In East Palo Alto, the effects of cut-through traffic, congestion, and parking have had serious consequences on the health, safety, and quality of life for residents. In search of solutions, the city hired consultants to conduct a mobility study that provides short-, mid-, and long-term recommendations addressing these issues. To help with these efforts, FUSE Executive Fellow Susan L. Barnes oversaw the study and served as a point of contact for mobility issues within the city, engaging the community and helping create and implement the recommendations, which have been adopted by the city council.
To engage the community, Susan conducted research and hosted meetings with residents to learn about their insights and proposed solutions, while also collaborating with internal and external stakeholders, as well as regional organizations. She helped implement the recommendations adopted by the city council, including projects aimed at decreasing single-occupancy vehicle trips, research into congestion pricing, and working with Google on its Waze navigation app to improve traffic flow. Susan also worked with staff on a Transportation Demand Management Ordinance (TDMO), which will be presented to the city council. As a part of this work, she helped research and develop recommendations for the TDMO, engaged the community and stakeholders and helped identify a third-party consultant to implement and manage the program.
