Students urge wider, brighter bike lanes and repaired sidewalks in Atherton

Students from a local class addressed the committee and showed photos of narrow bike lanes and missing sidewalks, urging the town to make changes that would make active transportation safer for children and neighbors. "The bike lanes are really narrow…cars tend to veer into the bike lane and it makes me feel scared," one student said, describing an encounter on Middleton Road.

Their proposals included widening and brighter paint for bike lanes, installing protective barriers between the roadway and path (bushes or recycled-plastic delineators), and repairing gaps in sidewalks that pose risks for wheelchairs and small children. Students suggested reusing plastic collected at school to produce the delineators and benches, framing the idea as both a safety measure and a local recycling project.

Committee members thanked the students for participating and asked clarifying questions about specific locations and priorities. Staff encouraged the students to attend upcoming council meetings and noted the town's active transportation outreach; a staff member pointed to a townwide active transportation survey and an upcoming public input session.

The presentation concluded with staff encouragement to continue engagement: the committee and staff said they would incorporate local observations into the town's active-transportation planning efforts and outreach for the countywide process that is underway.