Everyone who lives or works at the Stanford campus, be they freshmen, professors, grounds workers or President Hennessy himself, depends both directly and indirectly on the local street network to carry out their business and enjoy recreational activities. The many malls and arcades that make Stanford’s main campus so postcard-worthy and accessible generally fulfill the demands of the community quite well. Unfortunately, poorly designed intersections on the outskirts of campus contribute to students’ isolation from surrounding cities and also endanger those who travel to and from campus each day.

Palo Alto, taking advantage of outside funding from numerous sources, recently completed renovation of one such intersection — between Stanford Avenue and El Camino Real — and in doing so has provided a model for future improvements elsewhere. The new intersection adds numerous pedestrian amenities designed to narrow the crossing, such as bulb-outs on the corners and a wider median. Colored crosswalks help to increase the visibility and presence of crossings, improving pedestrian safety. New trees, benches and other landscape enhancements aim to provide outdoor gathering places to complement the natural hub generated by a nearby Starbucks. Lines of sight have also been widened to make turns safer for everyone. The city realized the goal of transforming a relatively ugly intersection into one that is not only safer but also feels more inviting.

The improvements to the Stanford Avenue and El Camino Real intersection make several of the less-welcoming entrances to Stanford all the more conspicuous. The intersection of El Camino Real and Galvez Street/Embarcadero Road is one of the most heavily trafficked intersections near campus for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike. In its current state, cyclists must choose between sharing narrow traffic lanes with vehicles that rarely adhere to the 25 mph posted speed limit and illegally riding through narrow crosswalks that are inadequate for pedestrians besides. Proposals to redesign the intersection have been floated in Palo Alto, but have so far been neglected in favor of other projects. Considering the large number of students and employees who use the intersection and the amenity value of a more visually appealing approach to the University, Stanford could offer Palo Alto a financial incentive to take action on the intersection.

One could go on to list many more areas in need of improvement, and indeed, such issues are usually well known to local transportation departments. Nevertheless, improvements to local intersections have come quite slowly. The conditions of local travel improved dramatically in the first half-century of Stanford’s existence, seeing Palm Drive transformed from a muddy dirt path to a famous landmark. By comparison, the last several decades have seen only marginal improvements. It’s time to realize that part of what makes Stanford such a vibrant community is the ease and pleasure with which it can be traversed. The exceptions, where they exist, need not be grudgingly tolerated and should be dealt with sooner rather than later.