Stanford Trail Project Continued For Further Review

Complaining that they are beset by heavy weekend parking congestion, recreational hikers and bikers, Los Altos Hills residents appear to have finally gotten the town's attention.

A proposed trail improvement project paid for by Stanford University has been continued by the Los Altos Hills Town Council to allow more study and review by staff, and its pathways and open space committees.

Neighbors who live along Arastradero Road near the junctions of Page Mill Road, Baleri Ranch Road and the Stirrup neighborhood flooded council members with letters and emails, citing traffic, aesthetic and privacy concerns. Residents who are cyclists or commute via bicycle, also wrote to support aspects of the project.

The proposed plan for Arastradero and Page Mill roads between Purissima and Baleri Ranch roads, had been being rejected by the Planning Commission in early March. Staff recommended further study, and the chairs of two committees had asked for an opportunity for their bodies to review the proposal.

Stanford has offered to spend $1.05 million to restore and construct walking paths, make bike lanes, build a bridge over Matadero Creek,  and create a more space along Page Mill Road for a pedestrian pathway by building a retaining wall.

Some neighbors have objected to the trail improvements because they believe they will bring too many outside hikers and bicyclists to the area, causing parking and traffic safety problems that they say already are legion on the weekends. Neighbors cited instances of cars parked haphazardly along Arastradero Road by people using Palo Alto's Enid W. Pearson Arastradero Preserve. Traffic is particularly concern because horses, bikers and hikers would all competing for the same space—at considerable risk because of bad sight lines, narrow roads, and high car speeds.

In continuing the issue, Council members expressed the ability to take care of the haphazard parking problem more quickly. The town can ban parking on roadways under its jurisdiction, independent of any pathway proposal.

"On the parking, we don't have to wait," said Mayor Ginger Summit. "We can address the issue right now."