Bicyclists in Palo Alto don't have to pedal far to see the fruit of the city's bike master plan, a document that laid the foundation for popular projects like the new bike bridge over U.S. Highway 101 and contentious ones like the Ross Road roundabout at East Meadow intersection.

But as the city moves ahead with an update to the 2012 document, transportation officials are also bracing for a bike project that would dwarf most others and that they had never signed up for: the replacement of parking spots along El Camino Real with bike lanes. The state Department of Transportation, commonly known as Caltrans, is preparing to start constructing the bike lanes in spring 2024 as part of a broader effort to repave El Camino. According to a factsheet that Caltrans released this month, the El Camino project will be completed in fall 2025.

Palo Alto, which has just launched an update to its 2017 bike plan, has some questions and a few concerns. Last week, City Manager Ed Shikada signed off on a letter to Caltrans requesting that agency to provide the collision data that was used to justify its decision to put bike lanes on El Camino. It is also asking the state agency to explore additional safety improvements along the corridor and to help it conduct community outreach. It is requesting a response by Dec. 15.

"Prompt and detailed responses from Caltrans, accompanied by active engagement in these critical stages of our review process, are essential," Shikada's letter states. "This approach will ensure that we can adhere to our planned timeline and foster an informed, transparent, and participatory decision-making process."

The proposal from Caltrans, which owns El Camino Real, has also received a mixed response from the city's leading bike advocates, the Palo Alto Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. When the committee learned about the plan last summer, some members said they generally support the idea of El Camino bike lanes while others said the car-heavy street will remain ill-suited for bicycling unless the new bike corridor comes with additional safety improvements. Just about everyone was surprised to see the project come seemingly out of nowhere.

Caltrans, for its part, is showing no signs of slowing down. Earlier this month, the agency asked the City Council to approve by next spring a resolution that would pave the way for bike lanes by making parking illegal on El Camino, which is also known as State Route 82.

The agency pointed to two particular segments of El Camino in Palo Alto that it deemed to have high safety risks: a small stretch in north Palo Alto, between Quarry Road and Palo Alto Avenue, and a much larger one in south Palo Alto, between the Los Altos border and Park Boulevard. Its work, however, will extend beyond these two segments and cover the entire Palo Alto portion of El Camino, as well as sections in Mountain View and Los Altos.

"In addition to the two segments with higher safety risks in Palo Alto and consistent with Caltrans Complete Streets policy to provide comfortable, convenient, and connected facilities for all travelers, Caltrans intends to extend the continuous bikeways on SR 82 as part of a connected network within the limits of the Cities of Mountain View and Los Altos," Dina El-Tawansy, district director for Caltrans Bay Area, wrote to the council on Nov. 3. "To accommodate the new bikeways within the existing pavement width, existing street parking must be removed and prohibited pursuant to an ordinance adopted by the City of Palo Alto.

"To improve safety for all travelers in the community and pavement condition timely, partnership with the City is critical to engage the community and to advocate for the new bikeways."

In addition to installing 6 miles of bike lanes, the $30.9-million project involves replacing asphalt, repairing failed concrete pavement and upgrading curbs for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Palo Alto's Planning and Transportation Commission heard a brief update on the El Camino project on Nov. 29 as part its broader discussion of local transportation plans. One of these is an update to the 2012 bike master plan that will explore a bike and pedestrian improvements. The other is a "safe streets for all" plan that will look at all modes of transportation, including cars, and consider ways to reduce injury risks at local corridors and intersections.

The city is now soliciting community feedback about transportation improvements through a survey and an interactive map, which could be filled here. The survey and the map will remain open until the end of the year, said Ozzy Arce, senior transportation planner who is leading the effort.

While the city has little leverage when it comes to El Camino, planning commissioners believe the project could pave the way for broader improvements along the corridor. Commissioner Cari Templeton suggested this could be a good time to discuss with the state agency sidewalks repairs.

"Even if we don't own them, I'd consider whether there's an opportunity for us to say to Caltrans, ‘Here are thing we want to see,'" Templeton said.

City officials are also asking Caltrans to consider solutions for unhoused individuals who live in vehicles that park along El Camino Real. This could include "safe parking" options, shelters and hotel rooms, according to Shikada's letter.

A key question that the city is asking — and that Caltrans has yet to answer — is whether the agency will proceed with the El Camino bikeway even if it doesn't approve the resolution to ban parking along El Camino by April.

"Will Caltrans proceed with the installation of bike lanes along SR 82/ El Camino Real in the absence of a resolution from the City Council endorsing parking removal?" Shikada's letter states. "This information is critical for our planning and decision-making processes, and we hope to navigate this aspect of the project with clear understanding and cooperation."

Even though the state route is largely outside the city's purview, Arce told the commission that city staff plan to work with Caltrans on any of their local projects, including El Camino.

"I know that conversation is top of the mind for folks at the moment," he said. "We will continue to work with Caltrans to make the improvements that I think are right for Palo Alto, understanding that it's a Caltrans facility."