City study identifies six candidate crossings for South Palo Alto bike‑pedestrian connections; staff seeks commission feedback

City transportation staff presented the South Palo Alto Bicycle and Pedestrian Connectivity study to the Parks & Recreation Commission on Tuesday and asked for commission feedback on candidate crossing locations and draft design priorities that will guide conceptual designs.

Senior transportation planner Charlie Coles and transportation planning manager Sylvia Starlak described the project as a conceptual planning phase whose goal is to identify two locally preferred grade‑separated bicycle/pedestrian crossings across the Caltrain corridor in the southern part of Palo Alto. Each preferred crossing will be developed to approximately 15% design, and the study will include an implementation plan and funding strategy to pursue environmental review, final design and construction.

Staff said the study area focuses on the rail corridor south of Page Mill Road / Oregon Expressway. The existing crossings mapped in the study include the California Avenue underpass (north of the study area), Meadow and Charleston at‑grade crossings,…