alma? This is typical operating procedure for the city. Fire them all.

The top comments on the fires in the hills is that the roads are irregular which prevents the fire trucks from rapidly moving around. Translate that to locations in the city which support senior activities which may require immediate medical support. The YMCA has programs for heart attack rehabilitation. So we are now putting road blocks in the specific areas in which fire trucks or ambulances may have to navigate in quick response. Near senior centers? Gyms for all ages?
I have been checking out the progress on the road barriers as they are being built and have to shake my head at this whole activity. Has the city coordinated this with the fire department? Local hospitals? Any other required police and security assistance? It is like the "car reduction" people are single focused on a project that has got funding from the city or state but have not completely vetted this project with all of the other city road users. So who is responsible for this? I think that the appropriate city group should report on the specific requirements that they had to review to proceed.

Granite Rock, the subcontractor for the city started cutting the asphalt for the new islands, at Loma Verde and Ross. It appears that there will not be enough room for a bicycle Lane on West bound Loma Verde. To me it looks like an accident waiting to happen. And an impending law suit. It sure is easy spending other people's money, especially if you do not have skin in the game.

Check it out, tell us what you think.

I previously attended some announced meetings on road updates. A lot of opinions expressed but do not recall tearing up the streets to include road barriers. But now we have WAZE telling everyone where to go. Article in SJM today about a flow of cars through Woodside residential streets that are ill-equipped to handle traffic jams. SJM advice to readers is to ignore Waze in residential areas. I have seen streams of cars turn onto Louis Road going north as well as other steams going south to Charleston. Louis has schools so why stream cars through a street with schools?
Note to city there should be a traffic signal at Louis and Charleston since the traffic in that location has increased dramatically but all they do is updated the passenger crossing sign which drivers ignore, and the bicycle people do not use the lights - they just pop out. Who ever this city is paying to "consult" on this project is being overcome by other factors not taken into consideration. Sorry - no point here for a job well done. Do not use this as a qualification in future political attempts.

Please can someone clarify the legal right of way when the road is narrowed so that 2 cars cannot pass at the same time.

We know how to negotiate four way stops, but narrowed roadways is not clear.

Do all cars in one direction have right of way and then the opposite direction or should they take turns like four way stops? Who has right of way when two cars approach at the same time? Is additional signage required showing which direction has precedence?

I've seen the new construction and I'm not sure what it will look like when it is done. But, assuming that it is similar to other such projects, one of the goals will be to get people to slow down. Of course, people could have slowed down before this project was started, but, apparently, they didn't.

[Post removed.]

@Anon

The only way I see that it will make cars slow down is when a bicycle and a car have to share the same space. The problem is that the driving habits of vehicles is horrendous, this is especially the case with regards to bicyclists. The soon to be new traffic island on Loma Verde at Ross will be a prime example. Again, the only way the traffic island will make people slow down is a near miss with another vehicle... Furthermore, I believe the law requires that a car needs at least three feet distance to pass a bicycle. This distance does not exist on Loma Verde.

The speed limits will be raised all over the city, except in front of schools. It is on next Mondays consent calendar.

Watch out next time, when you decide not to stop at that stop sign. Oh the pain.

Wow. These road *hazards* they're putting in are as well-thoughtout as the bike lanes around Jordan. What a mess - pinching the road to have bicyclists ride in the middle of the road?

What kind of rocket scientist thought this was a good idea? Oh the same ones who screwed up Middlefield.

Josh Mello needs to god.

Totally agree that Josh Mello needs to go.

What's with all the new posts/poles at every intersection on Middlefield to prevent cars from turning onto side streets and/or going around cars stopped trying to turn into our driveways?? And all the new striping that widens/narrows the roads unexpectedly?

How does that make any sense when the speed limits will be changing every few blocks because there are at least 3 schools on Middlefield between University & Oregon?

To whom do we complain about this? Is there anyone at City Hall who checks traffic flow during rush hours (both work times and school pickup/drop off times?

@Online Name

I drove that part of Middlefield very recently and I found that most of those white poles were places where all the leaves were piling, blocking the bike lane altogether. I feel sure that the sweepers will not be able to sweep them away which makes that very dangerous as bikes will have to avoid them.

"...the driving habits of vehicles is horrendous, this is especially the case with regards to bicyclists."

Agreed. And installing ever more distractions for those drivers makes the roads ever more dangerous for bikes.

Don't just do for doing's sake, Mr. Mello. THINK first.

I'd really love to know what they're thinking! And driving habits are only going to get worse as people are increasingly distracted by constantly changing speed limits, road widths, poles/posts, bulbouts, flashing signs, etc.

Noticed today the city finally finished their lengthy construction work on Kellogg in front of Lucy Stern and what did they accomplish?

They created giant bulbouts at Kellogg /Middlefield that narrow the intersection dramatically, thus eliminating the 2 turn lanes onto Middlefield thus creating even more backups!

Again, why?? The work was extensive and obviously expensive but why??

Just witnessed a near miss earlier today. West bound San Antonio at El Camino. This is in Mt. View going towards Los Altos. The new striping in the right hand lane does not line up straight due to new island. When driving straight in the right hand lane you have to veer right in the intersection to be in the right lane. I witnessed a truck almost hit a car today. To me it was not the trucks fault. Just a matter of time before someone is injured.

Is it possible these islands needed to be created for self driving cars? The city is always is going after State and Fed grants. Follow the money and we will have the answer.

Josh Mello is the chief transportation official for Palo Alto.

Web Link

"Josh was recognized in 2013 as Professional of the Year by the Association of Bicycle and Pedestrian Professionals. "

This is worse than the last guy they hired who painted all the green bike lanes and at the same time owned the company that installed them. Josh go back to Georgia, along with the person or persons that hired him.

Past Transportation Chief:

Web Link

I wish that this was Fake News, but it is not.

Here is the article that raised concerns about conflict of interest regarding former transportation chief.This is why he resigned:

Web Link

I wish I was making this stuff up.

Resident, I'm not sure what point you are making about these current projects. Jaime Rodriguez left almost three years ago.

I get it that you don't like anything that impinges on auto traffic. I disagree-- I want the city to prioritize pedestrian and bicycle traffic, and public transportation.

But, beyond that, I want cars to slow down and drive less aggressively. Drive less aggressively, as in, drive at the general speed of traffic flow instead of weaving in and out of multiple lanes. That is what traffic calming is all about-- getting people to drive at the speed of the flow. Slow down, as in, don't drive 40-45 in a 25 zone with children on foot and on bicycles present.

You don't think "traffic calming" measures are a good way to do this, but, traffic engineers say otherwise:

Web Link

The city is all about making money. Get the Fed or state grant money. This is what these programs are about, what get's my goat is that it is done in the name of safety. These islands have made our commute longer, and unsafe. Remember the six foot wide concrete planters that used to be behind Cubberly, on Nelson Drive? Well the did not work, and were subsequently removed.

As far as Jaime Rodriguez goes, he owns American Asphalt. Jaime pushed for the green bike lanes which his company installed. This was a clear conflict if interest, possibly a jailable offence.

The new transportation manager; Josh Mello expertize is funding. As in He knows how to get the grants. It is kind of like picking the kid with the brand new football to play on the team, He is not very good, but he brings the brand new football.

I do not care what kind of study they spit out... These traffic island are unsafe...

@Anon, the traffic engineers have a vested interest in selling you all these studies designed to tell govt officials what they want to hear and to sell you more road furniture, barriers, posts/poles, paint, etc. And anyone with any common sense and objectivity knows you don't conduct traffic surveys on off hours rather than at peak times (rush hours, school commute times, etc.) unless you want to bias the results.

I too doubted anyone could be worse than Jaime whom it took many many years to synchronize the unnecessary traffic lights at Town & Country but I was wrong. Mr. Mello and his crew have repeatedly failed at neighborhood "outreach" and residents have had to watch them like hawks and even then they ignore input about NOT changing the speed limits every few blocks, narrowing traffic lanes so buses and cars are in contention, striping, etc etc etc. He fails to respond to neighborhood questions and complaints.

As a good East Coaster, I'm wondering whether Chris Christie and his Bridgegate Crew are in charge here because every time I drive down a new street, there's a new obstacle designed to back up traffic.

Compounding the problems are all the double-parked FEDEX trucks blocking the narrowed streets since the drivers are penalized if they take the time to park!

@ Anon

"Resident, I'm not sure what point you are making about these current projects. Jaime Rodriguez left almost three years ago."

Just wanted to make things crystal clear, to avoid the confusion on exactly what is going on with our local government. History is repeating it self.

Transportation Director Josh Mello needs to be fired. What gives him the right to alter our city with his expensive and ineffective street designs. He is a pawn for the bike lobby. Citizens need to write the city council and express their unhappiness with Mello. The city gave the last Transportation Director the boot. It’s time for Mello to get the boot, too. He is wasting taxpayer money and increasing our traffic woes with his foolish, childish road designs.

@ Anon

If you are so concerned about speeding, why would the city raise the speed limits around town? It is because now they can use radar on those streets so they can generate more revenue.


It is item number 9 on the consent calendar, for this Monday's City council meeting. Here is a link:

Web Link

"Pawn for the bike lobby"? Count me in. The vehicle lobby has been in the driver's seat for 100 years. Time to get out and walk/ride. Palo Alto's relative bike-friendliness is one of the reasons I have stayed here for so long. I love the word "entitlement" by the way -- nothing more "entitled" than car drivers who think that they personally own the roads are are -entitled- to drive however they want without regard for other people.

But, to the point about speed limits: A 30 MPH speed limit that is -enforced- is far better than a 25 MPH speed limit that is flouted with vehicles going 40 MPH on narrow streets with small children present. Radar? -Slow down-

Speed limits without enforcement are meaningless.

-Share the road-

Ok, I'm confused. Where will radar enforcement be allowed? Alma? Middlefield? Embarcadero? Loma Verde? Meadow? Charleston? Louis? Does not look like speed limits will be increased on any of these streets. Actually decreased near our schools? Does that make radar enforcement legal anywhere? Or just on Deer Creek Road? Have I seen any complaints about Deer Creek?

@ Musical

Look at consent calendar item 9, basically every road that the city is increasing the speed, will now be subject to radar enforcement.

@Anon

Entitled?! I am glad that you live close to work and shopping that you are able to ride a bike. The majority of voting taxpayers cannot. I want safe roads just like everyone else. The new traffic islands are not safe. Period.

FYI When you through out that word entitled, it pretty much blows your whole argument. Next time you want to use it, just look in the mirror.

@Resident, I am looking at item 9.

Verbiage indicates speed limit increases on just TWO roadway segments, explicitly called out as Deer Creek Road and East Bayshore. So those are the only places we can use radar?

@musical

I was looking at the first reading, looks like council eliminated most of the proposed speed increases. Sounds like they were listening.

However, we still have the issue of the hazardous traffic islands, and scofflaw bicyclists .

"@Anon

Entitled?! I am glad that you live close to work and shopping that you are able to ride a bike. The majority of voting taxpayers cannot. I want safe roads just like everyone else. The new traffic islands are not safe. Period.

FYI When you through out that word entitled, it pretty much blows your whole argument. Next time you want to use it, just look in the mirror."


Entitled? Yes, I feel -entitled- to walk and ride a bicycle safely. Just as -entitled- as you are to drive. :-)

Anyone notice the sound of fire trucks going to a fire lately? Speed is of the essence. So how are fire trucks going to get around the growing number of road errors in front of someone's house. And how fast can they respond when there are concrete barriers in the road?

"Ross Road is now a major hazard area and for safety's sake I urge anyone using it to consider the following."

I drive down Ross Road occasionally, and can verify that it is not a hazard area at all, major or otherwise.

"1. Would Louis or Middlefield be a better alternative route, whether you are walking, biking or driving? Remember that Louis passes an elementary school and has another very close."

Not really. People drive, walk and bicycle to and past elementary schools all the time.

It sounds like you live on Ross and want everyone to go away. Being a public thoroughfare, pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicle traffic is part for the course. My neighborhood is the same way - a couple of schools, road and sidewalk traffic, and garbage and recycling bins at the curb. That is all just part of living in town.

"But, beyond that, I want cars to slow down and drive less aggressively. Drive less aggressively, as in, drive at the general speed of traffic flow instead of weaving in and out of multiple lanes. That is what traffic calming is all about-- getting people to drive at the speed of the flow. Slow down, as in, don't drive 40-45 in a 25 zone with children on foot and on bicycles present."

Do you really believe that people who drive so badly are going to behave any better when they hop on a bicycle? My experience as a pedestrian is that they do not. Cyclists in Palo Alto are at least as badly behaved as motorists. The solution to badly behaved drivers and cyclists is increased traffic enforcement.

I use Ross Road almost every day. I do not see anyone speeding or being reckless. Maybe it is just timing. People are very conservative in residential areas. People slow down because we have children biking to and from school. The use of road barriers to "slow down people" is a justification that is unfounded. Looking for an excuse to do something - spend money. Why not spend money on new street signs, new lamp posts, and notifications on street cleaning which would be more helpful. Also signs that indicate there is no overnight for overlarge vehicles - like RV's. Do we all get to vote on what type of road issues we want addressed and implemented? We did that in the meetings but do not see ideas discussed being implemented.

Now Loma Verde traffic has to encroach into the bike lanes to negotiate the latest batch of street furniture!

For those of you so supportive of everyone getting out of cars and onto bikes, let's require all the commuters who triple or quadruple our population each workday to ride bikes.

Probem solved and zillions of $$$$$ saved on all the spending on road furniture, consultants and lawsuits when people start dying because emergency vehicles can't get through and/or collide with the road hazards.

Do we have an alternative ?

"2. Should bikes use the center of the street or sidewalks to bypass the hazards? At present, both methods are being used."

Just passed by new the new roadway narrowing on Ross, between Loma Verde and Clara, this is what the traffic engineers call a choker. I had to come to a complete stop, because I was not sure which way the bicyclist would go, the bicyclists was not sure which way to go either. I almost got rear ended in the meantime.

How did such a small percentage of commuters take control?

Josh Mello and the Bicycle Mafia just screwed up our city.....again.

There's free unobstructed access on freeways so there must not be any traffic on freeways, right? Of maybe its not the road but the amount of cars(Duh?)

Anyway, I understand the need to blame some "Outside group" for your woes. That's how it's done here in Trumpland...blame a group that is "Not like us" and make sure you call them names. Meanwhile, on the unobstructed freeway, there is gridlock because (shocker here) there are too many cars trying to fit into the same space. Physics wins always. Reality can be seen only if you have open eyes.

@ The Reality Stork
You and your fellow patrons of the Bicycle Mafia should pay for the the new traffic islands out of your bicycle registration. Oh,I forgot you do not pay Bicycle registration. It must be nice to be able to travel to work with just a bicycle and a backpack.For the rest of us it is not possible.

These new islands are unsafe. Period.

P.S. Thank goodness this is not Trumpland, but if it were, I am sure that these traffic islands would never have been installed in the first place.

@Resident: I drive to the east bay every day. I ride a bike rarely, in the baylands when I do, and if it's warm enough. It squeaks a lot but I like it.

Even though I'm not a commuting cyclist I can still see reality while you seem to have not much more than attempted insults and name calling. You seem more motivated by spite, needing to blame, maybe even punish some group of "Others".

Sure, get rid of the islands. I can get behind that. Traffic will still suck and the bikes will still be passing you as too many cars for the road sit idle. The no-bikes-allowed freeways without any road diet structures are still clogged...enjoy the weekend, less commuter traffic ya know.

I spoke with the workmen putting in the islands on Loma Verde/Ross today. They told me that these islands would not be lit, just reflectors and it isn't clear how tall the reflectors will be.

Accident waiting to happen.

I drove along Louis this afternoon, 3.15 - 3.20, prime middle school commute time. There were droves of Jordan and JLS students on bikes on Louis as well as plenty of cars. My impression is that there are more bikes and cars on Louis than there used to be, Ross traffic is definitely being diverted to Louis. I hope that when they do the vehicle counts they count the bikes as well as cars on Louis!

[Post removed .]

@ Reality Stork

"Even though I'm not a commuting cyclist I can still see reality while you seem to have not much more than attempted insults and name calling. You seem more motivated by spite, needing to blame, maybe even punish some group of "Others"."

If cannot see that these projects are for the city to make money, then you are the one not living in reality. This has made traffic worse in The Bay Area. You should stop drinking the Kool-Aid.

@Resident: Don't quit running until you hit the finish tape. Don't quit reading until the last line. You clearly missed it when I said "Sure, get rid of the islands. I can get behind that."

Just here to help.

"I spoke with the workmen putting in the islands on Loma Verde/Ross today. They told me that these islands would not be lit, just reflectors and it isn't clear how tall the reflectors will be."

Gruesome traps for bikes lacking bright headlamps. Ugh. Let's hope those reflectors are on very flexible stems.

Be careful on the part between Colorado and Loma Verde. It is now a zig zag course, staying left of some obstacles and right of others.

I have started taking Louis northbound in the late afternoon to get to the offices near the postal facility on East Bayshore via Embarcadero. Why? Because expanded rush hour traffic (I'm talking at 3PM! in the afternoon) has made it difficult to take West Bayshore via the Oregon Expressway to get to the same location, doubling the time for the trip. I figured this out on my own without using WAYZ. There are no public transportation routes that would take me there, and biking would require using the overpass, and at 64, it is too strenuous a trip for me.

Traffic is a regional problem, not local to Palo Alto. I also hope that these spry young people who expect people to bike everywhere remember their pro-bike arguments when they or their loved ones get older. Maybe the solution is for people to be taken everywhere by bike-powered Ubers.

In the very early mornings it seems easier to negotiate if I drive more slowly. There are less cars on the road so the traffic isn't backed up at that time. I've adapted by slowing down a bit. I'm glad I don't have to regularly drive it during school commute hours though. I've tasted that pain on occasion...Ouch.