California Avenue will finally get some love next month, when Palo Alto’s contractors start painting two-way bike lanes, implementing colored paving and installing planters at the entrance points of the eclectic retail district that expelled cars and welcomed dining tents during the early days of pandemic.
The suite of improvements comprises just the first in a series that will later include a new monument sign at the El Camino entrance, additional road improvements and, if things go as planned, new parklets that will replace the impromptu constellation of tents and dining tables that took over the streets in June 2020, when the City Council moved to make the commercial strip car-free.
The council paved the way for the near-term improvements in its final meeting of the year, when it unanimously added $345,000 in contingency funding for the streetscape work. The agreement with O’Grady Paving includes colored paving, two-way bicycle lanes and installation of bollards that will restrict traffic while allowing emergency vehicle access.
Another contractor, Frank & Grossman, is charged with installing the planters once O’Grady completes its work. The city’s capital improvement budget includes $450,000 for the streetscape work.
“These improvements support long-term flexibility for future investments in California Avenue’s streetscape and will precede other work, such as installation of planters and plantings,” a report from City Manager Ed Shikada states.
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