Junipero Serra Boulevard traffic calming project set to begin
Road improvements along a half-mile section of Junipero Serra Boulevard between Stanford Avenue and Campus Drive East will create a safer environment for motorists, bicyclists, pedestrians and residents.
Construction is scheduled to begin next week on a project to reduce speeding and improve safety on a heavily trafficked portion of Junipero Serra Boulevard between Campus Drive East and Stanford Avenue.
A traffic-calming project along a portion of Junipero Serra Boulevard between Stanford Avenue and Campus Drive East will improve safety for local residents and those traveling along the busy roadway. (Image credit: County of Santa Clara)
The traffic-calming project, managed and funded by Santa Clara County, in coordination with Stanford planning staff, is the result of a long collaboration between Santa Clara County Roads and Airports, Stanford and the Stanford Campus Residential Leaseholders (SCRL). Once completed, it will provide a safer environment for all users through traffic calming measures, including traffic channelizers (chicanes) and visual cues such as electric beacons, median landscaping, lighting and signage. Bike lane striping and routing through the chicanes will be part of the new configuration, and slower speeds through the area will improve the quality of the bikeway. New light fixtures will be consistent with those on campus and the university will provide ongoing management of the lighting and landscaping.
The new configuration is designed to prevent speeding and unsafe maneuvers by motorists and bicyclists that have led to numerous accidents and several fatalities. The chicanes create curvatures in the road that safely regulate vehicle speeds. Raised landscaped medians will inhibit illegal U-turns and allow for vehicles to queue for turns into residential driveways outside the travel lanes, reducing the potential for rear-end collisions. The posted speed limit will also be reduced to 25 miles per hour through the residential portion of Junipero Serra Boulevard.
SCRL members were regularly updated throughout the planning and design phases, and individual outreach was conducted to all SCRL members with addresses along the impacted portion of roadway, according to Catherine Palter, associate vice president for land use and environmental planning.
Construction activities will start on Monday, Aug. 6, and last for approximately 10 weeks, through mid-October, during which traffic lanes will be shifted, and there may be limited lane closures. Motorists and bicyclists will share the road during construction. Everyone traveling through the area is advised to use caution, and delays are expected between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays during construction.
More information about the traffic calming project and an updated construction schedule can be found on the county’s project website.