The Barron Park Association

Concept Plans for Maybell Bike Boulevard

 City Actions and Activities in Barron Park, Streets  No Responses »
Feb 022014
 

Information and commentary provided by Lynnie Melena

The Transportation Division held the second of the Maybell – Donald – Georgia Bicycle Boulevard Community Outreach Meetings on January 28, 2014

Approximately 25-30 people attended this meeting. At the beginning and again at the end, people had a chance to pore over sets of plans showing concepts for the Maybell-Donald-Georgia Bicycle boulevard.

You can view the detailed presentation drawings here: Maybell drawings 01.30.14 They consist of five sheets:

#1 is along El Camino Way from West Meadow to El Camino and on Maybell to Thain Way. Starting at El Camino Way and W. Meadow, one concept showed bow-outs at that intersection (mostly to benefit peds) and pavement markings to direct bicycles through the intersection.  There was also a proposal to prohibit parking on west side of El Camino Way approaching the intersection with El Camino in the morning bike commute, and to increase the size of the waiting area for bicycles waiting to cross El Camino at El Camino Way/Maybell.

#2 and #3 are  two alternatives along Maybell from Thain Way to Donald Drive. Of the several concepts for Maybell,  the most significant one was to create a 12-foot wide “shared-use path” (bikes and peds) on the north side. How it would be delineated (pavers or paint) has not developed. Parking would be prohibited on the south side. Other concepts include painting “sharrows” on the roadway (indicating the roadway is to be shared by bikes and cars).

#4 is the Clemo to Amaranta section on Maybell (three alternatives) and Coulombe intersection (two alternatives). One concept is a raised textured or painted area within the intersections of Maybell-Amaranta and Maybell-Clemo, or both, or just raised sidewalks, to slow traffic and alert drivers that this is a special area for pedestrians.

#5 is along Donald and Georgia to the Gunn HS Spur Trail. One concept was to create bow-outs where the present bike/ped path from Gunn meets Georgia and to realign the path (slowing bicyclists down a little) to improve safety for students entering Georgia at that point.  It would also highlight this bike access point to drivers.

These drawings were all meant to be preliminary ideas, responding to comments from the first meeting, for which staff was seeking feedback.  Most of the “group” part of the meeting was Q and A.

The timeline for this project going forward is as follows:
  • Spring 2014–Community Meeting #3 or present concept plans to Planning and Transportation Commission
  • Summer 2014–Council approval of concept plans
  • Fall 2014–Final design and environmental assessment

You can view Jaime Rodriguez presentation here: Maybell Bike Blvd – 2nd Meeting – 01 28 14 Presentation

Update on Matadero Bicycle Boulevard

 City Actions and Activities in Barron Park, Streets  No Responses »
Dec 072013
 

The Transportation Division has just started collecting additional traffic data along the Matadero, Margarita Bicyle Boulvard route. This is in response to comments from the Planning and Transportation Commission when Jaime Rodriguez, the Chief Transportation Official,  presented the proposal in mid-November. Several commissioners expressed concerns about the safety of bicyclists who would use the route and others raised questions about the lack of data about the number of bicyclists who now use the route and the projected future volumes.

The data will include both bicycle and vehicle data. The bicycle counts will be collected using video cameras for 7-days with someone subsequently reviewing the video in an office.  Roadway tube counters at the same time will collect vehicle counts/speed data. The following image shows the locations where the data will be acquired.

The proposal for the bicycle boulevard  followed two Barron Park community meetings, in May and September of 2013. Photos of the design concept were previously posted on the Barron Park Association website, /2013/08/25/initial-concept-plan-for-matadero-margarita-bike-boulevard/

The proposal includes:

  • Laguna/Matadero Intersection : crosswalk and bike markings to aid pedestrians and alert drivers to presence of bicyclists
  • Along Matadero from Laguna to El Camino : speed humps to calm traffic and sharrows painted on the roadway to position cyclists
  • Tippawingo/Josina/Matadero intersection: 3 new crosswalks, including one raised (speed table) across Matadero, and pedestrian refuge areas at the Josina corners

No bicycle lanes were contemplated and none were included because Matadero itself is too narrow to accommodate them.

According to the Transportation Division, it is unlikely that the proposal will come back to the PTC before early February.  If the project does moves forward, the speed humps/tables on Matadero could be installed in late-summer.

 

Pipeline Replacement Work – starting soon

 City Actions and Activities in Barron Park, Public Works and Utilities Info, Streets  No Responses »
Nov 112013
 
What is going to be done: installing new 2” polyethylene gas mains and new 1” service lines to replace aging pipelines. The formal name of this capital improvement project is Gas Main Replacement Project (GMR) 19B/20/21.
 
Where it is going to happen:  Following map  indicates the  (blue lines on map) streets  where work will take place (click on map for enlarged view):

Pipeline repair map Barron Park 2013

LaDonna from Barron to Kendall and down Kendall to El Camino,
Whitsell
La Selva
Matadero from Josina to El Camino
Laguna from Laguna Oaks to Shauna Lane
Ilima Court & part of Ilima Way
San Jude
Cass Way

Contractor for the project: Daleo, will be starting work on the streets indicated on the attached map* next Tuesday November 12th.  Residents whose gas service may be impacted got a direct notice-  (*Laguna Avenue, Ilima Way, Ilima Court, and San Jude Avenue)

 
If you have questions about this project: contact Debra Katz (contact info below), or contact contractor directly:
 
Project Contractor:  Daleo, Inc. (408) 846-9621
Utilities GMR Project Engineer: An Le (650) 566-4528
 
Debra Katz
Utilities Communications Manager
City of Palo Alto
PO Box 10250
Palo Alto CA 94303
(650) 329-2474

Community Meeting: Maybell-Donald-Georgia Bicycle Boulevard

 City Actions and Activities in Barron Park, Streets, Uncategorized  No Responses »
Sep 122013
 

Another Community meeting called by the Transportation Division to receive input about a bicycle boulevard, this one running along Maybell-Donald-Georgia, from El Camino Way to Arastradero.

When:  September 17, 2013 @ 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Where: Terman Middle School Cafeteria Room

The text of the message sent to homeowners by mail:

“The City is soliciting public input on design elements of the proposed Maybell-Donald-Georgia Bicycle Boulevard between El Camino Way and Arastradero Road. This project is proposed in the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan 2012 and supports Safe Routes to School operations for Briones Elementary, Terman Middle and Gunn High School.

The kickoff meeting will include a presentation on standard bicycle boulevard treatments and allow residents to provide input, using high resolution maps, of areas where focused improvements may be necessary to improve bicycle and pedestrian operations.

All information shared at the meeting will be posted on the City website at www.cityofpaloalto.org/transportationprojects

Following the meeting, the design team will put together improvement concepts that are responsive to the community input and return for a followup meeting later in the fall.”

If this follows the recipe for similar meetings they’ve held on the Matadero-Margarita Bicycle Boulevard, Jaime Rodriguez will give a presentation about bicycle boulevard treatments and answer a few questions and take a few comments. He will then ask the attendees to break up into several groups and look at some high resolution posters of the streets taped to tables in the rear, and write their comments and suggestions for special treatments (crosswalks, signs, speed humps…) on those places on the posters.

He refused to discuss other traffic issues publicly (invited speaker to talk with him privately) when they were raised at the recent Matadero -Margarita Bicycle Boulevard meeting.

Initial Concept Plan for Matadero – Margarita Bike Boulevard

 City Actions and Activities in Barron Park, Streets  No Responses »
Aug 252013
 

The  City’s Transportation Division has prepared a draft Initial Concept Plan for the Matadero-Margarita Bicycle Boulevard.

A community meeting has been scheduled to solicit public input on the design elements of this plan:

WHEN: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 at 7:00 PM
WHERE: Barron Park Elementary School multi-purpose room.

General Bike Boulevard Treatments
Alert road users to the presence of cyclists with:

  • Bike Boulevard stencils on the road at gateways
  • Bike Blvd signage
  • Sharrows every 350 feet or closer to position cyclists in the travel lane (away from pedestrians and the ‘door zone’ of parked cars)

Some of the specifics, images and treatments:

Laguna – Matadero Section

Matadero – Josina – Tippawingo Section

Matadero – El Camino – Margarita Section

The City of Palo Alto held the kick-off meeting for the Matadero-Margarita Bicycle Boulevard Project on Wednesday, May 15, 2013. A presentation on general bicycle boulevard features was shared, and members of the public were asked to provide input on the existing conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists in the corridor. Public input was captured on aerial maps of the corridor and by staff recording public comments during the meeting.

Send Questions to:
Sylvia Star-Lack
Safe Routes to School Assistant Coordinator
City of Palo Alto Transportation Division
250 Hamilton Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301
email: Sylvia.Star-Lack@CityofPaloAlto.org
Send Email
T: 650-329-2156 | F: 650-329-2154

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