Safe Routes to School/Traffic Calming

The City of Palo Alto is committed to creating and sustaining a community partnership with the Palo Alto Unified School District and Palo Alto PTA to reduce risks to students and encourage more families to walk and bike or use other alternatives to driving more often.

In the spring of 2012, the City of Palo Alto initiated an expanded Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program, funded by a two-year Vehicle Emissions Reductions Based at Schools (VERBS) grant from the Santa Clara County Valley Transportation Authority.  The project will enhance the City's Five E's approach to Safe Routes to School programming: Education, Engineering, Enforcement, Encouragement, and Evaluation.

The VERBS grant will allow the City to evaluate the existing conditions for students traveling to school, assess current education programs, develop new encouragement tools, and explore policy changes to improve school commute safety.  In addition, the program includes development of Walk and Roll to School maps as well as Recommended Improvement maps for each school which will be posted online for public review. A summary of grant activities may be found here.

For more information about the Safe Routes to School Program or to make comments on the draft maps listed below, please contact Sylvia Star-Lack at saferoutes@cityofpaloalto.org or at (650) 329-2156.


Maps Available for Public Comment:

Draft Hoover Walk and Roll Map  (Comments due by May 28, 2013)

Draft Hoover Recommendations Map  (Comments due by May 28, 2013)

Draft Fairmeadow Walk and Roll Map  (Comments due by May 21, 2013)
 
Draft Fairmeadow Recommendations Map  (Comments due by May 21, 2013)

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The Public Comment period for these maps has closed:

Draft El Carmelo Walk and Roll Map

Draft El Carmelo Recommendations Map

Draft JLS Middle School Walk and Roll Map

Draft JLS Middle School Recommendations Map

Draft Gunn High Walk and Roll Map

Draft Gunn High Recommendations Map

Draft Escondido Walk and Roll Map

Draft Escondido Recommendations Map

Draft Duveneck Walk and Roll Map

Draft Duveneck Recommendations Map

Draft Briones Walk and Roll Map

Draft Briones Recommendations Map

Draft Terman Walk and Roll Map

Draft Terman Recommendations Map

Draft Barron Park Walk and Roll Map

Draft Barron Park Recommendations Map

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Completed Walk and Roll Maps

Addison Walk and Roll Map

Palo Verde Walk and Roll Map

Ohlone Walk and Roll Map

Walter Hays Walk and Roll Map

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2012 District-wide Safe Routes to School Parent Survey Report

This working paper presents the results of the Parent/Caregiver Survey conducted throught the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's (MTC) Climate Initiatives Evaluation Program and the Palo Alto Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program. Overall, 2,603 surveys were filled out, providing results for 4,265 students (each survey enabled a parent/caregiver to provide information for up to three students).


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City/School Traffic Safety Committee (CSTSC)
The CSTSC meets the second Thursday of every month during the school year. The CSTSC is composed of community members, City of Palo Alto staff and Palo Alto Unified School District staff who serve in an advisory capacity to the City Manager and the Superintendent on matters relating to school traffic safety for students. Members of the public are welcome to attend the monthly meetings. The CSTSC Charter describes the specific duties and responsibilities of the committee.