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Atherton’s City Council unanimously approved a plan to significantly change a busy crosswalk in the Lloyden Park neighborhood for safety reasons during a Feb. 21 meeting.
The changes include an extension to the sidewalk on Lloyden Drive from the entry to Lloyden Park, which may consist of a raised crosswalk elevated to provide a speed table to slow down speeding vehicles, a pedestrian-activated light beacon, known as a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon for safety, and a solar street light.
“This is a very complicated intersection,” said Vice Mayor Elizabeth Lewis, excitedly about the project’s changes put forward.
The crosswalk on Lloyden Drive and Fair Oaks Lane is a three-way intersection further complicated by sitting near the Caltrain railway.
With the project design completed, the city will seek solicitation of construction bids then meet again to approval final plans.
The project’s estimated cost is $270,000, including approximately $111,000 associated with green infrastructure components.
The plans also include stormwater treatment facilities, landscaping and irrigation. The 2022-23 Capital Improvement Program budget allocated $175,000 for the project, with extra funding in the Green Infrastructure budget for related enhancements.
“The biggest danger on this is coming from the Town Center across to Lloyden Drive because of the way the road curves,” said Lloyden Park resident Walter Robinson at the meeting, approving of the plans. “You can see almost nothing until you get right out in the street.”
“The stop sign doesn’t work that way, so people coming from east to west can come as fast as they want, and there’s nothing to stop them, so it’s extraordinarily dangerous.”
Residents in attendance at the meeting supported the changes because they’d bring increased safety to a frequently visited area, where the town administrative building, Post Office, Atherton Library, and Police Department all sit.
“This is a project that has been on the minds of the council for a while, with the opening of the town center, to increase and improve pedestrian access, particularly from the north side of the town,” said Public Works Director Robert Ovadia.
A conceptual design was presented to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee at is March 2023 meeting.
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