Atherton installing pedestrian-activated stoplight where man was killed

It is wonderful that a solution has been found and is being implemented so quickly. In a blink, Atherton became a Caltrain quiet zone and is now getting a stoplight where a life was lost. It is not lost on me that Menlo Park is still trying to figure out Ravenswood crossing and other issues that have been going on for quite awhile including the current Marsh Road debacle. Some may say Atherton has the money to get get results faster. I say Menlo Park is no slouch zip code and town leaders should quit tripping over themselves and get to work. BTW-for those of you complaining about the Marsh road detours, there are people all over that are sick, starving and being senselessly murdered. Is a 10 minute detour really going to change your life for three months?

Yeah! I'm so glad this is finally happening. I hope they do the same for the Selby Lane/ECR crosswalk that elementary students take to get home.

Interesting!
In 55+ years of driving in this area the only time I've seen a problem at this crosswalk was when an Atherton police car blew through the crosswalk in the #3 Southbound lane- seemingly totally oblivious to the fact that vehicles in the #1 and # 2 lanes and already come to a stop and 2 women, 1 pushing an occupied baby stroller, were just stepping into the #1 lane. Fortunately a near miss. Hire better cops might be a good back stop solution.
Happened midday on Valentines day 2015.

I like Atherton officer that jumps out in front of traffic on El Camino waving his radar gun at speeders to pull over. One surprised motorist swerved into my lane nearly taking me out. There's also the moto cop that sits in the center divide at the bend... darwin award waiting to happen.

Terrible idea. Tragic as they are, accidents happen. If there was a history of repeated incidents at this site, then OK, lets put in a light. But should we now put in lights and stop signs at every single location where something happens? There has to be a threshold right?

Now let's see everyone in that neighborhood start complaining when the traffic builds up, which it will.

It's about time, I don't want to hear of another person being killed while trying to cross that street or on that street! Thanks for attempting to solve a pedestrian crossing problem and improving the safety of people in our community.

@joe

Adding the light doesn't change the traffic pattern at the intersection. Cars are required to stop for pedestrians at the existing crosswalk. The light merely better informs drivers a pedestrian is there.

A light would prevent dangerous near misses, such as the one @Stan observed.

It's also worth pointing out that El Camino Real is a state highway. As such, the funding for this SHOULD have come from the state, but they dragged their heels for so long, Atherton taxpayers stepped up and resolved it.

"Atherton taxpayers stepped up and resolved it."

No, Atherton is only paying for 50% of this project. The Fire District is paying the other 50%.

So now we're having arguments about how the light was paid for? Seriously?

The important thing to remember here is that something was DONE. THAT is what matters.

Things get DONE because someone pays for them not because of Forum postings.

I'm gonna use the hell out of that light