City transportation staff presented a draft update to Palo Alto’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Transportation Plan that outlines a vision for the next 10 years and a near‑term projects list of 44 high‑impact projects. The plan shifts emphasis toward a ‘low‑stress’ bicycle network built around bike boulevards, recommends a 20‑mile‑per‑hour speed limit on bike boulevards and prioritizes projects such as San Antonio Road and Park Boulevard connections. The Planning & Transportation Commission unanimously recommended council adoption of the draft plan.

Public comment was extensive and varied. A parent and Vision Zero advocate urged compliance with MUTCD design standards and clearer project timelines, citing the Ross Road roundabout as an implementation example that took years and community petitions to correct. Members of the bicycling advocacy group PayBack asked the city to restore comp‑plan language enabling traffic‑filter tools (to calm streets) and to fund bike parking and pavement upgrades on bike boulevards. Multiple speakers and council members also raised safety concerns about new, faster e‑cycles and requested policy coordination with schools, police and state regulators.

Council members thanked staff for the community engagement and asked staff to prioritize daylighting and safe routes to school where feasible, review data sources for travel demand (noting potential gaps for student trips) and evaluate connections to neighboring jurisdictions and Stanford. Staff said the draft plan will be revised to reflect public feedback and return to council for final adoption in early 2026.

No formal action was required tonight; council provided direction on priorities, including further study of San Antonio Road, Bryant and San Antonio retail connections, and a request for more clarity about which PayBack recommendations were incorporated.