Californians are already voting on whether to implement a one-time 5% tax on billionaires that could generate as much as $100 billion toward healthcare and other social services over the next five years. And local billionaires are weighing in — with their wallets. Approximately 200 billionaires in California would be subject to the Proposition 40...
Caltrain projects grim future without regional sales tax measure
Although Caltrain is looking down the barrel of fiscal disaster, agency representatives who spoke to the Palo Alto City Council on Monday highlighted their recent efforts to raise revenues and lauded the city as a regional model for public transit partnerships in the run-up to a critical vote. Palo Alto leaders have already endorsed the...
Hidden fees hinder Palo Alto housing program, audit shows
Palo Alto’s effort to assist people in purchasing affordable homes is hindered by a significant supply shortage and a laundry list of hidden fees that place these residences out of reach for many potential buyers, according to a new report from the City Auditor’s Office. The Below Market Rate Housing Purchase Program covers a small subset of...
Palo Alto to expand overnight RV parking ban to more residential areas
While RVs are not allowed to park overnight in most residential areas of Palo Alto, the city is gearing up to address a potential loophole for streets that fall outside of residential zoning. The expanded policy, which the City Council will consider on Oct. 19, would prohibit overnight RV parking on streets within 100 feet...
Palo Alto releases details on community center negotiations
Responding to community demands for more transparency ahead of what promises to be a tight election, Palo Alto’s city and school officials on Monday released previously undisclosed details about their negotiations over Cubberley Community Center land. According to a statement, the city is preparing to pay to the school district slightly more than what its...
Palo Alto planners reject bike tunnel after neighborhood concerns
Palo Alto’s plans for a new bike tunnel at El Dorado Avenue took a turn Wednesday, when the Planning and Transportation Commission panned the project and sympathized with neighborhood concerns about the width of the street and eminent domain acquisitions. The tunnel at El Dorado was one of eight potential options the city explored for...
Palo Alto advances plans to redesign three rail crossings
After years of debate, Palo Alto leaders on Monday advanced three alternatives for redesigning the rail corridor near the Churchill Avenue, Meadow Drive and Charleston Road crossings, even as they acknowledged it’s unlikely all three will make it to the construction phase. The designs for all three crossings are currently at the 15% design stage,...
Residents warn of mobility challenges as Palo Alto ends ride-hailing service
As Palo Alto Link prepares to run its final trip next month, residents who have come to depend on the city’s ride-hailing service are raising concerns about losing a valuable resource they have come to depend on since it first rolled out in 2023. Ian Irwin, who is in his 70s and has a daughter...
Palo Alto mulls new rules for building and selling ADUs
In June, an accessory dwelling unit in San Jose became the first in the state to be sold separately from the main house. It closed for $530,000, taking advantage of a new state law that allows cities to treat granny flats, in-law apartments and other ADUs as condominiums for sale. Now, Palo Alto is considering...
Palo Alto bike improvements coming to East Meadow, Fabian Way
After stalling for several years, a grant-funded bike lane project in south Palo Alto will soon be back in the city’s rotation, with construction slated for 2028. The South Palo Alto Bikeways Project is expected to introduce temporary bike lane protections on East Meadow Drive and Fabian Way, two streets that carry a large number...