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TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM DRAFT
Date: June 8, 2026
To: Robert Ovadia, PE
Director of Public Works
Town of Atherton
[email protected]
Project No.: 267-008
From: Amit Kothari, TE
Director, TJKM
Rutvij Patel, EIT,
Senior Project Manager, TJKM
Talha Majeed
Transportation Engineer, TJKM
Jurisdiction: Town of Atherton
Subject: Town Center & Library Parking Study, and Dinkelspiel Station Lane Walkway Improvements
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Atherton Town Center Complex that includes the City Hall and Atherton Library provides extensive services and programs to the Atherton community. In recent years, the Complex has seen increased activities that results in shortage of parking at the on-site parking lot. To fully assess the parking conditions and develop recommendations, in January 2026, the Town retained services of TJKM Transportation Consultants. The Scope of the Parking Study included assessment of the parking supply/demand imbalance at the parking lot and streets surrounding the Town Center, and development of recommendations to address the parking crunch . The Study also included an evaluation of the walking environment along Watkins Avenue and Dinkelspiel Station Lane between the Holbrook Palmer Park parking lot (HPP Lot) and the Town Center, with an intent to encourage parking at the HPP Lot and walking to the Town Center. In addition, TJKM completed a warrants analysis for the Middlefield Road intersections at Watkins Avenue and Fair Oaks / Palmer Lane, and final study report has been submitted to the Town. Figure 1 shows a Study Area Vicinity Map depicting all three study areas.
Parking Study
Currently, the Parking Lot has 98 parking spaces for vehicles and three spaces for motorcycles.
The Lot experiences very high demand during mid-day peak times, Monday through Thursday.
While the Lot may reach full capacity at times, any intrusion of vehicles into the neighborhood streets is minimal. Overall, the study resulted in the following key findings and recommendations:
2 ▪ Phase I – Specific improvements within the Lot, discussed in this report, will create additional 17 parking spaces. Considering the current level of parking shortfall, an addition of 17 spaces should be able to meet the parking demand for all employees and visitors in the near term. Estimated cost of these improvements is $82,200. ▪ Phase II – If parking demand continues to exceed the supply after addition of 17 spaces, other solutions and strategies should be evaluated for implementation.
Due to the possibility of negative impacts on some users, a phased approach is highly recommended.
Figure 1 – Study Area Vicinity Map
3 Dinkelspiel Station Lane Improvements
Station Lane between the Town Center and Watkins Avenue is approximately 20 feet wide with one travel lane in each direction and unimproved shoulders. Parking is allowed on the south side (residential side) only. The assessment of walking environment along the street resulted in two improvement alternatives. Alternative I includes a 5-feet wide walking path along Station Lane connecting Watkins Avenue to the Town Center, and no curb parking allowed in this section.
Alternative II includes creation of six marked parking spaces between Maple and Walnut (no walking path), and a 5-feet wide walking path between Walnut and Watkins (no parking). Both Alternatives include pedestrian safety and crosswalk improvements at the Watkins/Station Lane intersection. The study recommends Alternative I for implementation. Estimated cost of Alternative I improvements is $202,800.
Overall, this report recommends two improvements:
1. Town Center Parking Lot Improvements adding 17 spaces. Estimated cost is $82,200.
2. Dinkelspiel Station Lane Walking Path Improvements. Estimated cost is $202,800.
Additional details are provided below.
A. PARKING STUDY
TJKM completed a comprehensive assessment of the current parking supply and demand for the following:
▪ Town Center Parking Lot
▪ Watkins Avenue, Walnut Avenue, Maple Avenue, Ashfield Road, and Fair Oaks Lane; all between El Camino Real and Dinkelspiel Station Lane
▪ Lloyden Drive between Fair Oaks Lane and Belleau Avenue Details of the assessment, key findings and recommendations are further discussed below.
Town Center Parking Lot
The study completed an inventory of the current parking supply at the Town Center and Library Lot and existing parking demand for the City employees, visitors, and deliveries.
Parking Supply
The Lot currently has a total of 98 spaces for vehicles and three spaces for motorcycles. Table 1 shows all parking spaces by type of allowed use.
This inventory includes all spaces in various parking areas wrapped around the City Hall. Except one curbside pick-up space, all parking spaces are typical, perpendicular or at 90 degrees and at least nine feet wide allowing convenient parking for all users. Figure 2 shows existing parking layout.
4 Table 1 – Town Center Lot Parking Inventory
Space Type #
Regular 84
Handicap 6
Handicap – van accessible 3
EV Charging 4
Curbside Pick-up 1
Motorcycles 3
Total for all vehicles (except motorcycles) 98
Town Employee Parking Needs
In March 2026, a survey was conducted to assess the parking needs of the Town employees currently working at the Town Center. This brief survey was completed by Department representatives, and included questions relevant to part-time and full-time employee counts, their commute hours and mode, and other parking-relevant needs. All six departments completed the survey. A summary is provided in Table 2.
Here are the key findings from the Town Employee Parking Demand survey:
▪ Police dominates headcount but not parking - With 31 full-time employees, Police is by far the largest department, yet only 10 vehicles are parked on-site during daytime hours (7am–7pm). The remaining 21 employees either work nights (5 vehicles parked overnight) or are off-site, or do not drive to work, meaning the department's true parking footprint is much smaller than its staff size suggests.
▪ Net driving demand is 40 spaces on a typical weekday - Of total 68 employees (63 FT + 5 PT), 35 full-timers and 5 part-timers drive regularly, yielding a core daily demand of approximately 40 vehicles. This is a useful baseline for the Lot usage by the employees. ▪ Library creates the most parking variability - Staff count ranges between 6 to 14 depending on the day, and the vehicle count from 5 to 12. Some employees park on nearby streets (Station Lane, Lloyden, Holbrook Palmer Park) in the afternoon, creating a direct link between the Library scheduling and off-site parking usage. ▪ Planning is entirely part-time - The Planning department has no full-time staff and 5 part-timers working on-site at least 2 days per week. This means Planning's parking contribution is intermittent and harder to predict, but also has a lower impact on peak weekday demand.
▪ On-site presence is well below total headcount across all departments - Across the board, the number of employees working on-site and driving regularly is significantly lower than total staff (36 of 63 full-timers on-site; 35 actually driving). Nearly 45% 5 employees not generating daily parking demand suggests the Lot's employee load is manageable even as the town grows, provided scheduling remains distributed.
Table 2 – Town Employee Parking Needs
Mademoiselle Colette Coffee Shop Parking Needs
In addition to the Town Departments, Mademoiselle Colette Coffee Shop also provided information on their parking needs. Here are key takeaways:
▪ Employees - There are five on-site employees. The opener arrives at 7am and leaves between 1:30pm and 3:00pm. The closer arrives between 9am and 11am and leaves at 5pm. At least two employee vehicles are parked during the mid-day peak parking demand hours.
Total
Employees
On-site
between
8a and 3p
min. 4
days/wk
Driving to
work min.
4 days/wk
Total
Employees
On-site
min. 2
days/wk
Driving to
work min.
2 days/wk
Building 4 4 3 0 0 0
3 fleet vehicles and 1 personal
vehicle parked 4 days/wk
City Manager's
Office 9 7 7 0 0 0
2 of 9 are IT staff and do not work
on-site daily (work from MSP).
Summer interns will add 1 or 2 to
the count total.
Library 14 10 10 0 0 0
Staff count varies from 6 to 14
and vehicle count varies from 5 to
12 on different days. One
designated space will be required
for a Library vehicle. About 40% of
staff (4-5 vehicles) arriving in the
afternoon park on Station Lane,
Lloyden or Holbrook Park.
Planning 0 0 0 5 5 5
Police 31 10 10 0 0 0
Only 10 vehicles parked between
7a-7p, Monday-Friday. 5 parked
between 7p-7a. 3 pool vehicles
are driven to trainings and other
activities, and are parked near
railroad tracks.
Public Works 5 5 5 0 0 0
4 employees work 8a-5p, 1 works
6a-3p.
TOTAL 63 36 35 5 5 5
Notes
Full-time Employees Part-time Employees
Department
6 ▪ Customers - The customer count ranges between 100 and 200 on weekdays, most arriving between 8am and 1pm. Depending on how many customers arrive during the mid-day peak parking demand times, how many actually drive, and how long they stay, their impact on overall parking crunch could be significant.
▪ Deliveries and Pick-ups - The Distribution Truck arrives as early as 6:00am and leaves by 9:30am, well before the peak parking demand hours. The delivery truck arrives twice a day; only once during the peak demand times. Doordash pickups are less than 10 per days and spread throughout the day, resulting in no material impact on the parking crunch.
The information gathered so far suggests that the Coffee Shop visitors do contribute to the peak parking demand, the extent of which can be determined by a brief, well-structured survey of the Coffee Shop visitors. This survey should be conducted if the recommended near-term improvements (discussed below) do not fully address the current parking imbalance.
Library Programs and Services Parking Needs
The Library is open from 10am to 8pm, Monday-Thursday and from 10am to 5pm on FridaySunday. It offers popular programs and services that attract users throughout the day. From the review of the door sensor counts for eight weeks of January and February 2026, it appears that Mondays and Thursdays are the most visited days with around 500 entries per day and Fridays are the least visited days with entries around 325 per day. While it is difficult to accurately translate number of entries to number of parking spaces required, this data helps understand peak days and times when the Library attracts most visitors.
In addition to completing the employee survey and door counts, the Library shared monthly events calendars for four months (Dec. 2025 – Mar. 2026) with detailed information on events scheduled for each day. Here are the key findings across all four months of the Library programming:
▪ Storytime and Makerspace are the backbone of the schedule - Storytime (in its various forms: Signs & Rhymes, Baby Bounce, Family Storytime, Musical Jamboree) runs nearly every day of the week across all four months, making it the single most recurring program.
Open Makerspace & Sewing on Tuesdays and Thursdays evenings (5:30-7:30p) is equally consistent, appearing without exception every week across all months. Baby Bounce and Storytime are popular programs attracting around 50 and 100 attendees, respectively. ▪ Late afternoon (4-5p) is the prime children's programming slot - The overwhelming majority of kids' craft and activity events, cloud dough, felt keychains, paper crafts, Mario workshops, slime, DIY toys, are scheduled between 4p and 5p on weekdays, strongly suggesting this is the post-school pickup window the Library targets for family engagement.
▪ Mornings are adult-oriented, evenings are community-oriented - Tai Chi (11am-12pm Wednesdays), Yoga at Jennings (11:30am-12:30pm Thursdays), Walking Club (Fridays at 9:45am at Holbrook Palmer Park), and Book Club/Brain Games all cluster in the morning.
English Conversation Club (5-6p Mondays) and 3D Printing for Families (5:30-6:30p 7 Mondays) anchor the evening adult/family slots, creating a clear morning-adult/eveningcommunity rhythm. ▪ Mondays are the most programmatically dense day - Across all four months, Mondays consistently carry the highest number of simultaneous programs: Baby Bounce, Creative Writing, a children's craft activity, English Convo Club, and 3D Printing for Families - often five or more distinct events. This likely drives the highest visitor traffic of any weekday. ▪ Special/featured events rotate monthly and reflect cultural moments - Each month introduces 2-4 themed signature events tied to the season or cultural calendar: Lunar New Year activities and West Coast Lion Dance (February), Holi Splatter Art and Ramadan/Eid Storytime (March), holiday floral demos and tree lighting (December), and winter craft series (January). These events likely draw many first-time visitors beyond the regular audience.
▪ Library promotes learning and community engagement year around – Except for the major holidays, the Library maintained a full 7-day schedule every week, reflecting strong year-round programming commitment to the Atherton community.
Parking Enforcement
Since parking enforcement policies have measurable impact on the parking supply/demand imbalance, the study took a cursory look at the Town’s parking enforcement efforts. Based on the information provided by the Code Enforcement Team, here are some key findings:
▪ Parking enforcement is a shared responsibility. On a typical weekday, 3 to 5 police officers and one code enforcement officer are available to conduct parking enforcement activities and respond to parking-related concerns throughout the Town. ▪ Parking enforcement is active and ongoing. Permit parking restrictions on Maple Avenue and Ashfield Lane are enforced daily through both proactive patrols and complaint-based responses. Failure to obey permit parking signage is the most common violation in the Maple Avenue and Ashfield Lane permit parking areas. ▪ Enforcement has resulted in substantial compliance efforts. Since permit parking was implemented last fall, approximately 50 citations and a similar number of verbal warnings have been issued, demonstrating active education and enforcement of the new parking regulations.
The current parking enforcement policies and outcomes are appropriate and consistent with other communities with the characteristics and demographics similar to Atherton. No changes are recommended at this time.
Parking Data Collection
To assess the current parking demand at the Town Center Lot, TJKM, through a data collection vendor, collected parking occupancy data for Tuesday-Thursday, March 3-5, 2026, from 9am to 8 5pm. Manual counts were collected every hour for a total of 8 hours. Table 2 shows hourly parking occupancy for three days of data collection.
Table 3 – Parking Demand at Town Center Parking Lot
03/03/26 (Tues)
Space Type Spaces 9 AM** 10 AM 11 AM 12 PM 1 PM 2 PM 3 PM 4 PM Regular 84 28 80 83 67 71 72 64 58
Handicap 6 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
HC Van Accessible 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
EV Charging 4 4 4 3 2 3 0 0 1
Curbside Pickup 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0
Motorcycle 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
03/04/26 (Wed)
Space Type Spaces 9 AM 10 AM 11 AM 12 PM 1 PM 2 PM 3 PM 4 PM Regular 84 49 68 83 71 74 70 62 52
Handicap 6 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
HC Van Accessible 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
EV Charging 4 1 2 3 4 0 1 1 0
Curbside Pickup 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0
Motorcycle 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1
03/05/26 (Thurs)
Space Type Spaces 9 AM 10 AM 11 AM 12 PM 1 PM 2 PM 3 PM 4 PM Regular 84 47 84 83 75 70 70 60 54
Handicap 6 0 0 1 1 2 1 1 0
HC Van Accessible 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
EV Charging 4 0 1 2 2 2 2 1 0
Curbside Pickup 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0
Motorcycle 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
** - Hour beginning at 9 AM (i.e., count taken between 9 AM to 10 AM) Red = demand exceeding 90% of supply
Here are the key findings from the parking occupancy data:
▪ Regular spaces routinely hit critical capacity - The 84 regular spaces reached or exceeded the 90% threshold (76+ spaces) on all three observation days at 11am with Thursday recording a full 84/84 occupancy around 10am. This is a meaningful constraint 9 given that other space types (HC, motorcycle, EV) are reserved and not available to general parkers.
▪ Peak demand is sharply concentrated in the 10am-1pm window - All three days show regular space counts climbing steeply from 9am, peaking between 10-11am, then gradually declining through the afternoon. By 3pm, occupancy drops to the low-60s, well below critical levels.
▪ Afternoon recovery is consistent - Occupancy levels start tapering off after 2pm, implying that the elevated demand is primarily during the mid-day hours of 10am-2pm. ▪ Demand is consistent across all three weekdays - Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday show nearly identical patterns, suggesting this is a reliable baseline rather than an anomaly. The lot regularly operates near capacity during mid-day peak hours regardless of the day.
▪ EV charging infrastructure meets the demand - All four EV spaces were occupied only four times while at least three spaces were occupied six times during 24 observations over the three days. This level of usage indicates that the current EV charging demand is well supported by the existing infrastructure.
▪ Handicap and accessible spaces remain largely available - HC and HC Van Accessible spaces rarely recorded more than 1-2 occupied spaces at any hour, indicating ADA supply is adequate relative to current demand.
Overall, the current parking demand suggests that additional parking supply or reduced parking demand during the mid-day peak hours is necessary to relieve recurring parking congestion during those hours.
On-Street Parking
The study area described below and shown in Figure 1 contains approximately 173 on-street parking spaces. While curb spaces are not marked, the approximate inventory was arrived at by determining available curb space along these streets that can practically and safely accommodate vehicle parking. Appropriate adjustments were made for any driveways, narrow shoulders, and other physical obstructions.
To assess any impact of the parking crunch at the Town Center Lot and spillover parking into the neighborhoods, parking occupancy data was collected on streets in the immediate vicinity of the Town Center for the following blocks:
▪ Watkins Avenue, Walnut Avenue, Maple Avenue, and Ashfield Road; all between El Camino Real and Dinkelspiel Station Lane (March 3-5, Tuesday-Thursday, 9am-5pm) ▪ Fair Oaks Lane between El Camino Real and Dinkelspiel Station Lane (April 7-9, TuesdayThursday, 9am-5pm) ▪ Lloyden Drive between Fair Oaks Lane and Belleau Avenue (April 7-9, Tuesday-Thursday, 9am-5pm)
Hourly parking occupancy counts are provided in Table 4. Here are the key findings from the onstreet parking assessment:
10 1. Low overall utilization - The study area's 173 on-street spaces never exceeded 35% occupancy across all observed days and hours, indicating ample available capacity at all times.
2. Peak demand occurs mid-morning - The highest single recorded count was 60 occupied spaces (35%) at 11am on Tuesday, March 3. Although the demand is low throughout the day, it generally peaks between 10am-12pm and tapers off by 4pm.
3. Walnut Avenue has high demand - Walnut Avenue consistently showed the highest individual occupancy, frequently reaching 8-11 cars on each side, making it the most utilized street in the study area.
4. Permit-restricted streets stay lightly used - Ashfield Road and Maple Avenue, both subject to "Permit Parking Only, Monday-Friday 9am-6pm," rarely exceeded 5 occupied spaces per side, suggesting low permit demand or strong compliance discouraging nonpermit users.
5. No spillover from Town Center Lot - During the Town Center Parking Lot's highestdemand window (10am-12pm), neighborhood on-street occupancy ranged only 25-35%, with no measurable surge, indicating that the Lot's busy periods are not pushing overflow vehicles onto surrounding streets.
Overall parking assessment for the Town Center Lot and on-street parking indicate that the Lot consistently experiences peak demand during mid-day hours, specifically around 10am to 12pm.
It is likely that some employees or visitors arriving during peak hours are unable to find any open space at the Lot and choose to park at the HPP Lot on a nearby residential street. Although, the on-street parking occupancy data suggests that any such spillover into the residential streets is minimal. This finding further establishes that the Town Center Lot, even when full, could be short in supply by less than 10 vehicles. This imbalance in parking supply and demand can be primarily addressed in two ways – by increasing parking supply, or reducing parking demand. These options are further discussed below.
Increasing Parking Supply
For the highest convenience to the Town employees and visitors, increasing parking supply at the Town Center Lot is the most direct approach to meeting their parking needs at all hours. To identify potential opportunities for creating additional spaces, TJKM reviewed existing parking layout, conducted field observations and measurements, and discussed with Public Works staff on-site. A few design iterations resulted in identifying several opportunities to create a total of 17 additional spaces as outlined below:
For the Northern Section of the Lot (close to the tracks), 11 spaces can be added in the section that is currently closed-off for a construction project; two spaces can be added by reducing stall widths in a couple of sections and one space can be added where a tree was removed. Figure 3 shows the existing layout and a conceptual design outlining all improvements necessary to create a total of 14 additional spaces. In addition, a new pedestrian crossing will be added to accommodate safer pedestrian crossing within the Lot, from the railroad track side to the Town Center and Library side.
11 For the Southern Section, three new spaces can be added by converting currently unimproved areas into properly paved and marked parking area – two near the southern Fair Oaks driveway and one near the Ashfield Road end to the parking lot. Figure 4 shows the existing layout and a conceptual design outlining all improvements necessary to create a total of three additional spaces.
Total costs of design and construction, including contingencies for the entire lot is estimated at $82,200. Detailed cost breakdown is provided in Table 5. For 17 new spaces, this translates to $4,835 per space – relatively low investment that significantly benefits the Town Center employees and visitors.
Reducing Parking Demand
In addition to creating more supply, a typical parking assessment also explores strategies and solutions that result in reduced parking demand. Most urbanized areas across US and around the world aim at reducing parking demand for numerous reasons that include fiscal constraints to build and operate parking facilities, land use efficiencies, induced demand, negative environmental impacts of promoting auto travel over sustainable transportation options and equity. There is a wide variety of proven Transportation Demand Management (TDM) solutions that includes parking cash-out programs, paid parking, carpool/vanpool incentives, transit pass subsidies, pre-tax commuter benefit programs, incentives for walking or bicycling to worksites and much more. While benefits of such TDM programs are unquestionable, it is somewhat premature to consider them for the Town of Atherton at this time for the following reasons:
▪ The current parking crunch is mostly limited to mid-day hours, and the shortfall is likely under 10 spaces. There are realistic options to increase parking supply at a nominal cost.
In addition, dispersing parking demand from mid-day should also be considered. ▪ TDM solutions are typically geared towards reducing employee parking demand as they occupy parking spaces for nearly nine hours a day. Since mid-day crunch is a result of visitor parking who occupy over half of the total parking supply, any benefit of the TDM solutions will be limited.
▪ Most TDM strategies require commuter behavioral changes, and their benefits are realized over time. In addition, initial rollout, and on-going management of TDM programs require additional resources.
Parking Study Recommendations
Based on the study findings, it is recommended that the Town address the parking conditions in a multi-phase approach over the next several years.
Phase I – Improvements at the Town Center Lot
1. Implement Town Center Parking Lot improvements resulting in additional 17 parking spaces. Estimated cost is $82,200.
2. Collect parking occupancy data six months after the addition of 17 spaces to see if the parking demand is fully met at all hours. If not, consider Phase II implementation. 12 Phase II – Policy and Program Changes
Since adding parking supply at the Town Center Lot is not an option any longer, additional strategies and solutions should be explored that either reduce or disperse the parking demand.
This may include:
▪ Rescheduling of some programs and activities at the Library to non-peak hours or relocation to the Holbrook Palmer Park
▪ Incentives to Town employees who park at the Holbrook Palmer Park ▪ Incentives to employees for use of alternate commute options in-lieu of driving ▪ Pre-tax commuter benefit programs
▪ Flexible work schedule for employees
▪ Limited on-street parking permits for employees
These are some of the solutions that have worked well in many communities. Phase II should examine feasibility, costs, and benefits of such solutions for Atherton. The exploration will include further discussions with the two largest venues that attract over 50 percent of the visitors during the peak parking demand times of 10am to 12pm – Library and Coffee Shop. User surveys specific to these visitors will provide much-needed information on how many visitors drive and park solely to visit the Library or Coffee Shop and what are the days and times of their peak demand. Surveys to gauge employee interest in alternative commute options and level of incentives may also lead to most beneficial TDM solutions that could reduce employee parking demand and relieve parking congestion.
B. DINKELSPIEL STATION LANE IMPROVEMENTS
To increase the parking availability for the Town Center employees and visitors, Holbrook Palmer Park’s parking lot was evaluated where plenty of spaces are available during the weekdays. The Park is located off of Watkins Avenue, approximately 2,000 feet away or about 8-10 minutes walking distance to the Town Center. The entire walking environment, from the Park to the Town Center was evaluated resulting in the following findings:
▪ From the HPP Lot to the intersection of Watkins and Station Lane, the existing sidewalk on the east side (Park side), although narrow, offers convenient walking path with raised curb separating pedestrians from the travel lane. On the west side, unimproved shoulder of varying width exists, although not recommended for walking. ▪ The railroad crossing, just north of the Station Lane intersection is well marked for pedestrian crossing with ADA complaint truncated domes. ▪ Watkins Avenue at Station Lane, just south of the railroad crossing, does not have any marked crosswalks. A pedestrian needing to cross Watkins and continue walking along Station Lane toward Town Center would need a safer crossing. ▪ Station Lane between Maple Avenue and Watkins Avenue is approximately 20 feet wide with unpaved shoulders. Vehicles are routinely parked on the south side (residential side) while parking is not allowed on the north side (railroad tracks side). There are several wellgrown trees that limit available shoulder width to accommodate vehicles and pedestrians. ▪ Minimal streetlights exists along the entire path, from the Park to the Town Center. 13 The assessment identified several potential improvements that would improve overall walking experience between the Park and the Town Center resulting in relieving some of the parking congestion at the Town Center Lot.
There are two alternatives for Station Lane improvements between Maple and Watkins. Each of these improvements and Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) costs are discussed below. It is noted that these improvements and ROM costs are for initial discussion purposes only. Additional surveying and review by a certified arborist are necessary to further validate these improvements.
Alternative I - Walking Path Along Station Lane
To encourage parking at the HPP Parking Lot and walking to the Town Center, it is critical to create a safe and comfortable walking experience along Station Lane between Maple and Watkins.
Currently, the south side of Station Lane has several mature trees constricting the available shoulder width at places. Although not a preferred option, with the removal of some trees, it is feasible to create a five-feet wide walking path for the entire section. Figure 5 shows a conceptual design that depicts the recommended improvements that include the following:
▪ Five-feet wide pedestrian path for the entire length
▪ Installation of new ADA-compliant curb ramps and truncated domes at several locations ▪ Relocation of a fire hydrant and a utility box at Maple intersection ▪ Removal up to 12 trees (subject to City Arborist review and approval) The ROM design and construction costs for these suggested improvements is approximately $202,800 (Table 6). This alternative creates safer walking environment required to encourage parking at the Holbrook Park Parking Lot. It also benefits nearby residents who walk and bike along Station Lane. The overall benefit to relieving parking crunch and improving walking and bicycling environment for all users provides a compelling reason to consider removal of several trees.
Alternative II - Parking Spaces & Walking Path Along Station Lane During very high parking demand at the Town Center, it is not unusual to see up to 5-8 vehicles parked along Station Lane between Maple Avenue and Watkins Avenue. Some of these vehicles are parked too close to the driveways or encroach into the travel lanes raising safety concerns.
This situation can be corrected by creating marked spaces where adequate shoulder width is available and restricting parking where unsafe. Leaving adequate clearances for the driveways and mature trees, six spaces can be created between Maple and Walnut. Due to over-grown trees and vegetation and very limited shoulder width, no formal spaces can be created between Walnut and Watkins. For this section, five-feet wide pedestrian walking path is recommended (similar to Alternative I). Figure 5 shows a conceptual design showing the following improvements:
▪ Six marked parking spaces between Maple and Walnut. No parking allowed between Maple and Watkins
▪ Five-feet wide walking path between Walnut and Watkins ▪ New ADA-compliant curb ramps and truncated domes
▪ Removal of up to 10 trees (subject to City Arborist review and approval) 14 The ROM costs for these improvements is approximately $143,800. Details are provided in Table
7. Comparison of Alternatives I and II – Each of the two alternatives result in different outcomes.
Alternative I maximizes benefits to pedestrians and bicyclists providing safer and convenient walking and cycling environment along the two blocks of Station Lane. It results in loss of six parking spaces. Alternative II maintains parking between Maple and Walnut and adds a walking path between Walnut and Watkins. It does not improve the current walking environment between Maple and Walnut. For maximum benefit to all pedestrians and bicyclists, and to encourage more parking at the HPP Lot, Alternative 1 is preferred. The difference in the loss of trees and ROM costs for the two alternatives is not significant enough to choose one over the other.
Dinkelspiel Station Lane / Watkins Avenue Crosswalk
The study evaluated the intersection of Station Lane and Watkins Avenue, specifically related to pedestrian crossings. The railroad tracks run parallel to Station Lane just north of its intersection with Watkins. This, along with a slight grade difference along Watkins, and not having a marked crosswalk creates somewhat challenging conditions for pedestrians wanting to cross Watkins at Station Lane, just south of the railroad tracks.
TJKM reviewed the feasibility and preliminary safety considerations associated with installing a new uncontrolled pedestrian crossing on Watkins at the south leg of the intersection. The proposed crossing location is immediately south of an active Caltrain crossing, where the railroad tracks create a vertical crest along the Watkins Avenue corridor.
A key concern identified during the review is the potential for restricted visibility between southbound motorists on Watkins and pedestrians using the proposed crosswalk. Due to the roadway profile, drivers approaching from the north may experience limited sight distance as they traverse the rail crossing crest, potentially reducing their ability to detect pedestrians at the proposed crossing location south of the tracks.
While field observations suggest that sight-distance limitations may exist, a detailed engineering evaluation is necessary to confirm the extent of the issue. This evaluation would include a topographic survey to accurately document roadway elevations at the proposed crosswalk, the railroad crossing crest, and the southbound vehicle approach. The survey data will allow for a formal sight-distance analysis that considers the relative elevations of drivers and pedestrians and determines whether adequate stopping and pedestrian visibility can be achieved.
Additional review should also assess the placement and visibility of pedestrian warning signs and other traffic control devices. Particular attention should be given to their interaction with existing railroad warning equipment, including flashing signals, to ensure that railroad infrastructure does not obstruct or diminish the effectiveness of pedestrian crossing warnings.
Irrespective of the implementation of the Station Lane Improvement alternatives discussed above, the following improvements are recommended at this intersection:
▪ Installation of a new crosswalk and ADA-compliant curb ramps along Watkins, south of railroad tracks
15 ▪ Removal of three trees
▪ Installation of crosswalks related signs and traffic control devices to alert drivers along Watkins
The recommended improvements will comply with the City Design Guidelines, Caltrans standards, and ADA regulations. The ROM cost for these improvements is included in the two alternatives discussed above.
Dinkelspiel Station Lane Recommendations
Alternative I and Watkins/Station Lane crosswalk improvements will not only benefit all pedestrians and bicyclists along Station Lane, but it will also encourage use of the Holbrook Park Parking Lot relieving the parking crunch at the Town Center. The study recommends implementation of these improvements. The estimated cost is $202,800.
M
M M
DINKELSPIEL STATION LN
FAIR OAKS LN
ASHFIELD RD
DINKELSPIEL STATION LN
FAIR OAKS LN
TJKM 4305 Hacienda Drive, Suite 550
Pleasanton, CA 94588
[email protected]
DATE: 06/04/2026 SHEET: OF
TOWN OF ATHERTON
PARKING STUDY
DRAFT
FIGURE 2 - TOWN CENTER PARKING LAYOUT - EXISTING NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION 1 4
M
M M
DINKELSPIEL STATION LN
FAIR OAKS LN
DINKELSPIEL STATION LN
M
M M M
DINKELSPIEL STATION LN
FAIR OAKS LN
DINKELSPIEL STATION LN
MATCHLINE A SHEET 3
TJKM 4305 Hacienda Drive, Suite 550
Pleasanton, CA 94588
[email protected]
DATE: 06/04/2026 SHEET: OF
TOWN OF ATHERTON
PARKING STUDY
DRAFT
FIGURE 3 - PARKING IMPROVEMENTS - NORTH NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION 2 4 MATCHLINE C SHEET 4
EXISTING LAYOUT
PROPOSED LAYOUT
MATCHLINE B SHEET 3 MATCHLINE C SHEET 4
PARKING SPACE COUNT
EXISTING 85
PROPOSED 99
NET GAIN 14
ASHFIELD RD
MAPLE AVE
FAIR OAKS LN
ASHFIELD RD
MAPLE AVE
FAIR OAKS LN
TJKM 4305 Hacienda Drive, Suite 550
Pleasanton, CA 94588
[email protected]
DATE: 06/04/2026 SHEET: OF
TOWN OF ATHERTON
PARKING STUDY
DRAFT
FIGURE 4 - PARKING IMPROVEMENTS - SOUTH NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION 3 4
MATCHLINE A SHEET 2
MATCHLINE B SHEET 2
EXISTING LAYOUT
PROPOSED LAYOUT
PARKING SPACE COUNT
EXISTING 13
PROPOSED 16
NET GAIN 3
DINKELSPIEL STATION LN
DINKELSPIEL STATION LN WATKINS AVE
WALNUT AVE
MAPLE AVE
DINKELSPIEL STATION LN
DINKELSPIEL STATION LN WATKINS AVE
WALNUT AVE
MAPLE AVE
ALTERNATIVE I - PEDESTRIAN PATH ONLY
TJKM 4305 Hacienda Drive, Suite 550
Pleasanton, CA 94588
[email protected]
DATE: 06/04/2026 SHEET: OF
TOWN OF ATHERTON
PARKING STUDY
DRAFT
FIGURE 5 - PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS FOR DINKELSPIEL STATION LANE NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION 4 4 MATCHLINE C SHEET 2
ALTERNATIVE II - PEDESTRIAN PATH AND PARKING MATCHLINE C SHEET 2 03/03/26 (Tues)
Street From To
Side of
the Street
Marked/
Unmarked Restrictions Spaces 9 AM** 10 AM 11 AM 12 PM 1 PM 2 PM 3 PM 4 PM Ashfield Rd 80 Ashfield Rd El Camino Real W Unmarked Permit Parking - M-F, 9a-6p 10 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 2 Ashfield Rd El Camino Real 80 Ashfield Rd E Unmarked Permit Parking - M-F, 9a-6p 10 2 4 3 3 2 4 3 3 Maple Ave Dinkelspiel Station Ln El Camino Real W Unmarked Permit Parking - M-F, 9a-6p 20 3 4 4 4 4 3 4 2 Maple Ave El Camino Real Dinkelspiel Station Ln E Unmarked Permit Parking - M-F, 9a-6p 14 4 5 4 3 4 5 4 3 Walnut Ave Dinkelspiel Station Ln El Camino Real W Unmarked No Restriction 17 8 11 11 11 9 10 11 9 Walnut Ave El Camino Real Dinkelspiel Station Ln E Unmarked No Restriction 16 9 8 8 8 5 5 6 6 Dinkelspiel Station Ln Maple Ave Walnut Ave S Unmarked No Restriction 7 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 Dinkelspiel Station Ln Walnut Ave Watkins Ave S Unmarked No Restriction 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Watkins Ave Dinkelspiel Station Ln El Camino Real W Unmarked No Parking Anytime 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 2 2 Watkins Ave El Camino Real Dinkelspiel Station Ln E Unmarked No Parking Anytime 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Watkins Ave El Camino Real Dinkelspiel Station Ln E Marked No Restriction 4 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 3 04/07/26 (Tues)
Lloyden Drive Fair Oaks Lane Belleau Ave N Unmarked No Restriction 27 4 8 14 9 9 6 5 4 Lloyden Drive Belleau Ave Fair Oaks Lane S Unmarked No Restriction 31 4 2 4 2 2 5 4 4 Fair Oaks Lane Alley El Camino Real W Unmarked No Parking Anytime 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Fair Oaks Lane El Camino Real Alley E Unmarked No Restriction 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TOTAL 173 46 54 60 50 44 47 47 40
% Occupied 27 31 35 29 25 27 27 23
03/04/26 (Wed)
Street From To
Side of
the Street
Marked/Un
marked Restrictions Spaces 9 AM** 10 AM 11 AM 12 PM 1 PM 2 PM 3 PM 4 PM Ashfield Rd 80 Ashfield Rd El Camino Real W Unmarked Permit Parking - M-F, 9a-6p 10 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 2 Ashfield Rd El Camino Real 80 Ashfield Rd E Unmarked Permit Parking - M-F, 9a-6p 10 2 4 3 3 2 4 3 3 Maple Ave Dinkelspiel Station Ln El Camino Real W Unmarked Permit Parking - M-F, 9a-6p 20 3 4 4 4 4 3 4 2 Maple Ave El Camino Real Dinkelspiel Station Ln E Unmarked Permit Parking - M-F, 9a-6p 14 4 5 4 3 4 5 4 3 Walnut Ave Dinkelspiel Station Ln El Camino Real W Unmarked No Restriction 17 8 11 11 11 9 10 11 9 Walnut Ave El Camino Real Dinkelspiel Station Ln E Unmarked No Restriction 16 9 8 8 8 5 5 6 6 Dinkelspiel Station Ln Maple Ave Walnut Ave S Unmarked No Restriction 7 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 Dinkelspiel Station Ln Walnut Ave Watkins Ave S Unmarked No Restriction 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Watkins Ave Dinkelspiel Station Ln El Camino Real W Unmarked No Parking Anytime 4 3 3 2 2 2 1 2 2 Watkins Ave El Camino Real Dinkelspiel Station Ln E Unmarked No Parking Anytime 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Watkins Ave El Camino Real Dinkelspiel Station Ln E Marked No Restriction 4 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 3 04/08/26 (Wed)
Lloyden Drive Fair Oaks Lane Belleau Ave N Unmarked No Restriction 27 7 5 5 6 6 6 5 5 Lloyden Drive Belleau Ave Fair Oaks Lane S Unmarked No Restriction 31 5 7 6 5 4 6 5 6 Fair Oaks Lane Alley El Camino Real W Unmarked No Parking Anytime 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Fair Oaks Lane El Camino Real Alley E Unmarked No Restriction 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 TOTAL 173 51 57 54 51 44 49 49 44
% Occupied 29 33 31 29 25 28 28 25
Table 4 - On-street Parking Demand
03/05/26 (Thurs)
Street From To
Side of
the Street
Marked/Un
marked Restrictions Spaces 9 AM** 10 AM 11 AM 12 PM 1 PM 2 PM 3 PM 4 PM Ashfield Rd 80 Ashfield Rd El Camino Real W Unmarked Permit Parking - M-F, 9a-6p 10 2 4 2 2 2 1 1 1 Ashfield Rd El Camino Real 80 Ashfield Rd E Unmarked Permit Parking - M-F, 9a-6p 10 4 4 4 4 2 3 3 2 Maple Ave Dinkelspiel Station Ln El Camino Real W Unmarked Permit Parking - M-F, 9a-6p 20 2 5 4 4 4 4 4 3 Maple Ave El Camino Real Dinkelspiel Station Ln E Unmarked Permit Parking - M-F, 9a-6p 14 4 5 4 3 3 5 4 2 Walnut Ave Dinkelspiel Station Ln El Camino Real W Unmarked No Restriction 17 8 8 9 11 11 11 7 9 Walnut Ave El Camino Real Dinkelspiel Station Ln E Unmarked No Restriction 16 9 8 7 8 10 8 6 6 Dinkelspiel Station Ln Maple Ave Walnut Ave S Unmarked No Restriction 7 3 3 3 2 3 3 2 2 Dinkelspiel Station Ln Walnut Ave Watkins Ave S Unmarked No Restriction 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Watkins Ave Dinkelspiel Station Ln El Camino Real W Unmarked No Parking Anytime 4 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 Watkins Ave El Camino Real Dinkelspiel Station Ln E Unmarked No Parking Anytime 5 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Watkins Ave El Camino Real Dinkelspiel Station Ln E Marked No Restriction 4 3 2 3 3 4 3 2 2 04/09/26 (Thurs)
Lloyden Drive Fair Oaks Lane Belleau Ave N Unmarked No Restriction 27 6 7 8 6 5 6 6 4 Lloyden Drive Belleau Ave Fair Oaks Lane S Unmarked No Restriction 31 4 2 2 4 7 4 3 0 Fair Oaks Lane Alley El Camino Real W Unmarked No Parking Anytime 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Fair Oaks Lane El Camino Real Alley E Unmarked No Restriction 3 2 1 1 2 2 1 1 0 TOTAL 173 49 51 50 52 56 52 41 34
% Occupied 28 29 29 30 32 30 24 20
5/12/2026
3. During the highest demand hours at the Town Center Parking Lot (11am - 2pm), on-street parking demand range between 25% and 35% (115-130 spaces available).
2. Highest occupancy at any hour for the entire study area = 60 spaces or 35%.
4. No apparent surge in the neighborhood parking during the highest demand hours (11am - 2pm) at the Town Center Parking Lot Summary
1. Total # of on-street parking spaces in the study area = 173 Item EST. Unit
No. QTY. Cost
1 Remove Existing Parking Striping 792 LF $2.50 $ 1,980.00 2 Seal Coat 1150 SF $3.00 $ 3,450.00
3 Install New Striping 1170 LF $4.00 $ 4,680.00
4 Remove Existing Wheel Stop 49 EA $50.00 $ 2,450.00
5 Furnish and Install 5'x5' Truncated Dome Tile 1 EA $1,500.00 $ 1,500.00 6 Furnish and Install New Concrete Wheel Stop 61 EA $300.00 $ 18,300.00 7 Install Asphalt Concrete Pavement 1590 SF $10.00 $ 15,900.00 8 Install New Crosswalk 1 EA $1,000.00 $ 1,000.00
9 Install New Striping 30 LF $4.00 $ 120.00
10 Furnish and Install New Concrete Wheel Stop 1 EA $300.00 $ 300.00 11 Install Stabilized Gravel 190 SF $6.00 $ 1,140.00
12 Install Curb 30 LF $40 $ 1,200.00
13 Install Asphalt Concrete Pavement 170 SF $10.00 $ 1,700.00 14 Relocate Existing Utilities 3 EA $2,000.00 $ 6,000.00 $ 59,720.00
15 Construction Contingency (10%) 1 LS $5,972.00 5,972.00 $ $ 16,500.00
$ 82,200.00
Disclaimer:
South Parking Lot Improvements
Total (North and South Parking Lot Improvements):
The Engineer has no control over the cost of labor, materials, equipment, or over the Contractor's methods of determining prices or over competitive bidding or market conditions. Opinions of probable costs provided herein are based on the information known to Engineer at this time and represent only the Engineer's judgment as a design professional familiar with the construction industry. The Engineer cannot and does not guarantee that proposals, bids, or actual construction costs will not vary from its opinions of probable costs.
Sub-total
Engineering Cost
North Parking Lot Improvements
Item UNIT Extended
Total Amount
1 Table 5 - Estimated Cost for Parking Lot Improvements Item EST. Unit
No. QTY. Cost
1 Install New Curb Ramp 3 EA $8,000.00 $ 24,000.00
2 Install Truncated Domes Tile 3 EA $1,500.00 $ 4,500.00 3 Remove Existing Tree 12 EA $5,000.00 $ 60,000.00
4 Relocate Existing Utility Box 1 EA $2,000.00 $ 2,000.00 5 Furnish and Install Sign and Post 4 EA $750.00 $ 3,000.00 6 Furnish and Install Sign 4 EA $500.00 $ 2,000.00
7 Install New Crosswalk 1 EA $1,000.00 $ 1,000.00
8 Install AC Dike 880 LF $7.00 $ 6,160.00
9 Site Clearance and Removal 2376 SF $4.00 $ 9,504.00
10 Furnish and Install 5'x5' Truncated Dome Tile 3 EA $1,500.00 $ 4,500.00 11 Install Asphalt Concrete 5' wide Pedestrian Path 2376 SF $10.00 $ 23,760.00 $ 140,424.00
12 Construction Contingency (10%) 1 LS $14,042.40 14,042.40 $ 13 Topographic Survey 1 LS $7,710.00 7,710.00 $
14 Engineering Cost 1 LS $40,600.00 40,600.00 $
Total $ 202,800.00
The Engineer has no control over the cost of labor, materials, equipment, or over the Contractor's methods of determining prices or over competitive bidding or market conditions. Opinions of probable costs provided herein are based on the information known to Engineer at this time and represent only the Engineer's judgment as a design professional familiar with the construction industry. The Engineer cannot and does not guarantee that proposals, bids, or actual construction costs will not vary from its opinions of probable costs.
Disclaimer:
Item UNIT Extended
Total Amount
Sub-total
1 Table 6 - Estimated Costs for Station Lane Improvements - Alternative I Item EST. Unit
No. QTY. Cost
1 Install New Curb Ramp 2 EA $8,000.00 $ 16,000.00
2 Furnish and Install Sign and Post 6 EA $750.00 $ 4,500.00 3 Install Truncated Domes Tile 1 EA $1,500.00 $ 1,500.00 4 Remove Existing Tree 10 EA $5,000.00 $ 50,000.00
5 Furnish and Install Sign 4 EA $500.00 $ 2,000.00
6 Install AC Dike 390 LF $7.00 $ 2,730.00
7 Site Clearance and Removal 1290 SF $4.00 $ 5,160.00
8 Install Asphalt Concrete 5' wide Pedestrian Path 1290 SF $10.00 $ 12,900.00 9 Install New Crosswalk 1 EA $1,000.00 $ 1,000.00
10 Furnish and Install 5'x5' Truncated Dome Tile 1 EA $1,500.00 $ 1,500.00 11 Install Striping 50 LF $4.00 $ 200.00
$ 97,490.00
12 Construction Contingency (10%) 1 LS $9,749.00 9,749.00 $ 13 Topographic Survey 1 LS $7,710.00 7,710.00 $
14 Engineering Cost 1 LS $28,800.00 28,800.00 $
$ 143,800.00
Disclaimer:
Total
The Engineer has no control over the cost of labor, materials, equipment, or over the Contractor's methods of determining prices or over competitive bidding or market conditions. Opinions of probable costs provided herein are based on the information known to Engineer at this time and represent only the Engineer's judgment as a design professional familiar with the construction industry. The Engineer cannot and does not guarantee that proposals, bids, or actual construction costs will not vary from its opinions of probable costs.
Item UNIT Extended
Total Amount
Sub-total
1 Table 7 - Estimated Costs for Station Lane Improvements - Alternative II