CAR FREE
CALIFORNIA AVENUE
Update &
Potential Direction
Bruce Fukuji
Project Manager
February 3, 2025 www.cityofpaloalto.org
1 Near-Term Improvements
• California Avenue work - 2/18 start, 6 weeks construction • Caltrans Encroachment Permit – Q2
Permanent Street Closure
• Planning and Transportation Commission 2/12, City Council March • Amend Comprehensive Plan
• Addendum to Comp Plan EIR
• No new or significant impacts
Car Free Street Design Status
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Signage and Wayfinding
• Outdoor Activation
• Alternatives
Next Steps
PROJECT UPDATE
2 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Monthly Merchant Workshops
• Opportunities & Challenges
• Preferences
• Goals & Design Elements
• Signage & Circulation
• Alternatives
• Outdoor Patio Guidelines
Stakeholder Meetings
• Stanford Research Park
• Farmers’ Market
Community Meetings
• In-person Workshop (0ct 16)
• Online Community Meeting (Jan 6)
• 3rd Thursday Community Open House (May 16)
• Evergreen Park Block Party (June 2)
• Palo Alto Neighborhoods Meeting (August 1)
2 Surveys – (2022, 2024, 1,286 responses)
Retail Committee - 3 meetings
Commissions
• Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee
• City Commission Chairpersons
Key Themes: retail vibrancy, place identity, outdoor dining, street design 3 SIGNAGE: BRAND IDENTITY & SIGNAGE SYSTEM
Status
• “Modern Optimism” identity preferred
• Modular, flexible design templates with wayfinding plan • El Camino Real gateway concepts
Next Steps
• Architectural Review Board
• Planning and Transportation Commission
• Council recommendation
4 WAYFINDING TO CALIFORNIA AVENUE DESTINATIONS
Navigational Cues
• Place Identity
• Parking
• Pedestrian routes
• “Cal Ave”
• Shop/dine/play
destinations
5 OUTDOOR ACTIVATION: STREET SPACE ZONES
Re-organizing street space for car-free mobility, economic vitality and community experience.
TITLE 40 FONT BOLD
Subtitle 32 font
Sidewalk SidewalkRoadway
Frontage Pedestrian Street
Furniture
Access Activity Pedestrian FrontageActivity Street
Furniture
6 SETBACKS & ACTIVITY ZONES
Building Property Line
Building Property Line
4’ setback from
property line for
emergency
access
4’ setback from
property line for
emergency
access
Setbacks
• Fire life safety
• Emergency egress and access
• Utilities, trees & bike facilities
Activity Zones
• Farmers’ Market
• Outdoor dining
• Retail merchandise
• Music & events
• Public art or
• Community, cultural or public
use that attracts pedestrian
activity to the street.
7 OUTDOOR ACTIVATION: LAYOUT OF SETBACKS AND ZONES
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Subtitle 32 font
Emergency
Access Setback
Outdoor Dining
Access
Activity
Furniture
Pedestrian
Frontage
EXISTING
PROPOSED ZONE
8 ALTERNATIVES FRAMEWORK
Adaptive Street
Retain existing curbs
Resurface street
Bike lanes
Planters
Modify planting areas
Flexible public spaces shared with Farmers’ Market
Reimagined Street
Extensive tree canopy
Continuous pedestrian surface with bike lanes
Central multi-use public space
Green stormwater infrastructure
Public art defines spaces
Flexible public spaces shared with Farmers’ Market
Improvements with costs are explored to identity high value, desirable, feasible and achievable projects.
9 NEXT STEPS
February PTC - Amend Comprehensive Plan, Addendum to EIR - 2/12 Cal Ave Improvements - 2/18 start
Merchant Outreach - Outdoor Activation
March City Council - Comp Plan Amendment/EIR - 3/17
Merchant and Community Outreach – Alternatives
Near-term Improvements complete
April - June ARB, PTC: Signage, Outdoor Activation, Alternatives El Camino Real intersection bike improvements complete
City Council – Outdoor Activation, Alternatives