Railroad Crossing Safety and Quiet Zones
At a glance
Based on auto-generated captions; names and numbers may be misheard.
- What: At-grade Caltrain crossings in Palo Alto, where drivers keep stopping on the tracks, and the quiet zone work meant to improve crossing safety.
- Where it stands: Construction of the Palo Alto Avenue quiet zone is expected to finish by the end of 2026. A design agreement for the four-quadrant improvements at Churchill, Meadow and Charleston was approved October 5, with design due by the end of 2027.
- Next: After construction, a diagnostic review with the federal railroad regulator, then a return to Council to authorize the notice of establishment for the Palo Alto Avenue quiet zone.
Sources
Log
2026-11-10 - Rail Committee Regular Meeting
The committee heard that three vehicle collisions with trains occurred in the past month, two at Palo Alto Avenue and one at Churchill Avenue, with no injuries, plus a truck that drove through a lowered gate at Churchill. Staff and Caltrain safety staff met to discuss next steps: more police presence, education through city newsletters, a possible Caltrain board move to adopt automated ticketing within one to two months, and signage, signal timing and pavement marking changes. The "keep clear" markings will be moved in front of the tracks as part of the Palo Alto Avenue quiet zone work. Caltrain's track-intrusion detection saw each vehicle but the warning window was too short. Members also asked about the San Francisquito Creek bridge project, with another update expected in January.