Crescent Park Traffic Calming Project

• Project typeTraffic and Transportation
• Project value$200,000
• Project scheduleTo be determined

Project Status

City Council Consideration –Tentatively August (Date to be Determined)

Staff plans to return to the City Council to seek direction on the final design concepts of the Crescent Park Neighborhood Traffic Calming Project, with a focus on the proposed curb bulb-out at the intersection of Southwood Drive and East Crescent Drive. The item will review concerns raised by the Planning and Transportation Commission (PTC) regarding its previous recommendation before advancing the project's final design.

Project Background

The Crescent Park Neighborhood Traffic Calming Project was initiated in 2018 in response to resident concerns about cut-through traffic, peak-hour congestion, excessive vehicle speeds, and neighborhood safety. Following traffic studies, community outreach, and collaboration with a stakeholder group, the City developed a pilot traffic calming program that included an oval-shaped traffic circle at the Hamilton Avenue/Center Drive/Southwood Drive intersection and a curb extension at Southwood Drive and East Crescent Drive. The temporary improvements were installed in 2021 for a one-year evaluation period.

The pilot project resulted in reduced vehicle speeds and cut-through traffic across most study segments. Based on these results, the City continued refining the concept design for permanent installation through ongoing community engagement and review by the Planning and Transportation Commission (PTC) and City Council. Staff received input from the PTC in June 2023 and met with residents adjacent to the Southwood Drive/East Crescent Drive intersection in February 2024 to better understand neighborhood concerns, including frontage access issues, and to incorporate that feedback into the design process.

The project was further reviewed by the PTC in April 2025; at this meeting, the Commission directed staff to continue working with residents on driveway access concerns associated with the proposed curb bulb-out. Following additional meetings with adjacent residents, staff returned to the PTC in September 2025 to present revised curb bulb-out concepts that addressed community feedback while maintaining the project's traffic calming and safety objectives. The PTC subsequently raised concerns regarding its previous recommendation, prompting staff to return to the City Council to seek direction on the preferred final design before proceeding with permanent improvements. Staff plans to bring an item for Council consideration as soon as feasible. 

Scope of Work

• University Avenue / West Crescent Drive - Installation of a 50’ protected bikeway section in the eastbound direction.
• Southwood Drive / East Crescent Drive - Installation of curb extensions in order to square off the intersection and add a new stop sign on Hamilton to create a three-way, all stop intersection.
• Hamilton Avenue / Center Drive / Southwood Drive  - Installation of an oval shaped/elongated traffic circle with stop control in the middle of the intersection.

Upcoming Meetings

City Council Meeting - Tentatively August 2026

Project Documents

Final Installation Plans - July 2021(PDF, 6MB)
Proposed Alternative Layouts(PDF, 28MB)
Preliminary Draft Concept Layouts(PDF, 7MB)
Traffic Speed and Volume Data(PDF, 12MB)
Post Pilot Memo DRAFT – December 2022(PDF, 12MB)
Traffic Calming Pilot Project Survey Results - April 2023(PDF, 352KB)

Location

Crescent Park, Palo Alto, CA   View Map

37.4525008,-122.1433803

Crescent Park , Palo Alto, CA 

Crescent Park , Palo Alto, CA 

Crescent Park Traffic Calming Project