Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan Update
- Project typeTransportation Planning
- Project value$334,000
- Completion DateSeptember 30, 2025
Project Description
Palo Alto has been at the forefront of bicycle and pedestrian transportation planning since the early 1980’s, when the City developed the nation’s first bicycle boulevard on Bryant Street. The City’s existing Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan (BPTP), adopted in 2012, built upon those extensive planning and design efforts, and the 2025 update will continue the legacy of innovative active transportation planning. The new Plan Update effort will reflect community needs and desires, consider recent trends in cycling and bicycle technology, and address changes in bicycle and pedestrian planning and design. The BPTP Update is grant funded by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's (MTC) Transportation Development Act 3 program.
Two Efforts Advancing Safer and More Accessible Streets. Learn more about both efforts here and share your feedback!
Objectives
- Robust community outreach
- Evaluate progress
- Adjust recommendations for new policies, facilities, and programs
- Determine appropriate criteria and metrics that prioritize recommendations and network routes
The BPTP Update will also review safety data to propose impactful recommendations, explore the role of emerging transportation technologies such as electric-bicycles and micro-mobility devices, and establish big-picture planning to expand bicycling and walking for all user types in support of the City’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan, the Sustainability/Climate Action Plan, a Safe Systems approach, and other planning documents and policies.
Scope of Work
- Review Existing Bicycle and Pedestrian Policy and Program Documents
- Inventory Existing Facility Conditions
- Community Outreach (throughout)
- Determine Bicycle and Pedestrian Network Enhancements
- Identify Implementation and Funding Strategies
- Develop Plan Update Document (Final Document)
Project Timeline
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Phase 1
07/2023
- 01/2024Visioning
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Phase 2
02/2024
- 05/2024Needs and Concerns
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Phase 3
06/2024
- 03/2025Recommended Projects & Programs
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Phase 4
04/2025
- 09/2025Plan Adoption
Project Status
In March and April 2024 as part of Phase 2, Needs and Concerns, the community came together for a week-long series of events and mobile workshops to share input on the bicycle network development and Plan Update guidelines. Themes heard include: best local bike routes; infrastructure gaps; creating pedestrian friendly zones; and, transportation needs on specific streets.
The City Council held a study session on April 29, 2024 to review and provide feedback on the project's draft vision statement and goals, hear an update on recent community engagement, and to provide feedback on the existing conditions technical analysis. Feedback received helps inform community needs and will be used to develop the conceptual and final active transportation network recommendations for the BPTP Update.
Phase 3: Recommended Projects and Programs
Phase 3, Recommended Projects and Programs, began in summer 2024 and includes developing network and corridor criteria to identify and prioritize project, program, and policy recommendations for the Plan Update. This phase also includes the development of the draft bicycle network and the updated project Vision, Objectives, and Performance Measures. Another series of engagement with the community and City Council will begin in fall 2024 and go through early 2025 to help refine the draft project recommendations. More information coming soon!
Existing Conditions Analysis of Biking and Walking in Palo Alto
In early 2024, the project consultants, Kittelson & Associates, developed and released the project’s existing conditions technical analysis that includes information on biking and walking demand and activity levels in Palo Alto, a Bicycle Level of Traffic Stress analysis, a safety and collision analysis, and a barriers analysis, among other topics.
Review the Analysis and Maps
Past Engagement
April 2024 Work Session Week
In April 2024, the project team hosted a series of in-person events and mobile workshops to gather input on the bicycle network development and Plan Update guidelines:
- Bicycle Network Development Workshop: This workshop provided a visual way to identify priority origin/destination pairs within the transportation network and resulted in a conceptual key bicycle corridor network based on existing desire lines. The workshop offered a hands-on approach to explore key factors including local routes, travel behaviors, and infrastructure gaps. The outcomes from this workshop will be used to verify, modify, remove and create the active transportation network recommendations.
- Community Walking Tour: The tour focused in the downtown area, and included a discussion on what works and what doesn't in creating a pedestrian friendly zone. Feedback will inform future Pedestrian District Guidelines.
- Community Cycle Tour: The community bicycle ride was a leisurely evening bike ride around Palo Alto to discuss transportation needs and opportunities as they rode a route that included several streets on the high injury network and streets near future housing sites. Feedback will inform the team's understanding of community needs, and will influence the conceptual and final bicycle network recommendations.
- Earth Day Festival: Office of Transportation staff provided information on City Transportation Projects, including the BPTP Update at the Palo Alto Earth Day Festival. The team sought input on community needs and priorities related to walking and biking in the City, asked about their experience locally, and offered an informational postcard to take home and learn more about the Plan Update effort.
Project Documents