• Lower the cost of housing, less congestion.
• Make more affordable housing -> easy to apply too.
• Make more affordable housing or more affordable for rennovations for people living in the homes. • More affordable housing
• More affordable housing
• More affordable housing
• More affordable housing, especially for veterans
• More affordable housing. High vacancy rates in office space in downtown. Can't something be done to use these empty buildings and storefronts?
• More affordable multihome housing.
• More affordable, large scale housing.
• More housing (high rise apartments)
• More housing /denser zoning and quicker approvals to increase affordability and lower prices. However, this will of course be shot down by the single family homeowners. • More housing and less capitulation to NIMBYs
• More housing for young people and people working for Palo Alto. • More housing in transport hubs (downtown, Cal Ave).
• More housing of all kinds will make all housing cheaper Please no trash trucks before 6amBathrooms in public parks
• More permissive development of higher density
• More quality affordable housing for workers and young families. • More small single-family homes (2 bed,1000 sq. feet). • More taller housing.
• More things (apartments, shops) for people with low to moderate incomes • No monster homes
• One change could be build fewer houses, especially near the public park. • Open up zoning laws to allow developers to build high density housing everywhere. This would reduce the cost of housing, and allow more people to move here, including my extended family. • promote & build affordable housing & multi-family housing • Reduce emphasis on affordable housing which has made streets very clogged. • reduce the cost of housing
• Reduced housing costs to make Palo Alto accessible to more modest income groups • Somehow Reduce the Cost of Housing
• Stop adding more high density housing to our already built out neighborhoods. • Stop allowing so much hi rise building
• Stop building new office buildings and build more housing. • Stop delaying affordable housing. Just do it. We need more medium/high rises near public transit centers (like Cal Ave). So many delays in delivering zoning for an urgent need. • Stop obstructing new construction of housing. It takes years and hundreds of thousands of dollars to get anything built in palo alto. And then the bloated city, planting staff wonders why we have a housing crisis • Streamline increasing local housing stock so the crunch on renters gets better. • Strong rent control!
• Take bold *steps to increase the supply of affordable multi-family housing. *Even more bold than at present.
• Taller residential building
• The only issue in Palo Alto is expensive house. If there is affordable house, this place is good place for living.!
Public Safety and Policing
• Putting a fire engine in Mitchell park. (2) Stop overbuilding on Fabian [?] Charleston Rd. • Community safety program & speed up fiber optics project expand to whole PA.
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• Crack down on crimes.
• Enforce the law.
• Feeling safer less bike theft and robberies
• FOCUS ON CRIME PREVENTION.
• Fully fund and popular fire & police depts.
• Fully staff police and fire departments. The lack of either - especially the missing fire trucks and staff from Mitchell Park is sadly appalling.
• Get the police out of their cars and walking or biking - makes them known and approachable • Greater safety by far because I have children. Also, more community events and activities like Mountain View & Redwood City
• heard several cases of home invasion and robbery & burglary in Palo Alto, not sure how to minimize such cases
• I would like to see "more" police cars patrolling our neighborhood. Downtown seems to have plenty patrolling compared to what we don't have (especially at night) the Cubberly area. • Improvement on safety. Reduce risks of bugllary.
• Let the cops do their jobs once again!!!
• Make us feel safer
• more crime prevention
• More police enforce.
• More police services so that the city feels safer.
• More policing in neighborhoods
• More safety: crime rate, bike theft, petty theft are not news control anymore. • Reduce crime (home burglary/robberies). Improve overall feeling of safety. • Reduce crime rate.
• Reduce crime, get rid of homeless.
• Reduce crimes
• Reduce petty street theft (items out of cars, from front yard, catalytic converters, etc.) so we feel safe in our neighborhood.
• safety.
Transportation and Traffic
• (1)Add a tram from Stanford Oval/shopping center to East P.A. 2) Add a bike lane against traffic direction on Homer Ave from the Homer tunnel to Middlefield Ave.
• As a resident of Palo Alto, one change that would make me happier is improved traffic safety near school zones. The construction at 4025 Orme has caused contractor vehicles to block the street, creating a one - way situation that affects traffic flow and safety, especially for families driving their children to school • At every bus stop, post a map and complete timetable for every bus that stops there physicals. • Ban bicycles and scooters from sidewalks.
• Better public transit!!! Less big ugly roads, more green space. • Better traffic enforcement on streets like Middlefield, Embarcadero and Alma. • Better traffic flow design.
• Better transportation for limited/disabled people.
• Bring back shuttle busses
• Catching red-light runners in cars.
• Close University Ave between Cowper and High streets to traffic • Close University Ave for car traffic, like it was during pandemic • Convenient public transportation and improvement of walkability • Coordinated traffic lights in accordance with traffic density. • Crack down on red light runners.
• Eliminate roundabouts at intersections that are too small for it like ross & east meadow, and don't convert any existing intersections to roundabouts
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• Enforce traffic laws
• Enforce traffic laws on residential streets
• ENFORCE TRAFFIC LAWS, TO KEEP PEDS SAFE IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE (E.G. X -WALK LIGHTS). • Fix the traffic signal algorithms and timing, especially inclusion of late arrivers to the intersection. • fix the train crossing problem in a way which doesn't destroy neighborhoods or take properties • From Oregon Expressway to downtown make Alma St 25 mph, make 2 lanes, one in each direction, add left turn & merge lanes!
• Get rid of auto traffic barriers. Stop emphasis on biking. • Get rid of round abouts. Confusing for many drivers
• Get rid of the traffic circles
• Get rid of those RVs parked on the streets!!!!
• getting PARKED cars into driveways and off streets and sidewalks. • Getting rid of those roundabouts at Louis + Ross.
• Go back to 4 lanes on Charleston/Arastradero, takes way too long to go across town • Improve the traffic flow on Embarcadero at the PALY light. The traffic there is really awful. • Improve traffic enforcement. Fix the enjoy website.
• Improve traffic flow and parking enforcement/availability particularly around the JLS/Mitchell Park areas during events (soccer games, swim meets, school activities) • Improve traffic light tuning!
• IMPROVE TRAFFIC. CONGESION.
• Increase traffic speeds and light timings
• Less traffic
• Make Palo Alto link useable by kids under 12.
• More parking for residents Univ. South/stop transferring funds from utilities to the general fund. • More public transportation.
• More walking streets closed to cars downtown (and more shade trees on Cal Ave!) • Need to enforce red light driving and speeding - Endangers all kids riding bikes to school • Open Calif. Avenue to autos.
• Open the half block of Ramona Street-it is utter nonsense it's still closed and open Cal Ave except for events like the Farmers' Market & Third Thursdays. These streets are not being used 90% of the time as you all think they are and it is hurting business. Plus it's ugly. • People non stop signs in Midtown residential streets. More police enforcement! • Planning and actually following through with plans. Why are we still discussing Cubberly & train underpass/crossing 5-10 years later. Despite paying millions for surveys/evaluations/plans we are still no where towards adapting plans and moving forward.
• Please fix the light in front of JLS; It always stops cars & bikes. • Put the Caltrain under/above ground & make the rail corridor a bike road. • Raise the Caltrain tracks for grade separation.
• RE-EVALUATE & PROPERLY TIME THE SIGNAL LIGHTS AT INTERSECTIONS (RESPOND TO ACTUAL TRAFFIC).
• Reduce traffic
• Reduce traffic speed on downtown streets, e.g., Channing Avenue and Homer Avenue • Removing the troublesome roundabout at the intersection of Ross and E. Meadows. • Resolve rail crossing plans in an economical and rational way for autos, cyclists and pedestrians (close Churchill Ave crossing to automobiles, improve existing crossings at Embarcadero and Oregon Expressway, add pedestrian/bike crossing at Seal and Loma Verde, finalize plans for Meadow and Charleston, and move on to planning for the crossing at Palo Alto Ave). • Resolve the Caltrain crossing construction issues and track configuration for the future more effectively and expeditiously.
• Road repair and resolve traffic.
• Smart traffic signal timings too many times a green light with no cars.
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• Stop the trash trucks from waking me up EVERY Tuesday morning at 6:30 a.m.!!! Other contractors in PA have to wait until 8 a.m. Waste Management claims they have to start early before traffic is heavy, but they do our quiet street at 6:30, and on Thursdays I get stuck behind a trash truck at 8 a.m. on Alma Street between E. Meadow and Oregon. Why???
• Stop cars from running red lights and stop signs.
• STOP USING ROUNABOUTS & OTHER TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES - I BIKE AND [?] ESE HAVE MADE ME LESS SAFE.
• Support transportation, housing and employment/recreation for people with disabilities. • The color temperature of street lights could be warmer (yellower). • Traffic enforcement of speed limits - makes me feel unsafe to bike with my kids. • Traffic enforcement!!!
• Traffic enforcement. Citations for running stop signs and installation of traffic circles and speed bumps • TRAFFIC LIGHT TIMING FOR ACTUAL TRAFFIC FLOW (and please pave/fix potholes...). • Traffic lights in sync.
• work with the County to make the lights at Churchill/Alma intersection be more responsive and change more frequently, so that we can leave Churchill intersection open. That would make traffic flow much more smoothly. And invest in quad gates there.
Homelessness and Social Services
• Address homeless and RV dwelling issues effectively.
• Address the downtown (University Ave) vacancy/safety/homeless issue with the utmost urgency. It keeps getting worse and it seems like all the city does is start committees and talk about it without taking any real action. Many residents, especially young families, cannot afford homes in the more "residential" areas so we live downtown, and the safety situation in the area frankly has us considering leaving Palo Alto entirely. I don't want to be dodging erratic drug addicts every time I try to take my toddle r to the store. • better control of homelessness in downtown area
• DEAL WITH HOMELESS CAMPERS AROUND MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
• Discourage presence of homeless people, especially downtown and at caltrain station. • Don't push out people experiencing homelessness. Provide human centered services. • Find a solution to the problem of un-housed people living in vehicles, especially RVs, for extended periods. I am aware of some of the same people living in vehicles parked one the street for over 4 years • Focus on getting the homeless people on Univ. Ave + Caltrain help and a place to be that isn't on the street.
• Giving unhoused people opportunities for convenient, appropriate housing and welcome. • Help the homeless
• Make downtown library safer/ less homeless people in it • Manage homeless camps, mobile house parking near E. Meadow Circle and Fabian Way. • Please get rid of many camping car on Fabian way. They smell bad and unsafe!! • Problem with Homeless (RV). Appearance and cleanliness issues. • Removal of homeless from downtown neighborhoods
• RV dwellers.
• Solve locally the issues of homelessness and insecurity in the retail arena. .
City Governance and Administration
• A City Council that will make decisions and act on them. Their inaction on things like grade level crossings, approving solutions to the housing crisis, is inexcusable • All libraries open 7 days/week especially downtown.
• ANSWER THE DAMN PHONE WHEN I CALL. ALSO, FIX THE ROADS! • Codify NEPOTISM ordinance.
• Commit to no new taxes.
• CONTROL STANFORD GROWTH.
• Creek maintenance, clearing overgrowth in creeks before rains set in.
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• Cut salaries & city manager & admin by 50% / cut taxes. • Dedicated fund to buy public land, esp parkland.
• Even more library funding.
• Extended hours for Palo Alto Link
• faster and less complicated building permit process
• Faster city inspections on permit work
• Get a new superintendent. Fire Don Austin.
• Improve Solar approvals process
• Improve the library : long hours; mange the book shelves; more diversity languages. • INCREASE INCENTIVES FOR ELECTRIFICATION TO OFFSET RIDUCULOUS CONSTRUCTION COSTS. • Maintain budget and not overspent on unnecessary project • Make hard decisions in a timely way. Ie train crossing housing. • More [?] for downtown library.
• More books at library to reduce months long hold times. • More connectivity with residents. When I have work from home days the fumes from air blowers (non - electric) make me unwell.
• No rent control. Less expensive utilities. Spending less money. Lower property taxes. • Own up to electrical issues, H2O quality issues, do not use contractors -> we need committed, loyal employees.
• Planning department should work better with citizens and contractors. Don't be so hard to work with. • Process for permits rainer & speedier. Decide big issues (like rail) in less than year Cubberl [?] resolve use.
• Reduce costs
• Replace the City Manager
• Replace the city manager, utilities director, and attorney with individuals qualified to do those important jobs.
• Spend less money on consultants and just making decisions • Spend less time thinking about how to regulate the lives of your residents and more time thinking about how to provide value in city services. Focus on local quality of life issues. Don't spend time on global issues where Palo Alto as a small suburban city can only have negligible impact. Instead of "there ought to be a law", we should have "there ought to not be a law." • stop hiring consultants to evaluate how the city operates. city staff are paid well and should be competent to figure out how to manage operations. allow staff to generate ideas and encourage them to propose new way of doing things. it's OK to step out of the bureaucratic process. • Stop raising taxes to cover unnecessary costs such as sculptures along Charleston Road. Seems like the city has money that it does not know how to spend. At the same time, the public school look run down, and improvements seem like lost opportunities (e.g. putting single story new buildings at Gunn High School for admin office instead of a two story building to replace horrible classrooms on part of the campus. There is also no police presence on the streets. I would like police patrolling on a regular b asis and not just when they are called. We are seeing people speeding, going through traffic lights, and seems to be lot of crime (e.g. shoplifting, burglaries, mail theft, people held up at gun point at the Cal Strain and at the Stanford Mall, bike theft, etc.). Also, why is the city of Palo Alto having, renovating a Zoo instead of putting more money into improving the school infrastructure. • Stop wasting city resources, I've seen 12 city vehicles on my street for 2 guys to change a water meter. • Stop wasting so many resources and personnel to do simple jobs. • Streamline and make transparent permitting process.
Community Amenities and Services
• More public free swimming pools or gym centers I live alone and have to pay high utilities fees. (2) To change the or affordable utilities on base & head count instead of a fixed rate housing.
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• At Mitchell park: (1) Pickle ball place is out of control now - too much crowd, yelling & stout. (2) Trashes all over the place, Graffiti on the wall & road, human waste on the wall & road: The Mitchell park becomes very unsafe, dangerous place.
• Build more pickleball courts.
• Build more pickleball courts/capacity. There is an obvious demand for more courts and the sport provides opportunities for residents to engage in a great community! • HAVE A 9-HOLE RESIDENT'S RATE AT THE GOLF COURSE.
• Have more sponsored community events to invite people to meet city officials. Reduce the cost of utilities would be great.
• Improve youth mental wellness through active programs and support that provide direct mental wellness services to young people.
• Improve/enlarge dog parks/off leash combined w/increasing tree canopy at parks, especially where trees have fallen.
• Install more equipment to collect recyclable CRV bottles; explore ways to make more residents feel daily consumptions/ activities more affordable; more resources and opportunities to help talented kids unleash their potentials
• Larger community events.
• Make neighborhood parks beautiful and fun for everyone. • Make tennis courts more available to play tennis i.e. build up the lights etc. • More areas for dogs to run in Parks without leash
• More city gardens
• More community arts programs for adults and a city subsidized sports complex with swimming and pickleball
• More community/neighborhood events.
• more dog parks
• More dog parks with grass, not astroturf
• More open spaces, parks and hiking trails- keep building density low • More pickleball courts!
• More recreational events and affordable restaurants.
• No more chicken permits. Ok to have chickens: No fee! • Not allowing city employees access to property without owner's explicit permission at that time. • places where teens could exist out in the world that doesn't involve having to pay for things that isn't a park where they could possibly annoy kids/families
• Reduce time of peermits.
• REDUCE WASTEFUL SPENDING - CITY LINK, FIBER INTERNET - UNUSED PROGRAMS. • Set aside dedicated funds each year in order to buy and add to the amount of park space in the city. • Teen ages children's center or kind.
• Tell us people what's available where, contact info, and cost.
Economic Development
• (1) increase variety of business around midtown Palo Alto (2) improve efficiency and consistency of Palo Alto building approvals, so it will be easier to get building permits, and neighborhoods will look more homogenic
• Better grocery shopping options like milk pail. Fresh fruits have became so expensive after the pandemic.
Can we make it easier to groceries retailers to lower prices somehow? • Focus on downtown vibrancy the downtown is sad and overrun with high end restaurants and boba shops. No places to hang out, particularly for kids. When I think of downtown when I moved here in 2008, there was much more diversity of shopping and experience. Sure, macro trends impact the retail environment, but how do Mountain View, Burlingame and Los Altos do it so much better? • Focus on the importance of economic development/smart growth over outdated/impractical regulations. • Improve the health of downtown by increasing parking. There are a lot of empty commercial lots - do a deal with those buildings to use the parky space.
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• Make it easier for businesses to get started in Palo Alto so that there are less closed business fronts downtown and a larger variety and more options for shopping/dining in the city. • Make small businesses easier and affordable
• More diverse restaurants (cheaper).
• More economic development of our downtown (fill the vacancies!!) • More job opportunities for Palo Alto residence/affordable house for long only term Palo Alto residence. • More local shopping mall
• More small businesses
• More variety of retail and shops in downtown Palo Alto. Currently over indexes on boba shops, ice cream shops, and rug stores.
• Revitalize downtown Palo Alto.
• Revitalize the midtown shopping area (especially Middlefield between Charleston & Oregon). • Revive downtown - make it car free and put parking underneath University ave so it becomes a destination for the area and attracts more shops and restaurants. Lytton and Hamilton would each become one way streets to accommodate traffic.
• The retail scene (Cal Ave, Midtown) is disgraceful. Hardly in keeping with the affluence in this town. Stop policies that destroy the viability of small businesses and the deterioration of the appearance of retail establishments at Cal Ave and Midtown.
• There has to be more effort to revitalize our business districts. Make it desirable to do business here -- cut out the bureaucratic tape (streamline permits, simplify taxes, increase safety and security). Even small steps would signal to the public that you are at least trying. Frustrating to see what has happened in the past few years.
• Work to improve the Midtown shopping area.
Noise and Urban Environment
• Airplane noises.
• Better landscaping, like Gamble Garden, at public parks. • Better management of city trees: removal, re-planting, responsible ownership by city • Cleaner and Safer downtown
• Dedicated/assigned Clean Up Day for condos rather than having to schedule separately with the city • Do a better job of taking care of city trees; remove the scary branches & treat them for disease more often; show up as noted on the signs.
• Don't make the trains noises for heavens sake. Use common sense. Not political appearance to guide you.
• Fix the grading at the Alma and Camina train crossing so the train would no longer need to sound its horn • Greatly reduce aircraft noise.
• Have more green spaces, plant more trees. Have a more reliable public transit. • Improve our downtowns
• Improve University Ave. environment
• Keep Palo Alto living environment same as has been.
• Keep the streets quieter, especially in the early hours of the morning. Loud trucks are a nuisance. • Less development, City is becoming too dense.
• More shade trees in south Palo Alto.
• MORE TREES IN YARDS AT HOMES.
• Nicer landscaping -- more like T&C or Stanford Mall flowers in public places; make Cal Ave beautiful as a place. The restaurants there are great.; approve projects like Castilleja and big new investments quicker.
It is good for peope o invest millions in Palo Alto.
• noise control along major street
• Not plant more sycamore trees, instead plant ginkos
• Paint & decorate areas like Midtown & Califar in colors & flowers like in Columbia. Look on Google or YouTube in towns like Sadento, Guatape: Palo Alto look drab & colorless.
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• Pick up trash of apartment complexes more often.
• Pull the weeds at the Oregon Avenue exit from 101!!!!! No one has cared for this entrance to the city for years!
• Reduce rain noise and trim trees on Everett Avenue (I'm afraid a branch will fall & take down out electric lines) burying electric lines in downtown North would be awesome! • Reducing sound from Shoreline Amphitheater (especially past 10PM) either through building sound wall or stricter enforcement of curfew sound levels. Removing need to maintain current Eichler homes (i.e. allow homeowners to rebuild).
• SFO noise abetment, if Palo Alto could do its job and ensure that there was flight path of at least 7500 feet above the City for all flights not ending in Palo Alto. Terrible job overall with fixing this issue. • Use the funds wisely to help residents live in a safe environment. Make it a safe place to live again. Not afraid of burglary or crime at any time. Kids can bike or hike home without fear of attack from the homeless.
Develop Infrastructure
• Becoming more modern and high tech! After all it is the heart of Silicon Valley. So things like free high speed internet, self driving cars, better movie and entertainment complexes, buzzier downtown etc • Better cellular signal throughout the city / better access to fast internet service • Better roads & side walks!
• Better roads for bike riders.
• Better roads!
• Better street lighting for residential areas
• Better/more off leash dog parks! Also improved bike safety, especially for our kids! • City wide internet access.
• Continue to upgrade the electric system and make it easier & faster to upgrade capacity at your house. • fiber cabling throughout the city providing WiFi sooner than current efforts • Fiber optic to the home.
• Fiber please! Good internet access from CPAU.
• Fiber to my house
• Finalize the fiber to the home plan, and deploy fiber widely • Fix or remove the roundabout that was added to East Meadow and Ross. Terrible decision at the time and still is.
• Fix potholes on El Camino Real and Alma.
• Fix ross road, the bike path is a disaster there.
• Fix sidewalks and roads.
• FIX THE DAMN POTHOLES & ROADS C DIRECT ELECTION OF THE MAYOR -REAL ACCOUNTABILITY. • Fix the roads!! Especially EI Camino.
• Fix the streets so they're smoother for cyclists.
• Fix the streets. Remove the roundabouts.
• Focus on practical & cost effective road/transportation/zoning improvements instead of unrealistic ideals.
• Here are potholes; street maintenance.
• High speed internet
• Installing fiber, more housing, more common sense have to tried for do it rest 15 years not enough power available (live in condo).
• Keep California Ave. No cars repave El Camino.
• Less frequent power outages would be really appreciated. • More street lights.
• Move quicker with grade separating the road from Caltrain. People are dying. • Put power lines and cables to underground
• Put power lines underground
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• Residential fiber internet.
• Safer residential street lighting = Cauper Street.
• SIDEWALK REPAIRS IMPROVEMENT (DOWNSIZE AIRPORT).
• To not become over-built remembering water, energy & traffic limitations. • To see California Avenue finished. A wandering spot with walking and biking as the way to go up and down it.
• Underground power/wires and municipal fiber internet availability • Utilities - improve electrical reliability, expand FTTH broadband coverage area • Vibrant downtown? Faster internet..
Walking and Biking trails
• Allow E bikes around the baylands
• As an avid cyclist - - Enforce poor driving practices: not using blinkers & tinted front windows. These are the two most dangerous practices I encounter daily.
• Better integration between University Ave and Stanford's campus, especially for bikes. Reduced road traffic on University/generally more of a neighborhood feel on university like on Cal Ave • Expanded bike lanes with lights for safety.
• Improve bike infrastructure.
• Improve bike paths and safety downtown and into campus • Improve bike safety.
• Improve cycling infrastructure & advocate with Santa Clara & San Mateo counties to fix it & sweep. and change lights so that pressing inchestrian buttons actually [?] gers night. • Make downtown + California Ave walking only, and replace curbs/etc to incorporate walking only • Make the major arteries (El Camino, Alma) and their crossings safer for bicycles • Make the sidewalks on University Ave consist material instead of greasy hodgepodge. Implement vacancy tax. Boring stores. Put locks on parking garages. • Make the street I live on (Louis Road) into a bike boulevard with street furniture to reduce traffic speed and redirect traffic volume to arterial streets.
• Manage bicyclists in downtown areas. They ride on sidewalks, don't stop at stop lights, go the wrong way on one-way streets, and in general act like they are invincible, making them a hazard to walkers and drivers.
• more bike friendly
• network of at least 8 feet wide separated bike lanes through the city • Stop adding bike lanes in residential neighborhoods.
• Too many campers park along streets. Much better separation between cars & bicycles. This should be a better bike city.
Code Enforcement
• Enforce auto muffler law/regulations. In our area, drivers set up their autos to make a huge amount of noise.
• Enforce code violations like weeds, dead lawns, abandoned cars in driveways in South Palo Alto the way it's enforced in the North. It's embarrassing how terrible many homes look. I've had neighbors w/weeds 4 feet higher. There seems to be no enforcement of the appearance of rental homes. • Enforce on people having dogs on leash in the parks.
• Enforce parked vehicle laws in my neighborhood. Why do I have to live with one thousand motorhomes parked on my street and other neighborhoods don't? Also, revise Fabian Way to be safer. • Enforce the ban on gasoline powered leaf blowers!
• Less people, less dense housing. Patrol the blue disability spots so that those of us who need them can use them. Quit trying to get rid of cars. We can't all walk or ride bikes. • Remove all RV vehicles parking in the neighborhood in a clusters & painted school bus. It is scaried to walk near them.
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• Stricter enforcement of loitering by homeless people. Including parked vehicles, sleeping on benches/ sidewalks/ in parks..
Make the city more affordable
• (1) Cost of utilities is outrageous. (2) Make permits faster/easier. (3) Make south Palo Alto greener. Wide streets/concrete everywhere -> plant more city plants like on Midd. [?]. • (1) Lower property taxes - more businesses -> & business taxes (2) Affordable child care plz (3) Let smart kids flourish - give them resources to excel, not "equality at all costs". • All utilities are too high tree trimming not efficient on entire tree on street (the side of tree that grows on property not trimmed.)
• Cut down the cost of utility bill.
• Decrease utility charging rate
• I'd love to retire in Palo Alto, but the high cost of living here and property values/property taxes will make that financially impossible. Not sure how the City can impact that reality, but I will sorely miss not living here someday. I believe this same issue is why Palo Alto is not accessible to young people and more diverse populations with less financial means. It is just too expensive here. My children, even if successful post-university, will likely not be able to reside here, where they grew up. Whic h is sad.
Younger residents and more diversity would enliven our "elite, rich, white, hi -tech" persona that really just isn't very attractive. No one wants to be viewed as snobby, but Palo alto does look and feel that way sometimes.
• IMHO, GHG reduction should be shelved unless the cost is lower, here cost includes taxes and utilities • Lower my electric bill in winter. I'm in an all electric building • LOWER PRICES ON EVERYTHING. I HAVE TO MOVE SOON.
• Lower utilities bill!
• Lower utility bills! Electric.
• Make services more affordable.
• Make the city resiliant to emergencies
• Make the place more affordable to average people
• More affordable
• Reduce the cost of utilities
• Reduce utilities cost.
• Reduce utility bill amount
• Reduce utility costs.
• Regulate rent prices.
• Rent control (no more than 3%) rent increases are way too high. Families live here! • Very reliable electricity, affordable/reasonable fiber.
Other
• (1) Help Ada's cafe find a commercial kitchen close by. (2) Allow more generators rules for adding ADUS. • a) Supporting local electricity production & link to the grid flexible. b) Setting wires underground @ internet.
• Addressing antisemitism in schools & public spaces
• All this greenhouse stuff is a hoax
• ALLOW DOCS IN OPEN SPACES (DALE).
• Better support for apartments
• Book in Spanish - houses for retired people.
• Continue to support cow-free streets like California Ave to allow outdoor dining. • do away with daylight saving time
• Don't focus on national issues. Focus on local issues. Stop paying staff as though they run a huge city; you don't. We are tiny
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• Don't let Whole Foods park a refrigerated truck across from my bedroom all Fall. Downtown businesses frequently violate city codes by creating light and noise pollution. • Encouraging kindness
• Extend PA [?] to include my [?] area.
• FILL ALL THE CONSUMER COMMERCIAL SPACES IN OUR CENTRAL ZONES - UNIVERSITY, CALIFORNIA ANE, MIDTOWN - TAX LANDLORDS WHO KEEP THEIR SPACES VACANT. • Hire more resident.
• I miss Old Palo Alto. 20-30 yrs ago. [?] are great. Streets will lean, many stores that are [?]. • I wish I could work closer to home, so that I could ride my bike again to work and be teaching in my community.
• Increase area safty, spend more on education.
• Institute a Tenant Board to address landlord issues asap. 47% of PA are renters!!! • Join other cities who are suing the state about the state taking away zoning and land use rights. • Limits on the number of properties someone can own - we keep getting out bid & then these properties become rentals.
• Local Fireworks for NYE and 4th
• Local printed newspaper.
• Make the city more diversified to include different levels of residents. • More focused resources in midtown and south Palo Alto as opposed to downtown and Old Palo Alto. • More like the city of 30 years ago
• More places to work as hannahouse
• permit parking in front of my condo
• Preserve duck pond
• Pricing and replacing downtown parking with other uses to make the downtown more vibrant • Provide better access to handicapped parking and enforce ticketing of those that park in these designated spots without permits
• Provide easily accessible specific information on Palo Alto renters rights. There seems to be rental rights information available for Santa Clara County in general but it's difficult to find out rental rights information specific to Palo Alto.
• Regardless of the fact that Oregon Expressway is a county road, make improvements to Oregon Expressway for health and aesthetic reasons by removing the dead trees & shrubbery and fill in with new trees and shrubbery, that will shield nearby homes, reduce noise and improve air quality. Also fill in the empty spaces (esp. those caused by trees that fell in the winter storms). • Require closed shopping units to reopen or refocus their use to end the look of blight. • Rezoning, allowing businesses in residential areas.
• Seniors need more services at a low cost.
• Stop forcing people to use only electricity. Palo Alto electric grid is not stable. Multiple black -outs per year. Energy diversity is important, especially in winter. Stop forcing people to use only electricity. • Strongly fight ABAG requirements for densification of housing in Palo Alto. • the city pay close attention to employee resident ratio (pensions are so costly) we are the highest in CA but spearte ultilties to have fair comparison. pay close attention to adhoc financing - consultants, downtone vacancy tax, the bridge at newell -- please make decisions as opposed to kicking the can down the road.
• They shouldn't permit to build the house with the new units and have no back yard. You don't have any privacy anymore
• use a better survey product. what a boring set of questions and poor respondent experience. • Utility department and planning department process unfair charges for multifamily properties. Gas bill lumped in with business even though we use little gas.
• Welcome conservative points of view..
Nothing/Don't know
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• DON'T KNOW.
• I am pretty happy as it is!
• I honestly don't know!
• None
• None.
• nothing
• This is an [?] community but the cost of living very very high utility cost [?]. • Too many changes that I'd like to see to list.
• Unknown.
• WHO KNOWS.
Question 20: As a resident of Palo Alto, what one thing do you believe the City does well and would want to maintain?
Parks, open space, and natural environment
• Abundance of parks and valuing safe biking routes.
• Care for trees. Also Website is efficient
• City parks are beautiful.
• Downtown Walkability
• Ensuring that we preserve our canopy -- trees, green spaces, etc. • Environment, public library.
• environmental protection
• EXCEPTIONAL PARKS & SCHOOLS.
• Foothills, Baylands, libraries, farmers markets are OUTSTANDING • Free outdoor exercise parks(s) - strength, agility, stamina. • good park
• Great parks and green spaces
• Great parks and outdoor spaces, great BMR program
• Great parks and schools, but maybe water the redwoods there more often • I like the value we place on nature preserves like Foothills and Baylands. Do we have farmlands? Would be cool to have public farmlands/gardens...
• I love the parks and libraries
• Keep the many trees and large canopies.
• Landscape, parks, safety.
• Maintain green space and libraries
• Maintain parks
• Maintaining natural environment, but should improve across the city • Maintains our parks and open spaces
• MAINTANCE OF PARKS AND GREEN AREAS.
• Maintenance of green space.
• Maintenance of public green and recreation spaces
• Make sure trees are watered when it's dry
• Make the public park well maintained.
• Manage open spaces and preseves
• Many things, including parks & natural spaces maintenance, community engagement, and the city utility grid.
• Mitchell Park Library
• Most of the parks are clean open and inviting.
• Neighborhood parks with dog parks.
• Open space
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• Open space and parks--thanks for finally putting in bathrooms at the smaller parks. • Our city parks and recreation are excellent. Winterlodge as a public partnership is a magical place! • Our public parks are great.
• Palo Alto provides very good open space and park facilities. • Parks
• Parks
• Parks
• Parks + open space.
• Parks and libraries
• Parks and libraries
• Parks and open space
• Parks and Open Space
• Parks and Rec
• Parks and Recreation
• Parks and recreation facilities.
• PARKS AND RECREATION.
• Parks and water
• Parks are excellent.
• Parks are lovely and well maintained
• Parks, libraries, public safety
• Parks, locations and number of parks and open space.
• Parks.
• PARKS.
• PARKS/LIBRARIES.
• plant trees!
• Pleasant leafy greenness and cleanliness.
• Protection of those beautiful trees.
• Public parks
• Street gardening, I came from spain to Palo Alto for many reasons, but most important to be fair was Henry M Gunn High Scool and Street gardening, the amount of trees gives me an extra day by day of life. • Taking good care of street trees, parks and othe recreational facilities. • taking good care of the street trees.
• The City's parks are very nice and we get a lot of enjoyment out of them. • The parks are beautiful.
• The trees
• There is lot of trees and bike lane to make community "green". • Tree lined streets
• Tree planting and maintenance
• trees
• Trees.
• Values the environment & education.
• Vibrant park and recreation facilities.
Utilities and city services
• Annual utility party in Baylands utility buildings area • City owned utilities
• Consolidated utilities.
• Continue to provide excellent utilities (electric, water, gas), trash pick up, street cleaning and street repair.
All of which make this a nice place to live.
• Efficient utilities.
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• Excellent services
• Fix power outages very quickly & earthquake awareness. • General utility provision
• Keep running our own utilities
• Keeping cost of city owned utilities in check.
• Lowest cost utility rates
• Maintenance and utilities are good!!
• Municipal utility services
• Overall utilities, including maintenance of parks, Baylands, etc • Own utilities
• Owning our own utilities
• Owning our utilities/also year round swimming pool.
• Provide all utilities independently and be prompt for the needs of residents. • Public facilities maintenance
• Quality of Palo Alto water.
• Running our own utility services
• The utility service
• the utility services except the prices are still too high. • Utilities
• Utilities
• Utilities and city events.
• Utilities and library.
• Utilities department and services are excellent.
• Utilities is great. Good public services
• Utilities management to keep the rate competitive.
• Utilities work well - Great service and no interruptions • Utilities, Greenwaste, park maintenance
• Utilities.
• UTILITIES.
• Utility management.
• Utility program
• utility service people are great!
• Utility services.
Safety services
• Beautiful and safe
• Emerency services
• Emergency response (services.
• Emergency services
• Fast response from the police.
• Fire department
• Fire, ambulance and police
• Great police force, a main reason we live in Palo Alto (i.e, safety). • I feel safe in Palo Alto.
• I have never felt safer in my life. This takes a huge emotional weight off my family's shoulders, it frees our minds and bodies to accomplish more, learn more, and live more at peace. We also love this community value of nature and wellness made clear by how the city invests in and uplifts these elements of our environment.
• Keep Palo Alto being safe
• Keeping our streets safe for car and bike traffic.
• Maintain safety for residents.
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• maintain safety of neighborhoods
• Maintain safety of the city.
• Maintaining safety.
• Maintains good emergency response.
• Making people feel safe, family town!
• Our emergency services, police, fire and ambulance
• Police and Fire protection
• POLICE FORCE - I FEEL VERY SAFE LIVING HERE.
• Police officers are helpful and respectful
• Police services
• Police, Fire and Emergency Services
• Police, firefighters, and library.
• police, utilities
• Police.
• Public safety
• Public safety
• Public safety
• Public safety services (police, fire, emergency medical). • Public safety we had our car broken into in our driveway and someone tried to steal a neighbor's catalytic converter over the past couple of years. Police response was good. Strong policing is critical to maintain a safe living environment.
• safety and emergency response
• SAFETY FROM CRIME.
• Safety of Palo Alto residents and their communities.
• SAFETY OF RESIDENTS AND FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE.
• Safety.
• Safety.
• Safety.
• Safety.
• Security of neighborhoods and their [?] people.
• The safety of our neighborhoods.
Activities and Recreation (arts, libraries, museums, theaters, etc.) • amazing libraries and parks
• Arts center
• awesome libraries!
• Children Theater
• Classes on Enjoy Catalog
• Cleanliness of "built environment", more but affordable dining options needed. • Community opportunities
• Continue to offer (and expand) community events and first-class parks, libraries, and open spaces. • cultural venue/events
• Excellent libraries.
• Excellent libraries.
• Free events
• Great libraries, parks and recreation.
• Great public library and parks. Great family oriented community and services. • Libraries and parks
• LIBRARIES ARE GREAT!
• Libraries, parks
• Libraries, paying utilities online.
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• Libraries! Open spaces, parks, preserves!
• Library and all the services at Mitchell Park like Pickle Ball, concerts, magical bridge park • Library and park.
• library services
• Library system
• Maintaining Public Library access (in person, physical book collections) • New book selection at Rinconada Library is pretty good. • Promote cultural activities and events
• Provides. Good parks & rec options.
• Providing many opportunities for socialization among residents • Public Library Services
• quality of library services
• Recreation options are great. Very diverse and affordable • Response time of fire and police.
• safety and overall attractiveness
• The Libraries
• The libraries are awesome!
• The libraries.
• The library system is the single best thing about Palo Alto. • The pool at Rinconada.
• You do a good job at the art and wine festival.
Government/leadership; government communication
• Allowing residents to participate in different commissions and committees is nice and annoying (the "Palo Alto way" often add double or triple time to the outcome). It's good that residents participate but bad if it complicates things and drags out the outcome. • City does well on sharing information with citizen and maintain a good service. • City respects & regards every individual equally. That needs to stay. • Communicating with the citizens and community.
• Communication
• communication with residents
• Communication with residents.
• Comprehensive plan.
• Employees are generally very kind and understanding, including utilities and police. • Encourage volunteers to participate.
• I believe the City is very well-intentioned. I appreciate the open communications, the transparency, the public city council meetings, the manager's regular reporting out, and the sincere wish to care for its residents.
• INFORM RESIDENTS OF CITY DECISIONS.
• Letting the people know how & who voted one way or another. It helps a person know who to vote for. • official website
• Planning and anticipation of things like flood control and stuff that might go wrong. • Respects the intelligence of its residents and provide the services accordingly • Response to complaints
• Taking input from residents on possible projects.
Schools and education, programs for youth
• Attention to schools.
• Childrens activities from libraries & playgrounds to theatre $ 300. • Classes for residents, parks + rec, library.
• education for kids
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• Focus on schools
• Good high schools
• Good public school system.
• Good schools
• Great schools
• K-12 education.
• Maintain good schools.
• Maintain the quality of schools K-12
• PUBLIC EDUCATION.
• Public school system.
• Public schools
• Quality of education
• School system.
• Schools, Process.
Cleanliness of community; upkeep
• Clean sidewalks
• Clean street, sidewalk.
• Clean streets, safe community/beautiful parks, friendly neighbors, good quality education for our kiddos • Cleanliness
• General city maintenance.
• I love the cleanup days.
• I saw city of Palo Alto removed the graffiti & human faces on the wall very quickly. • It's very clean!!
• keep city clean and safe
• Keep the city clean!!, safety, welcoming, option to apply for utilities discounts. • keeping the public areas clean
• Keeps city clean, keeps park rules [?].
• Maintain the cleanliness and overall natural beauty of the city • Make the street clean and pretty.
• Street cleaning
• Street sweeping
• Sweeping the streets so the water can easily drain down to the sewer. • The city's upkeep of its parks is excellent.
• Trash pick-up & recycling & composting.
• Waste management.
Quality of life, reputation
• I like university ave/ the downtown area.
• I love the library system
• Keep the brand awareness of Palo Alto. Every city has challenges but PA is doing great!! • Maintain a vibrant quality of living (safe and clean neighborhoods, thriving commercial centers, ease of transportation)
• Sense of community.
• Status Quo.
• The Overall Quality of Life Is Very Good
• The precious neighborhood quality and density.
• Water quality , opportunity to apply for household discount on utility bills.
Infrastructure, streets, transportation
• alternative transportation
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• beautiful, functional, safe "built environment"
• Beauty & fashion of natural & built environment(s).
• community services and infrastrucure: libraries, parks, open space • Experiment of new public transportation like PA Link
• FIX CRACKS IN STREETS & SIDEWALKS.
• General street maintenance.
• I think that Traffic Department does a really good job at balancing the many interests and promotes safe streets for walking and biking. We don't have cars racing through our neighborhoods trying to get out of the city faster.
• Improving infrastructure, especially streets, for walking, running, cycling, etc., i.e. reducing the dominance and necessity of motor vehicles and their negative impacts. • Its infrastructure is very conducive to walking!
• maintenance
• Palo Alto Link
• Palo Alto Link - But should be extended to adjacent cities for drop-off. • Road maintenance is done well - too much, actually! The cost must be very high. • Street and sidewalk maintenance
• strict building codes
Ease of bicycle travel/walking
• Bike friendly, great feeling of community, lot of great areas and outdoors, responsive city council, • Bike trail.
• Bike trails.
• Biking and pedestrian infrastructure
• Biking safety
• car-free zones on university ave and california ave
• KEEPS & ENHANCE CAL & U..AVE PEDESTRIAN MALLS.
• No cars on cal ave
• One of its strong points is being bike-friendly.
• Safe biking and Foothills and Baylands are wonderful. • The availability of biking and walking paths around the city. • The bike infrastructure & green spaces are great.
• The bike programs go in the right direction
• Very bike friendly.
• Walkability.
Sustainability
• Garbage management
• Giving extensive thought to the environment and climate change • low greenhouse emission
• Maintaining environment, utilities management.
• Recycling bins. Hazardous Waste needs to be reinstated as part of weekly pickup. • Toxic waste collection.
Culture, diversity
• diversity
• Friendly, responsive police and fire responders.
• Good diversity, business
• Peace
• People are all nice, educated, smart, and educated
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• The city portrays the image of being a friendly and inclusive place to live and shop. It needs to clean the streets and maintain the flora to keep up that image..
Other
• Animal control
• Animal Control personnel are prompt and helpful.
• CHG planning & communities to residents.
• Electronic communication methods
• Everything
• high housing cost
• hmmmm!
• Integrating green spaces throughout the urban and suburban landscape. • Keep free public parking
• Keep maintaining and fostering healthy lifestyle environment • Minimize Utilities Cost
• Public services response in general.
• Sponsoring programs to help residents with HPWH, electric cars, solar etc • Take unwarranted credit for its proximity to Stanford • The Stanford shopping center and Gamble gardens are lovely places to walk around. More like that (but not commercialized like the shopping center
Nothing/don’t know/something negative
• Can't think of one.
• I do not think Palo Alto has maintained the charming wonderful diversity of yrs past. They cater to the rich well and I don't want to encourager them to maintain.
• N/A
• No idea
• None of this time.
• Not sure. Don't take credit for things you don't control. • Nothing! Especially with such a large head count.
• To be honest, nothing, no need for bill lane!!
• unsure
• You do well raising utilities bill and giving terrible service you don't think in PA residents only in your pockets.
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Appendix C: Results to Open -Participation Survey
After the data collection period for the probability, address-based survey was underway, the City made available a web -based survey to its residents through a link on the City’s website and on social media. Visitors to the site were able to complete the survey from September 16 – October 21, 202 4 and 727 surveys were received. This section contains the results of this open participation web-based survey. These data were not collected through a random sample and it is unknown who in the community was aware of the survey; therefore, a level of confidence in the representativeness of the sample cannot be estimated. However, to reduce bias where possible, these data were weighted to match the demographic characteristics of the 20 20 Census and 2022 American Community Survey estimates for adults in the City of Palo Alto. The results of the weighting scheme for the open participation survey are presented in the following table.
Table 117: Palo Alto, CA 2024 Weighting Table
Characteristic Population Norm Unweighted Data Weighted Data Housing
Rent home 44% 14% 34%
Own home 56% 86% 66%
Detached unit* 59% 86% 68%
Attached unit* 41% 14% 32%
Race and Ethnicity
White 55% 73% 58%
Not white 45% 27% 42%
Not Hispanic 94% 97% 93%
Hispanic 6% 3% 7%
Sex and Age
Female 52% 60% 55%
Male 48% 40% 45%
18-34 years of age 23% 2% 12%
35-54 years of age 35% 26% 37%
55+ years of age 42% 71% 51%
Females 18-34 11% 2% 8%
Females 35-54 18% 16% 20%
Females 55+ 23% 42% 27%
Males 18-34 12% 1% 4%
Males 35-54 17% 10% 18%
Males 55+ 19% 29% 23%
Area
Area 1 13% 26% 17%
Area 2 19% 23% 20%
Area 3 13% 13% 13%
Area 4 20% 13% 20%
Area 5 9% 11% 11%
Area 6 26% 14% 19%
* U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2022 5-year estimates
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Table 118: Question 1 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents including "Don't Know" Responses Please rate each of the following aspects of quality
of life in Palo Alto: Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know Total Palo Alto as a place to live 39% N=285 45% N=326 15% N=105 1% N=9 0% N=0 100% N=726 Your neighborhood as a place to live 44% N=316 44% N=316 11% N=80 1% N=9 0% N=0 100% N=721 Palo Alto as a place to raise children 36% N=258 37% N=264 16% N=115 3% N=19 9% N=63 100% N=719 Palo Alto as a place to work 23% N=166 38% N=274 12% N=90 3% N=22 24% N=170 100% N=721 Palo Alto as a place to visit 20% N=145 36% N=254 29% N=205 10% N=73 5% N=38 100% N=713 Palo Alto as a place to retire 15% N=107 25% N=177 19% N=140 27% N=192 14% N=103 100% N=720 The overall quality of life in Palo Alto 30% N=219 49% N=358 20% N=142 1% N=8 0% N=0 100% N=727
Table 119: Question 1 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents without "Don't Know" Responses Please rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in Palo Alto: Excellent Good Fair Poor Total
Palo Alto as a place to live 39% N=285 45% N=326 15% N=105 1% N=9 100% N=726 Your neighborhood as a place to live 44% N=316 44% N=316 11% N=80 1% N=9 100% N=721 Palo Alto as a place to raise children 39% N=258 40% N=264 18% N=115 3% N=19 100% N=656 Palo Alto as a place to work 30% N=166 50% N=274 16% N=90 4% N=22 100% N=551 Palo Alto as a place to visit 21% N=145 38% N=254 30% N=205 11% N=73 100% N=676 Palo Alto as a place to retire 17% N=107 29% N=177 23% N=140 31% N=192 100% N=617 The overall quality of life in Palo Alto 30% N=219 49% N=358 20% N=142 1% N=8 100% N=727
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Table 120: Question 2 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents including "Don't Know" Responses Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Palo Alto as a whole: Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't
know Total
Overall "built environment" of Palo Alto (including overall design, buildings, parks and transportation systems) 15% N=112 50% N=365 25% N=181 10% N=70 0% N=2 100% N=730 Overall feeling of safety in Palo Alto 38% N=280 44% N=318 14% N=103 4% N=27 0% N=0 100% N=729 Overall quality of natural environment in Palo Alto 38% N=274 48% N=344 13% N=92 1% N=8 0% N=2 100% N=719 Overall health and wellness opportunities in Palo Alto 36% N=262 43% N=310 17% N=119 2% N=12 2% N=16 100% N=719 Residents' connection and engagement with their
community 15% N=108 42% N=306 29% N=208 10% N=75 4% N=29 100% N=726
Table 121: Question 2 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents without "Don't Know" Responses Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Palo Alto as a whole: Excellent Good Fair Poor Total
Overall "built environment" of Palo Alto (including overall design, buildings, parks and transportation systems) 15% N=112 50% N=365 25% N=181 10% N=70 100% N=728 Overall feeling of safety in Palo Alto 38% N=280 44% N=318 14% N=103 4% N=27 100% N=729 Overall quality of natural environment in Palo Alto 38% N=274 48% N=344 13% N=92 1% N=8 100% N=718 Overall health and wellness opportunities in Palo Alto 37% N=262 44% N=310 17% N=119 2% N=12 100% N=703 Residents' connection and engagement with their community 16% N=108 44% N=306 30% N=208 11% N=75 100% N=697
Table 122: Question 3 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents including "Don't Know" Responses Please indicate how likely or unlikely you are to do
each of the following: Very likely
Somewhat
likely
Somewhat
unlikely
Very
unlikely
Don't
know Total
Recommend living in Palo Alto to someone who
asks 29% N=210 40% N=290 18% N=134 11% N=79 2% N=12 100% N=725 Remain in Palo Alto for the next five years 55% N=395 25% N=184 8% N=61 8% N=54 4% N=30 100% N=724 Recommend Palo Alto’s libraries to friends 65% N=472 19% N=138 5% N=33 4% N=28 7% N=53 100% N=723
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Table 123: Question 3 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents without "Don't Know" Responses Please indicate how likely or unlikely you are to do each of the following: Very likely
Somewhat
likely
Somewhat
unlikely
Very
unlikely Total
Recommend living in Palo Alto to someone who asks 29% N=210 41% N=290 19% N=134 11% N=79 100% N=713 Remain in Palo Alto for the next five years 57% N=395 26% N=184 9% N=61 8% N=54 100% N=694 Recommend Palo Alto’s libraries to friends 70% N=472 21% N=138 5% N=33 4% N=28 100% N=670
Table 124: Question 4 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents including "Don't Know" Responses Please rate the job you feel the Palo Alto community
does at each of the following. Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know Total Making all residents feel welcome 16% N=120 38% N=274 26% N=189 14% N=100 6% N=47 100% N=730 Attracting people from diverse backgrounds 20% N=147 28% N=207 23% N=168 22% N=158 7% N=48 100% N=728 Valuing/respecting residents from diverse
backgrounds 24% N=170 39% N=282 21% N=149 9% N=68 8% N=55 100% N=724 Taking care of vulnerable residents (elderly, disabled, homeless, etc.) 10% N=71 21% N=154 28% N=203 22% N=157 19% N=140 100% N=725
Table 125: Question 4 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents without "Don't Know" Responses Please rate the job you feel the Palo Alto community does at each of the following. Excellent Good Fair Poor Total
Making all residents feel welcome 18% N=120 40% N=274 28% N=189 15% N=100 100% N=683 Attracting people from diverse backgrounds 22% N=147 30% N=207 25% N=168 23% N=158 100% N=680 Valuing/respecting residents from diverse backgrounds 25% N=170 42% N=282 22% N=149 10% N=68 100% N=669 Taking care of vulnerable residents (elderly, disabled, homeless, etc.) 12% N=71 26% N=154 35% N=203 27% N=157 100% N=586
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Table 126: Question 5 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents including "Don't Know" Responses Please rate each of the following characteristics as
they relate to Palo Alto as a whole: Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know Total Overall quality of business and service
establishments in Palo Alto 14% N=103 51% N=373 26% N=192 7% N=52 1% N=6 100% N=725 Variety of business and service establishments in
Palo Alto 11% N=82 34% N=248 39% N=280 15% N=108 1% N=6 100% N=725 Vibrancy of downtown/commercial area 13% N=90 32% N=231 37% N=265 17% N=121 2% N=12 100% N=719 Employment opportunities 11% N=78 27% N=192 19% N=139 9% N=62 35% N=252 100% N=724 Shopping opportunities 20% N=143 42% N=300 27% N=197 10% N=69 1% N=8 100% N=718 Cost of living in Palo Alto 1% N=7 4% N=26 22% N=156 73% N=525 1% N=9 100% N=723 Overall image or reputation of Palo Alto 29% N=206 44% N=320 22% N=160 4% N=30 0% N=3 100% N=720 Traffic flow on major streets 4% N=25 35% N=250 37% N=265 25% N=177 1% N=5 100% N=722 Ease of public parking 14% N=104 43% N=308 29% N=211 11% N=82 2% N=16 100% N=721 Ease of travel by car in Palo Alto 16% N=115 47% N=334 28% N=203 8% N=58 1% N=9 100% N=719 Ease of travel by public transportation in Palo Alto 3% N=20 13% N=95 23% N=168 36% N=263 24% N=176 100% N=721 Ease of travel by bicycle in Palo Alto 22% N=160 40% N=285 19% N=135 6% N=45 13% N=96 100% N=721 Ease of walking in Palo Alto 34% N=246 42% N=301 17% N=121 7% N=52 0% N=3 100% N=723 Variety of housing options 4% N=31 16% N=112 33% N=239 38% N=275 9% N=68 100% N=725 Availability of affordable quality housing 3% N=22 4% N=30 12% N=86 67% N=484 14% N=100 100% N=722 Recreational opportunities 26% N=188 49% N=353 16% N=118 5% N=39 3% N=25 100% N=723 Availability of affordable quality mental health care 4% N=30 9% N=65 12% N=90 18% N=130 57% N=411 100% N=726 Opportunities to attend cultural/arts/music activities 26% N=188 44% N=313 20% N=144 7% N=47 3% N=24 100% N=715
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Attachment A - Palo Alto Community
Survey 2024 Report of Results
Item 3: Staff Report
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November 2024
Report of Results
Table 127: Question 5 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents without "Don't Know" Responses Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Palo Alto as a whole: Excellent Good Fair Poor Total
Overall quality of business and service establishments in Palo Alto 14% N=103 52% N=373 27% N=192 7% N=52 100% N=719 Variety of business and service establishments in Palo Alto 11% N=82 34% N=248 39% N=280 15% N=108 100% N=718 Vibrancy of downtown/commercial area 13% N=90 33% N=231 37% N=265 17% N=121 100% N=707 Employment opportunities 17% N=78 41% N=192 30% N=139 13% N=62 100% N=473 Shopping opportunities 20% N=143 42% N=300 28% N=197 10% N=69 100% N=710 Cost of living in Palo Alto 1% N=7 4% N=26 22% N=156 73% N=525 100% N=714 Overall image or reputation of Palo Alto 29% N=206 45% N=320 22% N=160 4% N=30 100% N=717 Traffic flow on major streets 4% N=25 35% N=250 37% N=265 25% N=177 100% N=718 Ease of public parking 15% N=104 44% N=308 30% N=211 12% N=82 100% N=706 Ease of travel by car in Palo Alto 16% N=115 47% N=334 29% N=203 8% N=58 100% N=710 Ease of travel by public transportation in Palo Alto 4% N=20 17% N=95 31% N=168 48% N=263 100% N=545 Ease of travel by bicycle in Palo Alto 26% N=160 46% N=285 22% N=135 7% N=45 100% N=625 Ease of walking in Palo Alto 34% N=246 42% N=301 17% N=121 7% N=52 100% N=720 Variety of housing options 5% N=31 17% N=112 36% N=239 42% N=275 100% N=658 Availability of affordable quality housing 4% N=22 5% N=30 14% N=86 78% N=484 100% N=622 Recreational opportunities 27% N=188 51% N=353 17% N=118 6% N=39 100% N=698 Availability of affordable quality mental health care 9% N=30 21% N=65 29% N=90 41% N=130 100% N=315 Opportunities to attend cultural/arts/music activities 27% N=188 45% N=313 21% N=144 7% N=47 100% N=692
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Attachment A - Palo Alto Community
Survey 2024 Report of Results
Item 3: Staff Report
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November 2024
Report of Results
Table 128: Question 6 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents including "Don't Know" Responses Please rate each of the following characteristics as
they relate to Palo Alto as a whole: Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know Total Availability of affordable quality childcare/preschool 4% N=30 11% N=82 16% N=116 24% N=171 45% N=322 100% N=721 K-12 education 41% N=294 29% N=205 10% N=74 3% N=21 17% N=124 100% N=718 Adult educational opportunities 23% N=165 38% N=274 14% N=97 2% N=16 23% N=166 100% N=719 Opportunities to participate in social events and
activities 15% N=109 48% N=347 22% N=159 4% N=28 10% N=74 100% N=718 Openness and acceptance of the community toward
people of diverse backgrounds 20% N=144 39% N=277 23% N=166 9% N=66 9% N=64 100% N=718 Opportunities to learn about City services via City
website, social media (Twitter/X, Nextdoor, Facebook,
Instagram, Medium, LinkedIn) 17% N=122 43% N=312 23% N=167 5% N=33 12% N=83 100% N=716
Table 129: Question 6 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents without "Don't Know" Responses Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Palo Alto as a whole: Excellent Good Fair Poor Total
Availability of affordable quality childcare/preschool 7% N=30 20% N=82 29% N=116 43% N=171 100% N=399 K-12 education 50% N=294 35% N=205 12% N=74 3% N=21 100% N=594 Adult educational opportunities 30% N=165 50% N=274 18% N=97 3% N=16 100% N=553 Opportunities to participate in social events and activities 17% N=109 54% N=347 25% N=159 4% N=28 100% N=643 Openness and acceptance of the community toward people of diverse backgrounds 22% N=144 42% N=277 25% N=166 10% N=66 100% N=654 Opportunities to learn about City services via City website, social media (Twitter/X, Nextdoor, Facebook, Instagram, Medium, LinkedIn) 19% N=122 49% N=312 26% N=167 5% N=33 100% N=633
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Attachment A - Palo Alto Community
Survey 2024 Report of Results
Item 3: Staff Report
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November 2024
Report of Results
Table 130: Question 7 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents without "Don't Know" Responses Please indicate whether or not you have done each of the following in the last 12 months. No Yes Total Used Palo Alto recreation centers or their services 42% N=304 58% N=418 100% N=722 Visited a neighborhood park or City park 3% N=21 97% N=702 100% N=723 Used Palo Alto public libraries or their services 24% N=170 76% N=553 100% N=723 Participated in religious or spiritual activities in Palo Alto 73% N=525 27% N=196 100% N=720 Attended a City-sponsored event 36% N=257 64% N=466 100% N=723 Talked to or visited with your immediate neighbors 9% N=62 91% N=661 100% N=723 Used the City’s website to conduct business or pay bills 41% N=299 59% N=421 100% N=720 Used the Utilities webpage to conduct business or pay bills 33% N=240 67% N=483 100% N=724 Contacted the City of Palo Alto (in-person, phone, email or web) for help or information 42% N=304 58% N=417 100% N=721 Contacted Palo Alto elected officials (in-person, phone, email or web) to express your opinion 66% N=474 34% N=246 100% N=720 Attended a local public meeting (of local elected officials like City Council or County Commissioners, advisory boards, town halls, HOA, neighborhood watch, etc.) 63% N=458 37% N=265 100% N=722 Watched (online or on television) a local public meeting 68% N=494 32% N=228 100% N=721 Volunteered your time to some group/activity in Palo Alto 47% N=344 53% N=381 100% N=725 Voted in your most recent local election 11% N=80 89% N=644 100% N=723 Used bus, rail, subway, or other public transportation instead of driving 53% N=381 47% N=342 100% N=723 Household member was a victim of a crime in Palo Alto 86% N=621 14% N=101 100% N=721 Reported a crime to the police in Palo Alto 81% N=587 19% N=134 100% N=720 * This question did not have a “don’t know” option.
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Attachment A - Palo Alto Community
Survey 2024 Report of Results
Item 3: Staff Report
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November 2024
Report of Results
Table 131: Question 8 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents Please rate the following categories of Palo Alto
government performance. Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know Total The value of services for the taxes paid to Palo Alto 11% N=78 36% N=259 28% N=197 16% N=116 9% N=65 100% N=715 The overall direction that Palo Alto is taking 6% N=45 33% N=240 32% N=233 22% N=157 6% N=46 100% N=721 The job Palo Alto government does at welcoming
resident involvement 11% N=77 36% N=256 24% N=175 12% N=87 17% N=121 100% N=716 Overall confidence in Palo Alto government 6% N=45 36% N=259 34% N=246 19% N=135 5% N=33 100% N=718 Generally acting in the best interest of the community 7% N=52 39% N=282 30% N=215 17% N=125 7% N=48 100% N=721 Being honest 9% N=64 34% N=244 24% N=175 13% N=93 20% N=142 100% N=717 Being open and transparent to the public 7% N=48 31% N=225 30% N=212 16% N=115 16% N=116 100% N=717 Informing residents about issues facing the community 8% N=55 38% N=272 29% N=206 17% N=118 9% N=65 100% N=716 Treating all residents fairly 7% N=52 31% N=225 21% N=153 17% N=121 24% N=171 100% N=722 Treating residents with respect 12% N=89 39% N=282 21% N=153 9% N=66 18% N=126 100% N=716
Table 132: Question 8 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents without "Don't Know" Responses Please rate the following categories of Palo Alto government performance. Excellent Good Fair Poor Total
The value of services for the taxes paid to Palo Alto 12% N=78 40% N=259 30% N=197 18% N=116 100% N=650 The overall direction that Palo Alto is taking 7% N=45 36% N=240 35% N=233 23% N=157 100% N=675 The job Palo Alto government does at welcoming resident involvement 13% N=77 43% N=256 29% N=175 15% N=87 100% N=595 Overall confidence in Palo Alto government 7% N=45 38% N=259 36% N=246 20% N=135 100% N=685 Generally acting in the best interest of the community 8% N=52 42% N=282 32% N=215 19% N=125 100% N=674 Being honest 11% N=64 42% N=244 30% N=175 16% N=93 100% N=575 Being open and transparent to the public 8% N=48 37% N=225 35% N=212 19% N=115 100% N=601 Informing residents about issues facing the community 8% N=55 42% N=272 32% N=206 18% N=118 100% N=651 Treating all residents fairly 9% N=52 41% N=225 28% N=153 22% N=121 100% N=551 Treating residents with respect 15% N=89 48% N=282 26% N=153 11% N=66 100% N=590
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Attachment A - Palo Alto Community
Survey 2024 Report of Results
Item 3: Staff Report
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November 2024
Report of Results
Table 133: Question 9 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents Overall, how would you rate the quality of the services provided by each of the following? Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't
know Total
The City of Palo Alto 15% N=109 52% N=372 23% N=164 8% N=54 2% N=18 100% N=717 The State Government 5% N=34 41% N=290 33% N=235 14% N=99 8% N=54 100% N=712 The Federal Government 5% N=32 36% N=259 40% N=283 13% N=94 6% N=41 100% N=710
Table 134: Question 9 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents without "Don't Know" Responses Overall, how would you rate the quality of the services provided by each of the following? Excellent Good Fair Poor Total
The City of Palo Alto 16% N=109 53% N=372 23% N=164 8% N=54 100% N=699 The State Government 5% N=34 44% N=290 36% N=235 15% N=99 100% N=658 The Federal Government 5% N=32 39% N=259 42% N=283 14% N=94 100% N=669
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Attachment A - Palo Alto Community
Survey 2024 Report of Results
Item 3: Staff Report
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November 2024
Report of Results
Table 135: Question 10 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents including "Don't Know" Responses Please rate the quality of each of the following
services in Palo Alto: Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know Total Traffic enforcement 7% N=51 34% N=242 24% N=172 23% N=160 12% N=84 100% N=708 Traffic signal timing 7% N=46 39% N=275 31% N=222 21% N=150 3% N=18 100% N=711 Street repair 7% N=49 32% N=228 35% N=248 24% N=172 2% N=14 100% N=712 Street cleaning 21% N=150 54% N=385 16% N=114 6% N=45 2% N=17 100% N=710 Street tree maintenance 16% N=116 46% N=328 23% N=167 8% N=54 7% N=47 100% N=711 Sidewalk maintenance 10% N=73 41% N=288 32% N=228 12% N=83 5% N=37 100% N=709 Land use, planning, and zoning 3% N=21 18% N=126 29% N=206 30% N=213 20% N=138 100% N=704 Code enforcement (weeds, abandoned buildings, etc.) 3% N=24 25% N=175 21% N=146 17% N=120 34% N=238 100% N=703 Preservation of natural areas (open space, farmlands,
and greenbelts) 28% N=198 48% N=340 14% N=96 3% N=20 7% N=49 100% N=703 Building and planning application processing services 3% N=20 11% N=81 16% N=114 23% N=164 46% N=328 100% N=707 Affordable high-speed internet access 9% N=63 21% N=149 25% N=174 22% N=153 23% N=165 100% N=704 Electric utility 27% N=195 41% N=291 18% N=132 8% N=57 5% N=38 100% N=713 Gas utility 25% N=179 42% N=296 15% N=106 8% N=59 10% N=72 100% N=712 Utility payment options 30% N=209 44% N=311 13% N=91 3% N=20 11% N=74 100% N=704 Drinking water 44% N=312 37% N=265 11% N=80 3% N=24 4% N=29 100% N=710 Sewer services 32% N=229 44% N=311 13% N=95 1% N=10 9% N=66 100% N=711 Storm water management (storm drainage, dams,
levees, etc.) 22% N=156 43% N=304 18% N=126 5% N=37 12% N=87 100% N=709 Refuse collection (garbage, recycling, yard waste, and
e-waste) 40% N=287 44% N=315 10% N=72 3% N=23 2% N=14 100% N=710 Police services 24% N=170 31% N=219 8% N=58 3% N=22 34% N=244 100% N=712 Crime prevention 12% N=88 41% N=292 16% N=115 8% N=56 23% N=160 100% N=711 Animal control 19% N=131 32% N=224 9% N=64 1% N=9 39% N=278 100% N=705 Ambulance or emergency medical services 26% N=183 22% N=153 4% N=28 1% N=10 47% N=329 100% N=703 Fire emergency services 30% N=208 22% N=156 3% N=22 1% N=8 43% N=303 100% N=697 Fire prevention and education 15% N=109 28% N=199 7% N=48 2% N=13 48% N=336 100% N=705 Item 3
Attachment A - Palo Alto Community
Survey 2024 Report of Results
Item 3: Staff Report
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November 2024
Report of Results
Please rate the quality of each of the following
services in Palo Alto: Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know Total Palo Alto open space (e.g. Foothills, Baylands) 51% N=357 38% N=267 8% N=55 2% N=11 2% N=11 100% N=701 City parks 47% N=330 42% N=296 9% N=61 3% N=19 0% N=1 100% N=707 Recreation programs or classes 21% N=151 39% N=279 12% N=87 3% N=20 25% N=176 100% N=712 Recreation centers or facilities 23% N=161 39% N=277 12% N=83 3% N=20 23% N=163 100% N=704 Public library services (e.g., hold requests, storytimes, teen events, bookclubs) 49% N=346 30% N=216 5% N=33 1% N=5 16% N=112 100% N=713 Library facilities (buildings, computer equipment,
accessibility) 52% N=370 30% N=214 5% N=36 0% N=1 12% N=87 100% N=708 Variety of library materials (books, e-books,
streaming, databases, audiobooks) 44% N=313 33% N=238 8% N=59 1% N=6 14% N=98 100% N=715 Art programs and theater 31% N=224 34% N=245 8% N=58 1% N=10 25% N=175 100% N=713 City-sponsored special events 15% N=108 42% N=299 14% N=98 3% N=22 25% N=179 100% N=706 City website (cityofpaloalto.org) 12% N=87 48% N=341 21% N=146 8% N=57 10% N=72 100% N=703 Overall customer service by Palo Alto employees
(police, receptionists, planners, etc.) 19% N=130 45% N=319 14% N=96 6% N=41 16% N=114 100% N=700
Table 136: Question 10 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents without "Don't Know" Responses Please rate the quality of each of the following services in Palo Alto: Excellent Good Fair Poor Total Traffic enforcement 8% N=51 39% N=242 28% N=172 26% N=160 100% N=625 Traffic signal timing 7% N=46 40% N=275 32% N=222 22% N=150 100% N=693 Street repair 7% N=49 33% N=228 36% N=248 25% N=172 100% N=697 Street cleaning 22% N=150 56% N=385 16% N=114 6% N=45 100% N=694 Street tree maintenance 17% N=116 49% N=328 25% N=167 8% N=54 100% N=664 Sidewalk maintenance 11% N=73 43% N=288 34% N=228 12% N=83 100% N=672 Land use, planning, and zoning 4% N=21 22% N=126 36% N=206 38% N=213 100% N=567 Code enforcement (weeds, abandoned buildings, etc.) 5% N=24 38% N=175 31% N=146 26% N=120 100% N=465 Preservation of natural areas (open space, farmlands, and greenbelts) 30% N=198 52% N=340 15% N=96 3% N=20 100% N=654 Building and planning application processing services 5% N=20 21% N=81 30% N=114 43% N=164 100% N=379 Affordable high-speed internet access 12% N=63 28% N=149 32% N=174 28% N=153 100% N=539 Item 3
Attachment A - Palo Alto Community
Survey 2024 Report of Results
Item 3: Staff Report
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November 2024
Report of Results
Please rate the quality of each of the following services in Palo Alto: Excellent Good Fair Poor Total Electric utility 29% N=195 43% N=291 20% N=132 8% N=57 100% N=674 Gas utility 28% N=179 46% N=296 17% N=106 9% N=59 100% N=640 Utility payment options 33% N=209 49% N=311 14% N=91 3% N=20 100% N=630 Drinking water 46% N=312 39% N=265 12% N=80 4% N=24 100% N=682 Sewer services 36% N=229 48% N=311 15% N=95 1% N=10 100% N=645 Storm water management (storm drainage, dams, levees, etc.) 25% N=156 49% N=304 20% N=126 6% N=37 100% N=623 Refuse collection (garbage, recycling, yard waste, and e-waste) 41% N=287 45% N=315 10% N=72 3% N=23 100% N=697 Police services 36% N=170 47% N=219 12% N=58 5% N=22 100% N=469 Crime prevention 16% N=88 53% N=292 21% N=115 10% N=56 100% N=550 Animal control 31% N=131 52% N=224 15% N=64 2% N=9 100% N=427 Ambulance or emergency medical services 49% N=183 41% N=153 7% N=28 3% N=10 100% N=374 Fire emergency services 53% N=208 40% N=156 6% N=22 2% N=8 100% N=394 Fire prevention and education 30% N=109 54% N=199 13% N=48 3% N=13 100% N=368 Palo Alto open space (e.g., Foothills, Baylands) 52% N=357 39% N=267 8% N=55 2% N=11 100% N=690 City parks 47% N=330 42% N=296 9% N=61 3% N=19 100% N=706 Recreation programs or classes 28% N=151 52% N=279 16% N=87 4% N=20 100% N=537 Recreation centers or facilities 30% N=161 51% N=277 15% N=83 4% N=20 100% N=541 Public library services (e.g., hold requests, storytimes, teen events, bookclubs) 58% N=346 36% N=216 6% N=33 1% N=5 100% N=601 Library facilities (buildings, computer equipment, accessibility) 60% N=370 34% N=214 6% N=36 0% N=1 100% N=621 Variety of library materials (books, e-books, streaming, databases, audiobooks) 51% N=313 39% N=238 10% N=59 1% N=6 100% N=617 Art programs and theater 42% N=224 46% N=245 11% N=58 2% N=10 100% N=538 City-sponsored special events 21% N=108 57% N=299 18% N=98 4% N=22 100% N=527 City website (cityofpaloalto.org) 14% N=87 54% N=341 23% N=146 9% N=57 100% N=631 Overall customer service by Palo Alto employees (police, receptionists, planners, etc.) 22% N=130 54% N=319 16% N=96 7% N=41 100% N=586
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Attachment A - Palo Alto Community
Survey 2024 Report of Results
Item 3: Staff Report
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November 2024
Report of Results
Table 137: Question 11 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents including "Don't Know" Responses Please rate the following as they relate to Palo Alto
Utilities’ services: Excellent Good Fair Poor Don't know Total Reliability of utility services 45% N=314 40% N=275 9% N=60 3% N=19 4% N=27 100% N=694 Affordability of utility services 16% N=108 33% N=227 31% N=217 16% N=110 5% N=33 100% N=695 Community value received from the City owning and
operating its own municipal utility services 40% N=278 27% N=188 11% N=74 6% N=41 16% N=113 100% N=693 Utilities online customer self-service features 25% N=170 35% N=240 9% N=64 4% N=25 28% N=189 100% N=687 Providing opportunities for energy and water
efficiency at home or business 22% N=147 36% N=244 16% N=111 4% N=26 22% N=153 100% N=682 Working hard to keep utilities prices competitive 17% N=118 26% N=182 21% N=146 13% N=90 22% N=152 100% N=687 Value of all the services Palo Alto Utilities provides for the price you pay 20% N=136 37% N=251 24% N=165 11% N=78 8% N=56 100% N=687 Ease of obtaining information or performing a
transaction through the City’s website 18% N=123 33% N=229 19% N=132 7% N=49 22% N=154 100% N=686 Value of Palo Alto Utilities’ customer communications 20% N=135 39% N=262 17% N=114 5% N=34 19% N=131 100% N=676 Ease of contacting Utilities department staff 20% N=132 28% N=188 11% N=78 6% N=41 35% N=240 100% N=679 Speed of response after contacting Utilities
department staff 19% N=128 28% N=187 11% N=72 5% N=37 37% N=251 100% N=675
Item 3
Attachment A - Palo Alto Community
Survey 2024 Report of Results
Item 3: Staff Report
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November 2024
Report of Results
Table 138: Question 11 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents without "Don't Know" Responses Please rate the following as they relate to Palo Alto Utilities’ services: Excellent Good Fair Poor Total
Reliability of utility services 47% N=314 41% N=275 9% N=60 3% N=19 100% N=667 Affordability of utility services 16% N=108 34% N=227 33% N=217 17% N=110 100% N=662 Community value received from the City owning and operating its own municipal utility services 48% N=278 32% N=188 13% N=74 7% N=41 100% N=580 Utilities online customer self-service features 34% N=170 48% N=240 13% N=64 5% N=25 100% N=498 Providing opportunities for energy and water efficiency at home or business 28% N=147 46% N=244 21% N=111 5% N=26 100% N=529 Working hard to keep utilities prices competitive 22% N=118 34% N=182 27% N=146 17% N=90 100% N=535 Value of all the services Palo Alto Utilities provides for the price you pay 22% N=136 40% N=251 26% N=165 12% N=78 100% N=631
Ease of obtaining information or performing a transaction through the City’s website 23% N=123 43% N=229 25% N=132 9% N=49 100% N=533 Value of Palo Alto Utilities’ customer communications 25% N=135 48% N=262 21% N=114 6% N=34 100% N=545 Ease of contacting Utilities department staff 30% N=132 43% N=188 18% N=78 9% N=41 100% N=439 Speed of response after contacting Utilities department staff 30% N=128 44% N=187 17% N=72 9% N=37 100% N=424
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Attachment A - Palo Alto Community
Survey 2024 Report of Results
Item 3: Staff Report
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November 2024
Report of Results
Table 139: Question 12 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents Please rate how important, if at all, you think it is for the Palo Alto community to focus on each of the following in the coming two years. Essential
Very
important
Somewhat
important
Not at all
important Total
Overall “built environment” of Palo Alto (including overall design, buildings, parks and transportation systems) 44% N=300 38% N=259 16% N=109 2% N=16 100% N=683 Overall economic health of Palo Alto 37% N=252 46% N=320 15% N=107 2% N=11 100% N=690 Overall feeling of safety in Palo Alto 48% N=335 33% N=230 15% N=102 4% N=26 100% N=694 Overall quality of natural environment in Palo Alto 40% N=279 40% N=281 17% N=120 2% N=17 100% N=696 Overall health and wellness opportunities in Palo Alto 18% N=127 42% N=294 33% N=229 7% N=47 100% N=697 Overall opportunities for education, culture and the arts 26% N=179 41% N=281 29% N=203 4% N=28 100% N=690 Residents' connection and engagement with their community 20% N=140 42% N=291 33% N=231 4% N=31 100% N=693 Reducing community greenhouse gas emissions 25% N=174 34% N=236 27% N=190 14% N=94 100% N=694 Increasing local solar generation capacity within city
boundaries 24% N=167 32% N=220 29% N=200 15% N=107 100% N=695 Faster notification systems (online, mobile or email) for Utilities billing issues, efficiency tips, outage information 14% N=100 31% N=215 40% N=278 15% N=102 100% N=695 Faster notification systems (online, mobile or email) for public safety issues 29% N=200 35% N=243 28% N=190 8% N=53 100% N=686 * This question did not have a “don’t know” option.
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Item 3: Staff Report
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Report of Results
Table 140: Question 13 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents Including "Don't Know" Responses In a typical week, how likely are you to: Very likely
Somewhat
likely
Somewhat
unlikely Very unlikely
Don't
know Total
Participate in organized group activities (such as
clubs, sports teams, volunteer your time, attend
church/temple) 41% N=285 19% N=134 17% N=117 23% N=162 0% N=3 100% N=701 Spend quality time with local friends, family, and/or
neighbors 64% N=449 24% N=164 6% N=44 6% N=39 0% N=1 100% N=697
Table 141: Question 13 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents Without "Don't Know" Responses In a typical week, how likely are you to: Very likely
Somewhat
likely
Somewhat
unlikely Very unlikely Total
Participate in organized group activities (such as clubs, sports teams, volunteer your time, attend church/temple) 41% N=285 19% N=134 17% N=117 23% N=162 100% N=698 Spend quality time with local friends, family, and/or neighbors 65% N=449 24% N=164 6% N=44 6% N=39 100% N=696
Table 142: Question 14 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents What mode of transportation do you use most for your typical daily needs for getting around town? Percent Number Driving 66% N=465
Walking 13% N=91
Biking 18% N=126
Bus 1% N=6
Train 0% N=0
Scootering 0% N=0
Palo Alto Link 1% N=4
Uber/Lyft or similar rideshare service 0% N=2
Carpooling 1% N=8
Total 100% N=702
* This question did not have a “don’t know” option.
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Item 3: Staff Report
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Table 143: Question 15 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents In a typical week, how likely are you to: Very convenient Somewhat convenient Somewhat inconvenient Very inconvenient Total Walking 29% N=195 34% N=224 23% N=149 14% N=94 100% N=663 Biking 38% N=254 31% N=207 15% N=97 16% N=103 100% N=661 Bus 3% N=21 22% N=144 37% N=239 38% N=250 100% N=653
Train 8% N=54 30% N=192 29% N=184 33% N=209 100% N=638
Scootering 12% N=74 23% N=147 20% N=127 44% N=279 100% N=627 Palo Alto Link 15% N=91 38% N=228 27% N=164 19% N=113 100% N=596 Uber/Lyft or similar rideshare service 40% N=263 39% N=253 11% N=72 9% N=62 100% N=650 Carpooling 8% N=55 25% N=164 30% N=195 36% N=231 100% N=645 * This question did not have a “don’t know” option.
Table 144: Question 16 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents with "Don't Know" Responses If you plan to purchase a new car within the next
two years, what is the likelihood of it being: Very likely Somewhat
likely
Somewhat
unlikely Very unlikely Don't know Total
All-electric 36% N=228 23% N=146 8% N=52 23% N=142 9% N=58 100% N=626 Plug-in hybrid 23% N=141 36% N=222 7% N=45 23% N=142 10% N=59 100% N=609 Hydrogen fuel cell 1% N=7 6% N=35 8% N=49 67% N=406 18% N=106 100% N=604 Other 13% N=60 7% N=30 2% N=9 12% N=53 67% N=301 100% N=452
Table 145: Question 16 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents without "Don't Know" Responses If you plan to purchase a new car within the next two years, what is the likelihood of it being: Very likely
Somewhat
likely
Somewhat
unlikely Very unlikely Total
All-electric 40% N=228 26% N=146 9% N=52 25% N=142 100% N=568 Plug-in hybrid 26% N=141 40% N=222 8% N=45 26% N=142 100% N=550 Hydrogen fuel cell 1% N=7 7% N=35 10% N=49 82% N=406 100% N=498 Other 40% N=60 20% N=30 6% N=9 35% N=53 100% N=151
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Table 146: Question 17 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents How familiar are you with Palo Alto’s Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP) and its goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 80% by 2030? Percent Number
Extremely familiar 3% N=23
Very familiar 10% N=69
Moderately familiar 21% N=146
Slightly familiar 22% N=153
Not familiar 44% N=306
Total 100% N=697
* This question did not have a “don’t know” option.
Table 147: Question 18 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents with "Don't Know" Responses How likely are you to do the following to support
strategies that reduce GHG emissions? Very likely
Somewhat
likely
Somewhat
unlikely Very unlikely Don't know Total
Replacing your gas water heater with a heat pump
water heater 26% N=182 19% N=133 9% N=64 25% N=169 21% N=142 100% N=690 Replacing your gas furnace with a heat pump
HVAC system 26% N=176 16% N=107 11% N=72 26% N=175 22% N=150 100% N=679 Considering whole home electrification 17% N=117 16% N=106 13% N=90 35% N=233 19% N=125 100% N=672 Replace gas appliances with electric, such as an
induction cook top 22% N=150 15% N=101 13% N=87 34% N=226 16% N=110 100% N=674
Table 148: Question 18 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents without "Don't Know" Responses How likely are you to do the following to support strategies that reduce GHG emissions? Very likely
Somewhat
likely
Somewhat
unlikely Very unlikely Total
Replacing your gas water heater with a heat pump water heater 33% N=182 24% N=133 12% N=64 31% N=169 100% N=548 Replacing your gas furnace with a heat pump HVAC system 33% N=176 20% N=107 14% N=72 33% N=175 100% N=530 Considering whole home electrification 21% N=117 19% N=106 17% N=90 43% N=233 100% N=547 Replace gas appliances with electric, such as an induction cook top 27% N=150 18% N=101 15% N=87 40% N=226 100% N=564
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November 2024
Report of Results
Demographic Questions
Table 149: Question D1 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents What impact, if any, do you think the economy will have on your family income in the next 6 months? Do you think the impact will be: Percent Number
Very positive 5% N=36
Somewhat positive 24% N=168
Neutral 53% N=371
Somewhat negative 15% N=101
Very negative 3% N=20
Total 100% N=695
Table 150: Question D2 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents What is your employment status? Percent Number
Working full time for pay 46% N=325
Working part time for pay 13% N=94
Unemployed, looking for paid work 3% N=24
Unemployed, not looking for paid work 5% N=35
Fully retired 31% N=214
College student, unemployed 1% N=9
Total 100% N=702
Table 151: Question D3 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents Do you work inside the boundaries of Palo Alto? Percent Number Yes, outside the home 21% N=144
Yes, from home 27% N=183
No 52% N=357
Total 100% N=684
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Report of Results
Table 152: Question D4 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents How many years have you lived in Palo Alto? Percent Number Less than 2 years 4% N=28
2 to 5 years 11% N=78
6 to 10 years 13% N=89
11 to 20 years 19% N=136
More than 20 years 54% N=382
Total 100% N=714
Table 153: Question D5 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents Which best describes the building you live in? Percent Number One family house detached from any other houses 68% N=484 Building with two or more homes (duplex, townhome, apartment or condominium) 30% N=215 Mobile home 0% N=1
Other 1% N=10
Total 100% N=710
Table 154: Question D6 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents Do you rent or own your home? Percent Number
Rent 34% N=240
Own 66% N=468
Total 100% N=708
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Table 155: Question D7 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents About how much is your monthly housing cost for the place you live (including rent, mortgage payment, property tax, property insurance and homeowners' association (HOA) fees)? Percent Number Less than $500 per month 4% N=23
$500 to $999 per month 5% N=31
$1,000 to $1,499 per month 7% N=46
$1,500 to $1,999 per month 7% N=45
$2,000 to $2,499 per month 7% N=43
$2,500 to $2,999 per month 10% N=60
$3,000 to $3,499 per month 8% N=51
$3,500 to $3,999 per month 6% N=34
$4,000 to $4,499 per month 8% N=48
$4,500 to $4,999 per month 4% N=23
$4,500 to $4,999 per month 5% N=31
$5,500 to $5,999 per month 4% N=24
$6,000 to $6,499 per month 3% N=19
$6,500 to $6,999 per month 2% N=14
$7,000 to $7,499 per month 1% N=9
$7,500 to $7,999 per month 4% N=25
$8,000 to $8,499 per month 2% N=14
$8,500 to $8,999 per month 2% N=11
$9,000 to $9,499 per month 1% N=6
$9,500 to $9,999 per month 0% N=3
$10,000 or more per month 9% N=54
Total 100% N=613
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Table 156: Question D8 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents Do any children 17 or under live in your household? Percent Number No 64% N=448
Yes 36% N=253
Total 100% N=701
Table 157: Question D9 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents Are you or any other members of your household aged 65 or older? Percent Number No 57% N=402
Yes 43% N=299
Total 100% N=701
Table 158: Question D10 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents How much do you anticipate your household's total income before taxes will be for the current year? (Please include in your total income money from all sources for all persons living in your household.) Percent Number Less than $25,000 3% N=17
$25,000 to $49,999 4% N=25
$50,000 to $74,999 13% N=72
$75,000 to $99,999 11% N=62
$100,000 to $149,999 13% N=71
$150,000 to $199,999 10% N=59
$200,000 to $249,999 6% N=35
$250,000 to $299,999 8% N=47
$300,000 to $349,999 5% N=28
$350,000 to $399,999 5% N=26
$400,000 to $449,999 4% N=22
$450,000 to $499,999 18% N=100
$500,000 or more 0% N=0
Total 100% N=565
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Table 159: Question D11 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents Are you Spanish, Hispanic or Latino? Percent Number
No, not Spanish, Hispanic or Latino 93% N=619
Yes, I consider myself to be Spanish, Hispanic or Latino 7% N=47 Total 100% N=666
Table 160: Question D12 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents What is your race? (Mark one or more races to indicate what race(s) you consider yourself to be.) Percent Number American Indian or Alaskan Native 2% N=13
Asian, Asian Indian or Pacific Islander 26% N=170
Black or African American 3% N=19
Middle Eastern or North African 5% N=29
White 65% N=421
Other 8% N=51
Total may exceed 100% as respondents could select more than one option.
Table 161: Question D13 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents In which category is your age? Percent Number
18 to 24 years 0% N=3
25 to 34 years 11% N=78
35 to 44 years 15% N=101
45 to 54 years 22% N=153
55 to 64 years 16% N=109
65 to 74 years 21% N=143
75 years or older 14% N=94
Total 100% N=681
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Survey 2024 Report of Results
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Report of Results
Table 162: Question D14 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents What is your gender? Percent Number
Female 55% N=368
Male 44% N=296
Identify in another way 1% N=8
Total 100% N=672
Table 163: Question D14 - Response Percentages and Number of Respondents What is your sexual orientation? Percent Number
Heterosexual 89% N=560
Lesbian 1% N=6
Gay 1% N=7
Bisexual 6% N=38
Identify another way 3% N=20
Total 100% N=631
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Appendix D: Results to Open -Participation Survey
compared to Probability Survey
Table 164: Question 1 - by Sample
Percent rating "excellent" or "good"
Sample Type
Address-based Sample Open participation Sample
(A) (B)
Palo Alto as a place to live 91%
B
84%
Your neighborhood as a place to live 93%
B
88%
Palo Alto as a place to raise children
84% 80%
Palo Alto as a place to work
84% 80%
Palo Alto as a place to visit 70%
B
59%
Palo Alto as a place to retire 54%
B
46%
The overall quality of life in Palo Alto 89%
B
79%
Table 165: Question 2 - by Sample
Percent rating "excellent" or "good"
Sample Type
Address-based
Sample
Open participation
Sample
(A) (B)
Overall "built environment" of Palo Alto (including overall design, buildings, parks and transportation systems)
75%
B
66%
Overall feeling of safety in Palo Alto 88%
B
82%
Overall quality of natural environment in Palo Alto
87% 86%
Overall health and wellness opportunities in Palo Alto
85% 81%
Residents' connection and engagement with their community
61% 59%
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Community Survey 2024
Report of Results
Item 3: Staff Report
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November 2024
Report of Results
Table 166: Question 3 - by Sample
Percent rating "very likely" or "somewhat likely"
Sample Type
Address-based Sample Open participation Sample
(A) (B)
Recommend living in Palo Alto to someone who asks 78%
B
70%
Remain in Palo Alto for the next five years
79% 83%
Recommend Palo Alto’s libraries to friends
92% 91%
Table 167: Question 4 - by Sample
Percent rating "excellent" or "good"
Sample Type
Address-based
Sample
Open participation
Sample
(A) (B)
Making all residents feel welcome 68%
B
58%
Attracting people from diverse backgrounds 59%
B
52%
Valuing/respecting residents from diverse backgrounds
71% 68%
Taking care of vulnerable residents (elderly, disabled, homeless, etc.)
52%
B
38%
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Report of Results
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Report of Results
Table 168: Question 5 - by Sample
Percent rating "excellent" or "good"
Sample Type
Address-based
Sample
Open participation
Sample
(A) (B)
Overall quality of business and service establishments in Palo Alto
71% 66%
Variety of business and service establishments in Palo Alto 54% B
46%
Vibrancy of downtown/commercial area 59%
B
45%
Employment opportunities 64%
B
57%
Shopping opportunities
66% 62%
Cost of living in Palo Alto 8%
B
5%
Overall image or reputation of Palo Alto
78% 73%
Traffic flow on major streets 48%
B
38%
Ease of public parking 68%
B
58%
Ease of travel by car in Palo Alto 72%
B
63%
Ease of travel by public transportation in Palo Alto 31% B
21%
Ease of travel by bicycle in Palo Alto 81%
B
71%
Ease of walking in Palo Alto 82%
B
76%
Variety of housing options
24% 22%
Availability of affordable quality housing
11% 8%
Overall quality of new development in Palo Alto 41%
B
30%
Availability of paths and walking trails
73% 71%
Fitness opportunities (including exercise classes and paths or trails, etc.)
78%
B
71%
Recreational opportunities 79% 77%
Availability of affordable quality mental health care 34% 30% Opportunities to attend cultural/arts/music activities 70% 72%
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Report of Results
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November 2024
Report of Results
Table 169: Question 6 - by Sample
Percent rating "excellent" or "good"
Sample Type
Address-based
Sample
Open participation
Sample
(A) (B)
Availability of affordable quality childcare/preschool
34% 28%
K-12 education 89%
B
84%
Adult educational opportunities
83% 80%
Opportunities to participate in social events and activities 65% 71% A
Openness and acceptance of the community toward people of diverse backgrounds
71%
B
64%
Opportunities to learn about City services via City website, social media (Twitter/X, Nextdoor, Facebook, Instagram, Medium, LinkedIn) 73% 68%
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Report of Results
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Report of Results
Table 170: Question 7 - by Sample
Percent "yes"
Sample Type
Address-
based Sample
Open
participation
Sample
(A) (B)
Used Palo Alto recreation centers or their services 50% 58% A
Visited a neighborhood park or City park 95% 97%
Used Palo Alto public libraries or their services 75% 76% Participated in religious or spiritual activities in Palo Alto 24% 27% Attended a City-sponsored event 55% 64%
A
Talked to or visited with your immediate neighbors 84% 91% A
Used the City’s website to conduct business or pay bills 60% 59% Used the Utilities webpage to conduct business or pay bills 72% 67% Contacted the City of Palo Alto (in-person, phone, email or web) for help or information
57% 58%
Contacted Palo Alto elected officials (in-person, phone, email or web) to express your opinion
17% 34%
A
Attended a local public meeting (of local elected officials like City Council or County Commissioners, advisory boards, town halls, HOA, neighborhood watch, etc.)
17% 37%
A
Watched (online or on television) a local public meeting 16% 32% A
Volunteered your time to some group/activity in Palo Alto 40% 53% A
Voted in your most recent local election 73% 89%
A
Used bus, rail, subway, or other public transportation instead of driving 43% 47% Carpooled with other adults or children instead of driving alone 59% 58% Walked or biked instead of driving 86% 83%
Observed a code violation or other hazard in Palo Alto (weeds, abandoned buildings, etc.)
46% 53%
A
Household member was a victim of a crime in Palo Alto 13% 14% Reported a crime to the police in Palo Alto 17% 19%
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Report of Results
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Table 171: Question 8 - by Sample
Percent "excellent" or "good".
Sample Type
Address-based
Sample
Open participation
Sample
(A) (B)
The value of services for the taxes paid to Palo Alto
56% 52%
The overall direction that Palo Alto is taking
47% 42%
The job Palo Alto government does at welcoming resident involvement
54% 56%
Overall confidence in Palo Alto government
49% 44%
Generally acting in the best interest of the community
53% 50%
Being honest 61%
B
53%
Being open and transparent to the public 53%
B
46%
Informing residents about issues facing the community 58% B
50%
Treating all residents fairly 66%
B
50%
Treating residents with respect 74%
B
63%
Table 172: Question 9 - by Sample
Percent "excellent" or "good"
Sample Type
Address-based
Sample
Open participation
Sample
(A) (B)
The City of Palo Alto 74%
B
69%
The State Government
47% 49%
The Federal Government
41% 44%
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Report of Results
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Table 173: Question 10 - by Sample
Percent rating "excellent" or "good"
Sample Type
Address-based
Sample
Open participation
Sample
(A) (B)
Traffic enforcement 56%
B
47%
Traffic signal timing 57%
B
46%
Street repair 52%
B
40%
Street cleaning 80% 77%
Street tree maintenance 72%
B
67%
Sidewalk maintenance 57% 54%
Land use, planning, and zoning 41%
B
26%
Code enforcement (weeds, abandoned buildings, etc.) 44% 43% Preservation of natural areas (open space, farmlands, and greenbelts)
81% 82%
Building and planning application processing services 29% 27% Affordable high-speed internet access 44% 39%
Electric utility 67% 72%
A
Gas utility 71% 74%
Utility payment options 80% 82%
Drinking water 84% 85%
Sewer services 83% 84%
Storm water management (storm drainage, dams, levees,
etc.)
77% 74%
Refuse collection (garbage, recycling, yard waste, and e- waste)
83% 86%
Police services 81% 83%
Crime prevention 69% 69%
Animal control 82% 83%
Ambulance or emergency medical services 91% 90%
Fire emergency services 92% 92%
Fire prevention and education 80% 83%
Palo Alto open space (e.g Foothills, Baylands) 89% 90%
City parks 90% 89%
Recreation programs or classes 80% 80%
Recreation centers or facilities 81% 81%
Public library services (e.g., hold requests, storytimes, teen events, bookclubs)
92% 94%
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Percent rating "excellent" or "good"
Sample Type
Address-based
Sample
Open participation
Sample
(A) (B)
Library facilities (buildings, computer equipment,
accessibility)
93% 94%
Variety of library materials (books, e-books, streaming, databases, audiobooks)
89% 89%
Art programs and theater 84% 87%
City-sponsored special events 76% 77%
City website (cityofpaloalto.org) 72% 68%
Overall customer service by Palo Alto employees (police, receptionists, planners, etc.)
79% 77%
Table 174: Question 11 - by Sample
Percent rating "excellent" or "good"
Sample Type
Address-based
Sample
Open participation
Sample
(A) (B)
Reliability of utility services 88% 88%
Affordability of utility services 46% 51%
Community value received from the City owning and operating its own municipal utility services
78% 80%
Utilities online customer self-service features 77% 82% Providing opportunities for energy and water efficiency at home or business
70% 74%
Working hard to keep utilities prices competitive 53% 56% Value of all the services Palo Alto Utilities provides for the price you pay
58% 61%
Ease of obtaining information or performing a transaction through the City’s website
69% 66%
Value of Palo Alto Utilities’ customer communications 72% 73% Ease of contacting Utilities department staff 70% 73%
Speed of response after contacting Utilities department staff 73% 74%
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Report of Results
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Report of Results
Table 175: Question 12 - by Sample
Percent rating "excellent" or "good"
Sample Type
Address-based
Sample
Open participation
Sample
(A) (B)
Overall “built environment” of Palo Alto (including overall design, buildings, parks and transportation systems)
79% 82%
Overall economic health of Palo Alto 78% 83%
A
Overall feeling of safety in Palo Alto 82% 81%
Overall quality of natural environment in Palo Alto 79% 80% Overall health and wellness opportunities in Palo Alto 61% 60% Overall opportunities for education, culture and the arts 69% 67% Residents' connection and engagement with their community 60% 62% Reducing community greenhouse gas emissions 60% 59%
Increasing local solar generation capacity within city boundaries 55% 56% Faster notification systems (online, mobile or email) for Utilities billing issues, efficiency tips, outage information
47% 45%
Faster notification systems (online, mobile or email) for public safety issues
61% 65%
Table 176: Question 13 - by Sample
Percent rating "very likely" or "somewhat likely"
Sample Type
Address-based
Sample
Open participation
Sample
(A) (B)
Participate in organized group activities (such as clubs, sports teams, volunteer your time, attend church/temple)
52% 60%
A
Spend quality time with local friends, family, and/or neighbors 83% 88% A
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Report of Results
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Table 177: Question 15 - by Sample
Percent rating "very" or "somewhat" likely
Sample Type
Address-based Sample Open participation Sample
(A) (B)
Walking 74%
B
63%
Biking 82%
B
70%
Bus 30% 25%
Train 42% 39%
Scootering 42%
B
35%
Palo Alto Link 54% 54%
Uber/Lyft or similar rideshare service 76% 79%
Carpooling 41%
B
34%
Table 178: Question 16 - by Sample
Percent rating "very" or "somewhat" likely
Sample Type
Address-based Sample Open participation Sample
(A) (B)
All-electric 65% 66%
Plug-in hybrid 65% 66%
Hydrogen fuel cell 14%
B
9%
Other 59% 59%
Table 179: Question 17 - by Sample
Percent rating "very" or "extremely" familiar
Sample Type
Address-
based Sample
Open
participation
Sample
(A) (B)
How familiar are you with Palo Alto’s Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP) and its goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 80% by 2030?
13% 13%
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Table 180: Question 18 - by Sample
Percent rating "very" or "somewhat" likely
Sample Type
Address-based
Sample
Open participation
Sample
(A) (B)
Replacing your gas water heater with a heat pump water
heater 50%
57%
A
Replacing your gas furnace with a heat pump HVAC system 46% 53%
A
Considering whole home electrification 36% 41%
Replace gas appliances with electric, such as an induction cook top 39% 44%
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Appendix E: Verbatim Responses to Open -ended
Questions from Open Participation Survey
Following are responses to questions 16, 19 and 20. Responses are presented here in verbatim form, including any typographical, grammatical or other mistakes. Responses are in alphabetical order.
Question 16: If you plan to purchase a car within the next two years, what is the likelihood of it being one of the following: (Other) • 100% gasoline powered
• 100% Gasoline powered
• Affordable
• All-electric with range extender (small engine, small gas tank, to recharge battery) • Already own an EV
• Anything not EV
• BEV
• BMW gas car
• Car
• Conventional ICE
• don't know probably another gas car so I can go to rural areas and long road trips • Fossil fuel car
• gas
• gas
• Gas
• Gas
• Gas
• Gas
• Gas
• Gas
• Gas
• Gas
• Gas for me. I like to go on long road trips. Imagine looking for a Tesla charger in the Arizona or New Mexico desert.
• Gas hybrid
• gas powered
• Gas powered
• Gas powered
• Gas powered
• Gas you morons
• Gas-powered
• Gas. Palo Alto's grid is unable to sustain more electric demand, as well documented in the local press. • gasoline
• gasoline
• Gasoline
• Gasoline
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• Gasoline or Diesel Powered
• Gasoline powered car
• Gasoline powered engine
• Gasoline powered fully
• Gasoline powered vehicle
• hybrid
• hybrid
• Hybrid
• Hybrid
• Hybrid
• Hybrid
• Hybrid
• hybrid ( electric & gas)
• Hybrid but not plug-in
• hybrid electric
• Hybrid or gas
• hybrid or gas engine
• Hybrid sedan
• hybrid that isn't plug-in
• Hybrid/gas
• I am not likely to get any 'other' aside from all-electric or hybrid. • I am shopping for a car that is 100% gasoline
• I haven't done enough research yet to decide what type of energy efficient vehicle we would get • I may consider all gas
• I may purchase a gas-powered car.
• I selected a response to "Other" because it is a survey question. I assume it means gas or diesel powered car, or motorcycle?
• I will be buying a fully gas powered car -
• I will not purchase a gasoline car
• I won' buy an all gas car again
• I would only buy a BEV for any future car purchase
• I've worked @ Stanford, lived nearby, and shopped/eaten/attended fun things in Palo Alto for 40 years. I'm getting ready to retire & looking forward to attending nearby events in the surrounding communities. I tried to buy a plug-in hybrid during COVID but couldn't find one. Decided to keep my gas-sipping Honda till it dies, then replace with a little electric vehicle, while looking for a hybrid that can tow a travel trailer for adventuring or bugging out in case of fire, flood, or earthquake. In a year or two. The older I get, the more important safety and accessibility become. Global warming is an existential threat, and if the ocean rises more than 3 feet I will lose my house. Rise is happening MUCH faster than expected or planned for! • IC
• ICE
• ICE
• ICE hybrid Turbo
• if we don't get a plug in hybrid it will a gasoline car • Just purchased a hybrid
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• just purchased a new to me hybrid, almost got plug in hybrid due to ability to charge at city hall but plug in was too expensive
• Likelihood of it being some other category of car (e.g. gas-powered) is very low • Manual transmission car of any type.
• My next car purchase will be EV
• n/a, would only buy all-electric
• No longer drive a vehicle.
• non-plugin hybrid
• Not enough high speed free plug options to depend on plug in and guests can't visit and park locally, nor can we rent or borrow a car on occasion
• Not interested in driving
• Not planning on buying a new car
• Old beat up 40's Jeep or other.
• Only gas
• petrol car
• Possible I would. get an internal combustion engine vehicle • powered
• Probably gas because I don't have the capability to charge at home • Rebuilding engine of older diesel car and run biodiesel. • Regular gas powered
• regular hybrid
• Regular hybrid (not plug-in)
• Runs on gasoline exclusively
• Second-hand gasoline-powered car with wheelchair ramp • shopping for a new SUV - 100% gasoline - not an EV or a hybrid • The ROI on an EV does not pan out for me. Very little usage. PAUD is still 62 percent gas powered. • There was no "other".
• Toyota Dry Cell Hydrogen 3 cylinder engine in the Corolla. Hydrogen on -demand, no compressed storage tanks.
• Traditional car, as there are not long term parking options with plug in available • Traditional gas car
• Traditional gas car
• Truck-extended backwoods travel
• Unlikely to buy a car within the next two years
• Used or something affordable
• Very unlikely to purchase gas car
• We are in our 80's and don't plan on buying a new car after our present 25 + year old car dies. • We rent and the resources to plug in a vehicle to charge are not sufficient • would get the traditional gas powered car... would not want anything else. • Would love to walk only! More car-free spaces! Fully protected (physical barrier) bike lanes!.
Question 19: As a resident of Palo Alto, what one change could the City make that would make you happier?
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• #1 build more housing#2 build a quality community center with gym facilities, fitness classes, etc#3 work to minimize jet noise (from SFO and others) - it continues to be disruptive • 1. City Uber: Do not waste taxpayer money on silly services like Tesla's owned by city to drive around residents. 2. Utilities price gouging: Reduce corruption in our utilities. The price gouging by the city owned utility is unacceptable. 3. Poor stewards of taxpayer $$: Ed Shikada is not a good steward of our taxes. Please replace Ed Shikada and hire someone who will use our money efficiently. 4. City recreational service out of reach for families: The JMZ is too expensive. I can't believe you took a free or by donation entity and turned it into a money generating machine for the city. 5. Overbuilding housing: I do not support overbuilding in Palo Alto and I have noticed that the city is pushing it all to South Palo Alto because the richer residents push back in North Palo Alto. The pattern is clear and needs to stop. 6. Contain the airport: Palo Alto loves to overbuild and extend - that airport serves very few families in Palo Alto. It needs to be contained. We don't need the noise pollution. 7. Contain Castelleja: We do not need the crowding and traffic from a private school that serves very few local families. It's in the middle of a residential neighborhood and needs to be contained. They should find a campus to expand somewhere else just like all other private schools do like Keys. • 1) Streamline the building planning/permit/inspection process to make residential construction more efficient and less costly 2) Raise then maintain a 6 to 7 story limit on residential and commercial buildings (like Paris, France)
• A downtown with more retail and fewer restaurants. Also opening op California Ave. to cars. • A greater focus on building community: requiring gathering spaces in new developments, providing more social events--some targeted at specific age groups (eg, high school students, those in their 20s/30s, and then for older adults)--and some city-wide events, possibly supporting neighborhood associations if needed. Better communication/promotion of the "What's happening in Palo Alto?" and "Hot Topics" part of the web site. • A lot of neighbors are remodeling their homes. The city planers need to review fast and approve projects instead of sitting and dragging. I heard it's a night mare over the past year. Can you check if this is true. Some of us are planning to remodel in the coming 1-2 years. Your department cannot be dragging. What is going on. Can the city government look into this???Thank you
• A toss-up: Reduce the amount of high density housing. Enforce strict rent control for retail business and housing.Use 'tough love" to provide shelter and medical service to our homeless • Abandon the pointless S/CAP. End the City recycling programs. • abolish R-1 zoning
• Active, engaged senior activities at Cubberley
• Actively lobby the State to moderate demands for growth. • Add *only* affordable housing, improve traffic plan
• add housing and allow for increased density esp in areas with large lots that are likely to be redeveloped when they next turnover
• Add more pickleball courts!!!
• Add more public trash bins and add more dog parks
• Add public restrooms and budget every year to the Palo Alto Parks where there is no access to public facilities within .5 miles. Upgrade the bathrooms at Lucie Stern. • Add retail including large affordable grocery stores so we don't have to shop outside of Palo Alto
• Address vacancy rate downtown
• affordable housing
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• Affordable housing
• Affordable housing
• Affordable Housing
• Affordable Housing
• Affordable housing for local service providers
• Affordable housing for young families. My children work in Palo Alto/Menlo Park but cannot afford to buy a home.
• Affordable housing in reasonable locations (transit, groceries, health, with support as needed. • Affordable housing, finding housing for all
• affordable housing, reduce homelessness
• Affordable housing. Doing everything we can to house more neighbors and ensure we are getting young families to thrive here.
• Affordable services! Where can we shop without spending outside of the city? How can we access the city using shared bikes, or for those that can't bike- use public transportation??? Link is so limited- great concept but not applicable to most all users as the boundaries of range are too restricted, and age of users does not include children, and the hours of operation are incapable with Life needs. Try calling a city service- no one ever answers the phone. Even the police don't have hours accessible to public. Library is great, but hours are so restricted and services are minimal outside of books circulating. Rec classes all look good, but everyone gives up as enrollment is always full and hours are not conducive to working families. Worst is requiring tickets and reservations on PA website- so embarrassing when guests visit and can not visit our establishments. If guests come to the park, for example, they have to drive because there is no public transportation from the train, but then they can not park for more than 2 hours! We can't even get tree limbs cleared or water fountains fixed or fields leveled at our parks. Seeing how other communities excersise their funds so much more efficiently is disheartening. Having consistent power does help PA stand above other cities. • Aggressively work with local, state, and federal agencies to reduce the flooding threat of San Francisquito Creek.
• Airplane noise is CONSTANT and ruins any outdoor enjoyment of our home. Get your over-paid city attorney to make the FAA stop funneling all air traffic over PA. • All internet access
• Allow dogs off leash in parks
• Allow e-bikes on Baylands trails
• Allow for the building of du, tri and quad plebes on SFR lots. • Allow mixed-use multifamily developments everywhere
• Allow more more construction of multi family homes
• Allow much more residential building. Current zoning is a massive class+income-based act of discrimination - a disgrace.
• Allow multi-story residential buildings and rezone commercial areas to residential to improve housing options. Builder's remedy has been a very good thing to force progress in this area.
Also, give teenagers a place to study in the evenings (til 9 or 10 pm) in addition to Mitchell Park Library, which is a long drive for us.
• Allow neighborhood camping in the neighborhood parks; group camping spaces at Foothill park.
Community pool in Evergreen Park area.
• Allow outdoor hemp plants
• Allow parking passes for employees of local businesses. • Allow residents to choose (or sign-up for) clean-up days.
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• Allow taller buildings, more homes, more afforable development and stop standing in the way.
Rezone more areas for high density developent -- up to 14 stories! Invest in more public transit.
Get rid of parking minimums and so many requirements for development. • Answering 311 issues
• approve applications for more dense housing, like those 4-story condos all along El Camino up and down the Peninsula, not just for high-income rental but FOR PURCHASE BY FAMILIES. • Approve permits faster.
• As seniors, we would like to have access to free daily meals as all the Chinese elderly are given.
Why are they the only group offered those "Self-Help" free meals?? • As the population has grown, facilities are difficult to find - summer camp for kids get booked within seconds, tennis courts are always full, most of the useful retail has left the city. It will be good to invest in bolstering small businesses, services, camps, retail. • Be in their offices at city hall!
• Be less involved in home changes/upgrades.
• Be more aggressive about reducing the airplane noise from both commercial jet and general aviation overflights.
• Be more decisive. Don't always worry about consensus. Stop these ridiculous consultants. • Be more fair about new housing development in terms of north Palo Alto and south Palo Alto. It seems like most of the new housing is in south Palo Alto. Build brand new pickle balls courts instead of repurposing tennis courts.
• Beautify the Oregon/101 entrance/exit ramps
• Being more efficient in city council making good decision • Better all year fire protection in our area
• Better code/traffic enforcement.
• Better design of new developments. I feel that so many recent developments have infringed on sidewalks And are frankly pretty ugly. It's very hodgepodge, Especially in South Palo Alto. • Better enforcement of driving laws and speeding
• Better enforcement of gas leaf blower ban.
• Better enforcement of traffic rules: running red lights, speeding, kids on fast throttled e-bikes • Better renter protection and affordability of apartments and childcare (in particular for early years)
• Better retail plan for downtown. Redwood City and Menlo Park seem much more focused on creating an integrated retail / living environment.
• Better support for the unhoused
• Better talent in the Planning Department. Chiraq in particuar • Better timing of traffic lights, especially Embarcadero near Paly/Town and Country and relation to El Camino timing.
• Better traffic enforcement, esp. on Embarcadero Rd
• Better traffic oversight and management on the main city arteries • Better traffic patrol around major travel areas during school start time. Especially in and around Charleston/ El Camino/ El Camino Way. Hold cyclists including electric scooters and bicycles accountable for following traffic laws as well as cars. Adjust traffic lights so no gridlock at Charleston between El Camino and Charleston. Enforce traffic laws to prevent intersections blocking.
• Better zoning - I'd like more mixed use development and walkable areas. • Bike boulevards to Stanford Mall and the Baylands
• Bike lanes that are separated from cars
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• BMR- Housing purchase program, a program that provides home in PALO ALTO for low and moderate income buyers.
• Bring back retail to Cal Ave and University Ave
• Bring in another yoga studio to midtown
• Broad up zoning of residential areas to increase affordability, availability of amenities like shops and restaurants, and help fight the ongoing legacy of residential segregation in Palo Alto and EPA.
• Build a bicycle underpass near Paly.
• build a safer community
• Build a viaduct for rail grade separation
• Build housing to support all income levels
• Build lots and lots of low-cost housing close to train stations and high streets. • Build more affordable housing
• Build more affordable housing
• Build more affordable housing
• BUILD MORE HOMES. ELIMINATE NO-GROWTH AGENDA.
• build more housing
• Build more housing to improve affordability. Allow more mixed zoning that combines retail and housing.
• Build more housing, especially along El Camino
• Build more housing, knock off the zoning ********, none of the rest of this crap matters to me • Build/allow more cafes in south Palo Alto. This area feels neglected compared to the richer downtown and cal ave areas.
• Ceate more separate bike paths and give the streets back to cars. • Celebrating Pride Month and promoting the safe spaces business campaign. • Change city manager and director of PAUSD attract
• Change the process for getting things done, especially housing. • cheaper electricity and gas rates
• Cheaper utility bill-half paid =tax. If I use $100/month, I ended up paying $200. Garbage is too expensive. We don't need affordable housing yet - need to take care of those already living in the city. Planning dept for remodeling home projects:1. (currently contractors are working for the city) Please speed up the process within 2 months to approve......2. Need to expand footage allowed when residents are remodeling home. a. High ceiling >17 feet should not be counted as extra footage. High ceiling can cool down a home and save energy - should promote in new and remodeling projects. b. Garage should not be counted as 100% living space. 99% of homes have cars in the garage - why penalized the whole community? Please go back to counting garage as 60% of square footage allowed for homes. c. City is allowing ADU - why hold people back with counting high ceiling >17" and 100% of garage space as living space? This was old rules - to create more space on limited plots of land - the city planners/contractors need to review and update rules of building codes to allow more living space being created.3. Traffic lights - some major intersections need sensor to move traffic along. If timed - there may be no traffic in one direction, but everyone has to stop on opposition if based on set timing for traffic lights.Thank you so much.Please carefully read my comments - they are frustrations of people living ion PA.Thank you for doing your best in this city. All your efforts are appreciated.
• City attorney who supports resident's interest.
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• City beautification: I notice little bits of trash all over our neighborhood and street sweeping only does so much. Enforce residents to take care of their lawns better. Increase the plantings/flowerings around city - add some hanging flower baskets around the city, bring some color and vibrancy to the plants in addition to trees!
• City building code enforcement officer do not abuse their power upon residents • City council make decisions faster.
• City council more open to addressing international concerns • City government should be more responsive to citizens. For example, City Hall should be open! • City leadership is slow as molasses to make decisions and has allowed areas such as Cal Ave to become dilapidated. Leadership should look to neighboring cities such as Redwood City (see downtown) and Mountain View (see Castro St.) for examples of how to build vibrancy, and create spaces that are appealing to visit.
• City staff (Ed Shikada, Kristin O'Kane) cooperating with the nonprofit organization, PAMSACO, consenting for their teams to participate in league competitions, and ideally productive cooperating with them to improve middle school sports in Palo Alto. • City staff that better listens to resident concerns and isn't so developer/corporation friendly. • Clean up the downtown area. It is dirty and unkept.
• Clean up the mentally unwell unhoused population that has come to palo recently. Tied of seeing drug use on the pathways our kids take to school. Students now feel unsafe going to town and country.
• Clean up the neighborhoods - enforce keeping your home at least fairly decent looking • Close the Palo Alto Airport, shut it down altogether -- doing so would improve health, environment, and climate dramatically. Did you know that people who live near airports have higher blood pressure? That's just one example. The airport serves a very limited number of people, most of whom don't even live in our City. The emissions are terrible. The noise is horrendous. Its impact on the Baylands' wildlife, visitors, and overall clean air and water is terrible. Also, because I don't know where else to comment about it: See Question 20 -- we have already replaced our hot water heater and our furnace with heat pumps, so the question has no logical answer for us except "Very unlikely". Someone needs to help with a lot of these surveys.
This isn't the first one I've tried to respond to that doesn't allow for a logical response to some questions (the one about the airport expansion was extremely biased!). • Close University Ave to traffic, or make it one lane/one way like Menlo Park did on Santa Cruz Ave.
• Combating anti-semitism, in the public schools in particular • Commit to dramatically reducing car trips by greatly improving alternative modes, possibly reducing car trip convenience.
• Community building
• comprehensive plan for more affordable housing with plan to mitigate resulting increase in traffic
• Control the speeding on my street: Greer Road between Embarcadero and Channing. Family cars, construction vehicles of all kinds, delivery people from all companies, gardeners use it as a fast track side street from off or to Embarcadero. Never patrolled by law enforcement. • Control traffic violations and cars running red lights and speeding through neighborhoods • Convert more unused tennis courts to pickleball courts • Convince CalTrans to maintain the roads adequately and provide bicycle safety solutions Item 3
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• Council agenda items need rework on process: 1) City staff presentation on topics should show a balanced perspective, instead the residents' point of view is done by public comment versus the staff report (should show both sides) and 2) the Staff should be checking in with council instead of the consternation they put the residents/neighbors through when parameters from council could be defined in advance before getting everyone wound up e.g., PAO. • cover every parking lot in the city with PV panels
• creat tree lined street center improve biking safety • Create a "Quiet Zone" and significantly reduce train noise. • Create better surveys. This one is totally biased. I have reasons for each answer. We have way too many services and employees for a city our size
• Create incentives for residents to install solar panels and sell back power to the grid. • Crescent park and community center have too many break ins and property crime. My neighbor had their car stolen out of their driveway, my other next door neighbor has a video of someone trying to open car doors at 1:30am, and someone a few doors down was burgled. It weighs on my mind that crime could happen to me and while we've taken steps with flood lights and cameras, that isn't enough for some criminals. I'd like to see more proactive engagement from PAPD to address this issue and if they need more budget or drones or dogs or whatever to make a bigger presence and catch property crime, then so be it. We lived in San Francisco for 10 years and never in the city did we have so many people around us experience crime in such a short time (8 months).
• Curate more awareness and opportunities for willing residents to participate in the care of the city.
• Cut down on the frikin airplane noise!
• Deal with the crazy drivers in downtown. I don't know how but it is just plain dangerous! • decrease airplane noise
• Dedicate more housing opportunities to affordable housing, preferably in a mix of housing. • Define problems and take actions to resolve them more quickly • Develop a plan for Cubberly to include, studios for artists, classrooms, exercise facilities, rooms for non- profits
• Develop and stick to a future vision rather than constantly spending time and money to ask for community input, and then ignoring it to do short-sighted piecemeal projects that add up to a mess.
• Discourage auto use.
• Disinvestment in automobile infrastructure in favor of other transportation options • Do a better job of making University Avenue, California Avenue and Midtown nicer with better consumer oriented businesses. Los Alto and Menlo Park have done a much better job keeping the downtown areas looking beautiful, vibrant with fine businesses, a variety of food offerings and traditional hardware stores, clothing and furniture. Events are more interesting and grocery stores are accessible in those cities. Midtown is a mess and the plan for California Avenue is a disaster. There are maybe 2-3 places I visit on University..Letter Perfect , Cafe Venezia and Teatime. City events are rehashed versions of what has been happening forever. Try bringing back Palo Alto square theatre with indie films! Adult classes that are more interesting. • Do not allow a single resident or family to purchase multiple adjoining properties and turn it into a personal compound that disrupts the quality of life of all surrounding neighbors. • Do not expand airport. Do not take homes for train. Listen to XCAP recommendations re train.
Keep Churchill open. No bike tunnel on seale.
• Do not expand the airport
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• DO NOT EXPAND THE AIRPORT. PROTECT THE BAYLANDS.
• Do something with the traffic lights at the intersection of Embarcadero & El Camino • don't expand the Palo Alto airport.
• Don't focus on climate change - nothing Palo Alto does makes any difference. • Don't keep increasing the utilities rates. The more water one saves the more the rates go up.
Same with all the other stuff.
• Don't make the city denser. There is huge pressure to do so, to infill everywhere, but It already feels uncomfortably crowded. And that makes life ever more difficult for the animals, taking up all there space. I know this is very non-PC, but more housing should be built in places that have more space, and more water. Palo Alto isn't abundant in those things. It's well-meant to want to build more and more housing, but Palo Alto doesn't have to do it just because it's a big applauded idea at the moment. Step back and look at the big picture. Where can the animals live, when the city is denser, and when it has more cars? • Don't waste my tax dollars on senseless projects like dolphin painting and redesign of interaction on Louis which wasted tax dollar money and caused more confusion. • Dont upzone single family neighborhoods
• Dramatically increase building of new housing and clean up El Camino so it is not an embarrassment.
• Educate people to stop at stop sign. Improve signage at stop signs! • Eliminate fees for foothill park
• Eliminate the economic disparity that makes this place elitely unaffordable. • Eliminating homeless encampments and reducing "smash and grab" crimes (e.g., stores like Apple)
• Enable public servants, eg police, teachers, dental techs to live here • Encourage affordable Senior housing for retirees.
• Encourage more vibrancy in the downtowns
• Ending exclusionary zoning, more housing built, less car dependency, making the city more walkable by allowing small shops and stores in and near where people actually live, more and safer protected bike routes
• Enforce code violations promptly
• Enforce our existing laws and codes, seems like next to nothing is enforced in this city. • Enforce the ban against gas blowers. The current enforcement is not effective. • Enforce the traffic laws. Walking and riding a bike is dangerous. I have had near misses while walking and riding my bike. The police dept is a joke. My coworkers laugh about the police here .
If you are white or Asian you don't get tickets. I don't think it's funny because I live here. • Enforce traffic laws (running stop signs and speeding EVERYWHERE! • Enforcement of speed limits
• ENFORCEMENT OF TRAFFIC LAWS. People run stop signs all day, every day, even by schools.
Reckless speeding everywhere, especially residential areas. I witnessed a cyclist get hit by reckless driver in Palo Alto. A few days ago my dentist hygienist was shaken due to having to call 911 for a cyclist hit by a reckless driver (in Palo Alto) and pinned under it. With what I am seeing on the roads, unless significant enforcement starts now, I'm confident we'll eventually see bouquets and memorials on our streets where a person or child was killed by reckless driving. Cars going 40-50 mph down Meadow Dr. Yes it's that bad! I stopped going Downtown to University ave, it doesn't feel safe. California Ave is excellent however! PS: For question 20 I already did all four selections so "very likely" isn't accurate, because already done.
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• Engage the economic divide and social divides that permeate the city and city govt. South Palo Alto and Midtown are the poor step children of the Palo Alto story. • Engaging residents on every project decision/review done by the city. • Enhanced oversight of the Buena Vista redevelopment.
• Ensure continuation of water supply fromSan Francisco/Hetch Hetchy. We feel strongly about this.
• Ensure fair concern and treatment toward different sections of the City, i.e downtown/North vs Midtown/South PA, etc.
• Equity in high school facilities.
• Establish quiet zones along the rail corridor
• Even safer bike lanes and policies for slower traffic and pedestrian safety • Expand schedule for Palo Alto Link
• extensive system of protected bike lanes (physically separated from car trafiic) • Faster decisions and processes
• Faster home renovations approval.
• Fewer consultants and committees. We have paid staff who should be able to make decisions and study options for most issues.
• fewer consultants, use the expertise of the city staff • Fight Prop 19 with Huntington Beach, et-al
• Find ways to encourage more retail and commercial activity in the downtown and California Ave. Right now there are a large number of vacant offices and stores in both areas, which make the them less vibrant, offer fewer options for shopping and entertainment, and reduces tax revenues to the city.
• Find ways to reduce noise pollution from planes, trains, construction, etc. • Finding a parking especially in the downtown area and some shopping centers can be challenging.
• Fix Pope Chaucer bridge
• Fix potholes on many streets especially el Camino.
• Fix sidewalk hazards, e.g. tree wells not covered by a grill, which are major tripping hazards. • fix sidewalks and streets
• Fix the potholes and uneven sidewalks-it can be a hazard walking around town for a person with disabilities.
• Fix the railroad crossings, all of them.
• Fix the road at Forest and Ramona at Citihall.
• Fix the roads and traffic. Decide on a plan for the train crossings. Either stop the transfers from the utilities to the general fund or treat it as a tax that it is. The current approach to raise utility rates masks the actual value of city owned utilities.
• Fix the terrible Caltrain intersections at Meadow Drive and Charleston. The behavior of these lights is unacceptable: they allow one car through when the train is on-coming, and then make no attempt to extend the light timing to catch up later when there aren't trains. I regularly curse the engineers who designed these intersections.
• Fix the timing of the traffic lights.
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• Fix the timing on traffic lights so simple errands aren't eating all my time. And stop allowing constant tear downs and construction of houses in our neighborhoods. Several houses on one street is ridiculous. For the amount of taxes we pay there should absolutely be air conditioning in all classrooms. Our kids are breathing so much smoke during wildfire season. There are also way too many empty buildings downtown and on Cal Ave that should be used for retail. Why are they empty for years? We need more doctors that aren't Stanford affiliated. Terrible cell service around town.
• Fix the traffic and walk signals at train crossings to reduce traffic jams • Fix traffic issues. By reducing lanes for "traffic calming" this has created more traffic, longer times to get anywhere, and more car pollution as a result. By adding more housing our traffic problem will become impossible.
• Fix up the downtown area with cleaner, nice streets and better stores and restaurants • Focus on areas of city besides north PA.
• Focus on cars not bikes!
• Focus on diversity and ensure there are spaces for Black and Brown people • Focus on essentials that only City can do-- street maintenance, broken sidewalks/tripping hazards, drainage, building permits faster, police patrols. • Focus on maintaining residential ethos, not cramming in more housing and adding to traffic. • Follow Zoning rules equally for every resident. Also make residents feel safe from home break- ins and other aggressions.
• For the police department enforce the law equal to all residents. Inforce the speed limits and have more police presence all around Palo Alto.
• For the police to be more responsive,
• From the road perspective, better maintenance for driving and bicycling and better traffic enforcement (specifically, stop sign and red light enforcement) • Funding for public schools
• Funding more to police
• fyi: I'm disabled. You didn't have a category for that. • Get all electricity through non-CO2 producing sources • Get FAA and SFO to minimize noise from passenger jets overhead, especially during nights • Get grade separation done at rail crossings
• Get important stuff done. The "Palo Alto Process" is a nightmare, resulting in major issues being unaddressed for years. For example, it is an embarrassment that we don't have a grade crossing solution at Churchill after how many years of fussing. As a lifelong resident, whenever I've had an issue (like playground equipment at Peers Park being condemned for safety reasons years ago), the city has been unable to find an actual solution in a timely fashion. Things get bogged down in a process practically designed to create inaction on real annd practical issues.
Instead, the council seems to focus on symbolic actions. A major issue right now is that turning California Avenue into a real walking street is long overdue. It is great that the council closed it, but why is it taking so long to take the next step? The public process so far has been a major waste of time -- really we needed to all vote on the look & style? The real issues in my view are things like traffic flow around the closed street, vacant buildings, etc. The city keeps asking versions of the same questions and not getting on with the important work. • Get new businesses into the vacant downtown units.
• Get people to slow down their driving.
• Get rid of CivicRec; provide the JMZ with more staffing Item 3
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• Get rid of parking on bike lanes and enforce these parking rules. Provide more public transportation
• Get rid of residential parking program in Crescent Park • Get rid of the airplane noise!
• Get rid of the homeless people downtown and reduce theft • Get rid of the RV's on our streets which are both an eyesore, health/safety hazards and NOT ACCEPTABLE HOUSING! Close the PA Airport down so we can enjoy the Baylands. • Get the roads resurfaced/repaired
• Getting the police force back to full capacity. Adding officers so they can patrol again. Traffic crimes have almost injured me and my children to bike to school multiple times a month. Police need to be able to keep us safe from crime and commuters most of all. • greatly increase enforcement of traffic speeds - rarely does one see police enforcing traffic speeds and laws
• Have City Council Members who listen to residents and vote for the direction of residents rather than voting for their own interests. It is disturbing.... • Have events/activities for young adults. Similar to events for teens, but make it for young adults who have returned to live at home and/or those who work at companies in Palo Alto • Have more recording cameras.
• Have ride share or bus shuttle in my neighborhood
• Having participated in a city-program in the past, I feel that our neighborhood is ignored when it comes to transportation safety. We also get 8Mbps as DSL as our only non-cable option...NOT FAST internet. It would also be nice if the city was proactive and didn't rely on residents reporting hazardous issues like cracked sidewalks.
• Help us with our psychotic neighbor
• Higher first tier electric rates in winter for those who do not use natural gas. • Humanly find ways to get the unhoused and those dealing with mental and or drug issues off the sidewalks and out of the bushes.
• I know it's in the works and has been planned for a while, so there's nothing to do now, but by god, resurface El Camino already! No need to preserve the travelling experience from the 1700s (I joke, but really, folks, really...) Improve sidewalks for wheelchair users. • I really like Palo Alto, but it's SO expensive. Also, people speed in my neighborhood and there's no enforcement.
• I want us to make it easier to add housing in our community. Yes, this will add density and decrease privacy, but I would like to live in a community that is less skewed towards wealth; one that is more economically diverse as well as racially and ethnically diverse. • I wish there was no gas. It's polluting and dangerous. Thank you for moving towards that goal. • I would be so much happier with less jet noise. The City needs to address noise because it is a HUGE quality of life and health issue. During Covid, everyone noticed and was happier with less jet noise and cleaner air. The City needs to be more proactive with noise and air quality measurements, and invest in more advocacy to reduce noise .
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• I would like to see the city leadership show greater concern with the issue of global change, particularly global warming and sea-level rise. As large and broad as this issue is, the city can become a model for green energy use and long-term planning for sea-level rise, partnering with county, state, and federal agencies and projects to reduce greenhouse gasses, both proactively and through conservation. This issue is the 900-pound gorilla "in the room" that nobody in either of the two major political parties wants to talk about or deal with. But deal with it we'll have to, sooner or later, and the sooner we do, the more tractable these problems are going to be.With regard to sea-level rise as a consequence of global warming, we will not be able to deal with this problem just within the limits of the city alone, but will have to join a cooperative effort that includes all the Bay shoreline communities. These efforts will require thoughtful assessments of the long-term impacts of sea-level rise, and the necessary solutions to a variety of contingencies, including protection, mitigation, and relocation. • I would love it if my children and relatives could afford to live here. Cost of housing prevents that. As a result, we live in a rich bubble, to the detriment of enriching the city culturally and otherwise.
• I would love University Ave to be pedestrian-only!
• I would put train underground and I would allow branded stores onto university avenue. (i have heard there is a rule about what type of retail can open on Unversity. • I'd like to see answers given to simple questions asked of staff (and Council) by citizens at City Council meetings. AND - more 'equity' between N and S Palo Alto. e.g. new/high density/low income housing in NPA; more investment in amenities/infrastructure in SPA. • If the city got back to providing improved basic services and stopped virtue signalling and hiring useless consultants like the retail consultants who never even visited here. Cut utility rates. • If there was a way to make Palo Alto a "quiet car" city, that would make me happier. We live near the on ramps to 101, and there are too many cars with souped up engines/exhaust that are so loud and disturbing.
• Improve affordability of homes (and reduce number of foreign bought empty homes • Improve City Manager's performance.
• Improve cubberley facilities as community center even small changes. For example increase lighting on driveways and parking lots.
• Improve downtown and California Ave. Support small local businesses. The bike lane on El Camino was a slap in the face to all of the local merchants. I also think the City/State needs to adjust the housing criteria. PA is not growing like it's been predicted. We do not need all of the housing that is being proposed.
• Improve free transit between downtown and midtown
• Improve quality/vibrancy/variety of University Ave. downtown - more entertainment/events, retail, safety and less offices, banks, vacant stores.
• Improve retain on University and California Ave to make those streets really attractive like in Carmel
• Improve safety for students walking & biking to school • improve safety. resolve the flood issue.
• Improve the "Palo Alto Process" to be faster and more efficient. Permitting and construction decisions are a great impediment to making personal and city-wide improvements. Shift away from paying retired City employees medical insurance; provide payroll funds for the employee to purchase and invest. (I didn't get it in my local employment and find the escalating health care costs to be bankrupting the City)
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• Improve the parking sitution at Bixbee Park (e.g., paint parking lines on the existing lot and expand the lot or permit parking along the road leading up to the park). Reduce flight noise.
Simplify the building permit process.
• improve traffic (traffic lights esp. El CamXEmbaradero and Churchill X Alma), and lower utility bill.
• Improve traffic backups at major intersections
• Improve traffic flow and road repair
• Improve traffic signal timings on east Bayshore at Laura lane and embarcadero to make getting in and out of east palo alto easier.
• Improve traffic/congestion at Town and Country / Paly area of Embarcadero • Improve turn around time for lot line changes and building permit approvals. • Improved bicycle infrastructure.
• Incentivize construction of higher density housing
• Increase density of housing
• Increase of affordable housing options, Increase height limits • Increase opportunities for responsible development to create more housing and reduce the cost of living
• Increase PAPD budget to include more police officers for traffic enforcement. Speeding and running red lights are serious problems.
• Increase pedestrian and bike safety on El Camino and Embarcadero crosswalks, especially during school days
• Increase police presence and response substantially. Enforce all laws effectively. Pursue criminals and persecute to the fullest extent of the law. Zero tolerance for any assaults, hate crime, catalytic converter theft, property crime, etc.
• Increase police sensitivity to minority and mental health issues • Increase the education standards at PAUSD. We are heart of Silicon Valley and need to be the change rather than follow state/federal induced lower standard of education.Allocation of more funds towards K-12 education!
• Increase the number of pickleball courts, preferably at Mitchell Park • Increase the number of Twilight Concerts. The program has become almost nonexistent. The concerts were a great opportunity to get community together with people of all ages in many of the local parks. Other local towns have extensive programs. Meanwhile our city wastes $300k on a temporary art project. And the city is funding the 3rdThursday program to the exclusive benefit of businesses, not residents.
• Increase the quantity and frequency of bus routes.
• Increase traffic enforcement
• Install fiber on Palo Alto Avenue in Downtown North
• Install fiber to the home so that we can cancel Comcast internet. Fix pot holes faster • Interactive 2-way government-community communication and government solicitation of "broad meaningful" community input for overall, and specific, program priorities • Invest in Community Neighborhood Garden Spaces
• Invest in schools that don't deteriorate children mental health (PAMC is a good example for a step in the right direction), don't let PAUSD set a bar that pushes students outside the school district. Stop making it impossible to remodel residents homes. Living in Palo Alto feels like living in a supposedly high quality environment yet being treated badly by the city you pay a ridiculous amount of money of taxes.
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• It has been 3-4 years since regular cleaning of the Matadero Creek. Please prioritize creek channel maintenance.
• It is imperative that the City take an aggressive and proactive approach to reducing the incessant airplane noise from SFO flights. The planes are audible continuously and neither the noise nor particulate pollution is acceptable. The current FAA plan is nonsensical when reasonable alternatives (such as flying over the Bay) are easily within reach, and places a severe and almost exclusive burden on Palo Alto versus surrounding areas. • It should be much easier to build new multi-family housing units • It would encourage more middle-class values, as it once did, and be less elitist. • It's just really expensive to live / retire here, but I'm not sure what to do about it. • Keep sidewalks clear of cars and vegetation; improve traffic enforcement • Keeping kid safe.
• Less airplane noise!!!
• Less construction (noise, dust, pollution)
• Less expensive utilities maintenance of
• Less focus on green house and diversity. More focus on the actual quality of life in the area bordering the 101. We have constant noise, smell, and air pulsation. Yet we don't have a sound wall to protect us. This is really basic. I asked for it many times, in email,s, community meetings and I've being ignored. also allowing RV to camp on Fabian make our neghibrhood feel like the rundown part of the city. Will you allows RV parking next to city hall instead? Will you allow RV to park in old Palo Alto? Will you rotate the area where RV can camp? How is that decision was made and can it be changed?
• Less high density building. Causes more traffic. We are on a peninsula. There is less land. And housing is less affordable. The whole character of PA is changing and not for the better. • Less high density housingSafer bike routes
• Less onerous regulation within private property, e.g., protected tree requirements • Less traffic
• let commercial landlords rent to people.... there is so much vacancy and the city makes it impossible for landlords to get tenants
• Lower cost recreation, remember that it takes a CAR to get to the Open Space. Profide easy way to report excess garbage starting to accumulate at a recently vacated business (eg Honey BAked Ham) - can't even figure out waht department!! eg Police, Code enforcement, other. I gave up.
• Lower property prices
• lower property taxes, lower utility prices, overall cost of living may drive me away eventually • Lower property taxes!
• Lower taxes and stay out of my business. Focus on economic viability. Decrease crime and homeless population on the streets. Get rid of vans parked on El Camino. Stop the senseless climate nonsense - just move the problem to China and send the Palo Alto residents the bill.
And fix the streets and sidewalks - going on six or seventh tire/rim! • Lower taxes and utilities costs; less FYEs
• Lower the cost of services. Palo Alto spends much more than other Bay Area cities on a per capita basis, and much of this spending is due to administrative bloat and feel-good issues such as combating global warming.
• Lower utilities cost
• Lower utility rates
• Maintain R1 zoning as is
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• Maintain roads and improve traffic signaling. Finish crossings for Charleston and Meadow. • maintain single family home zoning. No ADUs
• Make all our parks dog friendly. Recently, dogs off-leash have been restricted in the city which forces us to take our dogs to the very few and dusty dog parks where some dogs are aggressive. We need grassy areas cordoned off for pets to run freely and interact with other dogs. Every city park should be off-leash dog friendly. • Make bathrooms available at all the public parks!
• Make California Avenue permanently pedestrian-only and make it a shopping/dining hub. • Make Channing Ave safer for pedestrians and cyclists. • make city government and bureaucracy understand that the needs of long-time residents are as important as the needs of future residents.
• Make cycling/public transit better
• Make ECR safe for bikes
• Make electric service more reliable
• Make it affordable for regular people beyond the very few "affordable or low income" units at new complexes.
• Make it easier and faster for reasonable multi-family housing developments to be approved and built - where at least some of the units are affordable to those with relatively modest incomes. • Make it easier for businesses to operate so they want to stay here! • Make it easier for much needed affordable housing to be built. Remove existing barriers that make it difficult for projects to be completed in a reasonable time. Provide more funding for affordable housing.
• Make it easier to add housing to expand the options for all economic levels • Make it easier to walk at night. When I was a kid (1960s), our streets were bright and safe at night. Now they're too dark to walk without a super-bright flashlight. My dog loved our late- night walks. Now I can't even see the sidewalk, and trip over curbs. So I don't.Also, the city council needs to stop wasting money on artsy-craftsy nonsense. Why should I pay for stuff that benefits no one?
• Make it more walkable and bikeable, preferably without the current method of increasing complexity and pavement! People don't meet people in cars. • Make it safer and less noisy.
• Make it safer to bike around the city.
• Make it safer to walk by enforcing bicycle rules of the road. • Make more efficient progress on city projects and revitalization for the masses. • Make Palo Alto beautiful (better architecture, open space, fewer cars, walkable/bikeable city, etc)
• Make the airport LARGER
• Make the city manager more accountable to the city council. • Make the city more beautiful and a destination with a variety of high quality establishments like RH
• make the remodeling process less daunting and unfair
• Make University a pedestrian mall
• Making new buildings , new homes and downtowns attractive. • Making Palo Alto a quieter place to live. The sound of planes screeching as they break really decreased my quality of life.
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• Massive amounts of new housing across the economic spectrum and across the city - I want to see density and affordability and am tired of seeing the City Council again and again get in the way of this inevitability.
• massively expanded (more routes, more stops, nights and weekends) public transit • Matadero creek weeds should be cleaned up and maintained regularly just like before Pandemic! Now the weeds are so tall and dirty all the time. We no longer get to enjoy the beautiful views of ducks and birds resting on the creek water. Not to mention my worry that it may flood during rain season. Please send workers to clean up the creek now. • Metrics! Reduction in city costs -- $1.2 Billion for 2025. Ridiculous. • minimize the crime
• More "fun" citywide events, like how Los Altos does first fridays and beer crawls. Health fairs downtown just don't do the same thing.
• More accessible tennis courts - very difficult to get open courts her. MV and Sunnyvale have tennis centers that charge for courts for non residents - we should too. • More affordable areas for youth to hang out
• More affordable hoiusing
• More affordable housing
• More affordable housing
• More affordable housing
• More affordable housing (condos and apartments in appropriate locations) • More affordable housing BUILT NOW
• More affordable housing options
• More affordable housing, lower property taxes
• More attention to safer walking/bike infrastructure.
• More bathrooms in parks
• More bike lanes and infrastructure
• More car-free infrastructure! More multi-family/mixed use zoning! Put a set of apartments above every business on University. Sidewalks wide enough for two people to pass shoulder-to- shoulder!
• More city sponsored events to boost engagement with downtown. • More classes for kids so they don't fill up so fast!
• More creative options for affordable communal and noncommunal housing that uses existing buildings rather than new construction offering everyone the right to own at least a fractional interest of where they live. I would have preferred any housing near the Bay happen at the Palo Alto Airport rather than at the end of San Antonio Rd.
• More diversity and welcoming diversity
• More diversity from African American community
• More diversity on City Council,and Committees
• More dog parks!
• More dog parksschoo
• More economic growth, more shopping, eating, and entertainment - be the next best thing to SF • More family and adult entertainment options.
• More focus on residents by parks and rec
• more housing - both affordable and market rate - Palo Alto is woefully behind in supporting housing infrastructure.
• More housing and more affordable housing! It's just ridiculous! Item 3
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• More housing available, rent control, and allow people to have pets in rentals. It is very limiting as a family of 5 to find housing for us. We enjoy living in palo alto but its very challenging to find housing.
• MORE HOUSING FOR MORE INCOME DIVERSE PEOPLE
• More housing of all types
• More housing options
• More incentives for solar power, power walls, electric vehicles, and in particular tankless water heating systems that don't take up too much space in small houses, unlike heat pumps. • More inclusion for autistic friendly camps, parks and activities • More Link cars.
• More opportunities to interact with community members in fun meaningful ways • More opportunities to see art and theater that is walkable from Cal Ave. • More organised activities for teens and seniors
• More parks for diverse group of people. The city focuses only on parents but there's growing number of households that don't have kids and don't plan to have them. We need to provide entertainment places for elderly, pets, and adults. There are no good parks for dogs with grass and no mulch or sand which are disgusting.
• More patrol cars for traffic and crime prevention
• More pickleball courts
• More pickleball courts
• more pickleball courts - courts are so full that it is hard for residents to play. • more police, more police patrols and better traffic enforcement • More public transportation with more routes and more frequent time table. • more Senior services
• More shade along more streets
• More small neighborhood grocery stores so I can limit my driving. • More traffic enforcement
• More transparency and more support to individuals instead of special interests • More trees and birds
• More vibrant downtown with kid friendly activities and snacks • More welcoming to younger, less affluent individuals. Support less car centric design, higher density near walkable areas, and public transportation. Make bike lanes protected and available across the city.
• Move El Camino underground so that we can have pedestrian-only public spaces. Have protected bike lanes like what Amsterdam has -- not just a lane that is painted a different color.
Have better architecture so that it's fun to walk around • My house is already all electric. The city can refocus on walkable neighborhoods - making sure amenities are within walking distance of homes. Refurbish Cubberley that is such an eyesore.
Actively encourage workforce housing for missing middle. Also, repair of sidewalks! • My very local concern is the amount overhead electric lines on my lot as well as in the neighborhood. I see no effort to underground making the city look like a village from the 1950s. • Neighborhood preservation, no high density projects
• neighborhood streets seem to be constantly in a state of disrepair and never gets to a state of being "fixed". Beyond this, it would be fantastic to see a utilities undergrounding effort taken - eliminating all the poles and wires from neighborhoods would be transformative in terms of beauty and desireability, not to mention lower fire risks. • Never taking away our natural gas hook up
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• No eminent domain -taking families property and/or homes- related to train and focus some attention on people who rely on cars for daily transport- enough with emphasis on bikes!!!! • No eminent domain for the train and Consider aging population who don't ride bikes and stop taking parking spaces
• No homeless or rv parking on the streets
• Noise and pollution caused by air traffic is VERY IMPORTANT, as is eliminating the continued use of gas leaf blowers. Palo Alto needs to do more about SFO planes that fly too low and too frequently over our area. There are days when I can't have a conversation while sitting in my yard, or have to turn up the volume on my TV to compensate for the noise. • None
• Not allow houses to be overbuilt and too high for their neighborhood. We have a monstrous house next door that has taken all privacy away from our back yard. I would also like a say on allowing a childcare center next door. We have one and the noise is outrageous. • Not allowing enormous houses to be built that hardly leave any land to spare • Not overbuild--there is already too much traffic and too many large buildings • Not waste residents time asking our opinion and then ignoring it, e.g., North Ventura planning process. Residents wasted thousands of collective hours on this. • Nothing comes to mind
• Nothing. AOK
• Offer fiber to my residence.
• Offer less expensive recreation classes (such as intro to pickle ball) • Open Baylands to legal hunting, establish a gun and and archery range, focus on fishing/hunting opportunities.
• Open city hall for drop in business from residents
• Open City Hall to the public!
• Options for a economically wide range of residents - yes there are city services, but so few most people don't bother to even look into them after trying at first. Go to a rec class- all full immediately and no services are scheduled for the access of working people- no transport or after care, neighborhood library and city services accessible hours are not available after work, etc. Even calling the city services or police- service is not accessible and Never answer the phone! Try obtaining child care or finding family friendly restaurant- non existent. Tell visitors about our great zoo or foothills- well you can't get in at the entrance. Go to the neighboring city and the library is Packed with free events and services and extended hours. For middle class residents and visitors we are not welcoming. The services provided for this population feels like they are put out to 'check a box' we did have a cultural event, we did provided a low-income option- but does not actually try to address the need nor the population- looks good on a website. This is a lovely place We wish could be experienced by all. • own a house
• Parking somewhat difficult around parks on weekends due to park sports reservations. City should create more parking so residents don't struggle to find parking, all weekend long. • People with their dogs racesyou used to have them
• Permit more high density housing.
• Physical safety - no crime please
• Plant milkweed at the Baylands for Monarch habitat
• Plant more native trees and other plantings
• Plant more trees and native plants
• Plant the tree in my front yard that they removed over two years ago Item 3
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• Please add "Look both ways" signage at every ramp from Oregon Expwy where they enter Alma.
Drivers only look left and it is VERY hazardous for pedestrians and bicyclists. An ongoing, daily issue! And cheap and easy to fix.
• Please do not take people's homes away for the ridiculous Caltrain project. People who have lived here for decades will be forced to leave Palo Alto, their friends and the benefits of living here
• PLEASE get rid of huge "Builder remedy" buildings. Also, do everything possible to reduce airplane noise.
• Power wash University and California Aves weekly. The weekly farmer's market mixed with the urine smell on Ca Ave is horrible.
• Preserve and take care of natural open spaces. Stop intensive zoning. • Preserve parks and green space, don't build up in areas with sfh • prioritize walkers over bikers
• promote diversity and inclusion
• Protect bike lanes during contruction
• Protect the Baylands and golf course by not expanding Palo Alto Airport • Provide affordable housing so workers don't have to drive 100 miles • Provide incentives and programs for residential electrification • provide more affordable housing
• Provide more affordable housing
• Provide more affordable housing
• Provide more street parking permits for residents.
• Provide quality transportation for getting around town at a reasonable price. • Provide reduced electric rates or at least tier allowances for fully electric homes. I already did all of the things mentioned in Q20.
• Provide school busses again. Too many high school kids driving to school. Too much traffic getting in and out of Palo Alto.
• Provide some free park based community events eg group tai chi, group yoga, group art lessons • Public transportation. School Bus
• Push back against state housing/zoning regulation.
• Put in safe crosswalks and protected bike lanes. Improve pedestrian (and bicyclist) safety, and prioritize pedestrian (and bicyclist) access and convenience. Stop designing streets and traffic lights for cars instead of pedestrians.
• Put sunshades over playgrounds
• Put the train tracks into a city long tunnel. we have been talking about this for more than 10 years and it could already have been done by now costing LESS than the sum of these grade separation projects at Churchill, EAst meadow and san antonio - which will cost MORE now because of inflation, etc. the longer you wait (the typical approach of city council which never wants to make a decision but rather push the can down the road) the more costly it will be. • Put the train underground
• Putting in place protected bike lanes on the major routes to the school and busier road that have bike lanes.
• Quiet zone for caltrain on Palo Alto avenue
• Quit transferring money from the utilities account to the general find. Because of this, the city needs to keep raising utility rates. Also do not give any mores raises to city of Palo Alto workers with the exception of Police and Fire Departments. • Rebuild Cubberley Community Center
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• Receiving meaningful feedback to questions asked to City staff and City Council • Recruiting and supporting independent small businesses that will bring people together in walkable public spaces; this is how to create community. I want to be able to walk to a public area where my neighbors and friends are likely to be shopping and eating (affordably) on the weekends. Where is my walkable, local, "square"?
• Redevelop California Avenue
• Reduce 'light pollution' at night!! I can't see stars at night due to businesses NOT having the right types of outdoor lighting fixtures that comply with City/County/State lighting codes to block lighting "glare" and "trespass" into neighboring properties and the night sky. Have a city- wide 'campaign' for a full year that educates and encourages businesses to upgrade their outside attached light fixtures to be 'capped' / 'covered' with opaque tops and/or 'screens' that block these flood lights from shooting up into the windows of residential apartments. • Reduce air traffic noise
• Reduce air traffic noise. It seems to be getting worse. • Reduce Aircraft Noise
• Reduce aircraft noise please! This excessive noise really has a negative effect on the quality of life here when we have such great opportunities to be outdoors much of the year. It even makes me consider moving. No airport expansion in Palo Alto, and work with officials to get the flight paths for SFO and SJC further away from populated areas again. • Reduce airplane noise
• Reduce Airplane Noise and Limit locations of Cell Towers near homes • Reduce airplane noise over my house
• reduce airplane noise. Ensure that new housing developments include walkable access to parks and services like groceries and schools. Don't just build housing ... make infrastructure for communities
• Reduce airplane noise. Reduce risk of flooding on SF Creek - build the storm drain on Hamilton and replace Newell Road and Chaucer Street Bridges.
• Reduce barriers for retail/restaurants to set up in Downtown & Cal Ave. Look at what Redwood City is doing right.
• Reduce chances of flooding in our area from San Francisquito Creek • Reduce city rules that make things more complicated
• Reduce cut-through traffic on our purely residential street • Reduce jet noise
• Reduce Middlefield Road to two lanes in Midtown from Oregon Expressway to Loma Verde and put in proper bike lanes and more trees. Midtown is my local shopping district and I would love to spend more time patronizing the businesses there but I find it difficult and unpleasant to access on foot or bike (my primary mode of transportation around Palo Alto). Same for accessing Safeway and the Winter Lodge. Middlefield has bike lanes south of Loma Verde and North of Oregon and also reduces to two lanes north of Oregon. Why can't the two lane section be extended South of Oregon? Those of us in South Palo Alto also deserve pleasant tree lined streets with reduced traffic. Lots of kids from Greene and JLS also congregate by bike in Midtown in the afternoons, and are forced to dangerously ride on the sidewalks and through the parking lots. We should be encouraging folks to patronize their local establishments by making them safe and pleasant to access. Midtown could be a lovely place to spend and afternoon if bikes and pedestrians were prioritized, much as they are in Downtown and Cal Ave but instead we are stuck navigating the ugliest, most dangerous few blocks of Middlefield Rd. • Reduce noise - including air traffic (NextGen) and train horns (quiet zone implementation) Item 3
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• Reduce noise from train and airplanes
• Reduce noise! Shut down the Palo Alto airport or at least limit its use, reduce SFO, SKO, and OAK noise. Crack down on gas powered leaf blowers.
• reduce obstacles to building housing, especially affordable housing • Reduce overall cost of living. In answering questions above, the services are overall very good - but the cost of living here (inclusive of property taxes, garbage collection, utilities) is extremely high compared to other places I have lived, with the level of services being about the same. • reduce tax
• Reduce the air traffic noise.
• Reduce the bureaucracy and red-tape associated with buildings and getting projects done • Reduce the crazy overregulation of everything. And encouragement for neighbor to rat out, neighbor on things that are trivial, or should just be dealt with on a neighbor neighbor basis • Reduce the flooding possibility at Pope Chaucer Bridge • Reduce the number of city employees by 30%, with the reductions all from management positions, to free up money for infrastructure and services of direct benefit to residents, and thwart the inevitable future bankruptcy of an increasing number of city retirees on large pensions with defined benefits. The quality of service would increase with task-level employees facing fewer meetings and more empowered to do their excellent work. • Reduce the number of ultra-wealthy foreigners who buy homes here, drive up the cost of real estate, and make it impossible for even families with seven-figure incomes who are American- born US citizens to buy homes here
• Reduce the population of unhoused members of our community. • Reduce traffic on Middlefield from San Antonio northward. • Reduce vehicle traffic
• Reduced bureaucracy in building process
• Reducing noice and traffic - cars and planes. Getting rid of zillionaires like Zuckerberg who are ruining the neighborhood.
• Reducing traffic congestion and train crossing wait time near Paly • Reduction in airplane noise both from Palo Alto airport and sfo • Remodel Cubberley to a useful, modern multi-use space • Remove all the foreign elderly from senior and adult low income housing so homeless Veterans have housing near the VA Hospital. We are too generous to foreign elderly when they contribute little. Housing should be owned by American citizens only. • Remove all the parklets and car-free zones in our shopping districts that sprung up during Covid. They aren't necessary any longer and they make going to these districts a hassle for a lot of people, which means people don't shop there as much. The city council seems to just assume that they are good for our shopping districts. I'm not sure why that is--while it is the case that you see a lot of people eating meals in them, if you look inside the adjoining restaurants, they are mostly empty, which means that the extra capacity provided by the parklets is not necessary and is reducing possible parking. Also, why do we have so many rug galleries in downtown palo alto? That seems like a poor use of prime real estate since people don't shop for rugs very often...
• Remove fee for resident parking passes
• Remove the traffic control center from the five corners (Hamilton, Lincoln, Center, East Crescent Streets)
• Removing red tape and making the gov't more responsive to citizens. Also, district elections for city council and school board.
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• Rent control
• Rent control!
• Repair pavement (and force third-party contractors like fiber installers to repair the damage they leave behind)
• Repair the Chaucer Street bridge to make the San Francisquito watershed less susceptible to overflow/flooding.
• Replace City Council Members who do not vote in reflection of the residents and instead vote for their own interests to include do not take away -via eminent domain - families homes or land for the train - the train which has reduced ridership. Should be criminal - the lawsuits will cost the City millions...
• Replace our City Manager
• Replace Pat Burt and Greer Stone on the City Council. Have the current City Council Members listen to the PA residents concerns re the expansion of the airport (do NOT do it); and do not take people's homes and/or land via eminent domain re the train plans which is NOT what XCAP recommended.
• require better building restrictions for ADUs so they do NOT impinge on neighbors' privacy, set- backs and daylight plane. Consider the added burden of utilities, schools, parking, etc. REQUIRE THAT ADUs ARE ACTUALLY USED FOR HOUSING, NOT OFFICES OR OTHER NON-RESIDENTIAL USES.ALSO VERY IMPORTANT. CONTINUE TO FIGHT THE FLYOVER OF COMMERCIAL JET TRAFFIC. AFTER LIVING HERE FOR 50 YEARS, THE AIR TRAFFIC HAS GONE FROM OCCASIONAL TO FLYOVERS THAT CAN OCCUR EVERY 5 MINUTES FOR HALF A DAY. • Require every new or rehabbed multi-family building to include 30% units far below market rate (like $1200/month for a 1 bedroom)
• Respectable and quick response during construction. Permit generation and inspectors aren't the friendliest.
• Restoring the number of middle-income, single-family homes by (the City) purchasing large lots and leasing mid-sized, affordable homes to residents.
• Rethink housing re parking needs and neighborhood resources/availability. • Return University Ave to a pedestrianized street
• Revitalize our downtowns (University Ave and California Ave.) areas to feel more updated, modern w/pedestrian only streets, more areas to hang out in park like settings with cafes/ music and social gathering opportunities. Include more nice outdoor restaurant spaces that are more permanent and aren't just bordered by sidewalks and cars. Create more of a vibrant , youthful, interesting downtown for residents to want to come and socialize. And that isn't just filled up with expensive restaurants and bars, etc.
• Revitalize the University Ave. business district.
• Revitalize University Ave retail scene
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• Revive downtown. I grew up in Palo Alto and after living in SF for 20 years, moved back to raise my kids here now. The schools seem great but I have never seen downtown so depressed, so many empty storefronts. Palo Alto used to be cool in the 1990s and now it's completely lame.
No cool bars, no nightlife, no music. Also, with young kids, there's nothing for kids to do except play at playgrounds, but what happens when they outgrow those? Palo Alto kid's community classes fill up in minutes due to limited spots. There are no toy stores anywhere in Palo Alto now. No music venues, no gathering places for kids. No fun community events. High priced rents have forced creativity out of Palo Alto. It's depressing to walk down University Ave. Also, as a young girl, I could ride my bike everywhere. There's so much traffic now, and everyone drives so fast and doesn't stop at stop signs, I'm frightened for my children walking or riding bikes in Palo Alto. There MUST be more control of cars speeding and not paying attention to road signs. Place cameras on every main road for automatic ticketing. The city must do something to revive and protect our community. Take a look at what San Carlos has downtown and you'll see what Palo Alto can be. We pay so much in property taxes, and the general feeling from residents is "for what?". Where is all that money going, Palo Alto? • Safe parking for bikes. If I knew that my bike would not be stolen, I would bike around the city more instead of driving.
• Safer bike routes and slowing down cars
• Safer streets for all users -- reducing speeds and adding safety engineering to reduce risk for all users like European countries have been doing for years. Wider and faster is NOT better! • Safety - it can become a major issue quickly. Invest more in our police officers and technology. • Safety for bikers
• School bus route
• See an occasional police car cruse through the neighborhood • Sensible people-friendly development, not densification, to retain town or village feel vs urbanization
• Significantly prune city owned trees that were planted when not enough was known about their suitability.. And dont' expand the airport!
• Simplify the approval of permits and decrease the cost of bureaucracy in city hall • Slower growth, less office development, better paved roads • Solve the San Francisquito Creek flooding issue before the next disaster • Speed and traffic light enforcement on Embarcadero Rd • Speed control (traffic enforcement) on Embarcadero between 101 and Middlefield. • Speed up converting utility lines underground. Decades for small areas is ridiculous. • Speed up the replacement of Pope Chaucer and Newell Road Bridges • Spend more energy on using non-internet communications with residents. Not everyone is computer savvy. Especial the seniors.
• Sponsor monthly events to train people to switch from driving to biking (commuting, dropping off and picking up school kids)
• Spruce up the downtown and Cal Ave to make it more inviting, provide more retail and restaurants on ground level, close University Ave and Cal Ave and give them a very nice pedestrian makeover. Asphalt is not a friendly, attractive or inviting look! Clean University Avenue and Cal Ave regularly , it always looks like a mess now. If you need ideas, go to Burlingame, Walnut Creek, Mountain View, Santana Row(and many other Bay Area Cities) and take a look what they have done.
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• Start cleaning up the entire city - trash, cracked sidewalks, homeless encampments are everywhere. The city no longer looks attractive for visiting. You cannot rely on the city's previous "prestige"
• Start enforcing some of the traffic laws ( Speeding, running lights and stop signs, overall aggressive driving. Its crazy how bad it is now. no excuses for not enforcing laws that are still in effect. YOU FAILED THIS
• Stop airplane noise!!!
• Stop arguing and finally decide on train crossings. Traffic on Charleston and Meadow is becoming unbearable at certain times of the day. At times I struggle to get out of my neighborhood.
• Stop being hostile to residents.
• Stop being manipulated by developers
• Stop building more housing until the infrastructure & roads are able to handle more people. • Stop building structures in the ugly cold modern style. It doesn't fit with the existing historical architecture of our town. That includes commercial and residential. • Stop building unaffordable big buildings
• Stop catering only to the wealthy residents. And it sucks after fifty years of feeling very safe not to feel safe here at all anymore.
• stop charging me for gas. I've been paying for it on my utility bill since 2009, though I've never used gas
• Stop closing streets for bikes. NO ONE BIKES except kids. I walk or bike every where. Not one person I know understand it or would do it. You are completely out of touch with the real residents and only listen to the special interest groups • Stop enabling developers to build massive residential buildings. Slow down all growth, both housing and commercial.
• Stop funneling utilizes charges to the general fund.
• Stop overbuilding
• Stop overbuilding.
• Stop planning residents' social lives.
• stop putting money and effort into bike causes and consider more the many people who rely on cars as daily transportation
• Stop raising utilities rates, especially water
• Stop raising utility prices!
• stop speeders and stop planes from flying directly over the city • Stop speeding! Cars routinely do 50 on Middlefield and 60 on Embarcadero! And stop cutting off streets from cars. Traffic on my residential arterial has tripled since I moved here. • Stop spending so much money on consultants
• Stop subsidizing city government with funds from Utilities • Stop the inefficient on-going effort to block Castilleja construction. The school has complied with request and put forth a reasonable plan and it feels like the PA City Council remains held hostage by a small but vocal group of neighbors. Doesn't the City Council have more important matters to spend their time on? 10 years has been too long! This is just one tangible example of how PA growth has been despite its civic leadership. Hard decisions need to be made and no decision for change will ever be unanimous; it feels like we need some stronger clearer leadership that does not take for granted that change and growth need to happen to ensure that Palo Alto remains as vibrant as it has been in the past.
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• Stop the madness - do NOT take peoples homes or land for the train issue. No need to destroy Charleston etc for the train. Reduce the 'approved' train plans as the citizens did NOT want nor approve such after many, many meetings. Get rid of current City Council members who are NOT transparent with citizens. Stop Airport expansion. Protect way of life. Stop cramming so many people into the area and changing our homes so we do not feel safe at night anymore.
Hire more police to support our excellent police force. Stop allowing mega size homes to be built and crammed on smaller lots. Get rid of current City Manager who won't even take calls or respond to messages - sad. Keep certain bathrooms in all places including schools to be separated by declared gender - if you want to add non-gendered bathrooms > ok. But not all bathrooms should be open to all. Stop trying to be so 'woke' at the expense of young ladies who will 'hold it' until they get home/safe which will can lead to infections. • Stop trying to be the beacon to the world and making it costly for the residents • Stop trying to forbid gas usage and instead allow people to reduce GHG in multiple ways through individual choice based on their individual situations • Stop virtue signalling and provide cost-effective services, get rid of the idiot costly "retail" consultants that destroy businesses and LISTEN to the residents. Get • Stop wasting so much tax money on projects that provide little or no benefit for Palo Alto citizens (e.g., Ross Street bike boulevard).
• Streamline permitting process. And stop trying to unreasonably control what people do on their own property
• Stronger focus on public safety/crime reduction
• stronger resistance to state control of zoning and building. • Succeed at getting rid of incessant noise from planes landing at SFO • support a more thriving retail, office, and restaurant environment • Support the efforts to create pollinator corridors that are part of the parks master plan.
Volunteers are doing it but there needs to be a paid position for a biologist/botanist to create, engage, and maintain these spaces in perpetuity.
• Take a firm stand to make pedestrian life safer and pleasant. There has been a noticeable increase in the use of bikes and scooters (especially electric that can go as fast as cars) in pedestrian areas like the path along the tracks and California Ave. • Take all necessary actions to reduce aircraft noise over Palo Alto,. That includes the noise caused by PAO traffic as well as Stanford helicopters, which use PAO mainly as a refueling station (not transporting patients or medical things). For example, Stanford could build their own refueling station (they have plenty of land), refuel at other airports, switch to electric helicopters when feasible, vary the routes to avoid affecting the same residents over and over. • Take care of homeless people living in campers in my neighborhood • Take care of the vagrancy and drug sale problems along El Camino in south Palo Alto • Take seriously the potential health impacts of cell tower installations, gas leaf blowers, application of toxic pesticides, rodent poisons, flights over our city and baylands, etc. Strive to create a healthier environment for us to live in.
• Target store!!!
• The street sweepers should be all electric!
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• The city is severely missing casual group entertainment options. Bowling alleys, laser tag, mini golf, etc. All of these things are gone now that used to be around 10-15 years ago.I don't think the government has to be the one providing them. But cramming in more housing and hotels while losing recreation makes for a very boring city to live in.The plans for rethinking Cubberley that I saw included switching some of it to housing (bad idea) when I think it could be creatively used as a community entertainment center, plus all the important community serving uses.
Would be great to have some FUN! Put back into Palo Alto.When we think about how to serve our youth - a reasonably priced bowling alley would be great. • The city should LISTEN to their community members. I am VERY disappointed that community members volunteer to work on committees to address major projects, (such as Fry's site - North Ventura committee, the underpasses at Meadow & Charleston, bike bridge over 101, Medical Disaster Response unit,) then the city completely disregards all their years worth of work and does what it wants anyway. Why make the pretense of wanting community input, allowing us to spin our wheels, and then disregarding our work???? After living in this community for more than 45 years, I no longer wish to volunteer on any project that involves the city. • The investment in the arts is embarrassingly small. West Bay Opera is forced to cut back on programming with no city financial support. No decent live theater in Palo Alto. Arts and theater facilities outdated and falling apart, forced to rely on donations.. capacity is woefully inadequate at the arts center. It would be a joy to live somewhere with a vibrant arts scene. Need subsidized studios and housing and stipends for artists. Need to enlarge the arts center to serve even a fraction of the community demand. Maintenance on city facilities is poor: broken sinks in art center take months to repair. Broken SOS phone in parking garage under city hall.
Inadequate restrooms in Lucy Stern center for audience size. These are just examples. Midtown area gets no investment from the city and needs a vital business and cultural center. • The Libraries are a mess - too many branches, poor service, too limited collections. • The pound used to be better, and I miss that. I miss local theaters like the Varsity and the Fine Arts. I'm sorry the Nut House closed.
• The so-called "Palo Alto Process" kills civic engagement by needless and endless delays for seeking a "perfect" solution. The need for rail grade separations is a good example. Prop 1 in 2008 raised the alarm, 16 years later, the endless debate of 'what to do?' continues. Sad. • The time and effort being spent on heat pumps promotion is a luxury and unreasonable for existing structures. For new builds or massive remodels they may be appropriate. Palo Alto is increasingly a community of renters and small scale landlords who are not financially capable of making such an investment.
• There is so much trash along roadways coming off the freeway. Along meridians, and road loops. Bushes obscure vision of oncoming cars particularly At Embarcadero coming from Baylands then going over 101. They need a bigger yield sign!! Most drivers Don't stop and yield.
So dangerous there.
• To have the Police Department be more responsive to people's calls and concerns. • Toilets at Eleanor Pardee Park
• Too many council decisions are made without legal transparency and inadequate or incomplete staff reporting.
• Traffic calming measures on Alma. It's insane.
• Traffic enforcement for bicycles -very dangerous !
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• Two things - Improve wireless cell service or make it easier. Why is it that we live in the heart of technology, and I can't get cell signal regardless of provider? It's embarrassing for our city. 2nd, why do we charge so much to rent the school gyms in PAUSD? Let the kids use the gyms for free or at a nominal cost. Get them off their phones and being active. My kids play indoor volleyball and there's no place for them to play. Others play badminton or indoor basketball. • underground all power & utility lines; plant many more street trees & preserve the ones we have • Underground our power lines
• Underground the Overhead utility lines!!
• underground utilities
• Underground utilities in the ares that haven't been, yet (e.g. Ventura). • University Avenue downtown is a bit boring to visit. Emerson Avenue sidewalks could do with a thorough wash down. You wouldn't ask someone to meet you downtown to take a stroll and enjoy the ambience. It's lacking a gathering place such as a book store, art gallery, family- friendly restaurant. Thank goodness for Crepevine, Oren's Hummus etc. When Jing Jing closed down this year, I've realized we haven't been downtown since. President's Barbers are reliable and the Post Office on Hamilton is a go to, even if there are mostly two staff members at the counter with long lines. Do Stanford students even make it downtown. I imagine for them there's just the frozen yogurt stores to visit on a student's budget. My High School teens only visited Town N Country as there was nothing downtown. It's very difficult to meet everyone's wishes but I feel downtown is lacking charisma. The side walk trees lit at night is always welcoming. See this Website for most beautiful main streets in America https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/most-beautiful-main-streets-americaThe welcoming buzz in my home European university town reaches different target audiences.
There's permitted busking, known shops (either local and nationwide chains) that people can peruse and shop in, book stores, coffee shops, family-friendly restaurants, lively pubs with either music or sport for night life, music store or two with one selling musical instruments (for all those buskers!) craft store to attract tourists (local artisan pottery, knitwear, art), art gallery with local artists work, colorful outdoor murals, walking history tours and affordable fast food stores - burger joint, fish and chips, that the teen kids can afford. It's a broad mix and accommodates all needs.
• Until the state of California has the power grid issues and wild fire situation managed, I am not interested or comfortable with total dependance on electricity. The price of electricity is too high in our state, and often unreliable. Cooking with a gas stove is better and produces better food outcomes. The idea that gas stoves, water heaters and home heating systems are being outlawed is completely ridiculous and outside the realm of the rights of citizenship. Crime has skyrocketed. Just this week my license plates were stollen off my car while parked in my driveway. Theft of cars, personal property, break ins and other lawlessness are rampant and the laws and criminal justice system need reforms. Homelessness is a problem and I am tired of feeling unsafe walking in downtown because of these people, who are largely mentally unstable, addicted to drugs and usually have criminal backgrounds. Our neighbor's daughter had her throat slashed by a homeless women a couple of years ago in broad daylight off of University Avenue. It's time to get tough on crime and put our tax dollars to work making our state and town safe, prosperous and beautiful.
• Update Cubberly as a city resource.
• Upgrade to the health and rec facilities at cubberley and rinconada. Our gyms, pools, locker rooms and spaces are not great relative to Menlo Park.
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• Urban planning, it is sad to see the independently opened stores gone for the most part. These types of merchants create a community and we no longer have that. University Ave feels like a food court. There are now book stores, art stores, fabric stores, toys stores etc....Palo Alto has become a shell of what it was when I moved here 40 years ago. • Use utility money only for utilities, speed bumps on Hamilton, would get heat pump for water and heat but not feasible.
• Use viaducts for rail crossings.
• Vacancy at for home and business
• Vigorous enforcement of posted prohibitions on long-term RV parking. • We are about to leave Palo Alto because the superintendent Don Austin is terrible. So fix the schools. The rankings don't mean anything if the kids aren't allowed to learn. • We have a shortage of Frontline workers in hospitals and in schools. We need to value all labor is skilled labor and create affordable housing or we're going to see the shortage affecting our hospitals and our schools and our future. We also and Alto have lost our public transportation for the children to get to school and seniors and other people who don't have cars. The new transportation system does not work cannot count on it and you can get stranded. We can't run a healthy community without being inclusive of the fact that not all people make a lot of money, but their jobs are still really important. For example, the janitors at Stanford are homeless , but they work two jobs. Until we address this issue we're gonna run out of those people to take care of those jobs that are vital to a healthy community and we need to find a way to include them and make it affordable for them to live somewhere near here because commuting isn't gonna work either . Thank you, I am disabled, and so these things are more important to me as we've lost a lot since Covid
• We need to embrace expanded affordable housing now.
• We replaced gas hot water heater in 2018 and all the rest in Q10 in 2023 -- in each case, JUST BEFORE CPAU started rewarding residents with discounts. It would really have made us happy to have received some form of reward for being early adopters!! • Weed the foxtail grass in city parks so dogs don't get hurt, & trim the trees before they fall. • Well, I don't live 'here'. I hear you have something other than PG&E! More power to you, and I wish RWC did too. Anything that makes Palo Alto green, shaded, and welcoming to visitors will bring me in even after I retire.
• Work harder to bring in new businesses to Cal Ave and downtown, to fill vacant storefronts. • Work more effectively to balance residents' quality of life with business and construction development
• work towards pedestrian-only University Ave
• working on items that facilitate public transport.. not talk for ever as in electrification of the train crossing
• You could stop the insanely loud planes from flying directly over our home !! We've lived there 50 years and since the FAA has changed their routes, it's difficult to get sleep. They don't stop until almost midnight and start at 6 !!
• You do too many costly studies
• You need very low affordable housing I don't mean 3000 a month I mean 1000 or less .food pantry services ,visibility of community events besides on the website.
Question 20: As a resident of Palo Alto, what one thing do you believe the City does well and would want to maintain?
• 100% green electricity
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• A clean aesthetic city
• Access to electricity (this shouldn't be a compliment) • access to open space
• Access to public assets and services.
• activities, parks, libraries,
• Adult education and recreation opportunities
• all the great services for kids -- libraries, offering a wide range of children's activities through Palo Alto Enjoy Online, Jr Museum
• All the green areas where we can enjoy nature and get a break. • Almost everything pertaining to city owned parks
• Although rarely needed, police response has been excellent. They were great helping a lost little boy, and checking out. Suspicious noise. Very professional. • Ambulance services
• Animal control is the best!!!!
• Animal control team
• Answering the phone
• Art and nature
• Art Center exhibits and programs are first class; as are the Library programs • Arts and culture offerings/parks & playgrounds
• Arts and music, especially Third Thursdays
• Arts and Recreation activities.
• Attention to open space, parks
• Attract world class professionals to make PA their home • Attracts intelligent people to the city council
• Availability of city parks
• Availability of parkss.
• Baylands
• Baylands, parks, soccer, little league, foothills,
• Beautiful parks and open spaces.
• Beautiful parks and rec areas
• Better management t of the services and programs already offered such as the heat pump replacement program, gas powered ordinance and use of 311. • Bicycle infrastructure
• Bicycle routes
• Bicycling.
• Big garbage days
• Bike routes
• Bike safety
• Bikes
• Broadcasting city council and other meetings on the Midpen Media Center. • Bryant Street Bike Boulevard
• California Avenue is a treasureI love that it is blocked off for pedestrians and regularly has music and, of course, the farmer's market.
• Can't think of any. I had terrible experience dealing with the city staff as first time Palo Alto resident
• Car free downtown areas
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• Care of trees and parks
• Caring for seniors (La Comida, etc.)
• Caring for the physical environment, particularly the thousands of trees in the city and the Foothills and Baylands Preserves.
• Caring for tree Canopy and the environment.
• Cater to developers - oh you're already doing that constantly! How nice! • character of city
• Children enjoy parks and libraries and open spaces
• Children's library extended hours
• Children's theater
• Children's Theatre
• Children's Theatre!
• City Council did not approve airport expansion!! Yeah! They prioritized the Duck Pond and Baylands.
• City does most things well
• City events
• City feels safe but we can't be complacent and need to maintain the safety of it's residents • City is clean and generally a happy place to live, but the quality of life has decreased since 2020 here
• City of Palo Alto utilities
• City of Palo Alto Utilities
• City owned utilities
• City owned utilities
• City owned utilities.
• City owned utilities.
• City parks and open spaces are excellent
• City parks, in particular Baylands, foothills, arasterdero. Baylands is real treasure please continue to protect wildlife and environment. Make sure people keep their dogs on lease in these parks as well
• City plazas wellMaintained
• City services (streets, trees, utilities)
• City street trees
• City tree program (also libraries!)...
• City utilities and libraries, and small-town character • City wide entertainment.
• City wide landscaping
• City-owned utilities.
• Civic engagement
• Clean streets
• Clean up days
• Cleanliness of City streets and sidewalks
• close foothills to all non residents. Gas water and electric programs seem well designed. • Commitment to honesty and inclusion.
• communicate
• Communication
• Communication
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• Communication and city services seem responsive. Good job. • communication, public service
• communications, and public safety
• Community activites like Thursday night on CA ave
• Community engagement
• Community engagement
• Community involvement
• Community services
• continue to cover parking structures with PV panels
• Continue to improve libraries. MV is much better. I often go there for books PA does not have or put me as 112 on the wait list!!
• Continue with our own utility unit. No PG&E, no outside garbage company..... • Continued focus on reducing/minimizing impact to the climate. • Continuing to keep streets and properties clean.
• Crime is low
• Cultural activities
• Cultural offerings
• Customer service at utilities dept. is excellent
• Does well: I can't think of anything other than have meetings to talk about plans but never do the actual plans. Want to maintain: nothing really
• Electric rates are great
• Emergency and library services
• Emergency communication
• emergency services come quickly when called.
• Encourage high quality of life
• Encourage recreational activities and library use.
• enforce local building standards to keep our city green and push back against the dictate from Sacramento to build more housing - which will only be a boon for developers and unaffordable for those who actually need it.
• Ensuring our city is safe from crime and residents feel like they are in a connected community. • environment maintenance
• Environmental concerns, including biking
• Everything you are doing' A+o
• Excellent libraries
• excellent utilities service, particularly lower electricity prices compared to PG&E and few outages
• Family friendly place
• Feeling safe to take walks and go to downtown
• Financial support & communication of the Arts and Cultural events, i.e. Palo Alto Players, Music in the parks, Children's Theater, PA Art center.
• Fire and safety
• Fire stations and libraries in the neighborhoods - need more of them • Fix the road on 82
• Foothills Park
• for the most part, it is willing to listen to its resident's concern and seek input to see how should prioritize concern.
• Friendly and helpful staff.
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• Friendly and welcoming atmosphere
• Garbage and recycling.
• Garbage Collection
• Garbage, compost and recycling collection.
• General walkability and bicycle access in neighborhoods. • Generally good services.
• generally happy with the schools (though wish the state budget were better) • Giving itself raises and hiring consultants who given them the answers they want -- a self- perpetuating problem
• Good libraries
• Good school system
• Good schools
• Great libraries - keep on improving them!
• Great lilbraries, thank you.
• Great parks & libraries
• Great parks and open space
• great parks and trails maintenance, love utility efficiency tips, operating in good faith • Great parks, bike lanes, recreational clubs/activities • Great police department
• Great schools, parks and libraries
• Great walking and biking culture
• Green landscape and zoning
• Green spaces
• Green spaces and library services
• Green Waste customer service employees are very nice and knowledgeable. Please keep them. • Hard to pick one ... the city is doing LOTS of things right • Hardly anything, I think the city is going downhill and it is doing. It's very best to not change. • Has a distinct sense of identity, balancing lifetime residents with new arrivals • Has a very well trained police department who care about the residents. • Having holiday actives.
• Having holiday events
• Having open parks and tennis courts.
• Hires top police officers
• I don't know.
• I feel safe walking around town. I don't worry about porch pirates. Our cul-de-sac feels very safe. • I have no idea
• I LOVE Rinconada pool, the parks, our clean streets, and generally I feel safe - please keep I that way. thank you thank you
• I love the animal welfare officers
• I love the community libraries
• I love the email newsletters!
• I love the public services, parks, and keeping utilities private! • I really liked blocking off California Ave to car traffic. • I think Palo Alto is a good steward of open space. We should continue to protect Foothills, Arastradero, and other properties to maintain their high quality prioritizing Palo Alto residents. • I think the city does a wonderful job - thankyou
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• I think the City works toward making this a good place to live for all Palo Altans. • I think the PA Utilities work pretty well well and I'd like to see the maintained. • I think the utility services are fair for the area and the department does a good job of communicating to the public.
• I would like the city to maintain its focus on being environmentally friendly. • Ignoring the building codes and allowing really awful eye sore homes and businesses to get uglier each day. They have really done a great job of making us look like like San Jose and daily city. Keep going this will allow for affordable housing in no time. Don't believe me look at Monterey park.
• Importance of sustainability programs
• In the last year or so, it seems that the City is deepening its commitment to sustainability and making a more serious effort to meeting the 80% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030. Let's do this!
• Infrastructure is well maintained.
• Investing in library resources.
• involve citizens
• It seeks to make the city more and more eco-friendly. • It's a fantastic place to raise kids
• It's a very nice city to live in if you have managed to own your own home which you bought a generation ago.
• it's a walkable city
• It's a well run city with thoughtful employees. I grew up here and raised my kids here. • It's very clean
• Its police force
• Just one? Hard to do. Up keep of trees on the streets and parkways. Up keep of Parks. School quality.
• k-12 education
• keep Cal Ave pedestrian
• Keep duck pond as is without expanding airport and not putting a tunnel under Seale • Keep it as a special place to live
• Keep it walkable, love my local grocery store.
• Keep on prioritizing park and recreational and natural space and city beautification efforts overall
• Keep pushing for affordable housing, although it took the state to make the city to address this problem.
• Keep residents aware of emergencies and power shutdowns • Keep Stanford shopping center!
• Keep the lovely trees and help maintain them. Also, love that CPA encourages and creates safe bike routes
• Keeping and supporting the Children's Theater
• Keeping its own utilities
• Keeping parks beautiful and our city clean
• keeping parks in good condition
• Keeping PAUSD a top-quality education system.
• Keeping residents informed and inviting residents to voice opinions on policies. • Keeping the residents involved in matters and taking feedback • Keeping the town clean
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• Keeping us informed of outages.
• Keeping vagrants from sleeping/camping on the sidewalks and 'lanes' (i.e. 7W) aka alleyways, downtown and on the pedestrian/bike path from Town and Country to the Homer Street/train underpass. I've noticed an alarming uptick of vagrants setting up tents along the bike path from Town and Country to the downtown train station in the last year... some lasting for weeks. • Keeps things running and safe
• Landscaping of city gardens
• libraries
• libraries
• libraries
• Libraries
• Libraries
• Libraries
• Libraries
• Libraries
• Libraries
• Libraries
• Libraries and kids' activities are good.
• Libraries and parks
• Libraries and parks
• Libraries are excellent
• Libraries--one of Palo Alto's strongest assets
• Libraries, art center.
• Libraries, parks
• Libraries, Parks, valuing the arts
• libraries, schools and parks
• Libraries!
• Libraries! And Thursday night music on Cal Ave.
• Libraries.
• libraries. Bring back author alerts
• library
• Library and early childhood recreational camps
• Library resources
• Library services
• Library services
• Library services and other public spaces
• Library, arts, utilities department offer a lot of useful servicees. • Library, park and recreation services
• Like the parklets, bulk trash pick up
• Link but allow pre-orders, CAL AVE improvements
• Listening to the community
• Listens to people. Attempts to be forward thinking.
• Local parks and green space. Would be nice to pave the Baylands trails like Mountain View did to make them better for children on bicycles and dog walking. • Locally owned utilities.
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• Lots of green space, libraries
• lots of trees
• love the farmers markets
• Love the Idea of city owned utilities, especially if they are affordable. Especially appreciate the reliability of utilities. Love the idea of a car/ride share option if accessible to all (including kids as there is no bus system!)
• Love the schools, parks, library and regular events organized by the city. • Low rise buildings
• Lower exorbitant prices to live here
• maintain a healthy shopping area downtown and calif st • Maintain and beautify parks
• maintain and improve quality of life services. For example zoning, city services, budget controls, etc.
• Maintain City-owned municipal utilities
• Maintain clean streets
• maintain excellent libraries PLUS make the county library system offerings more available to library users
• maintain parks
• Maintain public safety and not reduce fire stations... • Maintain quality mix of housing, nature (parks, trees, etc.), and services/events (quality environment).
• Maintain quality of life locally
• Maintain SFR zoning and bar sale of ADU's independent of SFR property (see S. Jose alarming decision!)
• Maintain the overall high quality of life for Palo Alto residents. • Maintain the tree canopy, but STOP property owners from cutting down protected and heritage trees.
• Maintaining and preserving Palo Alto's parks and open space • Maintaining greenspace and community activities
• Maintaining quality public school system including adult education • maintaining street trees
• Maintaining the parks, the trees and the more natural environment. 2) Trusted, respected police department, including Animal Control. There are many areas where Palo Alto excels. • Maintaining the tree canopy and general walkability
• Maintains parks and recreational opportunities
• Maintains the baylands.
• Maintenance of open space.
• Maintenance of streets and parks
• Maintence in all facets of the community and safety
• Making our streets more bicycle and pedestrian friendly. • Making the outdoors attractive and liveable, with parks, closure of Cal Ave, events (e.g. Third Thursdays on Cal Ave)
• Managing our utilities
• Managing utilities.
• Mitchell Park Library and Neighboring Parks
• Mixes of cultures
• MOST City services.
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• Most things are done quite well
• municipal utilities
• My favorite thing about Palo Alto is the College Terrace Library. I like the libraries, and I wish the city would revert to pre-covid levels for funding the College Terrace Library. • N/A
• Natural environment
• Nature preserves
• Nature preserves, open space.
• Neighborhood greenery and small town look
• Nice libraries but now not as usable with the unhoused • Nice parks and bike lanes
• No cars on Cal Ave (would love to see the same on University Ave) • No homeless
• None
• Not much.
• Not sure
• Not sure
• Nothing.
• Offering public services
• Ongoing attention to transportation and transportation safety for children/youth • Open space
• Open space
• Open space
• Open space
• open space (foothills park, baylands, e.g.)
• Open space and Recreation
• Open space protection
• Open space, parks, libraries
• Open space/parks
• Open spaces, parks and outdoor areas.
• Openness to diversity
• Our beautiful parks.
• Our city government is pretty effective, and I feel it is getting better. Although there is grumbling from people who want more rapid change from our city council/government, I do feel building consensus takes time and is generally worth it when approaching difficult topics. Keep up the communication.
• Our education and safety are top notch!
• Our first responders are awesome and are doing a great job in spite of the crazy climate they now have to work in.
• Our large parks, including Foothill and the Baylands staying protected!! • Our libraries are great. Please keep the wonderful staff and facilities intact. • Our library system is excellent. They are clean, beautiful and staffed with helpful and knowledgable staff.
• Our police department, emergency service and utilities are amazing • our schools
• Outdoor and public spaces, education offerings
• Outdoor space including parks and open space
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• Overall day-to-day services are great. We finished a remodel recently and have good experience with building department.
• Overall dedication to and support of parks, recreation, and open space. • Overall parks and facilities are well maintained
• Overall range and quality of services available to residents • Overall safety, walkability, community feel, nice parks and facilities. The schools work well for our daughter (not for our dyslexic son)
• Overall, I think the City is well run.
• Own utilities.
• Owning our own Utilities. Open spaces and parks
• Owns its own utilities.
• Palo Alto Cultural Center
• Palo Alto does a good job at continuing to keep our town relatively safe from crime. Although, we do need more officers patrolling.
• Palo Alto is clean and safe. Our police department is very responsive. • Palo Alto is extremely bike friendly. I brag about it to my friends who don't live here! • Palo Alto Utilities is excellent
• Palo Alto's electric system.
• Palo Alto's emphasis on having bike paths and improving them is really good. But please do more.
• PAPD is GREAT
• PAPD is very good. Quick to respond and they take care of issues. A pleasure to work with them.
• park and Baylands maintenance
• Park and reck are pretty good. But could be improved with creative planning, such as public access to JLS pool in the summer when school is out and it gets very little use. If it were to have an open entrance on the Mitchell Park (east) side, it probably would get more use from residents. Also a safe natural swimming place in either Foothill Park or Arastradero Park, like Sonoma County has provided for residents is a super benefit for residents. Sonoma county has diverted a small creek, to make a natural community swimming area and it's just wonderful. • Park maintenance
• Park maintenance
• Parks
• Parks
• Parks
• Parks
• Parks
• Parks
• Parks
• Parks
• Parks & Recreation
• Parks and facilities are nice
• Parks and green spaces
• Parks and libraries
• Parks and libraries
• Parks and libraries
• Parks and libraries
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• Parks and libraries
• Parks and libraries.
• Parks and natural space
• Parks and open spaces
• Parks and open spaces
• Parks and openspace
• Parks and opportunities for children's activities
• Parks and public areas
• Parks and rec
• Parks and rec
• Parks and rec and utilities.
• Parks and Rec; parks, libraries, facilities.
• Parks and rec.
• Parks and Rec.
• Parks and recreation programs
• Parks and recreation services
• Parks and recreation services and facilities
• Parks and Recreation; Libraries
• parks are good
• Parks are in good shape, although we could always use more pickleball courts! • Parks seemed well maintained. Utilties seem very reliable compared to PG&E. • Parks that are safe and well maintained and fun and beautiful and available to all to enjoy. • Parks, bike lanes, Utilities's services and upgrades. • Parks, but we need to build more pickle ball courts instead of repurposing tennis courts. We need ALL of our tennis courts for tennis!
• Parks, Community Resources (PAAC, PACT, PA Libraries) • Parks, Libraries,
• Parks, Library, Recreation
• Parks, Open Space
• Parks, street cleaning, community police car, and ESPECIALLY Palo Alto Link!!!! • Parks. Summer concerts.
• parks/rec
• Performance of the Police Department
• police
• Police
• Police and firefighters
• Police and safety
• Police department
• Police force and fire department are very good.
• police response time
• Police services
• Police, fire crew, school
• Police/Fire services
• Polite and Rapid response to phone and email inquiries to assist with issues as they arise. • Preservation and use of open space.
• Preservation of and access to parks, libraries, baylands.
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• Preserve small-town feel despite mandated construction of multiple-housing complexes • Preserve the 1950's suburbia low density with extremely high housing prices. • Prioritizes public spaces such as parks for public use. This will be more important as denser housing becomes more common.
• Private utilities, garbage and recycling and compost
• Promotion of bicycling as a means to get around town
• Prompt utilities department response to problems
• Protect the Baylands and maintain programs like the Art Center classes and Children's Theatre. • Protect trees
• Provide utilities
• Provides a high class community/environment also with privately-owned utilities • Provides a serene environment.
• Provides adequate greenspaces for residents.
• Providing and maintaining parks and open space
• providing open space for parks and playgrounds
• Providing safe, clean place to live.
• public K-12 education
• public libraries
• Public libraries
• Public Libraries
• Public library system
• Public parks are the absolute best!
• Public safety and fire safety
• Public safety and police services.
• public schools
• Public services - police, fire and utilities are all very good. • Public utilities
• Quality of K-12 grade education. Pls maintain. If you allow more affordable housing and temporary housing for the homeless- pjs make sure you have to prepare twice the effort and manpower to educate these less fortunate children.I have worked with many and find that they have no support at home and poor lifestyle and courtesy and social responsibility concepts pls don't ignore them and just let them go to school. The standard of education in Palo Alto needs to be maintained, as this is the main attraction for younger families. Thank you. • Quality of PA schools is excellent.
• Quality of public schools
• Quality of public space is good.
• Quality schools
• Recreational opportunities
• Reduce overdevelopment. Roads are already overcrowded during lengthen rush hours. More people will make it worse.
• Reduce utility prices
• reliable utilities
• Repairing electric outages
• Respect for everyone and our surroundings. In Palo Alto we can keep the schools open as parks because the residents feel respected ad therefore are respectful (they clean up after themselves and their dog)
• respond quickly to emergencies.
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• Responsiveness of police, utility people, etc. Palo Alto workers are "on it." • Restraint from building too much residential houses
• Restrictions on residential development
• Rinconada Pool
• Run the essential services like police and utilities
• Running its utilities.
• Running our own electric an gas utility
• Sadly, the best I can come up with is Parks.
• safety
• Safety
• Safety
• Safety
• Safety - I feel very safe in Palo ALto
• Safety. Clean.
• Safety. PA Police do a great job.
• Schools
• Schools
• Schools
• Schools
• Seeks community input, provides and supports many services, excellent libraries, excellent open space.
• Sense of Community
• Sidewalk repair
• sidewalks are wonderful, police department is great.
• Soliciting input from the community and offering transparency and involvement • Speed bumps. We need LOTS more speed bumps to slow down idiots. • Stop taking funds from the utility department...reduce the city budget. Improve building permit process.
• Street are clean
• Street cleaning.
• Street trees
• summer programs, sport programs,
• support local non-profits
• Support libraries
• Support of local parks and trees, native plant areas, etc. • Support the library.
• Sustainability and Climate Action Plan and promoting electrification to combat climate change • Taking good care of the trees
• Talks issues to death at City Council meetings :-)
• Thanks you City of Palo Alto for all the fun festivals and art shows • That the city council has decided they will not undedicate park land (the Palo Alto Bayland Preserve) for any kind of airport expansion. have appreciated the few times I have had to call about house construction going on on my street past the posted time/day limits; officers usually have driven over to those addresses to tell workers to stop.I wish the city could control speed limit on Embarcadero Road. It is too heavily congested all the time and everyone drives so fast.
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• The Bryant Street bikeway is awesome. And I really like the new bike lanes along Charleston/Arastradero.
• The city does a great job with our parks and opens spaces for recreation. • The city does most things well but nothing exceptionally, primarily because there are too many management layers. The City needs to defend R-1 zoning while working to aggressively build affordable housing in non-R-1 zones. 20-year moratorium on new office space. Work with East Palo Alto on transportation and housing.
• The city feels like it's not working in the best interest of its residents. Kids who struggle mentally or academically suffer in the school system with no real support or resources. It honestly feels like the city is working against it's residents.
• The city has had a strong focus on improving bike infrastructure and street safety and I would love to see that continue and expand.
• The city owned utilities are extremely valuable in enabling our community to take actions that positively impact climate change. Let's keep improving! • The city provides many opportunities for residents/community members to come together socially and civically
• The City provides many parks that offer plenty of recreational opportunities to residents and visitors.
• The City seems to succeed despite itself. It has many more resources (tax base, funding) than other towns but seems to take for granted that people will always find PA attractive • The city utilities are well managed.
• The city was very helpful when I reserved courts for Junior Team Tennis matches for my 10- year-old son's team.
• The city-owned utilities are great and I hope they add fiber internet! • The garbage/recycling/compost pick up is timely and efficient. • The good staffers are excellent. Knowledgeable, approachable, etc. The problem is when the staffer is not good.
• the libraries
• The Libraries and Rinconada pool
• The libraries are amazing! Our police/fire is excellent. More support for our Police and fire is needed. Baylands and Foothills preserve is superb, but please increase weed maintenance on the trails. Foothill preserve is tick infested and waist high weeds on trails is terrible. Bike safety and planning is also excellent. Unfortunately the lack of traffic enforcement negatively impacts the bike safety efforts around town. What good are wide clearly marked bike paths when cars speed, run stops signs and traffic lights non stop?
• The libraries are great. Specifically, the children's library. The city has great engagement opportunities for kids through classes and events. The farmers markets are fantastic. I'm glad the airport expansion won't destroy the duck pond.
• The library and recreation programs
• The library and the parks are excellent!
• The open space parks (Baylands, foothill, Arastradero) are amazing!!! • The Palo Alto libraries are a treasure. I use them constantly and they add so much to my quality of life here.
• The parks are excellent! Please keep up the good work. • The parks are good. Some just need bathrooms eg Eleanor Pardee and Bol park. The children's library is awesome. Rinconada pool is great also.
• The parks are nice. Now fix the darn streets. I spent thousands on my car because of pot holes.
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• The parks are wonderful
• THe parks we have are very nice but not adequate for current of increasing population • The pickleball courts at Mitchell (though they need expansion) • The public libraries are top notch and provide places for people to learn and gather. They should be maintained at a high level.
• The quality of its residents.
• The safety of our neighborhoods.
• The schools are great.
• The tree cover and city parks like Foothills Park and Palo Alto Baylands are important to protect. • The trees and natural beauty.
• The trees. Although I am worried because the pace of replacement rate for trees cut down or brought down by storms, seems very slow.
• The utilities dept. is remarkably responsive to questions and actual service needs. Yay! • Their Utilities
• There a lot of things the city does poorly - code enforcement, building - planning, adherence to going all electric while not acknowledging that not everyone could afford to go electric, even if they wanted to. The city does a nice job of events, but a terrible job of letting people know ahead of time.
• There are many things the city does well.
• They focus on offering lots of programs and services that really add to the quality of life. • Third Thursdays on Cal Ave
• Thoughtful about ecological enviry- keep this and invest in it, invite us in to specific time bounded opportunities e.g. recycle drives, put it unwanted items for free day • trails, parks, golf course, airport, recreation, theater, libraries, community event • Transparency in communications.
• Transparency of communication
• Trash collection and recycling
• Tree canopy.
• Tree maintenance
• Tree trimming
• Trees
• Trees. Being mindful that not every large/old tree still works in its current location. Trees can outgrow the space available.
• Underground wire program was great plan..., especially if you want homes to electrify- maintain the program.
• Updates on parks and community areas
• Upkeep of parks and libraries
• use of community center
• utilities
• Utilities
• Utilities
• Utilities
• Utilities
• Utilities
• Utilities
• Utilities
• utilities and landscape maintenance and garbage collection Item 3
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• Utilities are consistent in that power is rarely out. Festivals and facilities such as library and theater is well maintained.
• Utilities are great - love that we own them. Way less expensive than PG&E. PAUSD also awesome (would be first if our kids were still around, but we are empty nest now) • Utilities compared to PG&E
• Utilities do a great job.
• Utilities ownership
• Utilities services
• Utilities, basic services
• Utilities.
• Utilities. Excellent job by that group.
• Utilities. Excellent. Especially when compared to other cities. Well done!!! • Utility has inexpensive reliable electricity. We gotta get rid of the natural gas... This survey took too long with too many questions...
• Utility ops
• utility services
• Utility services
• Utility services
• Utility services.
• Very clean street streets
• Very few utility outagesChloe what are you doing
• Vibrant economic community that attracts great people • Walkability, biking
• Walkability, parks and playgrounds
• Water supply
• We have excellent police and fire departments.
• We have great public parks and libraries.
• We love libraries, pools, and parks. We also love the middle school sports programs and young chef classes hosted by the city recreational department. • We still have somewhat of a "small-city" environment, but it's rapidly changing. We need to decide whether we are going to become a big, tall city with perennial high traffic flow and high- rise buildings, or try to preserve. some of the small-town, residential qualities that we've had in the past. City government has been historically effective in maintaining open space, especially public parks, and expanding new open-space, such as the Baylands. There is, however, the danger of surrendering to development pressures, such as faster traffic flow and relaxation of zoning regulations, at the expense of the city's small town atmosphere, one which is rapidly disappearing.
• Well maintained bike routes
• Wonderful parks and libraries
• working to preserve and make available open space
• Would be great to have more formal and informal interactions between the City and Stanford, with it's focus on sustainability, climate issues, deep understanding of policy, regulation, economics, sciences, humanities, etc.
• Yummy food, books, (SO sad the bookstore(s) on University Ave. are gone), events, (I like the farmer's market but parking is terrible!) and generally looking forward to things I can do in retirement.
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Appendix F: Survey Materials
The following pages contain copies of the survey materials sent to randomly selected households within the City of Palo Alto.
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Dear Palo Alto Resident,
Our annual Community Survey is a critical feedback tool that helps the City Council and City staff understand resident perspectives on current services and programs, as well as unmet needs and priorities. You can wait for a paper survey in the mail, or you can go online and complete the survey at:
polco.us/xxplaceholder
Please do not share your survey link. This survey is for randomly selected households only.
The City will conduct a separate survey that is open to all residents just a few weeks from now.
If you have any questions about the survey, please call (650) 329-2392.
For additional ways to join the conversation and provide input, go to www.cityofpaloalto.org/engage Thank you for your time and participation!
Sincerely,
Ed Shikada
City Manager
Para contestar la encuesta en línea en su
idioma, seleccione su idioma en el menú
desplegable que aparece en la parte
superior de la página de encuesta.
想要使用您的语言回答在线调查，请在调查
页面顶部的下拉菜单中选择您的语言。 Scan the QR code to take the
survey on a mobile device!
QR Code
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Tell us what you think! Please complete the Palo Alto community survey. ¡Su opinión nos interesa! Participe en la Encuesta Comunitaria de Palo Alto. 请告诉我们您的想法！请完成帕洛阿尔托社区调查。
City Manager’s Office
250 Hamilton Avenue, 7th Floor
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Presorted
First Class Mail
US Postage
PAID
Boulder, CO
Permit NO. 94
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August 2024
Dear City of Palo Alto Resident:
Your household has been selected at random to participate in the 2024 Palo Alto Community Survey. The annual Community Survey is a critical feedback effort that helps the City Council and City staff understand resident perspectives on current services and programs, as well as unmet needs and priorities. The survey is one way among many through which we gain insights from residents regularly.
Please take a few minutes to fill out the enclosed survey. Your participation is very important – especially since your household is one of only a small number of households being surveyed. The survey results are reviewed by the City Council and City staff and your input helps inform the City’s decision-making and potential changes to City services.
A few things to remember:
• Your responses are completely confidential.
• You may return the survey by mail in the enclosed postage-paid envelope, or you can complete the survey online at:
polco.us/xxplaceholder
If you have any questions about the survey, please call (650) 329-2392.
For additional ways to engage with the City, go to www.cityofpaloalto.org/engage.
Thank you for your time and participation!
Sincerely,
Ed Shikada
City Manager
Para contestar la encuesta en línea en su
idioma, seleccione su idioma en el menú
desplegable que aparece en la parte
superior de la página de encuesta.
想要使用您的语言回答在线调查，请在调查
页面顶部的下拉菜单中选择您的语言。
Scan the QR code to take
the survey on a mobile
device!
QR Code
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Item 3
Attachment A - Palo Alto
Community Survey 2024
Report of Results
Item 3: Staff Report
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Please complete this survey if you are the adult (age 18 or older) in the household who most recently had a birthday (the year of birth does not matter). Your responses are anonymous and will be reported in group form only.
1. Please rate each of the following aspects of quality of life in Palo Alto.
Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t know
Palo Alto as a place to live ............................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 Your neighborhood as a place to live ............................................................. 1 2 3 4 5 Palo Alto as a place to raise children.............................................................. 1 2 3 4 5 Palo Alto as a place to work .......................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Palo Alto as a place to visit ............................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 Palo Alto as a place to retire .......................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 The overall quality of life in Palo Alto ............................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
2. Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Palo Alto as a whole.
Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t know
Overall “built environment” of Palo Alto (including overall design, buildings, parks and transportation systems) .............................................. 1 2 3 4 5 Overall feeling of safety in Palo Alto .............................................................. 1 2 3 4 5 Overall quality of natural environment in Palo Alto ......................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Overall health and wellness opportunities in Palo Alto .................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Residents’ connection and engagement with their community ....................... 1 2 3 4 5
3. Please indicate how likely or unlikely you are to do each of the following.
Very Somewhat Somewhat Very Don’t
likely likely unlikely unlikely know
Recommend living in Palo Alto to someone who asks .................... 1 2 3 4 5 Remain in Palo Alto for the next five years .................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Recommend Palo Alto’s libraries to friends .................................... 1 2 3 4 5
4. Please rate the job you feel the Palo Alto community does at each of the following.
Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t know
Making all residents feel welcome ................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5 Attracting people from diverse backgrounds .................................................. 1 2 3 4 5 Valuing/respecting residents from diverse backgrounds ................................. 1 2 3 4 5 Taking care of vulnerable residents (elderly, disabled, homeless, etc.) ........... 1 2 3 4 5
5. Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Palo Alto as a whole.
Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t know
Overall quality of business and service establishments in Palo Alto ................. 1 2 3 4 5 Variety of business and service establishments in Palo Alto ............................ 1 2 3 4 5 Vibrancy of downtown/commercial area ........................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 Employment opportunities ............................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 Shopping opportunities ................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5 Cost of living in Palo Alto ............................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Overall image or reputation of Palo Alto ........................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 Traffic flow on major streets ......................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Ease of public parking ................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Ease of travel by car in Palo Alto ................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Ease of travel by public transportation in Palo Alto ......................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Ease of travel by bicycle in Palo Alto .............................................................. 1 2 3 4 5 Ease of walking in Palo Alto .......................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Variety of housing options ............................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 Availability of affordable quality housing ........................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 Overall quality of new development in Palo Alto ............................................ 1 2 3 4 5 Availability of paths and walking trails ........................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Fitness opportunities (including exercise classes and paths or trails, etc.) ....... 1 2 3 4 5 Recreational opportunities ............................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 Availability of affordable quality mental health care ........................................ 1 2 3 4 5 Opportunities to attend cultural/arts/music activities ...................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Item 3
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6. Please rate each of the following characteristics as they relate to Palo Alto as a whole.
Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t know
Availability of affordable quality childcare/preschool ....................................... 1 2 3 4 5 K-12 education ............................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5 Adult educational opportunities ..................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Opportunities to participate in social events and activities .............................. 1 2 3 4 5 Opportunities to participate in community matters ......................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Openness and acceptance of the community toward people
of diverse backgrounds.............................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5 Opportunities to learn about City services via City website, social media (Twitter/X, Nextdoor, Facebook, Instagram, Medium, LinkedIn) ................. 1 2 3 4 5
7. Please indicate whether or not you have done each of the following in the last 12 months.
No Yes
Used Palo Alto recreation centers or their services ................................................................................... 1 2 Visited a neighborhood park or City park ................................................................................................. 1 2 Used Palo Alto public libraries or their services ......................................................................................... 1 2 Participated in religious or spiritual activities in Palo Alto .......................................................................... 1 2 Attended a City-sponsored event ............................................................................................................ 1 2 Talked to or visited with your immediate neighbors ................................................................................. 1 2 Used the City’s website to conduct business or pay bills ........................................................................... 1 2 Used the Utilities webpage to conduct business or pay bills ...................................................................... 1 2 Contacted the City of Palo Alto (in-person, phone, email or web) for help or information .......................... 1 2 Contacted Palo Alto elected officials (in-person, phone, email or web) to express your opinion ................. 1 2 Attended a local public meeting (of local elected officials like City Council or County Commissioners, advisory boards, town halls, HOA, neighborhood watch, etc.) ................................... 1 2 Watched (online or on television) a local public meeting .......................................................................... 1 2 Volunteered your time to some group/activity in Palo Alto ....................................................................... 1 2 Voted in your most recent local election .................................................................................................. 1 2 Used bus, rail, or other public transportation instead of driving ................................................................ 1 2 Carpooled with other adults or children instead of driving alone ............................................................... 1 2 Walked or biked instead of driving .......................................................................................................... 1 2 Observed a code violation or other hazard in Palo Alto (weeds, abandoned buildings, etc.) ...................... 1 2 Household member was a victim of a crime in Palo Alto .......................................................................... 1 2 Reported a crime to the police in Palo Alto .............................................................................................. 1 2
8. Please rate the following categories of Palo Alto government performance.
Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t know
The value of services for the taxes paid to Palo Alto ...................................... 1 2 3 4 5 The overall direction that Palo Alto is taking .................................................. 1 2 3 4 5 The job Palo Alto government does at welcoming resident involvement ......... 1 2 3 4 5 Overall confidence in Palo Alto government ................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Generally acting in the best interest of the community ................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Being honest ................................................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 Being open and transparent to the public ...................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Informing residents about issues facing the community ................................. 1 2 3 4 5 Treating all residents fairly ............................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 Treating residents with respect ..................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
9. Overall, how would you rate the quality of the services provided by each of the following? Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t know
The City of Palo Alto ..................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 The State Government ................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5 The Federal Government .............................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5
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Report of Results
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10. Please rate the quality of each of the following services in Palo Alto.
Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t know
Traffic enforcement ............................................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 Traffic signal timing ............................................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 Street repair ....................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Street cleaning ................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Street tree maintenance ..................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Sidewalk maintenance ........................................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 Land use, planning, and zoning ........................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Code enforcement (weeds, abandoned buildings, etc.) ....................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Preservation of natural areas (open space, farmlands and greenbelts) ................. 1 2 3 4 5 Building and planning application processing services .......................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Affordable high-speed internet access ................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5 Electric utility ...................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Gas utility ........................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Utility payment options ....................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Drinking water .................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Sewer services ................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Storm water management (storm drainage, dams, levees, etc.) ......................... 1 2 3 4 5 Refuse collection (garbage, recycling, yard waste, and e-waste) .......................... 1 2 3 4 5 Police emergency services .................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5 Crime prevention ................................................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 Animal control .................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Ambulance or emergency medical services .......................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Fire emergency services...................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Fire prevention and education ............................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5 Palo Alto open space (e.g Foothills, Baylands) ..................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 City parks ........................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Recreation programs or classes ........................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Recreation centers or facilities ............................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5 Public library services (e.g., hold requests, storytimes, teen events, bookclubs) .... 1 2 3 4 5 Library facilities (buildings, computer equipment, accessibility) ............................. 1 2 3 4 5 Variety of library materials (books, e-books, streaming, databases, audiobooks) ... 1 2 3 4 5 Art programs and theater ................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 City-sponsored special events ............................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5 City website (cityofpaloalto.org) .......................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Overall customer service by Palo Alto employees
(police, receptionists, planners, etc.) ............................................................... 1 2 3 4 5
11. Please rate the following as they relate to Palo Alto Utilities’ services:
Excellent Good Fair Poor Don’t know
Reliability of utility services ................................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 Affordability of utility services ............................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 Community value received from the City owning and operating its own municipal utility services ......................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Utilities online customer self-service features ..................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Providing opportunities for energy and water efficiency at home or business ...... 1 2 3 4 5 Working hard to keep utilities prices competitive ............................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Value of all the services Palo Alto Utilities provides for the price you pay ............ 1 2 3 4 5 Ease of obtaining information or performing a transaction through the City’s website ................................................................................................ 1 2 3 4 5 Value of Palo Alto Utilities’ customer communications ........................................ 1 2 3 4 5 Ease of contacting Utilities department staff ...................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Speed of response after contacting Utilities department staff ............................. 1 2 3 4 5
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12. Please rate how important, if at all, you think it is for the Palo Alto community to focus on each of the following in the coming two years. Very Somewhat Not at all Essential important important important
Overall “built environment” of Palo Alto (including overall design, buildings, parks and transportation systems) .................................................. 1 2 3 4 Overall economic health of Palo Alto ................................................................. 1 2 3 4 Overall feeling of safety in Palo Alto .................................................................. 1 2 3 4 Overall quality of natural environment in Palo Alto ............................................. 1 2 3 4 Overall health and wellness opportunities in Palo Alto ........................................ 1 2 3 4 Overall opportunities for education, culture and the arts .................................... 1 2 3 4 Residents’ connection and engagement with their community ........................... 1 2 3 4 Reducing community greenhouse gas emissions ............................................... 1 2 3 4 Increasing local solar generation capacity within city boundaries ........................ 1 2 3 4 Faster notification systems (online, mobile or email) for Utilities billing issues, efficiency tips, outage information ............................................. 1 2 3 4 Faster notification systems (online, mobile or email) for public safety issues ....... 1 2 3 4
13. In a typical week, how likely are you to: Very Somewhat Somewhat Very Don’t likely likely unlikely unlikely know
Participate in organized group activities (such as clubs, sports teams, volunteer your time, attend church/temple) ......................... 1 2 3 4 5 Spend quality time with local friends, family, and/or neighbors ........... 1 2 3 4 5
14. What mode of transportation do you use most for your typical daily needs for getting around town? Driving Biking Train Palo Alto Link Carpooling Walking Bus Scootering Uber/Lyft or similar rideshare service
15. If you did not have access to a car for your usual daily transportation around town, how convenient (based on time and proximity) would you consider each of the following methods of getting around? Very Somewhat Somewhat Very
convenient convenient inconvenient inconvenient
Walking ............................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 Biking ................................................................................................ 1 2 3 4 Bus ................................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 Train ................................................................................................. 1 2 3 4 Scootering ......................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 Palo Alto Link .................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 Uber/Lyft or similar rideshare service ................................................. 1 2 3 4 Carpooling ......................................................................................... 1 2 3 4
16. If you plan to purchase or lease a car within the next two years, what is the likelihood of it being one of the following: Very Somewhat Somewhat Very Don’t
likely likely unlikely unlikely know
All-electric ......................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Plug-in hybrid .................................................................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Hydrogen fuel cell .............................................................................. 1 2 3 4 5 Other:_____________________________________________ .......... 1 2 3 4 5
17. How familiar are you with Palo Alto’s Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (S/CAP) and its goal to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 80% by 2030?
Extremely familiar Very familiar Moderately familiar Slightly familiar Not familiar
18. How likely are you to do the following to support strategies that reduce GHG emissions? Very Somewhat Somewhat Very Don’t
likely likely unlikely unlikely know
Replacing your gas water heater with a heat pump water heater ....... 1 2 3 4 5 Replacing your gas furnace with a heat pump HVAC system ............... 1 2 3 4 5 Considering whole home electrification ............................................... 1 2 3 4 5 Replace gas appliances with electric, such as an induction cook top .... 1 2 3 4 5
19. As a resident of Palo Alto, what one change could the City make that would make you happier?
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2024 Community Survey
20. As a resident of Palo Alto, what one thing do you believe the City does well and would want to maintain?
Our last questions are about you and your household.
Again, all of your responses to this survey are completely anonymous and will be reported in group form only.
D1. What impact, if any, do you think the economy will have on your family income in the next 6 months? Do you think the impact will be:
Very positive Somewhat positive Neutral Somewhat negative Very negative D2. What is your employment status?
Working full time for pay
Working part time for pay
Unemployed, looking for paid work
Unemployed, not looking for paid work
Fully retired
College student, unemployed
D3. Do you work inside the boundaries of Palo Alto?
Yes, outside the home No
Yes, from home
D4. How many years have you lived in Palo Alto?
Less than 2 years 11-20 years
2-5 years More than 20 years
6-10 years
D5. Which best describes the building you live in?
One family house detached from any other houses
Building with two or more homes (duplex,
townhome, apartment or condominium)
Mobile home
Other
D6. Do you rent or own your home?
Rent Own
D7. About how much is your monthly housing cost
for the place you live (including rent, mortgage
payment, property tax, property insurance and
homeowners’ association (HOA) fees)?
Less than $500 $5,500 to $5,999
$500 to $999 $6,000 to $6,499
$1,000 to $1,499 $6,500 to $6,999
$1,500 to $1,999 $7,000 to $7,499
$2,000 to $2,499 $7,500 to $7,999
$2,499 to $2,999 $8,000 to $8,499
$3,000 to $3,499 $8,500 to $8,999
$3,500 to $3,999 $9,000 to $9,499
$4,000 to $4,499 $9,500 to $9,999
$4,500 to $4,999 $10,000 or more
$5,000 to $5,499
D8. Do any children 17 or under live in your
household?
No Yes
D9. Are you or any other members of your
household aged 65 or older?
No Yes
D10. How much do you anticipate your household’s
total income before taxes will be for the
current year? (Total income from all sources
for all persons living in your household.)
Less than $25,000 $250,000 to $299,999
$25,000 to $49,999 $300,000 to $349,999
$50,000 to $99,999 $350,000 to $399,999
$100,000 to $149,000 $400,000 to $449,999
$150,000 to $199,999 $450,000 to $499,999
$200,000 to $249,999 $500,000 or more
D11. Are you Spanish, Hispanic or Latino?
No, not Spanish, Hispanic or Latino
Yes, I consider myself to be Spanish, Hispanic or
Latino
D12. What is your race? (Mark one or more races to
indicate what you consider yourself to be.)
❑ American Indian or Alaskan Native ❑ White
❑ Asian, Asian Indian or Pacific Islander ❑ Other:
❑ Black or African American ___________
❑ Middle Eastern or North African
D13. In which category is your age?
18-24 years 45-54 years 65-74 years
25-34 years 55-64 years 75 years or older
35-44 years
D14. What is your gender?
Woman
Man
Identify in another way → go to D14a
D14a. If you identify in another way, how would you
describe your gender?
Agender/ I don’t identify Transgender man
with any gender Transgender woman
Genderqueer/gender fluid Two-spirit
Non-binary Not listed, I identify as:
_________________
D15. What is your sexual orientation?
Heterosexual Bisexual
Lesbian Identify in another way
Gay → go to D15a
D15a. If you identify in another way, how would you
describe your sexual orientation?
Asexual Questioning
Pansexual Not listed, I identify as:
Queer ____________________________
Thank you! Please return the completed survey in the postage-paid envelope to:
National Research Center, Inc., PO Box 549, Belle Mead, NJ 08502 Item 3
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Dear Palo Alto Resident,
Just a reminder—if you have not yet completed Palo Alto’s 202 4 Community Survey, please do so.
If you have completed it, thank you! Please do not respond twice.
Your participation in this survey is very important—your answers will help City Council and City staff understand resident perspectives on current services and programs, as well as unmet needs and priorities. Please complete the confidential survey online at:
polco.us/xxplaceholder
Please do not share your survey link. This survey is for randomly selected households only.
If you have any questions about the survey, please call (650) 329-2392.
For additional ways to join the conversation and provide input, go to www.cityofpaloalto.org/engage Sincerely,
Ed Shikada
City Manager
Para contestar la encuesta en línea en su
idioma, seleccione su idioma en el menú
desplegable que aparece en la parte
superior de la página de encuesta.
想要使用您的语言回答在线调查，请在调查
页面顶部的下拉菜单中选择您的语言。
Scan the QR code to take the
survey on a mobile device!
QR Code
Placeholder
Item 3
Attachment A - Palo Alto Community
Survey 2024 Report of Results
Item 3: Staff Report
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Tell us what you think! Please complete the Palo Alto community survey. ¡Su opinión nos interesa! Participe en la Encuesta Comunitaria de Palo Alto. 请告诉我们您的想法！请完成帕洛阿尔托社区调查。
City Manager’s Office
250 Hamilton Avenue, 7th Floor
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Presorted
First Class Mail
US Postage
PAID
Boulder, CO
Permit NO. 94
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City of Palo Alto Resident Survey
April 2015
1241 John Q. Hammons Dr, Suite #203
Madison, WI 53717
info.polco.us • 608-709-8683
CITY OF PALO ALTO
COMMUNITY SURVEY 2024
Supplemental Benchmarks
November 2024
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Area Benchmark
Comparisons
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Report of Results
Bay Area Benchmark Comparisons
Table 1: Quality of Life
Quality of Life Items
Percent
positive Rank
Number of
communities
in
comparison
Comparison
to
benchmark
Overall image or reputation of Palo Alto 78% 5 14 Higher The overall quality of life in Palo Alto 89% 4 15 Similar Palo Alto as a place to live 91% 5 15 Similar
Recommend living in Palo Alto to someone who
asks
78% 11 14 Similar
Remain in Palo Alto for the next five years 79% 11 14 Similar
Table 2: Governance
Governance Items
Percent
positive Rank
Number of
communities
in
comparison
Comparison
to
benchmark
Overall confidence in Palo Alto government 49% 7 14 Similar The overall direction that Palo Alto is taking 47% 9 14 Similar The value of services for the taxes paid to Palo
Alto
56% 4 14 Similar
Generally acting in the best interest of the
community
53% 7 14 Similar
Being honest 61% 5 14 Similar
Being open and transparent to the public 53% 6 13 Similar Informing residents about issues facing the
community
58% 2 13 Similar
The job Palo Alto government does at
welcoming citizen involvement
54% 6 14 Similar
Treating all residents fairly 66% 3 14 Similar
Treating residents with respect 74% 3 13 Similar
The City of Palo Alto 74% 2 14 Similar
The Federal Government 41% 6 14 Similar
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Area Benchmark
Comparisons
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Report of Results
Table 3: Economy
Economy Items
Percent
positive Rank
Number of
communities
in
comparison
Comparison
to
benchmark
Overall quality of business and service
establishments in Palo Alto
71% 6 14 Similar
Variety of business and service establishments
in Palo Alto
54% 7 13 Similar
Vibrancy of downtown/commercial area 59% 7 13 Similar
Shopping opportunities 66% 4 14 Higher
Palo Alto as a place to visit 70% 8 14 Similar
Palo Alto as a place to work 84% 2 14 Higher
Employment opportunities 64% 2 14 Higher
Cost of living in Palo Alto 8% 12 14 Lower
Table 4: Mobility
Mobility Items
Percent
positive Rank
Number of
communities
in
comparison
Comparison
to
benchmark
Traffic flow on major streets 48% 6 15 Similar
Ease of travel by car in Palo Alto 72% 6 14 Similar
Ease of travel by public transportation in Palo
Alto
31% 11 14 Similar
Ease of travel by bicycle in Palo Alto 81% 2 14 Higher
Ease of walking in Palo Alto 82% 2 14 Higher
Ease of public parking 68% 4 14 Similar
Traffic enforcement 56% 8 15 Similar
Traffic signal timing 57% 4 14 Similar
Street repair 52% 7 15 Similar
Street cleaning 80% 2 15 Higher
Sidewalk maintenance 57% 5 14 Similar
Used bus, rail or other public transportation
instead of driving
43% 5 14 Similar
Carpooled with other adults or children instead
of driving alone
59% 4 14 Similar
Walked or biked instead of driving 86% 1 14 Higher
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Area Benchmark
Comparisons
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Report of Results