Commission backs phased Distl Drive safety changes, including a test striped bike lane

The Los Altos City Traffic and Transportation Commission voted to ask staff to implement a phased “base” approach to improve safety on Distl Drive, the street used by many students traveling to Los Altos High School. Commissioners said the near‑term package — restriping to add a dedicated 5‑foot striped bike lane with a narrow buffer where feasible, installing a center line and pushing parking back to create a right‑turn release pocket — would be tested and monitored before any broader, permanent redesign is adopted.

The vote followed more than two hours of public comment in which residents emphasized both safety for students and the practical needs of people who live or work on the block. “The more they bike, the fewer cars are going to be racing up and down our streets,” a resident who identified herself as Caroline said as she urged more transit options and student bus passes. Several condo owners, including Ellen Dolish, said removing parking on both sides of Distl Drive would interfere with deliveries, trash pickup and mobility‑impaired residents. “I’m really opposed to doing dedicated bike lanes…not opposed to bike lanes, but more of a share of the lane for this particular area,” Dolish said.

City staff argued that immediate safety work is needed while longer, cross‑jurisdictional network fixes are planned. Stephen, the city staff member leading the design, said the proposal is for a striped lane (no physical barriers) with a green bike symbol where practical; he described a target cross‑section of about a 5‑ft bike lane and a 2‑ft buffer where geometry permits. Staff also recommended adding a center line and creating a right‑turn pocket by moving parking back from the intersection, to reduce morning queuing that currently pushes cars into conflict with cyclists and pedestrians.

Commissioners pressed for a cautious, experimental approach. Several said a full, permanent protected cycle track would be desirable in an ideal geometry, but that the corridor’s driveways, narrow width and current parking patterns make a phased test more realistic now. Commissioners asked staff to monitor traffic and crash data after the nearby Distl Circle development is fully occupied and to conduct a stop‑control (stop‑sign) warrant study where warranted. Stephen said the short stop‑control study typically takes about a month and that he hoped initial striping and parking adjustments could be installed and observed in the coming months.

Supporters of the stripe emphasized student safety. The assistant principal from Los Santos High School, who spoke for the campus, said staff support anything that would make the route safer for students. Other commenters urged the commission to coordinate with Mountain View and Caltrain on cross‑jurisdictional routing and “wiggle” designs that would direct bike traffic to existing protected facilities.

The motion, moved by Commissioner Scott and seconded during the meeting, directed staff to proceed with the phased “base approach” (center line, parking setback/right‑turn pocket and striped bike lane where feasible), report implementation details and monitoring plans back to the commission, and to perform a stop‑control study after nearby occupancy changes. Commissioners said they will revisit the corridor after initial data are collected and after neighboring jurisdictions can be engaged on connected network fixes.

The commission’s direction aims to reduce an immediate safety risk while preserving the option to redesign the corridor more substantially after additional analysis and interagency coordination. Staff said some design and striping work could be included in winter design cycles and that the city has funds to proceed with early implementation steps.