Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Traffic Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Palo Alto officials pledge stepped-up traffic enforcement, warn of illegal e-bikes
Summary
City transportation and police leaders told a neighborhood meeting the city is expanding traffic enforcement and parking changes, urged residents to log complaints online and warned that many fast electric bikes operating on sidewalks are illegal and will be targeted.
Palo Alto transportation and police leaders told residents at a neighborhood outreach meeting on Aug. 27 that the city is increasing targeted traffic enforcement and making parking changes downtown, and that officers will step up enforcement against fast, illegal electric bikes that endanger pedestrians.
Ria Lowe, the city—s chief transportation official, and Police Chief Andrew Bender said residents should use the city—s online forms to report traffic and parking complaints so the police traffic supervisor and traffic unit can log and respond to hotspots.
The officials said the city has already begun data-driven enforcement in local neighborhoods. Bender said his office recorded 185 traffic citations issued from Jan. 1 to July 31 in the neighborhoods represented at the meeting, with Middlefield and Hawthorne among the hotspots.
Why it matters: residents at the meeting reported speeding, dangerous driving and sidewalk hazards from electric bikes and scooters. City staff described a mix of engineering, enforcement and outreach steps they plan to use to address those problems.
Lowe summarized planned and ongoing engineering changes: updates to the bicycle and pedestrian transportation plan with advisory-committee items in October and November; a Churchill grade-separation community meeting on Sept. 30; creation of a quiet-zone strategy for Palo Alto Avenue and an interim quiet-zone study for Churchill; and prioritizing red-curb placements downtown as required by the recently enacted AB 413.
Bender described how the police handle complaints. Traffic reports submitted through paloaltopd.gov go to a traffic supervisor and are assigned to either the dedicated traffic team (one sergeant and two motorcycle officers) or to patrol officers during discretionary time.
On electric bikes and similar devices, the police and transportation staff said there are three classes of legal e-bikes but also faster hybrid devices that are not permitted on city streets or sidewalks. Bender said his department is training officers and will respond to reports; he asked residents to call 911 or the nonemergency line to report dangerous riders. Lowe said the city—s safe-routes and education programs will discourage purchase and use of off‑street devices by children.
Residents asked for quicker traffic-calming work on Bryant Street and the Emerson/Embarcadero corridor. Lowe and Bender said they are prioritizing speed surveys and speed-calming projects; Bender cautioned that speed-survey results can affect the department—s ability to conduct enforcement until thresholds are met. The transportation staff said an initial list of street segments for speed surveys will come to council on Sept. 8.
Bender closed by urging community cooperation in crime prevention and traffic reporting: "If you see suspicious activity, report it immediately," he said, noting secure-storage and theft prevention tips on the police website.
The city did not announce a new ordinance or vote at the meeting; officials recommended residents deliver complaints through the city—s online forms and attend upcoming advisory meetings to weigh in on project details.
