intersection at foothill expressway & w. edith

Intersection at Foothill Expressway & W. Edith

Map Link: http://goo.gl/maps/l2dkY

Problems to SolveOverview:• Students (Gardner Bullis, Egan, BCS) crossing at W. Edith face three busy streets:

Los Altos Ave, Foothill Expressway, University Ave.• Foothill Expressway is very busy, two lanes each way, with a higher speed limit.• "Free Right Turn Lanes" from Foothill and onto Foothill mean cars are not stopping.

Intersection Issues:• No "Safe Route" from University to W. Edith Pathway for walkers and wheelers.• Blind "Free Right" Turn onto W. Edith by cars with no stop signs.• Two "Free Right" Turns (Los Altos Ave & Foothill) by cars with no stop signs.• Barrier at bridge on W. Edith is only ornamental & ambiguous for wheelers.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

May 20, 2013! Prepared by Heather Rose, Los Altos Hills Education Committee

No "Safe Route" from University to W. Edith Pathway

Ambiguous Crossing Location:• Not clear to students how to move safely from University Ave. to the "Safe Route"

pathway. • Sidewalk ends at W. Edith.• Sidewalk does not meet up to a crosswalk. • No bike lanes on University.• Car traffic turns right from University to Foothill Expressway and W. Edith.• Car traffic from Fremont to Foothill is rushing past University to make the light.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !


Blind "Free Right" Turn onto W. Edith

Yield - Not Stop - with Limited Visibility:• Car traffic moving from Foothill Expressway onto W. Edith with Right Turns on Red

Light allowed.• Students crossing from University to "Safe Route" pathway not seen.• Students crossing Foothill Expressway to "Safe Route" pathway with no stop required.• Blind Right turn from Foothill to W. Edith means drivers cannot see walkers &

wheelers on W. Edith as they turn onto it without a required stop, so they are moving faster.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !


Two "Free Right" Turns (Los Altos Ave & Foothill)

Cars Have No Stop Signs for Right Turns:• From Los Altos Ave. onto W. Edith, no stop for right turns, just a yield• From W. Edith onto Foothill Expressway, no stop for right turns, just a yield• Students need to cross at both locations where cars do not stop.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !


Barrier Is Ornamental Only

Cars Speed Up Before Approaching Bridge & Over-Shoot:• Barrier has been replaced already because it was hit• Need a safe barrier, not just ornamental• Not clear what bikes are supposed to do at the narrow bridge area

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !


HistoryIn 2008, when Gardner Bullis opened, Los Altos provided a crossing guard here. Problems in 2008:• Fewer students walking and biking to school in 2008 than now.• Guard was not consistent with the crossing procedures.

In Fall of 2012, Los Altos did a traffic study on a Sunday, but did not find enough students crossing on Sunday to warrant a crossing guard for the 2012-13 school year.

Students Crossing in 2012-13 School Year:• Parent volunteers helping kids to cross Foothill in mornings• 9 bike riders regularly to Egan & BCS• 12 walkers regularly to Gardner Bullis across Foothill, more at University

Changes Since 2008:• In 2013, Los Altos Hills completed "Safe Route" pathway on W. Edith & Fremont

Roads making the "S" curve much safer for walkers and bikers. • Gardner Bullis walking and biking to school has increased through WOW program.• Car parking has decreased around school, so walking the "Safe Route" has increased.• Drivers are more distracted now than in 2008 (phone, texting, videos, etc.)

Why Parents Do Not Let Students Walk & Bike Now:• Safety - this is consistent with national findings by "Safe Routes to School"

Increased Walking and Biking Happens When:• Parent volunteers at the Foothill crossing have increased use, but not a solution.• "Walking Bus" with groups of students and parent volunteers. (50)• "Bike Train" i.e. recently started at Loyola to cross at Magdalena. (40)

Suggestions• Establish safe and practical crossing procedures for walkers and wheelers.• Add crosswalk striping to University. (Establish a "Safe Route" to reach pathway.)• Turn "ornamental" railing into a protective railing & make it clear bikes can use it.• Add a crossing guard & introduce a signaling change triggered by guard,

i.e. "All Stop" for cars while "All Cross" for walkers and wheelers.• Bright coloring for the bike lane through intersection. (Establish a bike lane)• Consider changes to the "free right turn" lanes to increase visibility onto W. Edith.

Or, eliminate this "free right" and make it a signaled stop.• Change all the "free right" turn "Yields" into "Stops".• Educate students on proper procedures for crossing on foot and on wheels.• Have a traffic expert make suggestions for improved safety measures.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !


References1. Los Altos Town Crier, 9/19/2012, "Local students peddle Bike-to-School group"2. Google "Street View" for photos of the intersections based on referenced map.3. Lucy Mangas >, Parent Volunteer at Foothill4. Amy Johnson < >, WOW & Parent Volunteer at Foothill5. Michael McTighe < >, GreenTown Los Altos6. Margaret Suozzo < >, GreenTown Los Altos7. Kjell "Shell" Karlsson, Los Altos Hills Traffic & Safety Committee for advice8. "Safe Routes to School" work done by City of Palo Alto for "Suggestions"9. Kira Sasaki >10.Emad Mekay < >11.Karen Franks >12.Nancy Bremeau < t>13.Sofia Barretto Thomas < >14.Cristina Anagnos < >15.Kim Koran >16.Jennifer Doyas >17.Conner, Ty >18.Paige Kaplan < >19.Anne Schmidt < >

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !


intersection at foothill expressway & w. edith

Documents