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Portola Valley recently completed the installation of two new safety crosswalks on Alpine and Portola Road, two of the busiest routes in town. Painted in fresh yellow paint, pedestrians can now cross safely as flashing beacons and an audio prompt become activated when the crosswalk button is pressed.
The crosswalks were installed on Alpine Road and Golden Oak adjacent to the Alpine Hills Tennis and Swimming Club and on Portola Road and Brookside Drive in front of Woodside Priory School.
The project, also known as the Rapid Rectangular Flashing Beacon Project, was based on a pedestrian safety study that was conducted in 2017 by traffic safety experts. The study identified various areas of the town which were in need of improvement. The most recent project is one of many that have been completed since 2017, said Town Engineer Robert Burtt.
“Specifically in these two locations, I believe there was a history of accidents and history where some children and or pedestrian have been hit in the past,” Burtt added.
Portola Valley Mayor Judith Hasko explained that the initiative was “sparked by town resident concerns regarding the safety of pedestrians, particularly school-age children, crossing these busy roads.”
In 2019, the Town Council approved the plans to implement several safety improvements and identified the crosswalk on Portola Road and Brookside Drive as the highest and most expensive priority. The Alpine Road crosswalk was the town’s second concern.
Based on prior Almanac reporting, the consultant on the study found that drivers routinely exceeded the speed limit by an average of 5 miles per hour on Alpine and Portola Road. Between 2014 and 2018, the town recorded 43 collisions, of which 17 were between vehicles and bicycles.
For some former town council members, the idea of flashing beacons was hard to accept, but the town moved forward with the project seeing it as a necessity for traffic safety.
In 2022, the town received a $128,000 grant from the San Mateo County Transportation Authority, which helped fund 80% of costs for design and construction, according to town officials.
The project was completed on May 12, ahead of the town’s upcoming Horse Fair and PV Palooza — events that bring increased traffic to an already busy roadway.
“Looking ahead, Portola Valley remains focused on public safety as it continues to update its Safety Element and explore other safety initiatives in 2025,” said Hasko.
Burtt added that the town looks forward to identifying three new locations for additional intersections for potential improvements after reviewing safety records.
Thank you Portola Valley and the Bicycle, Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee.
They were the “Safety Experts” who conducted the study, proposed the locations and helped to write the grant that got this done, along with hard working Town staff. Not mentioned here are several other crosswalks that have received improved markings, safety flags and signage as part of the same study, and it’s recommendations.
Delighted to see this completed. Would be even better if we can extend improvements like this to more crosswalks near our schools!