Page Mill Transformation
Proposed by Cities21
January 10, 2001

Why Cities21


Local citizens born and raised in Palo Alto formed Cities21. In recent years traffic and housing situations have quickly reached a state of crisis. As a result, we feel compelled to act to preserve the quality of life the Valley has long enjoyed, while recognizing that certain attributes of the new Silicon Valley are with us to stay.

In reading this document, we ask you to keep in mind that this is a working document. Cities21 does not profess to have all the answers. What we ask is that you share your criticisms with us. Your concerns will help us to make the area a better place to live and work.


The Vision
Rather than becoming a land of office parks, strip shopping centers, and out-of-town traffic, we can take steps now to regain our status as an area full of life, vitality and the charm of lovely communities. We propose using the Page Mill corridor as a model for the type of development we would like to see in the future.

The first step is to alleviate the hardship caused by the extreme traffic situation that has developed along Page Mill. With a Caltrain stop just a few hundred yards from the edge of the corridor, the area is ripe for increased transit use. However, employees along the corridor are finicky consumers. Time is important to them, and they have been very reluctant to accept the combination of cars, trains and van shuttles that would be required for transit to make a significant difference.

We propose using personal rapid transit technology to offer workers an unprecedented level of service. This will entice additional workers into using transit instead of an automobile, thus freeing up parking spaces.

These parking spaces can be reclaimed and used to create new mixed-use communities within the corridor. First, condos and town homes would supply convenient, affordable housing to workers in the corridor. Some units would be made available to teachers, firefighters and police. In addition, new office buildings could be built on reclaimed parking, and these buildings could include first-floor retail and entertainment establishments.

Combined with new biking and walking paths, we envision the creation of a true urban village: a residential area with the amenities required to give it a sense of life and vitality.


The Opportunity
The Page Mill corridor was not chosen haphazardly. Other locations could also be model cities, and we encourage your suggestions for future projects. Three important characteristics of the Page Mill area make it our preferred starter location.

First, it has easy access to Caltrain. With Caltrain's expanded service as provided by Measure A funding, corridor employees will now have access to fast, frequent service.

Second, the buildings along the Page Mill corridor are reaching redevelopment age. Built in the 1970s and 80s, leases on many of the buildings will be expiring soon, and they may need to be rebuilt in order to bring them up to modern commercial standards. This is an opportune time to begin planning what our community will look like after this redevelopment.

Finally, employees and employers are ready for change. Employees are becoming intolerant of daily traffic headaches, and many have chosen to work elsewhere. Some have moved to Austin, Ashland or Raleigh-Durham, citing affordable housing and less stressful commutes as prime reasons. This has forced local companies to consider the local traffic and housing conditions as important competitive factors.

Of course, Palo Alto residents have also grown tired of local traffic headaches. They long for a return to the calmer times they once enjoyed.


What We Offer


Local Leadership
First and foremost, this project must have the cooperation and active involvement of local parties. All Palo Alto citizens have a stake in this, and residents of Mountain View, Menlo Park and East Palo Alto might be involved as well. Residents of the Barron Park, College Terrace and Junipero Serra neighborhoods must take an active role in the development of this plan.

The project must also have active participation by the businesses along the corridor, the City of Palo Alto, and Stanford University. This cooperation of this triad is essential if progress is to be made.


Open Table
This plan will be developed in the open, with active public involvement, and we welcome the early and committed participation of additional stakeholders. Business groups, students, community activists and others are encouraged to share their concerns and to take part in developing solutions that address those concerns.


Tangible Benefits
Our goal is to develop a solution that is truly a "win" for everyone involved.

Citizens' groups value:
§ Reduced traffic, noise and air pollution
§ More convenient retail
§ Renewed community vitality
§ Can enjoy the presence of fast, efficient transit

Businesses along the corridor value:
§ Reduced employee turnover
§ Happier workers
§ More time on the job (employees will split recovered time between home and work)
§ Reputation as socially involved and responsive
§ Recruiting advantages from locating in a progressive, modern area

Stanford University values:
§ Improved property values for land along the corridor.
§ Improved public relations
§ Increased patronage of Stanford Shopping Center (phase II)
§ Cheaper, more effective alternative to the Marguerite Shuttle (phase II)
§ New transit options for students, faculty and staff (phase II)
§ Improved ability to complete master plan with no net new commute trips

City of Palo Alto values:
§ Improved quality of life
§ Reputation as modern, progressive city
§ Increased tax base

Other benefits accrue to:
§ The Bay Area at large (air quality)
§ Increased business to establishments along California Avenue, Town and Country Shopping Center (phase II) and downtown Palo Alto (phase III)
§ Caltrain (increased ridership)
§ VTA (direct connections to light rail in phases III and IV)


Possible Solutions


Smart Growth
The Bay Area has embraced the principles of Smart Growth. Diverse groups ranging from ABAG (Association of Bay Area Governments) to the Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group have supported Smart Growth goals. These goals include reducing traffic, preserving open space, ensuring affordable housing for all, and improving air quality.


Transportation
The most critical factor in achieving these goals is the creation of a transit system that will satisfy the needs of corridor commuters. Caltrain and shuttle buses have had some success, but additional success can only come from the elimination of the waiting period and a reduction in total trip time. Caltrain improvements will help reduce the trip time, and a new feeder system can provide service never seen before.

Cities21 would like to make one thing very clear: We propose a design competition that is open to any technology, including dial-a-bus, bus rapid transit and an expanded van shuttle system. However, it will be difficult for these systems to match the price and performance of a personal rapid transit system. As this technology is new to many people, we will explain PRT in more detail.

PRT turns the traditional transit model upside down. You don't wait for vehicles, they wait for you. A passenger arriving on Caltrain would step into the PRT station and find a row of empty vehicles awaiting her. She can step inside, indicate her destination is Xerox, and the vehicle will immediately close its doors and start on its way. She never has to worry about another thing. If she has seen a coworker, they might share the trip, as each vehicle can hold three or four adults.

No matter what destination she chooses, her trip will be non-stop. It will also be comfortable and quiet. As she approaches her stop, her vehicle pulls to the side, allowing other travelers to continue past without interruption. This holds true regardless of the size of the network.

Later stage plans propose linking the Page Mill transit system to the Stanford campus, Mountain View light rail stations, shopping centers (Stanford, Town & County and San Antonio), and the Dumbarton crossing. Even in this larger network, a passenger starting anywhere in the system gets fast, non-stop service to any other destination.

We know that this brief overview has probably raised more questions than it has answered. Some questions are addressed at the end of this document. We encourage you to contact us with your other questions about this refreshing new technology.


Housing
Cities21 does not propose PRT just to see the newest transportation system brought to Palo Alto. Instead, our goals are what the transportation system will bring: reduced automobile usage, reduced traffic congestion and new options for our urban landscape. These options come about when reduced automobile usage eliminate the need for some parking spaces around area buildings.

When a large number of parking spaces are reclaimed, this land can be used for other purposes. If it is simply used to build new office buildings, though, we can expect a return of the traffic we worked so hard to eliminate.

Instead, Cities21 proposes that recovered land be used for mixed-use housing and retail. This will accomplish several important goals. It creates housing for area workers, increasing their job satisfaction and further minimizing commutes. It also can provide additional housing for local service workers, including teachers, firefighters and police. In addition, combining retail with attractive new condominiums and town homes can create a whole new community.

These urban communities are a source of life and vitality for the area. The benefit of these strong urban cores are attractive to other neighborhoods as well, as neighbors can choose to shop or be entertained here.


Other Land Uses
In addition, some patches of reclaimed land can be used to increase the amount of urban green space. Larger pieces can serve as neighborhood parks, while dispersed sets can be collected into paths for walking and biking. Clever arrangement of green spaces can be instrumental in creating a sense of pride among residents. It can also transform an area from being "typically suburban" to being a premier community that is the pride of local residents.


Implementation


Local Ownership
As mentioned previously, local participation is crucial to this project's success. Professional planners play a significant role, but they can only do their jobs when they have all the relevant facts. It is incumbent on the stakeholders to express their goals, their hopes and their concerns.

It is imperative that we get involvement from local residents, the City of Palo Alto, Stanford University and the businesses present along Page Mill Road. These groups are asked to appoint a representative who can participate in ongoing dialogue.


Establish Objectives
Once a committee of stakeholders has been identified, we will work to establish common objectives. Not all objectives can be met simultaneously, but in time we can determine the crucial tradeoffs. Most importantly, we can examine whether the use of new and creative solutions might meet the goals of both sides.


Design Competition
Once objectives have been established, Cities21 encourages a design competition. A similar model was successfully carried out in Cincinnati by the business group Forward Quest. This has spawned an in-depth transit study being prepared by the region's transportation planning commission, and a PRT system may be up and running there in the near future.

Here in the Valley, the competition would solicit proposals for solutions that meet the objectives outlined by the stakeholders. The competition would unfold in three stages: from the initial submissions, ten finalists would be given prizes of approximately $10,000 and would advance to the second round. The ten finalists would submit more detailed reports, and four would be awarded larger prizes of approximately $100,000. These four would prepare final proposals.

There is no commitment that funding will be provided for executing one of these proposals. It will still be incumbent upon the participants to produce a plan that is compelling and effective at meeting the needs of the corridor. Only if our objectives are met can we seriously discuss the creation of a new transit system, new housing, and other new development


Conclusion
Cities21 is not planning to build a new transit system or new housing. Cities21 is proposing we begin a discussion of where we are today and where we plan to be tomorrow. This discussion will include all of the affected parties in this section of Silicon Valley.

Our goal is more than simply to talk about solutions. Once the discussions have identified specific goals, a design competition will be held. This will help ensure a variety of options are given full consideration and that the best alternatives are considered. Having the best alternatives to choose from increases our chances of finding a feasible, cost-effective solution.

This part of Silicon Valley is at a turning point. We can take action to preserve the Valley we have long treasured, or we can sit idly by and complain about the trends that are becoming evident. Cities21 chooses action.

Appendix


Web resources
Cities21: www.cities21.org
Cincinnati Skyloop (an example of a similar design competition): www.skyloop.org
Personal rapid transit companies: www.taxi2000.com, www.skytran.net


Related documents
Many facts and figures used in this document are not cited. Further explanation can be found in a larger publication available from Cities21.