Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan Update

Project typeTransportation Planning
Project value$334,000
Completion DateDecember 31, 2025

Project Description

Palo Alto has been at the forefront of bicycle and pedestrian transportation planning since the early 1980’s, when the City developed the nation’s first bicycle boulevard on Bryant Street. The City’s existing Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan (BPTP), adopted in 2012, built upon those extensive planning and design efforts, and the 2026 update will continue the legacy of innovative active transportation planning. The new Plan Update effort will reflect community needs and desires, consider recent trends in cycling and bicycle technology, and address changes in bicycle and pedestrian planning and design. The BPTP Update is grant funded by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's (MTC) Transportation Development Act 3 program.

Vision Statement

We envision a city where sustainable, safe, efficient, equitable, and enjoyable transportation thrives. Together, we will create a comfortable and connected street and trail network that supports walking, biking, and rolling for people of all ages and abilities. We continue to be a leader in Safe Routes to School and invest more in active transportation infrastructure, education, and encouragement programs.

Objectives & Goals

Objectives:

Safe & Inclusive
Connected & Accessible
Community-Led & Cooperative
Comfortable & Enjoyable
Integrated & Collaborative

Goals:

Robust community outreach
Evaluate progress since the 2012 BPTP
Adjust recommendations for new policies, facilities, and programs
Determine appropriate criteria and metrics that prioritize recommendations and network routes

The BPTP Update will also review safety data to propose impactful recommendations, explore the role of emerging transportation technologies such as electric-bicycles and micro-mobility devices, and establish big-picture planning to expand bicycling and walking for all user types in support of the City’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan, the Sustainability/Climate Action Plan, a Safe Systems approach, and other planning documents and policies.

Scope of Work

Review Existing Bicycle and Pedestrian Policy and Program Documents
Inventory Existing Facility Conditions
Community Outreach (throughout)
Determine Bicycle and Pedestrian Network Enhancements
Identify Implementation and Funding Strategies
Develop Plan Update Document (Final Document)

Project Status: Draft Plan Available Fall 2025!

Thank you for providing your feedback on the project recommendations. The feedback period is now closed. The project team is currently refining the recommendations, including the Ranked Project List, based on the City Council's input. The City expects to release the Draft BPTP Update Plan for public review in the fall of 2025. You'll be able to find it here on the project webpage once it's available.

Upcoming Meetings & Pop-ups

The Draft Plan is tentatively scheduled to be presented at the following public meetings:

Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee (PABAC): Tuesday, October 7, 2025 and Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Planning and Transportation Commission (PTC): Wednesday, November 12, 2025
City Council Study Session: Monday, December 1, 2025

The project team will also host pop-up events this fall to present, answer questions, and hear feedback on the Draft Plan.

Bike Palo Alto: Sunday, October 5, 2025 from 1-3pm at Fairmeadow School
Third Thursday Music on Cal Ave.: Thursday, October 16, 2025
Farmers Market on Cal Ave.: select Sundays in October 2025

Project Recommendations

To create the initial project recommendations for the BPTP Update, the project team used a foundation of community input, safety and collision data, demand data, and adopted City Plans, including the 2012 BPTP. Review the recommendations below:

Revised Prioritization Framework & Ranked Project List

To convert the proposed bicycle network into a prioritized list of implementable projects, the project team used a two-step process: First, the Initial Evaluation used the Revised Prioritization Framework to rank the projects based on a quantitative criteria: safety and connectivity. Then, the Supplemental Evaluation further evaluated the top-ranked projects based on project readiness, cost & funding opportunities, and community support. This will help create an actionable plan for near-term implementation and produce a list of priority projects for the BPTP Update. Note, this is currently a draft list and may change.

Existing Conditions Analysis of Biking and Walking in Palo Alto

Back in early 2024, the project team released the existing conditions technical analysis. This report dives into the details of biking and walking in Palo Alto, covering everything from how much people are biking and walking to where collisions happen and what challenges people face on the road.

Review the Analysis and Maps