Churchill Avenue Enhanced Bikeway Project

• Project typeTraffic and Transportation
• Project value$3,580,679
• Completion DateAugust 01, 2026

Project Description

The Churchill Avenue Enhanced Bikeway is a Council-approved project and was identified as priority project in the Trails and Shared Use Pathways element of the City's 2012 Bicycle + Pedestrian Transportation Plan(PDF, 19MB). This connection provides a comfortable off-street bicycle route linking the Stanford Perimeter trail, Palo Alto Unified School District, the Castilleja-Park-Wilkie bicycle boulevards to downtown Palo Alto and Caltrain. These connections are of local and regional significance. Completing a missing link in a shared-use path will invite new bicycle travel, with associated reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and traffic congestion. This project also includes safety improvements at the intersection of El Camino Real and Churchill Avenue. 

Scope of Work

• Extend existing bicycle path on Churchill Ave from Castilleja to the Stanford Perimeter Trail
• Add high visibility crosswalks at Castilleja
• New lighting and curb improvements at Castilleja
• New crosswalk at Madrono
• Restriping and repaving on Churchill
• Landscaping/tree planting along school frontage
• Remove pork chop island - Add a right turn only storage lane on westbound Churchill to northbound El Camino Real
• Enhanced bicycle and pedestrian crosswalks at all 3 crossings of intersection of El Camino Real

Project Status

Staff has completed 100% of the design plans and the bid process has been completed. Construction is beginning as of June 9, 2025. 

Upcoming Work 

Tree Removal 

The contractor is scheduled to remove trees and bushes on the northside of Churchill Avenue that are conflicting with the project improvements starting on Monday, June 9. Work is estimated to take a week to complete in preparation for construction activities the following week. 

Irrigation Mainline  

Starting Monday, June 16, the contractor will be relocating PAUSD’s irrigation mainline between Madrono Avenue and Castilleja Avenue, and installing a new irrigation mainline between El Camino Real and Castilleja Avenue to service the new trees and landscaping that will be planted later as a part of this project. This work is estimated to take a couple of weeks to complete.  

Noise and traffic delays are to be expected for all the above activities during construction hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Project Timeline

Location

Churchill Ave at Castilleja Ave, Palo Alto, CA   View Map

37.434576,-122.1526399

Churchill Ave at Castilleja Ave , Palo Alto, CA 

Churchill Ave at Castilleja Ave , Palo Alto, CA 

Churchill Avenue Enhanced Bikeway Project