Progress on Key Community Projects

Furthering community priorities such as public safety, sustainability and climate action and flood control management

Published in

PaloAltoConnect

7 min readMay 16, 2024

The City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) reflects our commitment to investing in the quality of life in Palo Alto, from the buildings and facilities we live and work in, to utilities that sustain us, to parks and open spaces that support our wellbeing, and streets and transportation that get us where we want to be. This community update shares details on key projects advancing priorities supporting public safety, sustainability and climate action, and flood control management.

Since July 2016, the City has completed 96 of these community-serving projects, in the 2024–2028 five-year CIP, which invests $1.2 billion in 209 projects, funded largely through the 2014 Council Infrastructure Plan as well as utility rates and various other sources. The information in this update summarizes a much larger Capital Improvement Program informational report issued to the Council in April 2024.

To read the full report, go here, and attachment to the staff report here.

These projects, as reviewed by the Council in its adoption of the FY 2024 Capital Budget, support all four of the Council’s 2024 Priorities: Climate Change & Natural Environment — Protection & Adaptation; Community Health, Safety, Wellness & Belonging; Economic Development & Transition; Housing for Social & Economic Balance.

Storm Drain System Improvements Milestone Expected in June

With the intensity of storms in recent years, the City has made it a major priority to continuously replace and rehabilitate key aspects of the storm drain system to reduce flooding, including deteriorated piping, manholes, and storm drain inlets. The City aims to reach a major milestone in this project, in June, which includes replacing broken corrugated metal pipe which failed in early 2023 with High Density Polyethylene pipe in three important locations — Forest Avenue, Embarcadero Road, and Fielding Drive.

The expected June completion of the East Meadow Drive & East Meadow Circle Capacity Upgrades project represents completion of two more of the high-priority projects identified in the Storm Drain Master Plan.

Find more on the City’s storm drain system.

Electrical Grid Modernization for a 100% Electric Future

Grid modernization will enhance the distribution system’s grid resiliency and reliability in a manner that will continue to accelerate the City’s clean energy and decarbonization goals. Palo Alto’s grid must be modernized to reach the capacity required to electrify all homes and cars. The modernized system will be designed to fully accommodate energy received from local generation such as rooftop solar, electric vehicles and battery storage, Upgrading overhead lines in Palo Alto neighborhoods through electric grid modernization and piloting the build out of Palo Alto Fiber to the home supports a reliable, sustainable and connected community.

Construction work includes replacing poles, transformers, aerial wires, some cabinets and underground substructure (conduits and splice boxes) in the Public‐Right‐of‐Way, which includes the street, sidewalk and Public Utility Easements that extend two to five feet behind the sidewalk or in some backyards. The pilot program will help inform next steps in advancing the City’s grid modernization and fiber services priorities. Estimated project timeline of the grid modernization pilot is April 2024 through December 2024.

For the project page, go here.

As part of the City’s commitment to sustainability, we’re encouraging community members, businesses and property owners to consider electrification, a shift from fossil fuels to electricity for space and water heating, transportation, and cooking. The ultimate goal is an all-electric lifestyle that is cleaner and healthier than using fossil fuels, and can also be more affordable with Palo Alto’s low electric rates and various rebates for your home or business.

To help support the City’s goal of 100% electrification and 80% carbon emissions reduction by the year 2030, as noted above the City is investing in modernizing its electric infrastructure, replacing older components in the distribution system to reduce chances of overloading the system.

Even one home upgrade to an electric appliance like switching to a heat pump water heater or purchasing an EV supports our goals towards a greener community.

For more resources to go electric, go here.

Palo Alto Fiber Progress

As we began recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the City realized the immediate need to provide high-speed and reliable internet to support work, education, health care, and delivery of government services in the community. In 2025, the City will be deploying Palo Alto Fiber, which will bring broadband, high-speed internet services directly to your home or business. A pilot project, which is being planned to align with the electric grid modernization to capitalize on economies of scale and reduce neighborhood disruptions. Construction is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2024 after CEQA approval.

Read more in the latest update here.

Fire Station 4 Update

The City made major progress in the first half of the fiscal year on replacing the outdated Fire Station №4, located at the corner of Middlefield Road and East Meadow Drive.

A consultant completed the design and received Planning approval in November 2023 for the project, which will create a new facility built to current essential services standards that are critical for maximizing operations during and after a major disaster such as a significant earthquake. A construction management contract was awarded in December 2023, and the design team submitted for building permit review in late April. Work is also underway to install temporary modular buildings at the Cubberley Community Center for a temporary fire station during construction. In April the project team shared details about the construction timeline, and answered questions about Fire operations when stationed at the temporary station. No service impacts are anticipated by the project construction.

Upon completion, the Fire Station will be built to accommodate both an ambulance and an engine and staff is exploring service changes including adding additional resources.

For the project page, go here.

Newell Road Bridge Replacement Starting Soon

After years of planning and community input, removing and replacing the obsolete Newell Road Bridge over San Francisquito Creek is about to start! Award of a construction contract is expected this summer and once the removal and construction begin, the project will take about 18 months to complete. It will help reduce flooding in the area by creating a clear span to allow the channel to convey up to the natural capacity of the San Francisquito Creek, and aims to improve safety for vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic. The project is being closely coordinated with the City of East Palo Alto, Valley Water, and San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority (SFCJPA).

For additional details on the progress made advancing this work, see a recent status update issued on May 15 here.

Public Safety Building Coming Soon

Our new Public Safety Building (PSB) is in the home stretch, with construction expected to be complete this summer! Once open, it will house the Police Department, 911 Emergency Dispatch Center, the Emergency Operations Center, the Office of Emergency Services, and the administration needs of the Fire Department, improving efficiencies for managing and delivering emergency services across our City. Located at 250 Sherman Avenue, the PSB will replace the 1970-built PSB at 275 Forest Avenue.

Construction crews continue to make progress on the PSB in Fiscal Year 2024, completing the roof and permanent building power to the switchgear as well as the communications monopole, installing the Tier 4 emergency generator, and completing the majority of the sitework. As of March 2024, construction is 97% complete. The contractor’s progress on the interior finishes will be followed by the City’s installation of furniture and equipment, with phased move-in of public safety departments expected this summer.

For the PSB project page, go here.