Reads to me like a some good and necessary improvements. Since disruption is inevitable (not potential) would it be too much to ask that the City hold back on approving other downtown projects so that we don't have an overload of simultaneous disruption?

Following on from Annette's very sensible comment above, I would think it would make sense if the CC, or PAPD, or whoever, would inform us by way of social media, PA Weekly, or whatever, which streets will be impacted on which days.

There is nothing worse than getting stuck in traffic or finding that somewhere you want to go is closed off when you get near, when you could easily have planned to do that another day or take another route if you had known in advance.

Any type of disruptions to traffic in particular, are now fairly easy to alert by technology. If we can plan accordingly it will make our lives a little less stressful and make it easier for those who didn't know and got stuck.

A Palo Alto traffic alert on our phones would be an easy type of solution as would something on PAPD twitter feeds. Thank you.

I hope they are incorporating the latest in solar features in the process.

Would be nice if University Ave were to be paved (with all this tear up) with the solar paving that powers things, or the new plastic paving that lasts longer and takes plastic waste out of the oceans, etc.

I hope that the majority of work would be done at night after 9:00pm. This would help with the traffic congestion..

As If I needed another reason to avoid downtown. It does sound like these are much needed improvements to infrastructure and I'm glad they are combining projects rather than rip up the streets twice.

Marj

Its a good idea but I doubt it. They are already 4 million above projections and the cost of working at night would add alot IMHO. I think this is going to be a daytime operation and University is going to be an ugly place for traffic for a year (if we are lucky)

> 84 directional signs
We don't have enough sign pollution, sure, add more.
And spend a lot on them. Former traffic manager owns a sign company, right?

Why not go all the way and make University a pedestrian mall?
And make Hamilton and Lytton one way streets?
Many European cities have car free zones...

That's great news...and I really mean it... that there will finally be something done about our infrastructure, even though downtown is always the first area served. SPA gets the hind tit most of the time. Thankfully, all the construction won't affect me at all because I never drive downtown anymore since Avenidas moved to Cubberley, and is, essentially, in my own backyard. And, there are enough restaurants, coffee shops, and salons, to fill my needs, near me, in my end of town, at Midtown or CalAve, without having to drive down to University Ave. Wake me up and let me know when it's all over. I have many fond memories of University Ave, most of them going back to our earlier years of living here, the 60's-70's, and maybe some leakage into the 80's-90's. After that the party was over.

@Bob
Your idea is not that far fetched. I've traveled in Europe. I can see that as a real possibility, although I see a problem with it. Where will the cars, coming down to the area, park? People will still have to drive down and park near the pedestrian mall. Oh, wait, I forgot that we will all be riding bicycles and there will be many stands available to park them. Staff and CC goals...a car free town. Under-parked housing projects, multiple bike boulevards, all for the purpose of choking the life out of car drivers. Brilliant idea! I want to hear from all those brilliant people...staff, planners, CC, et al...do you own a car, do you need it, why do you need it, and when do plan to give it up and go carless? Wow, the silence is deafening! Brilliant ideas for us folks, but not so great for them.

@Gale Johnson - Europeans who don't want to walk or bike will take public transit to get downtown. Driving is a last resort.

I vote for University Ave pedestrian only too. The parking garages are off University and there isn't that much parking anyway. The shuttle could be used for more remote parking, especially if garages charge for parking and underwrite the shuttle. The Art Fair showed pedestrian only does work. While they are at it, pedestrian only California Ave would be good, too.

@Still more signs is exactly right. The City is
redoing the Downtown but no mention of a design
consultant or landscape architect being part of
this project. So the City is turning over the Downtown streetscapes to transportation planners whose goal and track record has been to cover the city with signs and paint,bollards,etc making the streets ugly, uglier,ugliest and unsafe at the same time. Now let's do the Downtown. Let's give some big contracts out. The Palo Alto City government is fundamentally broken.

I wonder why they don't dig a utility tunnel under the street. They can then install pipes and electrical wires inside the tunnel and accessible for repairs and future upgrades. Digging and then covering it with mud is so inefficient and disruptive.

Why isn't Market Street in San Francisco pedestrian only? Our University Avenue is a completely different scale, but the pedestrian-only justifications seem to revolve around traffic and density and safety. What arguments apply to University that wouldn't apply to Market Street? Isn't driving a last resort in either case? I'd want to see Mountain View's Castro or Menlo's Santa Cruz go pedestrian-only before considering that for University. One or two weekends per year have proven popular, but permanent closures? I'll be satisfied with the currently proposed downtown upgrade project, but wouldn't count on budget or schedule being anywhere near realistic.

You already have University Ave closures several times a year between the art / wine / music festivals.