Santa Cruz Ave and Sand Hill Road Corridor Safety Project

Project description

The Santa Cruz Avenue and Sand Hill Road Corridor Safety project (Project) includes the design and construction of various bicycle and pedestrian improvements. The Project focuses on a 1.2 mile stretch of Santa Cruz Avenue between Orange Avenue and University Drive, the city-owned portions of Sand Hill Road between Sharon Park Drive and Oak Avenue, along with the and the adjacent section of Sharon Park Drive between Sand Hill Road and Sharon Road. This project targets high priority locations identified in the City's Vision Zero Action Plan.

Map of Santa Cruz and Sand Hill Road showing the porject locations and potential improvments

 

Project status

The City issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) in December for planning and design services. This phase includes development of design documents required for construction. The planning and design is anticipated to be performed throughout 2026.

Potential improvements include: 

  • High visibility crosswalks
  • Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacon (RRFB) crossing
  • Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (PHB) crossing
  • Curb modifications such as bulb-outs and
  • Protected intersections
  • Buffered bike lanes
  • Bike boxes at intersections
  • ADA ramp improvements
  • Wayfinding signage

Project background

The Transportation Master Plan (TMP), adopted in 2020 identified a number of safety and mobility improvements along Sand Hill Road and Santa Cruz Avenue, including both Tier 1 and Tier 2 projects. These projects include pedestrian and bicycle improvements such as high visibility crosswalks, pedestrian signals, signage, bulb outs as well as tighter radius curves.

In January 2024, the City adopted the Vision Zero Action Plan (VZAP) that identified both Santa Cruz Avenue and Sand Hill Road corridors as high collision corridors. The City applied and was awarded a grant through the UC Berkeley Safe Transportation and Education Center (SafeTREC) to further evaluate safety needs. SafeTREC in collaboration with key community stakeholders, performed a Complete Streets Safety Assessment (CSSA)(PDF, 7MB) along portions of both corridors. Stakeholders, including staff from Hillview Middle School, Stanford University, City of Menlo Park Police Department, Safe Routes to School Champions, and Complete Streets Commission members played an active role throughout the safety assessment process. The CSSA report identified specific concerns about the safety for pedestrians and bicyclists particularly in relation to vehicle speeds and crossing challenges at side street stop-controlled intersections as well as the need to better accommodate commuter and recreational bicyclists while also accommodating pedestrian activity. 

 

Project history

Date Meeting 
 Aug. 14, 2024 

 Complete Streets Commission meeting