Palo Alto Commission Rejects Proposed El Dorado Bike Tunnel
City planners voted unanimously to pause plans for an El Dorado Avenue bike tunnel after neighborhood pushback over street width and property concerns.
The Palo Alto Planning and Transportation Commission voted unanimously to hold off on recommended bike tunnel options at El Dorado Avenue following significant pushback from Midtown neighbors.
Residents voiced strong concerns during a public hearing that the residential roadway is too narrow to safely handle bicycle traffic alongside vehicles and street parking. Neighbors also raised objections to the potential property takings required to construct the underpass.
Instead of advancing the El Dorado tunnel designs to the City Council, commissioners asked staff to further study tunnel alternatives at Loma Verde Avenue and explore the possibility of a pedestrian and cyclist overpass across the Caltrain tracks.