Town Council accepts report

On August 14, 2019 the Town Council accepted the accepted the Pedestrian Safety Study report, and authorized staff to perform further analysis and preliminary design to refine the concepts. This planning will be in coordination with the Town’s Bicycle Pedestrian Traffic Safety Committee (BPTS). Resident input for the locations recommended for either enhanced signage, or the locations identified for two rapid flashing beacon systems, will be a part of the process. The BPTS Committee holds public meetings monthly at Town Center. 

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Pedestrian Safety Study results at Town Council meeting

August 14, 2019 at 7 pm
765 Portola Road – In the Historic Schoolhouse

Pedestrian Safety Study results will be presented to the Town Council at the August 14^th meeting.  The Council will provide feedback and direction for next steps.

You can find the report to the council here and view the PowerPoint presentation here. 

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Excerpts from the April 24^th, 2019 Town Council meeting - Discussion of Pedestrian Safety Study

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Special BPTS Committee Meeting Notice

April 11, 2019 at 7 pm
765 Portola Road – In the Historic Schoolhouse

One of the continuing topics of the Committee is the Pedestrian Safety Study that is being performed by the Town as referenced in previous posts (see below). A community input meeting was held on December 6, 2018 and the meeting exhibits were posted in the library to seek further input until the advertised January 23rd public input period ended. At their March 6th meeting, the BPTS Committee discussed the initial draft report results and follow-up actions. On April 11, 2019 at 7pm, a follow-up public presentation by the Traffic Consultant on the final draft study will occur. Please come and learn about the study results and potential improvement concepts.

Initial draft of the Pedestrian Safety Study currently being reviewed by the BPTS Committee 

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BPTS Committee Meeting Notice
Wednesday, March 6th at 8:15 AM
765 Portola Road – In the Historic Schoolhouse

The next Bicycle, Pedestrian & Traffic Safety Committee meeting (BPTS) is scheduled for March 6, 2019 at 8:15 am in the Historic School House at the Town Center - 765 Portola Road. One of the continuing topics of the Committee is the Pedestrian Safety Study that is being performed by the Town as referenced in previous posts (see below). A community input meeting was held on December 6, 2018 and the meeting exhibits were posted in the library to seek further input until the advertised January 23rd public input period ended. At their March 6th Meeting, the BPTS Committee will be discussing the initial draft report results and follow-up actions. A follow-up presentation by the Traffic Consultant on the final draft of the Pedestrian Safety Study is currently planned for a BPTS Committee meeting in April. Questions can be emailed to the BPTS Committee Chair Ed Holland and Public Works Director Howard Young at towncenter@portolavalley.net.

Please join the Town’s Bicycle, Pedestrian and Traffic Safety (BPTS) Committee for an opportunity to share your views on pedestrian safety in Portola Valley. Click here for information on the ongoing community input effort.

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Update on Pedestrian Safety Issues from Bicycle, Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee, Monday, October 1, 2018:

Over the last few months, much has occurred in response to resident requests for pedestrian safety improvements. The Town wanted to give you the latest updates:

1.    SHERIFF’S ADDITONAL TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT
At the request of the Bicycle, Pedestrian and Traffic Safety (BPTS) Committee and the Town, the Sheriff’s Office has increased patrols at those intersections with school-related traffic and pedestrian activity:

·      Portola Road at Corte Matera/The Priory
·      Portola Road at Windmill School
·      Portola and Alpine Roads
·      Alpine Road and Indian Crossing
·      Alpine Road at the Alpine Hills Swim and Tennis Club   

Although the Sheriff isn’t able to be at every intersection every day, their presence has already resulted in nearly 150 moving violations during August (with September’s data coming soon), with many coming at the start of the school year. The BPTS Committee and the Town will continue to work with the Sheriff’s Office on increased presence during school traffic hours.

2.     SHORT-TERM IMPROVEMENTS COMPLETED
The Town has completed a set of improvements along Portola Road at Corte Madera to improve pedestrian safety. These include a high-visibility paddle in the middle of the street, significant vegetative work along the west side of Portola Road, and improvements on the lower portion of Corte Madera to give pedestrians a place to get off the street onto the shoulder.

3.     TRAFFIC STUDY
The Town is in the process of performing a traffic study of select intersections (including those above) to observe the interactions between vehicles and pedestrians in order to determine if and what improvements are needed. Once the Town’s Traffic consultant completes observations, the results will be discussed at the Town’s Bicycle, Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee public meeting. We encourage public participation and feedback at the meetings. We will also be reaching out through our social media to notify and invite the public. Comments and input can be emailed anytime to towncenter@portolavalley.net and hyoung@portolavalley.net.

4.     CROSSING GUARD SERVICE
The Town, the Portola Valley School District, and the Priory are jointly funding a pilot program to support crossing guards in the morning at Portola Road/Corte Madera and in the afternoon at Portola and Alpine Roads for the remainder of the school year. Unfortunately, the company we have contracted with has had great difficulty staffing the position. As soon as staffing is complete, we will announce the program.

5.     SHERIFF’S OFFICE HOURS AT TOWN HALL
And as a last-minute reminder, Captain Christina Corpus, the Town’s contact with the Sheriff’s Office and the manager of our contract, will begin office hours with residents starting on October 2nd.  If you would like to meet with her, please contact her at ccorpus@smcgov.org. Thank you to everyone who has already RSVP’d.

We hope you continue to share your ideas and experiences with us. Should you wish to share an idea on how to improve safety, please send your comments to both the BPTS Committee and Public Works Director Howard Young at hyoung@portolavalley.net. Should you experience a need for enforcement, please contact the Sheriff’s Office through Captain Corpus at ccorpus@smcgov.org. 

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