South Palo Alto Bike/Ped Connectivity

• Project typeTransportation Planning
• Project value$499,491

Project Description

The South Palo Alto Bike/Ped Connectivity Project will identify locations and design concepts where new grade-separated bicycle and pedestrian pathways across the Caltrain corridor may be constructed. Creating a path above or below the tracks in south Palo Alto (south of Oregon Expressway) will improve bicycle and pedestrian connectivity in support of the City's mobility and sustainability goals. This Project will engage with the community to select preferred crossing locations, designs, and network improvements, and develop an implementation plan and funding strategy for future construction.

This effort is separate from the Rail Grade Separation project. Vehicle crossings are not a part of this project. This project will identify two additional bicycle- and pedestrian-only rail crossings.

Project Status

On December 1, 2025, the City Council reviewed eight shortlisted alternatives and a Rail Committee and Staff recommendation that Alternative A, a crossing at El Dorado Avenue, be advanced as the preferred alternative and eliminate all other alternatives from further consideration. Rail Committee and Staff also recommended that Alternative A be advanced with two variants: 

• Alternative A1 with a signalized crossing of Alma Street at El Dorado Avenue. 
• Alternative A2 with a tunnel under both Alma Street and the Caltrain tracks in the vicinity of El Dorado Avenue. 

The City Council passed a motion to direct Staff to continue to focus their evaluations on Alternatives A1 and A2, with a preference for Alternative A2. 

View the Agenda Packet, Action Minutes, and Summary Minutes from the December 1, 2025 City Council Meeting. 

Project Study Area

Project Documents

Project Fact Sheet(PDF, 2MB)

Existing Conditions Report (Updated)(PDF, 12MB)

Draft Design Priorities and Evaluation Criteria Memorandum(PDF, 231KB)

Phase 1 Community Engagement Summary Report(PDF, 15MB)

Updated Design Priorities and Evaluation Criteria Memorandum(PDF, 241KB)

Conceptual Design Alternatives(PDF, 262MB)

Alternatives Analysis(PDF, 13MB)

Engagement Opportunities

The team will organize and facilitate community outreach and engagement efforts with the intent to engage residents and key stakeholders and solicit input at various phases of the Project. Community engagement will include a series of workshops, pop-ups, surveys, and other strategies that will be structured to include property owners, residents, businesses, local business employees, representatives of private and public schools, agencies providing services in the area, and visitors. 

Phase 1 of engagement in spring 2025 introduced the Project to the community and gained input on goals, priorities and opportunities for grade-separated bicycle and pedestrian rail crossings. Considering input and feedback from the community, design priorities and evaluation criteria were established and eight rail crossings alternatives were designed for review and feedback during Phase 2 of engagement, which took place in fall 2025. The goal of Phase 2 was to select two alternatives to progress to 15 percent design (conceptual design), during which the selected alternatives will be further evaluated and refined. Additional community engagement is being planned to advance City Council's December 1, 2025 direction to focus evaluations on Alternatives A1 and A2 in the vicinity of El Dorado Avenue. Check back here for upcoming meetings and ways to engage.