By Linda Taaffe
The solution to traffic problems on one Los Altos street may end up in the hands of longtime community contributors the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The Los Altos City Council directed staff to ask the Los Altos-based foundation to assemble a panel of experts, and possibly provide funding, to help solve traffic woes on a portion of San Antonio Road following a fatal pedestrian collision near Hawthorne Avenue last month.
Councilmembers agreed that reducing traffic speeds and making pedestrians more visible on the four-lane road between Cuesta Drive and Hillview Avenue was key, but exactly how to make that happen wasn’t as clear.
While the council agreed that the addition of signals and other physical obstructions meant to slow traffic could be a solution, these same measures could potentially push cars into residential neighborhoods.
Money and time are additional barriers. City staff is already working on a “to do priority” list that includes 40 traffic projects.
“I would like to see this move forward. The Packard Foundation knows how to assemble experts,” said Councilman Ron Packard, who is no relation to the Packard family foundation. “I think we should get them involved to the extent that they can help. I don’t think we should let the pendulum go too far to one side and then come up with solutions that don’t make sense.”
Communications Director Chris DeCardy said the Packard Foundation has been concerned about traffic along San Antonio for a long time, especially because it has offices on both sides of the road, making it necessary for employees to cross the street several times a day for work-related reasons. The foundation even approached the city about conducting a traffic study in 2001, but for unknown reasons, nothing ever moved forward, he said.
“We are absolutely interested in finding a solution and are open to having a conversation with the city,” DeCardy said.
Traffic problems
San Antonio Road ranked among the top roads for the most red-light violations from 1998 to 2002 and included one of the top five worst intersections for school-route traffic accidents, according to police.
About 30,000 use the road every weekday, according to city reports. Many crosswalks are not controlled by signals.
Traffic Engineer Tom Ho said there were few accidents in comparison to the volume of traffic and no fatalities in 10 years, until last month.
Pedestrians tell another story.
“You can almost see the gleam in drivers’ eyes … to get there before traffic comes through the intersections,” said resident Randy White. One car will stop, but the one in the next lane won’t, he added.
The drivers aren’t the only problem. Some say the foliage, lack of signs and obscure crosswalks are just as much to blame.
Residents said the medians block driver vision, making it difficult to stop for pedestrians until its too late, even for cars going under the speed limit.
Possible solutions
Improving pedestrian visibility with raised crosswalks, better signage and markings or flashing electrical crosswalks appeared to be on the top of the council’s list of options.
A traffic subcommittee has been working with the city to test flashing devices that signal drivers when a pedestrian is at a crosswalk.
Foothill College installed these devices on campus in 2001. Gil Delgado, maintenance coordinator, said the crosswalks have had limited impact on the campus.
“Students don’t always recognize what the orange flashing lights mean,” Delgado said. The crosswalks could be successful if drivers were educated, he added.
A pedestrian-safety campaign in Seattle that included increased law enforcement showed that drivers did not change their behaviors dramatically, according to the 1995 Transportation Research Record.
