On March 17, California Avenue’s and Ramona Street’s car-free construction project went into full swing after a delay in a shipment of bollards, or short steel poles, and contracting issues for equipment in February. Currently, the city is repaving and excavating streets to prepare for the installation of thermoplastic paving and removable bollards, an undertaking the city projects to complete by the end of April. The retractable bollards will work to manage and control pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
According to the City of Palo Alto’s Chief Communications Officer Megan Horrigan-Taylor, the goal is to create a pedestrian-friendly space where people can dine and shop outdoors without the disruption of vehicular traffic. The purpose of the revamp is to promote local businesses and maintain an economically healthy retail district. To achieve this goal, the transformation will create a more attractive space for consumers.
The project began in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought indoor dining restrictions and social distancing measures that negatively impacted local businesses. According to Assistant to the City Manager Bruce Fukuji, Palo Alto officials temporarily closed off sections of Ramona St. and California Ave. to support economic recovery by promoting outdoor dining, pedestrian access and retail activity. While these streets have remained closed since 2020, it was not until November 2023 that the City Council voted to make the street closures permanent, officially banning vehicular access.
“The Palo Alto community really enjoys these streets as car-free with outdoor dining as a positive outcome of the temporary closures due to the pandemic,” Fukuji wrote in an email. “It is a safer environment for pedestrians when there is no vehicle traffic, no clutter of cars, better air quality, less noise and a more relaxed, walkable environment (because) people love dining outdoors.”
California Avenue is going to be completely remodeled as the city plans to change its visuals. The goal is to make the street similar to Santana Row in San Jose. The city staff proposed two concepts for the future of the street. The first one, named “the adaptive street,” is intended to maintain the current curbs but add bike lanes, planters and sidewalk areas to the street. The other concept, called “the reimagined street,” goes further to create an extensive tree canopy,
pedestrian pathways, a central multi-use public space and a public art gallery. The city council will give more details on reconfiguration of California Ave. by the summer to acquire the necessary environmental clearance licenses. This change will ensure that there are no long-term environmental impacts and preserve the air quality.
After months of watching the site transform, junior Chilton Chau has witnessed steady construction progress from his apartment near California Ave.
“I’ve been so close and have seen the progress,” he said. “I’ve seen this construction every night. Recently, they were doing something with the sewage lines, tearing up concrete.”
Chau predicts that this improvement will enhance Palo Alto’s local economy, and the increase in foot traffic will not only improve California Ave.’s welcoming atmosphere but also boost the business output by attracting new visitors.
“Making a street for people to come and eat with a nice atmosphere and environment to hang around will have a positive impact on all the citizens,” he said. “You spend money to eat food, so people can get jobs at the restaurants. That will help the economy in Palo Alto, and it will have an overall positive impact.”
