The traffic situation from Rural Lane to Sand Hill is absolutely intolerable and dangerous. In the morning (especially when
schools are in session) this is most apparent. This is only going to get worse when the new hospital facilities officially open.·
Traffic from Alpine to Stanford campus , the shopping center and/or the hospital backs up in the 2 right hand lanes. This means
that although the light at Alpine mightbe green, few to no cars can pass the green light because the space between the
intersections is blocked. Sometimes it takes several iterations to clear the Alpine intersection.·Because of the back-up, through
traffic to downtown Menlo Park uses the left lane at the Alpine intersection in order to avoid several iterations of light
changes, and then fights to change lanes between the two intersections or in the first block of Santa Cruz, causing major safety
issues. The dangers are exacerbated by the recent installation of the sharrows, which causes yet more lane changes·Because of the
back-up, the bike lane between the two intersections is totally blocked.This causes cyclists to use the “trail” under the
cantilevered section of Santa Cruz, often at very high speeds.This trail is also full of holes and pits, has non-ADA compliant
steep inclines and blind corners, endangering both cyclists and pedestrians·Most people turning right at Junipero Serra (from
Alpine) or at Sand Hill (turning towards the hospital) ignore the red light, do not stop, and endanger cyclists and pedestrians.·
Because of the gridlock between the two intersections, cars trying to get from Junipero Serra to SLAC cannot get into the left
turn lane at Sand Hill·The entire area between the two intersections is frequently full of “kamikaze” cyclists vying for road
space, often dashing in between vehicles, because there are no bike markings, or even facilities·Because of the back-ups drivers
sometimes run the lights in all directions, and sometimes there is grid lock with stationary cars blocking lanes .·Because of the
chaos and lack of signage drivers often swerve across several lanes trying to get to their destination. I have seen vehicles in
the left turn lane to SLAC at Santa Cruz/Sand Hill veer across all the north bound lanes to make a right turn to the hospital.LONG
TERM SOLUTIONS: A tunnel from I-280 connecting to Campus Drive West that provides access to the hospital and campusMassive
engineering fixes to the cantilevered section and “trail.”Modifications to the I-280 off ramps and spacing of drivers exiting onto
AlpineSHORT TERM FIXES:Erect signs at the Alpine/Junipero Serra intersection directing hospital-bound drivers to use Junipero
Serra and Campus Drive West to access the hospital, and requiring Stanford to make this possiblePut speed limit of 5 mph on
“trail”Increased traffic enforcement in the area with significant fines for dangerous driving and cyclingCameras to spot red light
runnersCONCLUSION:The entire area is a traffic engineering nightmare owing to the poor original design that did not contemplate
the magnitude of Stanford’s expansion. This cannot continue.
