Editing Palo Alto, California (section)

==Transportation==
[[File:Palo Alto Airport, Aerial.jpg|thumb|left|[[Palo Alto Airport]]]]

===Roads===
Palo Alto is served by two major [[freeway]]s, [[U.S. Route 101 in California|Highway 101]] and [[Interstate 280 (California)|Interstate 280]] and is traversed by the Peninsula's main north–south boulevard, [[El Camino Real (California)|El Camino Real]] ([[California State Route 82|SR 82]]). Santa Clara County maintains 2 expressways in Palo Alto; Route [[California county routes in zone G#G3|G3]] is the city's main east–west route and is the only road in the city that connects the two freeways directly. Route [[California county routes in zone G#G6|G6]] travels through the city as Alma Street, serving as an alternate route to SR 82. The city is also served indirectly by [[California State Route 84|State Route 84]] which traverses the [[Dumbarton Bridge (California)|Dumbarton Bridge]] to the north, and [[California State Route 85|State Route 85]] via [[Mountain View, California|Mountain View]] to the south.

There are no parking meters in Palo Alto, and all municipal parking lots and multi-level parking structures are free but limited to two or three hours per weekday 8am–5pm.<ref>{{cite web|title=City of Palo Alto, CA – Parking|url=https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/gov/depts/pln/transit/parking/default.asp|website=Cityofpaloalto.org|access-date=April 23, 2018|language=en|archive-date=August 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806063323/https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/gov/depts/pln/transit/parking/default.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref> Downtown Palo Alto has recently added many new lots to fill the overflow of vehicles.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sheyner|first1=Gennady|title=Commission pans parking meter plan|url=https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2017/10/12/planning-commission-pans-parking-meter-plan|access-date=April 23, 2018|work=Palo Alto Weekly|date=October 12, 2017|language=en}}</ref> Beginning in 2014, Palo Alto has begun implementing permit parking in some areas of the town.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sheyner |first=Gennady |title=Palo Alto launches downtown parking-permit program |url=https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2014/12/03/palo-alto-launches-downtown-parking-permit-program |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=www.paloaltoonline.com |date=December 3, 2014 |language=en}}</ref>

===Air===
Palo Alto is served by [[Palo Alto Airport]] (KPAO), one of the busiest single-runway [[general aviation]] airports in the country. It is used by many daily commuters who fly (usually in private single-engine aircraft) from their homes in the [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley]] to work in the Palo Alto area.

The nearest commercial airport is [[San Jose International Airport]] (SJC) (also known as [[Norman Mineta]] Airport), about {{convert|15|mi|0|abbr=out}} southeast. Nearby is [[San Francisco International Airport]] (SFO), about {{convert|21|mi|0|abbr=out}} north.

===Rail===
[[File:California Avenue station building, November 2008.jpg|thumb|California Avenue Station]]
Passenger train service is provided exclusively by [[Caltrain]], with service between San Francisco and [[San Jose, California|San Jose]], extending to [[Gilroy, California|Gilroy]]. Caltrain has two regular stations in Palo Alto, the main one at the [[Palo Alto Station]] in downtown Palo Alto (local, limited, and express). The main Palo Alto station is the second busiest (behind [[San Francisco 4th and King Street station|4th and King]] in San Francisco) on the entire Caltrain line. The other station is located at [[California Avenue (Caltrain station)|California Avenue]], (local and limited).<ref>{{cite web|title=Caltrain This station was the primary station for Mayfield before it was annexed. Timetable|url=http://www.caltrain.com/schedules/weekdaytimetable.html|website=Caltrain.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903011916/http://www.caltrain.com/schedules/weekdaytimetable.html|url-status=live|archive-date=September 3, 2014}}</ref>  A third, the [[Stanford (Caltrain station)|Stanford]] station, located beside Alma Street at Embarcadero Road, is used for occasional sports events (generally [[College football|football]]) at [[Stanford Stadium]]. Freight trains through Palo Alto are operated by [[Union Pacific]] (formerly [[Southern Pacific Transportation Company|Southern Pacific]]).

There are 4 [[Level crossing|grade crossings]] within city limits, at the intersections of Alma St, Churchill Ave, Meadow Dr, and Charleston Rd. The city has made plans upgrade the southern crossings and even proposed closing the Churchill Ave crossing completely to road traffic, but the project has been a hot-button issue for local residents and politicians for over a decade. The current proposed solution is elevating the tracks above grade, while lowering the roadway below grade.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sheyner |first=Gennady |date=November 24, 2023 |title=Caltrain plans for 4-track segments complicate Palo Alto's effort to redesign rail crossings |url=https://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/2023/11/24/caltrain-plans-for-4-track-segments-complicate-palo-altos-effort-to-redesign-rail-crossings |access-date=November 25, 2023 |website=Palo Alto Weekly |language=en}}</ref> A subway tunnel underneath the right of way and converting the old track bed into a park was also proposed, but eventually dropped after it was deemed to be too costly and concerns over environmental impacts.<ref>{{cite report |url=https://connectingpaloalto.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/XCAP-Final-Report.pdf |title=Report of the Expanded Community Advisory Panel (XCAP) on Grade Separations for Palo Alto |publisher=Connecting Palo Alto |date=March 4, 2021 |access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref> Despite increased train service and Caltrain already installing [[Caltrain Modernization Program|Electric Service]] equipment on the mainline, Palo Alto has no green-lighted plans to address the crossings, except for immediate changes at Churchill Ave to address safety concerns at that intersection.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Transportation/Transportation-Projects/Alma-StreetChurchill-Avenue-Railroad-Crossing-Safety-Improvements-Project |title=Alma Street/Churchill Avenue Safety Improvements Project |publisher=City of Palo Alto Office of Transportation |access-date=August 11, 2023}}</ref>

===Bus===
The Palo Alto Transit Center adjacent to the Palo Alto Train Station is the major bus hub for northern Santa Clara county. The [[Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority]] (VTA) provides primary bus service through Palo Alto with service to the South Bay and Silicon Valley.  [[San Mateo County Transit District]] ([[SamTrans]]) provides service to [[San Mateo County, California|San Mateo County]] to the north but some lines include the Palo Alto Transit Center. The [[Marguerite (free shuttle)|Stanford University Free Shuttle (Marguerite)]] provides a supplementary bus service between Stanford University and the Palo Alto Transit Center, and the Palo Alto Free Shuttle (Crosstown and Embarcadero), which circulates frequently, and provides service to major points in Palo Alto, including the main library, downtown, the Municipal Golf Course, the Palo Alto Transit Center, and both high schools.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/depts/pln/news/details.asp?NewsID=212&TargetID=87 |title=Free Shuttle Schedule |website= |access-date=February 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110505015117/http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/depts/pln/news/details.asp?NewsID=212&TargetID=87 |archive-date=May 5, 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The [[Dumbarton Express]] is a weekday-only limited stop bus service that connects [[Union City station|Union City BART]] in the East Bay to Palo Alto via the Dumbarton Bridge serving Stanford University, Stanford Research Park, Palo Alto Transit Center, and Veterans Hospital.

===Cycling===
[[File:Caltrain_bikes_palo_alto.jpg|thumb|Commuters at Palo Alto Station boarding [[Caltrain]]]]
Cycling is a popular mode of transportation in Palo Alto. 9.5% of residents bicycle to work,<ref name="US Census 2010-2012">[https://www.census.gov/acs/www/ "American Community Survey 2010 – 2012, Table S0801, ''Commuting Characteristics By Sex''"], U.S. Census Bureau.</ref> the highest percentage of any city in the [[San Francisco Bay Area|Bay Area]], and third highest in the United States, after [[Davis, California]] and [[Boulder, Colorado]]. Since 2003, Palo Alto has received a Bicycle Friendly Community status of "Gold" from the [[League of American Bicyclists]].

The city's flat terrain and many quiet tree-shaded residential streets offer comfort and safety to cyclists, and the temperate climate makes year-round cycling convenient. Palo Alto pioneered the [[bicycle boulevard]] concept in the early 1980s, enhancing residential Bryant Street to prioritize it for cyclists by removing stop signs, providing special traffic signals, and installing traffic diverters, and a bicycle/pedestrian bridge over Matadero Creek.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}} However, busy arterial streets which often offer the fastest and most direct route to many destinations, are dangerous for cyclists due to high volumes of fast-moving traffic and the lack of bicycle lanes.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}} El Camino Real, Alma Street, and Embarcadero and Middlefield roads, all identified as "high priorities" for adding bicycle lanes to improve safety by the [[2003 Palo Alto Bicycle Transportation Plan]], still contain no provisions for cyclists.

The Palo Alto Police Department decided to stop using [[tasers]] to detain bicyclists after a 2012 incident in which a 16-year-old boy, who had bicycled through a stop sign, was injured after police officers pursued him, fired a taser at him and suddenly braked their patrol car in front of him, causing the boy to crash.<ref>{{cite news|last=Green|first=Jason|title=Palo Alto: Police no longer using Tasers to stop fleeing cyclists|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_24875516/palo-alto-police-no-longer-using-tasers-stop|access-date=January 11, 2014|newspaper=San Jose Mercury News|date=January 9, 2014}}</ref>

===Walking===
Conditions for walking are excellent in Palo Alto except for crossing high-volume arterial streets such as El Camino Real and Oregon Expressway. Sidewalks are available on nearly every city street, with the notable exception of the Barron Park neighborhood, which was the last to be incorporated into the city. Palo Alto's Street grid is well-connected with few dead-end streets, especially in the city's older northern neighborhoods. An extensive urban forest, which is protected by the city's municipal code, provides shade and visual diversity, and slows motor vehicle traffic. 4.8% of residents walk to work.<ref name="US Census 2010-2012"/>