Wednesday, May 16, 2012
County Supervisor Liz Kniss announces plan to fund bridge over Highway 101 and link to Bay Trail.
A proposed bicycle and pedestrian bridge that would connect Palo Alto to the Baylands could get a $5 million shot in the arm if a proposal introduced Wednesday by Santa Clara County Supervisor Liz Kniss is approved by the Board of Supervisors. Flanked by Palo Alto Vice Mayor Greg Scharff, former mayor Yoriko Kishimoto, and other elected officials, environmental leaders and bike advocates, Kniss beamed as she delivered the news. “I think we’re going to make one of the most exciting announcements I’ve ever been able to make in my public life,” said Kniss. PHOTOS: Artist Renderings of Proposed Bike Bridge The Adobe Creek Bridge over Highway 101, which is already being studied by the City of Palo Alto as part of its Bicycle & Pedestrian …
High-speed charger can boost a battery in 30 minutes.
Drivers of electric vehicles have another place to charge up in Palo Alto. Palo Alto Mayor Yiaway Yeh Tuesday joined city staff and representatives from 350Green in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Stanford Shopping Center, where another charging station came online. The new station is a first-in-Silicon Valley DC-powered fast-charger, capable of boosting a Nissan Leaf to an 80 percent charge in 30 minutes, according to City of Palo Alto Utilities Communications Manager Debra Katz. “This event represents a historic step on the path to making electric vehicles a truly convenient alternative to gas-guzzling cars,” said Katz, who Tuesday joined City Planning and Transportation Commissioner Arthur Keller, 350Green’s Obrie Hostetter, and the mayor …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
New contract requires police to contribute to their pension, medical costs.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Tell us your go-to spot in Palo Alto for the ubiquitous burrito in this week's Readers' Choice poll.
They are the near-perfect food. An excess of all your favorite ingredients swaddled in a soft, chewy tortilla--burritos are packaged in such a way that they can be eaten at an elegant table, a park bench, or from behind the wheel. And where else can you get this balance of veggies, carbs, protein and flavor for (typically) under five bucks? And what other food moves so effortlessly from breakfast (eggs,chorizo and salsa) to lunch (grilled shrimp, shredded cabbage, lime), to dinner (beef, rice, refried beans, cheese, salsa)? Cast your vote and tell in the comment section below where in Palo Alto you go when you crave the perfect burrito. And as always, if you need to go north, or south of the border for your burrito, go to that city's Patch…
Friday, May 11, 2012
Need a bouquet for Mother's Day? Look no further:
The voters have spoken! Palo Alto residents voted strongly in favor of Avenue Florist as the best flower shop in town. The florist, on California Avenue, won 21 votes, beating out the following great choices in Palo Alto:
Proposal by VTA for dedicated bus lanes would be boost for alternative transportation.
A sweeping proposal to run dedicated bus lanes along El Camino Real heads to City Council next week for a preliminary review. The plan, by Valley Transportation Authority, is part of the agency’s larger effort to upgrade its bus service along El Camino from Palo Alto to San Jose. The El Camino Real Bus Rapid Transit Project (BRT) would either add two dedicated rapid transit bus lanes along the median of El Camino Real, or continue running the busses with cars in the existing mixed-flow lane. VTA is not proposing rapid-transit lanes in Palo Alto, per se, but the design alternative is included in the staff report, and could potentially be selected if council expressed interest. Council on Monday will begin the process of making a final …
VTA's proposal to add high-speed lanes to El Camino Real may mean more car traffic on Alma Street.
How important is it to you to see alternative transportation grow in Palo Alto? Under a proposal by VTA to install dedicated rapid transit bus lanes on El Camino Real, it may be much faster to travel between Downtown Palo Alto and San Jose, but it could come at the cost of car capacity. Alma Street could be more congested as a result. Is it worth it?
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
New season begins Saturday.
The Downtown Palo Alto Farmers’ Market has gifted o$23,000 to Avenidas, according to market representative Cynthia Corpuz. The gift represents the market’s surplus from last year’s season. The Downtown Farmers’ Market has been giving money to Avenidas—its sole beneficiary—since 1981. Those gifts have totaled $425,000, according to Corpuz. “We are fortunate to have a thriving market and an all-volunteer board. Together, those give us the freedom to take our annual earnings from stall rentals and donate them to our longtime friends at Avenidas,” said Phil Carter, president of the Downtown Farmers’ Market, in a statement. “Residents of all ages enjoy the bounties of the Downtown Palo Alto Farmers’ Market, and we are grateful for the Market’s…
Power line accidentally cut by contractor.
A downed power line that cut power to nearly 500 Palo Alto Utility customers has been fixed, Utilities Communications Manager Debra Katz said. The line was inadvertently dropped by a contractor at around 9:15 a.m., affecting customers in multiple blocks along El Camino, West Charleston, East Meadow and Park Blvd, said Katz. Power was restored by emergency crews at 12:15 p.m. Earlier in the day, Katz said there was a domino effect that led to the outage. “It’s a complicated cascade of events, but the bottom line is that an entire electric feeder line is out,” said Katz in a statement. The Plaza Cabana Hotel and Dinah’s were among the businesses affected by the outage. Ironically, said Katz, many of these same customers were anticipating a …
Two hate crimes reported on High Street.
TGD
11:59 am on Thursday, May 17, 2012
It would probably be cheaper to pay for everyone to take a taxi across. more ›