This petition emerges from deep sorrow and pain. On Mar 4th 2025, a precious young life was tragically lost—a student from Palo Alto High School. This incident exposes the reality of the dangerously hectic commute our children encounter everyday while crossing the Churchill intersection to get to school. Compounded with heavy traffic on Alma Street, the concurrent pass of trains creates an untenably unsafe environment for students during peak hours which is only made worse by the very limited sidewalk space at that intersection.

The intersection, specifically during the school hours, witnesses high student pedestrian traffic along with regular car traffic on Alma for parents dropping their kids off and regular peak hour traffic of people passing Palo Alto on their way to work etc. The current Caltrain schedule allows trains to pass through these peak hours, multiplying the risk for our students. This problem has now escalated to a point where it isn’t only a concern, but a pressing life-threatening issue.

We demand the following: 

1. It's illegal to turn right on Churchill going south on Alma during peak hours. Yet people ignore the signs. From 8.30 to 9.15am, this needs to be enforced by physically blocking the right turn (placing cones etc) and other enforcement measures by the city.
2. During peak hours, a large percentage of the 1,992 kids who go to Paly cross Churchill intersection. Permanent Crossing guards need to be posted during peak hours. The role of this person is to ensure kids cross Alma safely and monitor the number of kids reaching the junction can safely be accommodated on the island before the tracks. There is not enough space for all children on foot, bikes or e-bikes without finding themselves stuck between a train and Alma street's high speed traffic. 
3. The railway junction should be monitored by a security guard at least at peak periods if not longer to ensure safety of our children. 
4. The junction itself needs to be improved by making more room by cleaning up bushes on one side and using the unused space, creating a sort of a bull pen that can provide more space for kids to stand in that area safely. See our proposals here. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Q-BAERvsYVqumnaMLrqhZQKuX_HTtm0x05qS3-954S8/edit?usp=sharing
5. Caltrain to adjust their schedule during school peak hours to avoid any trains passing the Churchill intersection.  This adjustment would need to be made for just 4 trains out of the ~28 Caltrains that run on this path in the morning and evening each. Alternatively these 4 trains can slow down when passing through this junction between 8.30-9am and 3.30 to 4.30pm every week day.

These simple adjustments could drastically increase the safety of our children’s journey to school. It's time we prioritize the safety of our children over the routine functioning of a public transport schedule.
 
Please sign this petition and help advocate for the much needed changes for the sake of our children just trying to get to school.