EAST PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
DATE: October 4, 2022
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Patrick Heisinger, Interim City Manager
BY: Batool Zaro, Assistant Civil Engineer
Humza Javed, Public Works Director
SUBJECT: Temporary Traffic Circles Installations
Recommendation
Receive and File
Alignment with City Council Strategic Plan
This recommendation is primarily aligned with:
Priority No. 4: Improve Public Facilities and Infrastructure Background
In 2021, the City of East Palo Alto staff applied to take part in the San Mateo County Office of Education (SMCOE) School Travel Fellowship Program (Fellowship Program). The City was selected to participate in the fellowship program. The goal of the program was to help improve safety for students walking and biking to school.
This item was presented to the Public Works and Transportation Commission (PWTC) at the 9/21/2022 meeting. Staff accepted feedback and received support from the PWTC for the project.
Analysis
As part of the program the SMCOE Fellowship Team conducted a walk audit for Cesar Chavez Middle School, Los Robles-Ronald McNair Academy, Costaño Elementary School, and Belle Haven Elementary School. The walk audits included the use of the Stanford’s Discovery Tool App through the Our Voice initiative. Students, parents, and community members were able to use the app to give feedback on what made it hard or easier to walk or bike to school. The team then went to the school to talk to students and parents about the feedback received. The findings from the study were used to select a demonstration project.
The demonstration project involves the installation of a temporary traffic circle at two intersections of concern in the City that are also nearby schools. Locations are as follows:
- Pulgas Avenue and Runnymede Street
- Pulgas Avenue and Beech Street
Pulgas Avenue is a 25-mph neighborhood collector street with one lane in each direction.
Along most of the Pulgas Avenue corridor, parking is permitted on both sides. Additionally, along the Pulgas Avenue corridor, there is sidewalk on one or both sides. Pulgas Avenue was selected for this project because of the existing speeding issue along this corridor, plus, many of the intersections on Pulgas Avenue are used for donuts/sideshow. Several schools are also located along the corridor, so it is travelled by a lot of students.
During the data gathering process, the team received a lot of feedback recommending/requesting traffic calming measures along Pulgas Avenue. The existing stop controls and perpendicular alignment of these intersections made them ideal candidates for this pilot project.
The traffic circles being installed as a part of this program are temporary and will remain in place for the near future. If the community is supportive of the traffic circles and they are effective as a traffic calming feature, they can be converted from temporary traffic circles to permanent traffic circles or roundabouts which would serve as a more permanent traffic calming measure.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact with this project at this time. There will be a few hours of staff time to assist with traffic control during the installation.
Public Notice
The public was provided notice of this agenda item by posting the City Council agenda on the City’s official bulletin board outside City Hall and making the agenda and report available at the City’s website and at the San Mateo Co. Library located at 2415 University Avenue, East Palo Alto.
Environmental
The action being considered does not constitute a “Project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), pursuant to CEQA Guideline section 15378 (b)(5), in that it is a government administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.