Car Free Streets:
California Avenue
Ramona Street
City of Palo Alto
December 7, 2022
Fukuji Architecture & Planning
Fehr and Peers
NACTO Global Street Design Guide
Car Free Streets:
California Avenue & Ramona Street
City Council effort to:
• Enhance community
experience and economic
vibrancy of Palo Alto
• Engage community,
businesses & property
owners
• Advance interim and
permanent street
configurations
1. Welcome & Introductions
2. Presentation
3. Small Group Activity
4. Next Steps
Ramona Street
California Avenue
• Listen to community
perspectives and ideas
• Present best practices
• Input on draft work plan
Agenda
Objectives
Reshaping a Post Pandemic Main Street
Challenges for California Avenue
© 2022 Google
© 2022 Google
© 2022 Google
2022 Post-Pandemic
2019 Pre-Pandemic
3RD Street Promenade - Santa Monica, California
DOWNTOWN BOULDER
RETAIL/VIBRANCY STUDY
MARCH 2018
Pearl Street – Boulder, Colorado
Lessons Learned: Successful Pedestrian Main Streets
Creating Central Destination for Downtown Economic Vitality Google Earth
City of Santa Monica City of Santa Monica
City of Boulder
Lessons Learned: Pedestrian Mall Conversions
Reintroducing cars - placemaking and walkability with increasing visibility with local vehicle access Fresno, California: 1964 Fulton Street Closed; 2017 Converted to 2-way Street with 1960’s Art Kalamazoo, Michigan: 1959 Nation’s First Pedestrian Mall; 1998 Converted to a One-Way Street Google Earth
Google Earth
City of Fresno
Kalamazoo City Museum
Lessons Learned: Elements for Success
Vibrant Main Streets are the result of comprehensive management and revitalization Main Street America Resource Guide
National Main Street Center and National Trust for Historic Preservation Benefits
• Demonstrate new ideas
• Engage and empower
stakeholders
• Implement change
quickly
• Explore and refine
designs
• Inspire new policies and
practices
National Association of City Transportation Officials
Post Pandemic Opportunity: Interim Street Transformations Reprioritizing Transportation Infrastructure for Public Use Process for Reshaping Streets
NACTO Global Street Design Guide
1. Plan 2. Design
3. Implement4. Test
Thursday,
Thursday
,
5. Evaluate
Thursd
ay,
Test system
Identify
Permanent
improvements
Street Transformations – Existing Condition
Pike Street, New York
New York City Department of Transportation
Street Transformations – Interim Design
Pike Street, New York
New York City Department of Transportation
Street Transformations – Capital Reconstruction
Pike Street, New York
New York City Department of Transportation
State Street – Interim Design
Santa Barbara, California
State Street – Interim Design
Santa Barbara, California
State Street – Interim Design
Santa Barbara, California
State Street – Interim Design
Santa Barbara, California
Sunset Triangle Plaza – Interim Design
Los Angeles, California
City of Los Angeles
Public Space Activation
NACTO 2021 Grant Program - Streets for Pandemic Response and Recovery 10 City/Community Partnerships Funded
Baltimore – Denver – Fort Collins – Los Angeles – Madison – Minneapolis – Portland – San Francisco – Seattle – Washington DC Source District Bridges
Local Cart VendorsCommunity Artists
Indigenous CulturePop-up Library
Bike Repair Station Street Murals
Street Transformations – Community Visioning
State Street Design Charrette, Downtown Santa Barbara, California Stat e St r eet Cor r idor - Team A
D O W N T O W N S A N T A B A R B A R A
Date: 09/24/20
Design Charrette 2020
RE:INVIGORATE
INVENT
IMAGINE
PURPOSE
Civic Center / Old T own:
De La Guer r a St r eet
Or t ega St r eet
DE LA GUERRA
PLAZA
PASEO NUEVO
METRO 4
THEATRE
EL PASEO
MERCHANT KIOSKS
CHILDRENS
FOUNTAIN
ALLEE OF
REMBERANCE
ARTISAN
STALLS OUTDOOR SEA TING
Small Group Activity
• Give everyone a chance to contribute
• Make notes on maps or post-its to document your
thoughts
• This is a data collection, not decision making or consensus building
• All ideas welcome !
Small Group Questions
1. What concerns you most about the closure of California Avenue to vehicle traffic?
2. If you can have anything on California Avenue what would attract the most people to visit and spend time?
Next Steps
1. Update City Council
2. Summarize Outreach Results including On-line Survey
3. Develop Scope of Work
4. Focus Group Follow-up
5. Draft RFQ/RFI
For More Information
Project Website: CityofPaloAlto.org/CarFreeStreets
Project Contact: Ozzy Arce, Senior Transportation Planner [email protected]
California Avenue Existing Conditions
El Camino Real to Mimosa Lane
California Avenue Existing Conditions
Mimosa Lane to Birch Street
Ramona Street Existing Conditions
University Avenue to Hamilton Avenue