Bikes on the California Avenue underpass

I agree. I often walk my small dog through this tunnel and need to hold her so that she doesn't get hit by careless bikers. I don't have a solution, thought.

Demanding that bicyclists not ride their bikes on a marked bike route is an admission that the bike route is a total failure. If the city really wants to encourage people to bike from Midtown to the Caltrain station or California Ave businesses, they have to make that tunnel much more bicycle friendly.

Since car drivers apparently are incapable of driving safely through the Oregon underpass, how about closing that to cars and allowing bicyclists to use that route?

Just because something is a bike route, it doesn't mean that bikes have to be ridden all the way.

It would be common courtesy to walk a bike through a tunnel or anywhere there would likely be lots of pedestrians.

Using a bike and sharing a pedestrian right of way is just that - sharing.

The underpass under highway 101 is another place where bikes should be walked rather than ridden.

As I said, common courtesy, not arrogance, is the way to share a facility.

The cyclists ride on University Avenue underpasses as well without much regard to pedestrians.

I walk through there a lot, the mounted bikes are ridden with common courtesy.
I see no reason to make them dismount. What a waste of their time.
When did sharing mean dictating to others how they get to use it.

Install stiles every 10 meters.

If there is a sign that says dismount or walk your bike, then it is common courtesy to do so. To disobey the sign thinking it is irrelevant or does not apply to you, is called arrogance.

Well is it a tunnel that allows bike traffic? If so then perhaps the signs are a suggestion.
Pedestrians still have the right of way, but I see no harm in people riding when its safe.

If funding were available, I'd like to see a new, parallel, ADA-compliant, pedestrian-only tunnel. Then take the barriers out of the old tunnel and let bicyclists use it anyway they want.

My 18 month old daughter was knocked down by a bike rider when we walked through the tunnel last year. It was a middle school age boy who did it.

The year before that, a young woman in her twenties rode through the tunnel, and police tried to stop her. She rode through anyway. They were waiting for her to exit on the other side, so they could ticket her, it she pedaled off rapidly when ordered to stop. The police gave chase, caught her, cuffed her, and tried to put in in the back of the squad car when she kicked in the door.

Turned out she was the daughter of a very prominent citizen who threatened a lawsuit, so the case against the young woman was dropped.

Since then, the police do not enforce the "walk your bike though the tunnel" law, nor do they stake out the tunnel looking for scofflaws any more: it is too hazardous for the city. No point in calling the police when a juvenile rider knocked down my daughter ( he didn't even stop!).

Two convenient unverifiable tales. Color me skeptical.

@ Perhaps--

I recall the story about the young woman who was stopped by the police, and my understanding is that since there is not a posted city ordinance requiring people to walk their bikes, police can't cite them for not doing it. The police might have given her a stern warning about riding through the tunnel, but her real failing was in not stopping for them. Again, that's just my personal recollection.

I agree that the CA avenue underpass is narrow enough that careless bicyclists pose a risk to pedestrians. I am also a bicyclist who rides through this underpass at a slow, safe speed, so I see both sides. The long-term solution is to provide a wider underpass with dedicated bicycle and pedestrian paths. An item to add to the list for future upgrades of the tracks? Short-term, adding another obstacle at the bottom of the dip would at least slow the riders down.

What about cyclists who blow through stop signs and red lights? This is basically accepted but they break the law and put their lives in motorists' hands. I had two cyclists blow by me turning right at a red light, they didn't even bother to stop. They were lucky I saw them. If they're really vehicles they should stop behind me and wait their turn. But cyclists never do that.
If anything we should stop pandering to them. I've noticed that all over the peninsula, they have begun to paint bicycles on every road, as if they take priority over cars. They're being encouraged and as a result I'm seeing more cyclists, everywhere, running stop signs and red lights.

@Perhaps:

No, riding your bike in an underpass is in violation of Palo Alto Municipal Code:

10.64.130 Riding bicycles on sidewalks.
(a) No person shall ride or operate a bicycle upon any sidewalk in a business district, any sidewalk in or on any pedestrian underpass or overpass, or any sidewalk on the Embarcadero Road Overpass across Bayshore Freeway unless such sidewalk is officially designated as a bicycle route.
(b) Any person riding or operating a bicycle upon any sidewalk shall exercise due care and shall yield the right-of-way to all pedestrians.
(c) No person riding or operating a bicycle upon any sidewalk where a bicycle lane or path has been established shall travel in a direction other than as posted.

Note that the ordinance does not need to be posted. The road/walkway signage is sufficient, just like a stop sign, yield sign, red curb are sufficient for communicating traffic instructions.

Cyclists who are riding through the underpass are breaking the law.

Unfortunately, Palo Alto police make no attempt to enforce the law. Ideally, a couple times a month, PAPD should ticket cyclists who ride on sidewalks, underpasses, etc. After a while, that should reduce the frequency of violations.

Note that each locality has different policies on bicycle riding in downtown areas, sidewalks, etc. The key thing is to observe and adhere to the roadway signage, whether it's a double yellow line or some words that say "Walk Bikes."

I drive, walk and cycle myself and there are way too many entitled people around here who simply believe that the laws do not apply to them.

Simply appalling.

I am an avid bicyclist and I also walk to work everyday, and my walking commute takes me through that tunnel. The tunnel is only about 100 feet long and it's clearly marked on both directions that bicycles need to dismount and walk through the tunnel. They rarely do and with the how narrow the tunnel is it's also very dangerous for both pedestrians and cyclists.

I've made it a point to not move out of their way when they come barreling through the tunnel. It's ridiculous and very rude to disobey the posted safety signs.

Besides reading about the young woman who kicked in the police car door in the paper, I also heard the long version later on from an off-duty PAPD officer.

Just sayin'

I like to see how fast I can make it through the double barriers without getting off my bike. I'm pretty good.

This has been a problem for decades. Maybe due to more cyclists the problem has worsened?

I recall in bike safety class being taught to get off the bike and walk it through tunnels shared with peds. The "I don't care, I'm in a hurry" attitude is no excuse.

Why not split the tunnel - half of the tunnel is to walk, half of the tunnel is for bikes. Sure bikes will likely crash into each other if they're headed in both directions at the same time but maybe this will make them get off and walk...or proceed very slowly.

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I just got back from a year of study in Copenhagen, Denmark. The entire city is a bike paradise, with nary a bike helmet to be seen. This culture of fear that we have in Palo Alto, where pedestrians fear bikers, where car drivers hate bikers, and EVERYONE is wearing a helmet is pretty hard to stomach.

Web Link

Check out the link above, which is a famous TED talk by a Danish biking advocate, to understand where I am coming from.

I bike to the California Ave train station, because it is fast and convenient to do so. It is not fast and most certainly not convenient to have to get off my bike due to the stupid chicane ( google it, Einsteins) on both ends of the underpass. If there is no one there, I bike through it. If there is someone there, I usually step off and scooter through with one foot on the pedal and my body riding on the side of the bike. I do not walk my bike through the underpass unless there is a massive crowd walking through there.

To the OP, get over your fear of bikes and accidents. You have a greater chance of getting clipped by a car as you cross the street walking to the underpass than you do of getting hit by a bike. At least you are not advocating that people walking down that underpass have to wear a safety helmet, in case they trip.

The wonderful steps the city is taking to make the streets a biking paradise, especially on California Ave are to be commended. The tunnel warrants having a bike lane and pedestrian lane separation curb or marking.

If I can ride with my kids, sans helmets, through the middle of Denmark's capitol city, in protected bike lanes, with bike traffic lights and in harmony with pedestrians and car; and quickly and conveniently get everywhere I need to, than we certainly can achieve the same end in iddy piddy Palo Alto.

Lose the bikes vs pedestrian point of view, lose the culture of fear and lets paint a strip down the tunnel, one side for bikes and one side for pedestrians and move on. Nothing to see here.

What shall we do about the pedestrians who step off the side walk without looking into the bike lane (mostly looking at their phones or lost in conversation). More than once I have had to severe into traffic to miss a pedestrian.

Yes, I agree we need to loose the us vs them attitude and all work together to make this bike/pedestrian/car issue more workable.

10.64.130: "... unless such sidewalk is officially designated as a bicycle route."

So is the Cal Ave tunnel a bike route or not?

It is officially indicated as part of the "City of Palo Alto Bicycle Network".

Long ago, California Avenue itself had an underpass under the tracks. Presumably, that underpass is no longer safe but how much would it cost to revive enough of it to have separate pedestrian and bicycle underpasses.

@musical:

"So is the Cal Ave tunnel a bike route or not?

It is officially indicated as part of the "City of Palo Alto Bicycle Network"

What shows up on a map is irrelevant. Maps, websites, etc. get old. Street signage determines legality.

In this case, the City of Palo Alto probably considers the California Avenue underpass as part of the bicycle network -- as long as the cyclists dismount (per city code) and walk that portion of the underpass. It is bike-friendly since there is no motor vehicle traffic allowed there.

Long ago, California Avenue itself had a grade crossing at the tracks.
Never an underpass.

I agree with the point made above that we should lose the animosity among bikers, walkers and drivers. Each group has people who could do better. Walkers are the most environmentally friendly, and the most vulnerable. Then bikers. Then drivers. A little empathy and courtesy go a long way. It's like a kindergarten playground: everyone is happier when we try to get along and don't complain about one another too much.

Cal Ave Now has a WIDE, ADA compliant underpass in the Caltrain station.

To me, courteous would simply to stop, put my foot down (for ensured stability) until the PEDS have passed.

Courteous PEDS walk single file when there is opposing traffic.
Neither group seems to follow the law these days.

PEDS run off curbs without looking, against WALK lights, in broad packs.

BIKES (especially school children) do exactly the same kind of tricks.

You hit either group with a car and you are at fault, at least financially.

According to a recently published City report, the Cal Ave underpass and Adobe Creek have barriers just to make cycling awkward. Walking a bike is a request not a command.

University Ave and the 101 overpass are the two places where walking a bike is "required" according to the report. Not even the report writer seems to take the requirement seriously.

Gramps - if you get out that broomstick I hope you end up with a few reflective nights in jail. That idea isn't even funny. Right up there with shooting out a few truck tires to see if that slows down traffic.

Why not mazes like speed bumps and chicanes on Oregon, Alma, Middlefield and Embarcadero to reduce "unsafe speeding” by trucks and autos?

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From page 3-26 to 3-28 of the 2012 Bicycle + Pedestrian Transportation Plan Web Link

Cal Ave: "Because of unsafe speeding by bicyclists and skateboarders, two uninviting but effective “maze” railings force bicyclists to walk their bikes. These mazes render the undercrossing awkward for bicycles towing short cargo and child trailers, and impassible to long bicycle cargo trailers. Bicyclists are asked to walk their bikes, but they do not always do so, which makes the area challenging for pedestrians who are also negotiating through the railings with bicyclists."

Adobe Creek: "Two sets of mazes – one at the E. Bayshore access point and one on the poorly-lit curve under the highway – create low-speed points intended to minimize conflicts between pedestrians and bicyclists, but which seriously deter bicycle trailers and persons with mobility assistance devices (e.g. wheelchairs)."

University Ave: "Because both tunnels are relatively narrow for the peak pedestrian volume they serve, bicyclists are required to walk bicycles through them, although two-way riding is common on the University Avenue sidewalks."

Embarcadero/101 Overpass: "The bridge is narrower than current Class I standards and technically requires bicycles to be walked. (photo shows a mounted cyclist on the overpass)"

Cyclist Who Knows the Rules,

I was aware of that section of the municode, but if you read it carefully it appears to apply to the route in question.
Others have pointed out why. I think as long as a cyclist rides slow or dismounts during congestion walkers and riders can share the tunnel.

Sorry left out a not. Should read it appears not to apply to the route in question.

What will be the official "law" on the famous new bike/ped bridge over 101?

Life is not perfect. I'm concerned that this may affect me directly. How can we make things perfect?

@ SteveU--

The new underpass at the California Avenue Caltrain station just goes from one side of the tracks to the other side, not under Alma.

And no ticket machine on the northbound platform, so I've seen many newbies run through that Caltrain underpass three times to catch their train.