Bicycle Friendly Communities

Palo Alto, CA | Gold Level

Community Highlights: Palo Alto has had a long-standing commitment to being a city that is a great place to ride a bicycle for fun, transportation and for exercise. Palo Alto continues to strive to be more bicycle friendly and has embodied a vision for the future that includes continuing to transition auto trips to bicycle trips whenever possible. The city is continually working on programs and infrastructure that will encourage bicycling; including the Safe Routes to School Task Force, Education and Enforcement Programs, and capital projects. Palo Alto offers youth and adult bicycle education programs in the Palo Alto Community Recreation Education program and throughout the Palo Alto Adult School.

Palo Alto has recently completed two major new bicycle facilities, including a rail line undercrossing and a new path and bridge over Embarcadero Road. Palo Alto has also completed the $5.1 million Homer Undercrossing, a pedestrian/bicycle undercrossing of the Caltrain Commuter Rail line. The Homer Avenue Undercrossing enables bicyclists and pedestrians to cross under the Caltrain tracks (86 commuter trains a day). The tunnel is located 800 feet south of the Palo Alto Caltrain station and Bikestation facility. The tunnel is connected to the station platform via the Urban Lane bike path.

Best Result of Designation: Palo Alto programs have greater visibility within the Bay Area and amongnst its residents. Last October, the mayor launched Palo Alto Walks and Rolls as a broad-based coalition to encourage people to walk and bike more often, linking healthy commute choices to a less congested and greener community. The Bicycle Friendly Community designation was important in building the coalition and the city believes that including the “encouragement” activities along with engineering, enforcement and education are leading to more people riding bikes on their streets more often.