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Welcome to my blog where I will post commentary on issues ranging from fiction to public policy. Tucked away in the Idea Boxes are “how to” tips on a variety of projects that have become part of our family’s culture over the years. I hope you’ll find some useful ideas there. My blog will take you through the fantastic journey of writing and publishing fiction, as well as commentary on politics, cultural trends, book reviews and family.

Monday, September 23, 2013

Committee for Dish Access

Please join those of us from the Peninsula who want to continue to have access to Stanford’s Dish hiking trail.  As you may know (http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/show_story.php?id=30977), Stanford is planning to eliminate over half the parking spots on Stanford Avenue and substitute parking on Coyote Hill Road, south of Page Mill and a good half mile from the Dish gate.

Two community meetings have been held on this subject, but few Dish walkers have shown up.  The audience consisted largely of Stanford neighbors who are tired of so much traffic on Stanford Avenue and on their streets.

Stanford Community Relations will take additional comments on this subject before it goes to County of Santa Clara for approval at communityrelations@Stanford.edu.  Please let them know that you care about access to the Dish and appreciate the health benefits of Stanford’s beneficence, but that Coyote Hill Road is too far from the gate and too cumbersome to cross busy Page Mill and walk so far along Junipero Serra before hitting the first hill.  You can ask Stanford Community Relations to be put on their mailing list for information about Dish parking.

Also we have formed a Committee for Dish Access and hope you will consent to joining our email list by sending an email to CommitteeforDishAccess@gmail.com.  This will not result in your name or email address being sent to anyone else without your consent.  It just enables us to keep you informed and to organize the community if future opportunities come up for your input.

If people who hike the Dish don’t speak up, we could find ourselves without access to this wonderful space.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS LINK TO FRIENDS WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN DISH ACCESS.

4 comments:

  1. Access to the dish provides a huge benifit to many neighbors of Stanford. I sympathize with residents on campus who want to minimize traffic and limiting parking would do that but the cost is too great. A compromise has tto be saught. Surely Stanford and Palo Alto can work together more effectively and creatively than the congress (with a small C in Washington. How about adding parking along Junipera Serra? It's a place to start talking.

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    1. I agree that the current situation is not ideal. In addition to your idea about parking along Junipero Serra, I think they should look at Old Page Mill, with gate access, or even putting in a light and a gate across from Old Coyote. I also don't understand why the Perimeter Trail, as it's called, has to eliminate all parking on the north side of Stanford Ave. Seems like there's extra space behind the current parking on the south side.

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  2. Thanks for taking the lead on this. I'm joining, and forwarding to everyone I know who walks the Dish. The only issue I have is that Dish walkers don't know - is it possible to stand one Sat and Sun morning in front with flyers?

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    1. While I sympathize with walkers who enjoy access to the trails, please take a moment to put yourself in the shoes of the residents who live near Stanford Avenue and the Dish. Imagine if the streets surrounding your home, and your block itself, were constantly clogged with cars. How would this change your quality of life? I have seen a number of drivers making dangerous U-turns at fast speeds around the neighborhood in search of parking with no regard for the safety of residents and children in particular. Stanford Avenue and its surrounding streets are simply not viable or safe spaces for large numbers of people to be parking.

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