Atherton committee endorses raised school crosswalks and striping, declines new stop sign and permanent speed hump on Selby Lane

The Atherton Transportation, Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Committee voted to recommend raised crosswalks at two existing school crossings on Selby Lane and asked staff to incorporate lane‑edge striping (a narrowed fog‑line) into the town's annual street maintenance project. The decisions followed an update on the town's Active Transportation Plan and a focused safety briefing on Selby Lane.

Robert (town staff) and consultants from Alta Planning & Design summarized the Active Transportation Plan process and outreach: a second outreach phase (Oct. 30–Nov. 30) included pop‑ups, three neighborhood meetings, and an online survey that received 185 responses (67% from Atherton residents). Consultants said public feedback favored pedestrian walkways and intersection crossing improvements while expressing strong opposition to traffic‑calming chicanes and to bike lanes on Selby Lane.

Charlie Simpson of Alta described recommended pedestrian facilities (walkways on one side of select streets, one shared‑use path on Marsh Road) and intersection typologies (high‑visibility crosswalks, pedestrian refuge islands, curb extensions, and hybrid beacons). On bicycles, staff proposed a mix of Class 2 and Class 3 routes and a limited set of buffered or physically separated bikeways where right‑of‑way allows, but said they had scaled back aggressive calming devices after public feedback.

In a separate Selby Lane safety briefing, the Chief of Police reviewed speed studies and collision history: recent critical speed estimates were in the low 30 mph range on a 25 mph street, the average number of collisions on Selby is about two per year, and collision severity has been low. "Based on engineering studies, enforcement data and field observations, Selby Lane does not demonstrate a systemic speeding problem," the chief stated.

Staff presented four candidate responses to resident concerns: (1) a three‑way stop at Serrano, (2) a permanent speed hump near 87 Selby Lane, (3) permanent raised crosswalks at two school crosswalks, and (4) lane‑narrowing/striping (fog line) from El Camino Real to West Selby. After public comment, committee members declined to pursue a new three‑way stop at Serrano and did not support a permanent speed hump at 87 Selby, citing proximity to stop signs, mixed resident reaction, and limited measured speed reductions from past temporary humps. The committee unanimously supported recommending raised crosswalks at the school crosswalks and instructed staff to include lane‑edge striping in the upcoming pavement/striping contract so the measures can be done cost‑effectively.

Residents at length urged practical surfacing (walkable, maintained paths rather than oversized gravel) and clearer responsibilities for frontage maintenance; staff said property owners are typically responsible for frontage maintenance but that town projects or redevelopment can trigger frontage improvements. Consultants said detailed design, cost estimates and prioritization will be prepared in coming months, with concept design work in spring and a draft plan expected in summer.

Next steps: staff will incorporate the striping and Selby crosswalk items into the summer street maintenance project for construction efficiency, finalize prioritization and cost estimates, begin concept designs on high‑priority projects in April, and return with a draft Active Transportation Plan later this summer.