Palo Alto committee backs Safe Streets for All plan with 2035 zero-deaths target

The Palo Alto Policy & Services Committee recommended the City Council adopt the final draft of the Palo Alto Safe Streets for All safety action plan, asking council to approve a target date of 2035 to reduce fatal and serious-injury collisions to zero.

The plan, presented by Sylvia Starlak, planning manager in the office of transportation, is intended to qualify the city for federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant funding and to institutionalize a “safe systems” framework for city transportation decisions. Starlak said the plan ties to other transportation efforts such as the bicycle and pedestrian transportation plan update and will allow the city to use tools including quick-build projects and policy changes that prioritize safety in trade-off decisions.

The plan uses crash data from 2018–2022 to identify a high-injury network (HIN). Starlak said 63% of collisions occur on 4% of Palo Alto streets; the top three streets for injury collisions are El Camino Real, Middlefield Road and Embarcadero Road. Staff said the project team received more than 300 public comments during a four-month review, and that the final draft incorporated almost all key themes raised by the public, including concerns about lighting, daylighting treatments, safe routes to school and the San Antonio Road area plan. The plan does not include a local regulation for minors on e-bikes because Starlak said e-bikes are regulated at the state level and several jurisdictions, including Marin County and parts of San Diego County, have obtained state authorization to limit minors.

Committee members broadly supported the plan and the 2035 target but noted the tension between ambition and staff capacity. Council member Stone called the work “critical” and said she would support 2035 while acknowledging resource constraints. Council member Liu and Council member Lou both described 2035 as ambitious but preferable to a later target, saying an earlier goal focuses implementation.

E-bike regulation and enforcement drew sustained discussion. Stone asked what the city can do now about minors on e-bikes; Assistant Chief Reifschneider of the Police Department said state law has not kept pace with e-vehicle developments and that enforcement options are limited, in part because these vehicles can be fast, maneuverable and difficult for patrol cars to pursue. He and council members emphasized education as a near-term approach while awaiting state action. Council members asked staff to consult the city’s transportation consultant (Townsend) about recent state legislation and pilot programs used by other jurisdictions so the city can be ready to implement local regulation if the state authorizes it.

Council members also discussed state advocacy as a lever to support the plan’s goals; Liu referenced Assembly Bill 645 (camera-based speed enforcement) as an example of state-level change that could help local safety outcomes. Staff agreed to follow up with the consultant on state legislation and pilot programs.

After discussion the committee voted 3–0 to move the staff recommendation forward for council consideration with the plan’s 2035 target date. The recorded votes were Vice mayor Vinkar: Yes; Council member Stone: Yes; Council member Liu: Yes.

The staff presentation and committee discussion will be forwarded to the full City Council for final adoption of the resolution to adopt the SS4A plan.