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March 24, 2026
Meeting Summary
Charleston Road/ Alma Street Railroad Crossing Safety Improvements RE: Palo Alto Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee (PABAC) Meeting Date: March 3, 2026
Time: 6:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Attendees: City of Palo Alto (City):
Ruchika Aggarwal [email protected]
Rafael Rius [email protected]
Ria Lo [email protected]
City of Palo Alto Committee Members (PABAC): (attendance not noted) Alan Wachtel
Art Liberman
Bill Zaumen
Bruce Arthur (Chair)
Cedric le la Beaujardiere
Eric Nordman
Jane Rosten
Ken Joye (Vice Chair)
Nicole Rodia
Paul Goldstein
Penny Ellson
Robert Neff
BKF Engineers (BKF):
Jason Mansfield [email protected]
Jason Yee [email protected]
Callander Associates (CA):
Marie Mai [email protected]
Melinda Wang [email protected]
The purpose of this virtual meeting was to present the project and receive feedback on the concept plan by the Committee.
Summary
The Committee’s primary concerns were whether bike lane striping or other demarcation could be carried through the rail crossing to separate vehicles from bicyclists and if there was sufficient visibility to the pre-signal and traffic lanes. It was noted that CPUC design guidelines do not support demarcation of space for cyclists separate from vehicles. The change in Meeting Summary
Charleston Road/ Alma Street Railroad Crossing Safety Improvements RE: PABAC Meeting
March 3, 2026
24054_SUM_CCMtg.docx
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geometry between the stop line and crosswalk, addition of the pre-signal, and inclusion of high-visibility crosswalk markings should improve overall visibility.
Questions and Comments Received from Committee members (staff/consultant responses are in non-italicized text)
Does the change in geometry between the stop line and crosswalk improve sight lines? A west-bound cyclist may not see vehicles in the Alma south-bound right-turn only lane until very late. Yes, the increased distance should help improve visibility.
Is the omission of green bike lanes around the rail tracks intentional? They could help vehicles maintain their distance from cyclists. Yes, including bike lanes around the tracks would not be consistent with CPUC design guidelines.
How easy will it be for cyclists to follow the pre-signal? It will be easier; there will be a new, more visible signal arm.
Will right-turn-on-red be restricted in both directions? Yes.
What is the material in the raised islands adjacent to the curb ramps – is it dirt? No, it’s a paved surface.
Will the crosswalks be high visibility? Yes, this change has been made to the design.
Can the edge of the vehicular lane be marked to help define space for cyclists? No, this would not be consistent with CPUC design guidelines.
Does the cross-hatched area (at Churchill) help deter people from waiting in there? Yes, CPUC has data that supports the conclusion that the cross-hatching helps deter people.
Consider improvements at E. Meadow as a potential future project. E. Meadow is not included in this project.
The information above is Callander Associates’ understanding of items discussed at the meeting.
Submitted by:
Marie Mai
Callander Associates