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Home My WebLink AboutStaff Report 2604-6320CITY OF PALO ALTO CITY COUNCIL Special Meeting Monday, May 11, 2026 Council Chambers & Hybrid 4:30 PM Agenda Item 8.Expedited Evaluation of the Potential Temporary Closure of the Churchill Avenue Rail Crossing, Determination of Next Steps, and CEQA Status – Statutorily and Categorically Exempt. Supplemental Report added (Continued Item from 4/15/2026 – On April 15, 2026, the City Council Received Presentations and Public Testimony; The Item is Continued to May 11, 2026 for further Council Discussion, Deliberation, and Potential Action – No Additional Public Testimony Will be Heard on May 11, 2026.) Public Comment City Council Staff Report From: City Manager Report Type: ACTION ITEMS Lead Department: City Manager Meeting Date: May 11, 2026 Report #:2604-6320 TITLE Expedited Evaluation of the Potential Temporary Closure of the Churchill Avenue Rail Crossing, Determination of Next Steps, and CEQA Status – Statutorily and Categorically Exempt. BACKGROUND This item is a continuation of Agenda Item Number 1 on the City Council April 15, 2026 meeting agenda. The original staff report and attachments are available online here (Agenda Item Number 1): https://cityofpaloalto.primegov.com/Portal/Meeting?meetingTemplateId=20077 On April 15, 2026, City Council considered this item and continued it to May 11, 2026. On April 15, 2026, City Council heard the staff presentation and public testimony; this item continued to the May 11, 2026 City Council meeting is for continued Council discussion, deliberation, and potential action – No public testimony will be heard on May 11, 2026. ATTACHMENTS Attachment A: Supplemental Report Issued April 30, 2026 APPROVED BY: Ed Shikada, City Manager Item No. 8. Page 1 of 2 9 8 9 9 City Council Supplemental Report From: Ed Shikada, City Manager Meeting Date: May 11, 2026 Item Number: 8 Report #:2604-6305 TITLE Expedited Evaluation of the Potential Temporary Closure of the Churchill Avenue Rail Crossing, Determination of Next Steps, and CEQA Status – Statutorily and Categorically Exempt. RECOMMENDATION Continue the expedited evaluation of the Churchill Avenue temporary rail crossing closure agenda item from the City Council meeting on April 15, 2026, as recommended by the Rail Safety Ad Hoc Committee to May 11, 2026, to finalize direction. BACKGROUND At the April 15, 2026, City Council meeting, the Rail Safety Ad Hoc Committee recommended that after receiving the evaluation and public input of the expedited evaluation of the Churchill Avenue temporary rail closure, the City Council continue the agenda item to the May 11, 2026, City Council meeting to finalize direction. This Supplemental Report addresses questions requiring follow-up from the City Council meeting on April 15. Quiet Zones Timeline Quiet Zone implementation along the Caltrain corridor is a City Council priority. The Quiet Zone effort is planned to be implemented in two phases: 1) Palo Alto Avenue (Alma Street) crossing; and 2) Churchill Avenue, Meadow Drive, and Charleston Road crossings. For the Palo Alto Avenue crossing, design was completed in 2025, and required improvements are under construction. Next steps consist of staff seeking final review by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) staff before issuing the Notice of Establishment (NOE) expected in summer 2026. For the Churchill Avenue, Meadow Drive, and Charleston Road crossings, Quiet Zone implementation involves installation of four quadrant gate systems at each of these three Item No. 8. Page 2 of 2 9 8 9 9 crossings. The study was completed in 2025 and the conceptual plan for improvements was approved by the City Council on November 10, 2025. Staff is collaborating with Caltrain as the City will complete the design and Caltrain will implement the construction. The initial estimated cost for all three crossings is $5.7 million. The project design is currently funded in FY 2027 ($0.4 million) and FY 2028 ($1 million), with construction funded in FY 2029 ($4.2 million) and 2030 ($0.1 million) based on the availability of Measure K funding, the local business tax measure that includes funding for rail grade separation and safety improvements. Project Design and Construction by Caltrain: This alternative was previously considered; however, due to limited staffing resources at Caltrain, it was determined that the City should complete the design before transferring the project to Caltrain for construction. Additionally, the FRA requires that Quiet Zone requests be submitted by the local agency. Caltrain recommended that the City secure all necessary CPUC and FRA reviews and approvals prior to transitioning the project. Process Efficiency and Streamlining in the Design Phase: The design phase includes procurement, agreement execution, and regulatory reviews. Procurement typically takes 3–6 months, while agreements with Caltrain require Rail Committee review and City Council approval. Negotiations, coordination, agendizing and approvals can be time- consuming and/or resource intensive. These activities could be streamlined by securing earlier funding availability (such as consolidating both phases of design into FY 2027) and providing the City Manager with authority to proceed with a solicitation exemption, negotiations, and contract execution. These actions could accelerate the project design timeline from 18 months to approximately 10 months. Allocate Dedicated Staff to Accelerate Implementation: The Office of Transportation has currently engaged an hourly project manager to advance efforts associated with the Churchill Ave evaluation of the potential temporary closure project. This position utilizes salary savings associated with current vacancies. To continue to accelerate this work into the next fiscal year following successful recruitment efforts, funding would be needed for a limited term position or ongoing hourly project manager. JED Foundation: APPROVED BY: Ed Shikada, City Manager From:Sarah Epstein To:Council, City Cc:board@pausd.org Subject:Don"t Close Churchill Avenue Date:Monday, May 11, 2026 10:39:47 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council, Thank you very much for the careful thought you are putting into making a decision about what to do regarding the rail crossing at Alma and Churchill. I urge you to NOT close the crossing. I live in Professorville and am a parent of 2 former PAUSD students My concern is that the closing of the Churchill crossing will create a situation that increases danger in an already dangerous situation for bikers, pedestrians and cars along Embarcadero and also for anyone in need of emergency services. At peak times of the day including but not limited to morning commute and beginning of the school day, and around special events at Stanford, westbound traffic on Embarcadero already backs up past Emerson Street and crawls forward. While I am not as familiar with traffic moving the other direction, I believe it gets quite congested as well. If an emergency vehicle needed to move from one side of the tracks to the other side in a hurry, the traffic congestion would surely hamper their ability to move quickly, lengthen their response time, and perhaps prevent life saving assistance. At the current traffic level, driver stress is likely already high and in what appears to be their hurry to make up time, or maybe to avoid another red light ahead, I have witnessed many making dangerous lane change decisions especially near the crosswalk to Paly and entrance to Town and Country. This endangers other drivers as well as students, and these are not only Paly students. Young people from Castilleja, Green, Walter Hayes, Addison, the Zuckerberg's school on Emerson Street whether traveling alone or with an adult, are all at risk. As a daily pedestrian and frequent bicyclist in that area, I can also say that students on the way to or from school are not paying attention to who else is on the sidewalk, or in the tunnel. The close calls between bikes and pedestrians are terrifying to witness and experience. Adding more cars, bicycles and pedestrians will not make this situation better. I know that changes to improve safety will be made at the intersection of Emerson and Embarcadero (north side) over the summer. We have yet to see what the impact of those will This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast be but no matter what, there will still be a pinch point at the tunnel and with more cars, more bikes and more pedestrians, the chance of injury or death will have just been kicked down the road from one risky place to another. Please DO NOT close the rail crossing at Churchill. Sincerely, Sarah Epstein From:Kathy Jordan To:Council, City Subject:Please do not close Churchill Date:Wednesday, May 6, 2026 1:10:09 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Thank you. Kathy Jordan This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:mauryg3@comcast.net To:Council, City Subject:FW: Churchill Ave. rail crossing Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 1:13:55 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i From: mauryg3@comcast.net <mauryg3@comcast.net> Sent: Wednesday, May 6, 2026 8:55 PM To: 'pat.burt@paloalto.gov' <pat.burt@paloalto.gov>; 'ed.lauing@paloalto.gov' <ed.lauing@paloalto.gov>; 'george.lu@paloalto.gov' <george.lu@paloalto.gov>; 'julie.lythcotthaims@paloalto.gov' <julie.lythcotthaims@paloalto.gov>; 'keith.reckdahl@paloalto.gov' <keith.reckdahl@paloalto.gov>; 'greer.stone@paloalto.gov' <greer.stone@paloalto.gov>; 'vicki.veenker@paloalto.gov' <vicki.veenker@paloalto.gov>; 'citycouncil@paloalto.gov' <citycouncil@paloalto.gov> Subject: Churchill Ave. rail crossing Palo Alto City Council members, I oppose the closing of the Churchill Ave. rail crossing. IT WILL NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. It will do more harm than good. Nor will the placing of 24hr guards at the crossing solve the problem. Just consider the distance between Churchill Ave and East Meadow. More than ample opportunity for anyone intent on committing suicide to enter the tracks. The only truly effective solution would be a system of motion detecting cameras to alert the train driver. And, I must ask, why does Burlingame High School adjacent to the tracks not have the problem? As the saying goes, “if you want to solve a problem, be sure the problem you’re solving is the one you have.” Look to the cause(s), whether it be bullying or academic pressure. These are problems for the School District to address, not the City Council. Maurice Green, PhD This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Caroline Japic To:Council, City Subject:PLEASE KEEP CHURCHILL OPEN! Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 9:03:59 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council, Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this important issue and for listening to the many residents who spoke at the recent meeting. The overwhelming public response against closure reflects how deeply this crossing matters to the community. Closing Churchill would significantly increase congestion in Northern Palo Alto, compromise emergency response times, and create additional safety concerns for students biking and walking along already crowded routes like Embarcadero. It would also be extremely difficult to reopen the crossing in the future once closed. I also want to thank the Council for installing security guards at the crossings. I support these measures and believe they can improve safety while keeping Churchill open for the many residents, students, and families who rely on it every day. Please consider the strong community support for keeping Churchill open when you vote on May 11. Sincerely, Caroline & Haris Japic 1655 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA 94306 650-619-4162 This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Marion Krause To:Council, City Subject:Please keep Churchill open Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 9:39:38 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hello Palo Alto City Council, I write to you today to urge you to vote “No” on closing Churchill Avenue at the train rail crossing for the following reasons (I've listed them in order of importance in my opinion): emergency response to and from the area will be compromised Embarcadero Rd. is a dangerous alternative for students biking and walking to Paly Northern Palo Alto and Embarcadero Rd. will become seriously more congested Instead of closing Churchill Ave., please keep the Security Guards at all three of the rail crossing points. Student safety is, of course, very important but closing Churchill is not the answer. More mental health outreach and access for students is what is required. Sincerely, Marion Krause 1646 Castilleja Ave. This message needs your attention This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:george chaltas To:Council, City Cc:george chaltas Subject:Churchill Crossing Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 10:32:53 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ! As a resident of Southgate, I sympathize with the recent Paly High suicide issue but strongly oppose closing off Churchill Avenue which would require students to take more dangerous routes (Embarcadero) to campus. George Chaltas 251 Miramonte Ave. Palo Alto This message could be suspicious The sender's email address couldn't be verified. This is their first mail to some recipients. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Kathy Jordan To:Council, City Subject:Please keep Churchill crossing open Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 10:48:26 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Thank you. Kathy Jordan This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Prasad Chakka To:Council, City Subject:Regarding closure of Churchill Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 11:25:35 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hi, I am a Palo Alto resident for 10+ years and live in South Gate and have a son at Paly. First I want to thank you for setting up presence at crossings permanently and I think that is an effective way to deter the unfortunate suicide attempts. Closing Churchill will cause challenges for all Palo Alto and Stanford residents. Out family drives through that crossing atleast 10 times a day. And I see how busy that intersection is and moving all of that to other already busy intersections will make even small errands like driving to a different city altogether. Closing the Churchill will separate the two parts of the town and the current Palo Alto charm that we all love will disappear. But if all of this improves the chances of saving a person even by a 1% I would be for closing Churchill but alas that would not be the case in this instance. Thanks for reading, Prasad This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Karen Hohner To:Council, City Subject:Opposition to Churchill closing Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 11:30:45 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council, I oppose the closing of the Churchill crossing. My primary concerns with the closing are as follows: - decreased access to emergency responders and evacuation routes - increased congestion and accidents for pedestrians and cyclists on Embarcadero and side streets - increased vehicle congestion throughout North Palo Alto on Embarcadero, Alma, Oregon Expressway, and all side streets - decreased access to Walter Hays (especially dangerous for young children), Castilleja, and 101 I think the use of crossing guards should be continued to ensure student safety, and more attention should be paid to decreasing bullying, both online and in person. Thank you for your consideration. Karen Hohner Karen Hohner 300 Miramonte Ave. Palo Alto, CA 94306 650-328-0381 650-380-3229 mobile khohner@gmail.com This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Marion Odell To:Council, City Subject:Churchill Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 11:49:11 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Please keep Churchill open for traffic. Closing will overburden the traffic on The Embarcadero Thank you, Marion Odell Downtown resident This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Jaeho Kim To:Council, City Subject:Oppose the Closure of the Churchill Avenue Crossing Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 12:42:38 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council, As a long-time resident of the Southgate neighborhood where I have raised my three children, I am writing to strongly urge you to vote against the closure of the Churchill Avenue crossing. Having lived in this community for many years, I have seen firsthand how vital this artery is for the safety and flow of our neighborhood. Closing Churchill would create significant challenges for our local families, specifically: Student Safety: My children grew up navigating these streets, and I am deeply concerned that diverting Churchill traffic onto Embarcadero will create a much more dangerous environment for the students currently biking and walking to Paly and nearby elementary schools. Emergency Response: In a complex emergency, every second is critical. I am concerned that the increased congestion on secondary routes like Castilleja Avenue will delay fire and police response times for Southgate residents. Effectiveness of Current Measures: The presence of security guards at the crossings has proven to be an effective and reliable safety measure. I fully support continuing this program as a superior alternative to a permanent closure. Churchill is a lifeline for our part of the city. I ask that you listen to the voices of the residents who rely on this crossing daily and vote to keep it open on May 11. Thank you for your time and for your service to our community. Sincerely, Jae Ho Kim Yahoo Mail: Search, Organize, Conquer This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Lawrence Lau To:Council, City Subject:No to closing Churchill Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 12:58:51 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto city council, I highly doubt that the closing of the Churchill crossing will solve the problem. Do we have the count as to how many of those deaths are impulsive? If the Churchill crossing is closed, people can walk 20 minutes to the Palo Alto train station. It is closer than walking from Gunn to the Charleston crossing. The money for closing the crossing is better to spend on hiring security guards, which has been proven to be an effective way, and mental health programs. Thank you. Lawrence. Sent from my iPhone From:Jyothi To:Council, City Subject:Please keep Churchill open for traffic Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 1:23:37 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i I support keeping the Churchill crossing open: For better traffic flow For emergencies For reducing congestion on El Camino and Page Mill Thanks, Jyothi This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:wangmcl@gmail.com To:Council, City Subject:Keep Churchill open Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 1:54:59 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Council members, Several years ago another city councilor wanted to turn Middlefield Rd from 4 lanes into two. As he didn’t live in the area one morning he decided to check it out - try to get onto Middlefield Rd from one of the side streets at rush hour. It took him 20 mins before there was an opening in all four lanes of traffic to make the turn safely. Thus he learned how important having the four lanes was and dropped his proposal. I would suggest the councilors sit at Churchill and Alma for an hour morning and afternoon at rush hour, and do the same at Embarcadero, Oregon, E Meadow and Charleston roads to learn the importance of Churchill, and get a better understanding of what will happen if you close Churchill and redirect the 7000+ cars that use it every day to the other roads. There would be gridlock! This issue is not just about Southgate but the potential effect on the whole of Palo Alto and its traffic and quality of life! Yours sincerely, Marjorie McLaren This message needs your attention No employee in your company has ever replied to this person. This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Terry Rice To:Council, City Subject:Keep Churchill Open!! Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 2:02:53 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council: Thank you for your sincere consideration regarding the closing of Churchill Avenue. It is a difficult decision but one that I believe has been made easier by the success of the Churchill Security Guards now and in the past. I have lived on Embarcadero Road near Gamble Garden for many years. Bicyclists and people on motorbikes ( most I believe to be students) now share the sidewalks with me due to the increased traffic on Embarcadero.. Closing Churchill will only direct more traffic onto the Embarcadero corridor. Please vote KEEP CHURCHILL OPEN. Thank you. Terry Rice This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:mashru6@gmail.com To:Council, City Subject:Churchgate Crossing Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 2:19:18 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Council members, I strongly support closing the crossing until a long term solution is found. We can not risk any more youth life. By closing it, the community will be encouraged to find a permanent long term solution quickly. This decision has been in the limbo for near a decade due to deep community differences. This is an appropriate opportunity to take action, save lives and get the community closer to a permanent solution. Rajesh Mashruwala Melville Ave, Palo Alto This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Eleanor Laney To:Council, City Subject:Leaving Churchill open Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 2:30:23 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Council. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this important issue and for listening to the many residents who spoke at the recent meeting. The overwhelming public response against closure reflects how deeply this crossing matters to the community. Several years ago the council and city resident committee considered ramification of the increased number of Cal Trains due to electrification. As you know, many options were considered and the council realized it couldn’t pit one part of Palo Alto against another in a final resolution. It seems that a partial raised crossing and path was decided on but then the subject was delayed for future study and changes in CalTrain. Now the subject has arisen again but motivated by tragic human circumstances. Although I am deeply sympathetic with the families suffering losses of life, still the closing of Churchill would significantly increase congestion in Northern Palo Alto, compromise emergency response times, and create additional safety concerns for students biking and walking along already crowded routes like Embarcadero. It would also be extremely difficult to reopen the crossing in the future once closed. It is so reassuring to see the council quickly respond by installing security guards at the crossings. I support these measures and believe they can improve safety while keeping Churchill open for the many residents, students, and families who rely on it every day. The school increasing the mental health support as well as monitoring the on line interactions of students could help in a way that seems to address the root of the student health problem. Please consider the strong community support for keeping Churchill open when you vote on May 11. Sincerely, Eleanor Laney This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Eric Seedman To:Council, City Subject:Keep Churchill Open Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 2:36:21 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Honorable Councilmembers Please keep Churchill open. Do not close it. It seems crystal clear and undisputed that closing Churchill will increase traffic. The degree to which this would occur is disputed, but it could be potentially extremely severe. This will likely lead to more and more dangerous scenarios on other arteries, which could become as dangerous as the problem that it’s meant to solve. Stationing Security Guards at the crossings has been 100% effective in preventing deaths on the tracks in the past. In addition, the security guards are in place, cover all 4 crossings, and are cheaper than closure. I am certain that we can find ways, probably using advanced technology, that could even improve the security system that is in current use. If it is determined at a later date, post closure, that this had been a huge mistake and the consequences too severe, I fear that reopening would be nearly impossible. Thank you for voting against closing Churchill. -Eric Seedman Sent from my iPhone This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Bob Stillerman To:Council, City Subject:Please don"t close Churchill! Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 2:50:39 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Council Members, As a long-time resident of Southgate (44 years), I am aware of the issues associated with the railroad tracks at Churchill and Alma. As I pass the intersection multiple times daily, I see the security guards actively inspecting the rail crossing when a train signals its arrival. As I understand it, the security service presence has always been successful in preventing suicide incidents. To further secure the intersection, technology enhancements could be effective: radar-based detection, thermal imaging, more substantial barriers to replace the current railroad crossing gates. These may take time to approve and deploy, but they would likely be effective in deterring pedestrian access to the tracks. I have attended prior Council meetings and am convinced that the disruption likely to be caused by the closure at Churchill would be enormous and would result in other, possibly worse, safety hazards on the diverted roads and passageways. Council members are aware of these issues from the many consultant studies already conducted and comments from other Palo Alto residents. At a prior meeting on this subject, I suggested that if the Council is insistent on denying access to the Churchill crossing for Paly students, then a more reasonable approach would be to close access to Churchill Avenue from Palo Alto HS at the southern campus border. While this will certainly affect students arriving from points south of the campus, the impact would be borne by hundreds of individuals and not the many thousands that a Churchill crossing closure would impact. I appreciate the Council’s attention to the matter of teen suicide and the time spent in considering community sentiment on this important issue. I encourage the Council to This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report continue to work with the PAUSD to develop programs to assist troubled students and create a safe environment for high quality education and learning for our youth. Bob Stillerman 1363 Madrono Avenue From:Nick Atkins To:Council, City Subject:Important - please keep Churchill open Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 3:12:30 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Council, I'm writing to ask you to keep Churchill open when you vote on May 11. The room at the recent meeting made the community position pretty clear, and I want to add my voice to it. Closing Churchill pushes traffic onto Embarcadero and the other northern routes that are already crowded with kids walking and biking to school. It slows emergency response in that part of town. And once a crossing like this is closed, it is, realistically, closed for good. That's a decision worth being very sure about. I also want to say thank you for putting security guards at the crossings. That was the right call, and from where I sit it's the kind of measure that actually addresses the safety concern without taking the crossing away from the families who use it every day. Please keep Churchill open. Sincerely, Nick Atkins 1102 Emerson St Father to Paly student Leon Atkins This message needs your attention This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Barbara Wallace To:Council, City Subject:Please keep Churchill open Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 3:50:10 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Members of City Council, Please keep Churchill open. Please consider the predicted effects of a temporary closure without mitigations identified several years ago by XCAP and the consultants who reported to City officials. I am a longtime resident of Lincoln Avenue, a street broad enough to accommodate two-way traffic and parking on both sides. For generations (four in my case), Lincoln has been a walking and bicycle route for students and workers heading to Addison, Castilleja, Paly, and Stanford. Lincoln is next to the Alma-High-Emerson-Kingsley-Bryant (bike boulevard) network of streets adjacent to Embarcadero. On occasion Lincoln has received a flood of traffic temporarily diverted from Embarcadero. If the Churchill crossing is closed without mitigations, I foresee a daily repetition of overflow congestion from Embarcadero and driver frustration at the tight network of neighborhood stop signs. I worry for the safety of walkers, bikers, pram-pushers, dogwalkers, drivers trying to back out of driveways, downtown workers in cars or on foot, and elderly walkers like me. Deaths on our train tracks, accidental or intentional, are always tragic. Level crossings in Palo Alto are hazardous. I am grateful for the Council's part in installing Security Guards at all crossings. Opposing closure does not indicate insensitivity to student wellness and safety. Closing the Churchill crossing without mitigations is reckless. XCAP and the consultants show us why. Sincerely, Barbara Wallace From:vic.schrader@yahoo.com To:Council, City Subject:Keep Churchill open Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 4:14:27 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Council: Please keep Churchill open. As a Southgate resident and parent of two former Paly students, I am painfully aware of the wrenching nature of the suicides. My younger daughter lost a co- worker to suicide on the tracks in the past year. I believe that there is a natural impetus, given the extreme gravity of the problem, to embrace an extreme structural solution without full consideration of the consequences. Consider the soft solution that has already been implemented-- security guards posted at the intersections. This is an effective means to prevent suicides, and even if only implemented temporarily, gives the community time to consider solutions that are more structural. Even so, the fiscal break-even point between guards and structural solutions is far down the line-- we can pay a lot of guards for a long time before it is as expensive as even the cheapest structural solution. And closing Churchill does nothing to improve the other RxR streets, so it will increase the pressure at all of these other intersections, making security guards at those points even more necessary. of day, speeding is so prevalent now that any vehicle traveling at the speed limit is actually a dangerous obstruction-- i.e., the speed limit is ignored by well over 50% of vehicles. With any closure, residential streets parallel to Embarcadero will certainly become impacted with additional cars, with speeding and dangerous maneuvers becoming increasingly common. This is all to say nothing of the danger to bike riders and pedestrians. Best Regards, Victor Schrader 1620 Portola Ave Palo Alto 94306 This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Kathy Wait To:Council, City Subject:Churchill Crossing Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 4:37:00 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto City Council, We are requesting that you do not close the Churchill Crossing. It does not seem to be the best answer to a serious and important decision. Closing the crossing will add to many traffic problems as well as safety concerns. Neighborhoods will become congested, pedestrian and biking traffic will be endangered and safety responses may be delayed. The Crossing Guards is a practical, successful and much safer answer. We hope that you will seriously consider our request and leave the Churchill Crossing as is. Sincerely, Kathy and Greg Wait Sent from my iPad From:Gregory A Wait To:Council, City Subject:Churchill closure Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 4:49:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Honorable Councilmembers Please keep Churchill open. Do not close it. Closing it endangers many more students than the current situation does. Adding more traffic to an already severely impacted Embarcadero puts Palystudents biking and walking to school at higher risk of injury and death In fact, more traffic worsens crossing safety at intersections all along Embarcadero,affecting not just Paly, but also Castilleja, Walter Hays, Duveneck, Addison, andZuckerberg (BBS) School on Emerson Closing also endangers residents of Southgate and neighborhoods along theEmbarcadero corridor by delaying emergency police and fire response. Although theApril 15 Staff report estimated only a 15-second average increase in response times, thisnumber was based on increases in distance traveled and did not consider the effects ofpotential slow-downs on the main corridors and secondary routes due to additional traffic. Even without detailed analysis of traffic impacts, the Fire and Police chiefs anticipatedmuch slower "second-wave" responses in case of a complex emergency. Stationing Security Guards at the crossings has been 100% effective in preventing deathson the tracks in the past. In addition, the security guards are in place, cover all 4 crossings, and are cheaper than closure. Churchill is just one of 4 crossings and of the 11 recorded youth suicides, only twowere at Churchill. If closing is the only effective deterrent, then closing the other crossings should behigher priority. On the other hand, if we trust the guards to be effective at the higher-risk crossings,we should trust them for Churchill. Thank you for voting against closing it. Gregory Wait From:William Damon To:Council, City Subject:Do not close Churchill Ave Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 7:06:04 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council members, Closing Churchill Avenue would create a serious public health risk. If the crossing is closed, it will only be a matter of time until someone who has a heart attack or a stroke will not be able to get emergency services in the time necessary for adequate health treatment. Does the City Council want to take responsibility for future health catastrophes? Of course, the thought of young people hurting themselves is terrible, but it is highly speculative that closing this one particular crossing would do anything useful to prevent this problem. What is not speculative is that residents along the passageway will experience the need for emergency services on many occasions. Keeping crossing guards on-site and active is a safer and more realistic way to address the safety needs of troubled young people without risking placing all neighborhood residents at grave risk. Sincerely, William Damon Palo Alto resident From:Kate McKenzie To:Council, City Subject:PLEASE! DON"T CLOSE CHURCHILL Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 8:53:50 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i To The Honorable City Council Members, Please let the facts of a Churchill closure direct your decision: While suicides are tragic and we must absolutely be dedicated to trying to prevent them, the conclusions reached by JED and shared at the last Council meeting speak for themselves: There is no guarantee or research that ensures that suicides will stop with Churchill closed, when there are other crossings in Palo Alto. Closure of Churchill will re-direct between 7,000 and 8,000 cars a day, along with hundreds of bikers to our other arteries, which are not able to accommodate the added traffic. Additional cars at our other crossings will decrease safety for those commuters It will: Dramatically decrease safety for our bikers who then will need to funnel onto Embarcadero, not currently set up for large numbers of commuters Dramatically decrease safety for our neighborhoods where cars and bikers will cut through to decrease added commute time Dramatically decrease safety for those emergency vehicles on a daily, if not hourly basis using Embarcadero to get to Stanford Hospital. Dramatically decrease safety for those humans riding in ambulances. Isolate and decrease safety in the Southgate neighborhood. Increase Paly congestion on Churchill as cars rush onto Churchill to park near the Paly Football field, with only one way in and out. Dramatically increase traffic along the El Camino corridor. Please, continue to support the crossing guards at Churchill and keep Churchill open. Nearly 10,000 lives will be affected by your decision every day. This message needs your attention No employee in your company has ever replied to this person. This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Thank you, Sincerely, Kate McKenzie PAUDS District Office Employee, Paly Instructor for 15 years, and Southgate Resident From:G Kwok To:Council, City Subject:Fw: Please keep Churchill open Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 8:59:47 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i From: G Kwok <gvkman@hotmail.com> Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2026 8:52 PM To: CityCouncil@PaloAlto.gov <CityCouncil@PaloAlto.gov> Subject: Please keep Churchill open Dear Council Members Please do not close Churchill. Churchill is a major thoroughfare. If it is closed, there will be serious traffic congestion on the adjacent road such as El Camino and Embarcadero. The citizens in South Gate will have a very difficult time to get in and out of Southgate neighborhood. The closure will also dangerously affect emergency response to the Southgate neighborhood. Please continue to have Security Guards at all the crossings. I believe the measure is important and effective. Thank you for the consideration. Sincerely Gerry Kwok 1653 Mariposa Ave Palo Alto, CA 94306 This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Anne Colby To:Council, City Subject:PLEASE DO NOT CLOSE THE CHURCHILL TRAIN CROSSING Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 9:25:18 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council members: I fully understand that we all need to contribute toward a mechanism to prevent suicides on the Caltrain tracks. We can't let more young students lose their lives. But closing Churchill Avenue is not the way to do it. The guards work fine, and there are no doubt other measures that could also work, like closing any access to and from the Palo campus along the Churchill side. For so very many reasons, it is just not feasible to close and then later reopen that railroad crossing. And it will cause massive problems, even likely loss of life to do so. PLEASE BE CREATIVE IN FINDING OTHER WAYS TO PROTECT OUR YOUTH. We must find ways to help these deeply unhappy children to feel good about their lives and have hope for the future. To accomplish this, the families and schools must work together to address the students' mental health. Closing Churchill Ave will do nothing to address these mental health issues. A closure would cause great harm to the larger surrounding community without addressing the heart of the matter in any meaningful way. Thank you for considering these comments. Sincerely, Anne Colby Southgate home-owner From:Barbara Ann Hazlett To:Council, City Subject:Please Do Not Close Churchill Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 9:49:27 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council: I am against the proposed closure of the Churchill Ave. rail crossing. Churchill today carries roughly 9,500 vehicles a day, along with bicyclists and pedestrians. Closing Churchill does not eliminate that demand. Rather, it redistributes it onto corridors like Oregon Expressway and Embarcadero Road. These arterials have already been identified by the City as more stressful and less safe for vulnerable users like our hundreds of school children. Thus, the proposal moves that risk onto corridors where the consequences of a mistake are much more severe. Importantly, both the Palo Alto Police and Fire Departments have expressed “significant concerns” that this will impact their response times to incident locations. This is extremely harmful to all North Palo Alto residents as delays in emergency response can make the difference between life and death. The City will face liability for a Churchill closure based on two important facts: 1. They will be rerouting a traffic count of thousands into a known hazardous corridor; 2. The risk is clearly FORESEEABLE which has been attested to by our own Police and Fire Departments . These risks are not hypothetical, they are FORESEEABLE. Bottom line: You can’t eliminate one of only three high intensity thoroughfares and not expect harmful fallout. A sound approach to deterring future suicides has been implemented in accordance with the widely signed petition requesting 24 hour security guards at this and the other Palo Alto rail crossings. As has been repeatedly demonstrated in your own straw poll, at the April 15th Council meeting and in news reports and related commentary, the vast majority of your constituents are opposed to closure. Please do not trade a set of risks, that has been effectively addressed, for another that is more severe. Thank you for This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report understanding this critical public safety matter. Barbara Hazlett Professorville From:Margaret Kim To:Council, City Subject:Keep the Churchill crossing OPEN Date:Thursday, May 7, 2026 10:30:43 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Palo Alto City Council Members, Please keep the Churchill crossing OPEN. Closing Churchill will not only affect the safety of Southgate and North Palo Alto residents, but also the very students we are trying to protect. More students (and others) navigating already dangerous pedestrian crossings at Alma and Embarcadero, as well as overcrowding of the underpass with both pedestrians and bicyclists. More traffic all along the Embarcadero corridor—where a bicyclist was killed last year. The traffic on Embarcadero is not a future inconvenience, it is impassible right now. Addressing the issue of youth suicides in our community is important. We appreciate that City Council is listening. We understand the desire to do more, but we have already taken action, and it is working: The guards at the crossings have proven to be 100% effective. Barriers/deterrents have been added to make access to the tracks more difficult. If these solutions have been deemed to be effective enough for the other 3 crossings, where more suicides have occurred, they should be effective enough for Churchill. Please vote “NO” to closing Churchill. Sincerely, Margaret Kim From:David Epstein To:Council, City Subject:Keep Churchill Open for safety - PLEASE! Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 7:23:13 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Honorable Councilmembers Please keep Churchill open. Do not close it. Closing it endangers many more students than in the current situation. Adding more traffic to an already severely impacted Embarcadero putting students at higher risk of injury and death More traffic worsens crossing safety all along Embarcadero, affecting not just Paly, but also Castilleja, Walter Hays, Duveneck, Addison, and Zuckerberg (BBS) School on Emerson Closing endangers South Gate in delaying police and fire – especially with impacted traffic and if there is an incident involving students at Paly, this further may delay critical first responders. (note the report delivered in the April Council meeting specifically did not consider additional traffic due to the closing in their analysis, invalidating any result) Security Guards at the crossings has been 100% effective in preventing deaths on the tracks in the past. In addition, they are in place and cheaper than closure. Churchill is just one of 4 crossings and of the 11 recorded suicides, 9 were not at Churchill. If closing is the deterrent, then closing other crossings should be higher priority. Since guards are effective at the higher risk crossings, then it is good for Churchill. Thank you for voting against closing it. This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report David Epstein thedavee@aol.com 1118 Emerson St, Palo Alto From:Annette Glanckopf To:Council, City Subject:Do NOT close Churchill Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 9:07:46 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. I am writing to express my OPPOSITION to closing Churchill Annette Glanckopf 2747 Bryant From:chapin Chet To:Council, City Subject:Please keep Churchill crossing OPEN Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 9:08:18 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council Members, Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of what to do around the Churchill Rail crossing. Please keep Churchill crossing open. Do not close it even temporarily. Closing Churchill without the described and previously-assessed mitigations would endanger many more students than the current situation, due to increased traffic to Embarcadero, up and down the rail corridor. Closing Churchill would immediately endanger neighborhood street residents by the resulting daily influx of additional and unplanned-for thousands of vehicles, especially in high traffic times of every day. What HAS and DOES work to prevent suicide-by-train events: Crossing Guard stationing works. Thank you for re-instituting this proven effective deterrent. Thank you for listening to the very strong support from the Palo Alto community for keeping Churchill open. Please vote to keep Churchill open when you vote on May 11. Carl Dowds Palo Alto resident This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report From:Chacon, Mary To:Council, City Cc:Mary Chacon Subject:Please keep Churchill Open Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 9:36:03 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Councilmembers, Please keep Churchill open. Do not close it. Closing it endangers many more students than the current situation does. Adding more traffic to an already severely impacted Embarcadero puts Paly students biking and walking to school at higher risk of injury and death In fact, more traffic worsens crossing safety at intersections all along Embarcadero, affecting not just Paly, but also Castilleja, Walter Hays, Duveneck, Addison, and Zuckerberg (BBS) School on Emerson Closing also endangers residents of Southgate and neighborhoods along the Embarcadero corridor by delaying emergency police and fire response. Although the April 15 Staff report estimated only a 15-second average increase in response times, this number was based on increases in distance traveled and did not consider the effects of potential slow-downs on the main corridors and secondary routes due to additional traffic. Even without detailed analysis of traffic impacts, the Fire and Police chiefs anticipated much slower "second-wave" responses in case of a complex emergency. Stationing Security Guards at the crossings has been 100% effective in preventing deaths on the tracks in the past. In addition, the security guards are in place, cover all 4 crossings, and are cheaper than closure. Churchill is just one of 4 crossings and of the 11 recorded youth suicides, only two were at Churchill. If closing is the only effective deterrent, then closing the other crossings should be higher priority. On the other hand, if we trust the guards to be effective at the higher-risk crossings, we should trust them for Churchill. Thank you for voting against closing it. 1148 High Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301 (650-862-9972) Mary@mac-archcon.com From:padex74@gmail.com To:Council, City Subject:Don"t close Churchill Avenue Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 9:57:14 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Remember the consequences. Embarcadero Road is already overloaded and won’t be able to handle the extra vehicles. The risk increases for pedestrians and bicycles crossing at High Street. Dexter Girton This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Craig Ritchey To:Council, City Subject:closing Churchill Avenue crossing of Caltrain Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 10:17:10 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council members, I am writing to express my opposition to the proposal to close the Churchill Crossing of Caltrain. I am very sympathetic and empathetic about the need to find a solution to the school age student suicide issue, but I do not believe closing Churchill is the right answer. We need a more comprehensive solution for the four at grade Caltrain crossing in Palo Alto. Thank You, Craig Ritchey 1156 Ramona St. Palo Alto, CA Sent from my iPhone From:Sonya Bradski To:Council, City Subject:Please DO NOT CLOSE Churchill Street Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 1:19:25 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear City Council: Please DO NOT CLOSE Churchill Street to cars, pedestrians, & bicycles by the train track. We already have enough traffic problems around the City of Palo Alto and closing Churchill street will only make the traffic worse at Embarcadero & Page Mill. Thanks so much for your time & consideration. Sonya Bradski 650-575-2395 From:Rebecca Sanders To:Council, City Subject:Please do not close Churchill Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 1:25:29 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Veenker and Council Members: Please do not close the Churchill Crossing. Thank you. Sincerely, Becky Sanders Vetnura From:Jo Ann Mandinach To:Council, City Subject:Fwd: Please vote against closing Churchill; the kids want human guards, not closure Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 1:58:01 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Jo Ann Mandinach <joann@needtoknow.com> Date: Thu, May 7, 2026 at 10:05 PM Subject: Please vote against closing Churchill; the kids want human guards, not closure To: Lauing, Ed <Ed.Lauing@paloalto.gov>, Julie Lythcott-Haims <Julie.LythcottHaims@paloalto.gov>, Keith Reckdahl <Keith.Reckdahl@paloalto.gov>, Patrick Burt <Pat.Burt@paloalto.gov>, George Lu <George.Lu@paloalto.gov>, Vicki Veenker <Vicki.Veenker@paloalto.gov>, Greer Stone <greer.stone@cityofpaloalto.org> Please vote against closing Churchill. It's illogical since more suicides occur in South Palo Alto. Closing Churchill isn't what the kids want; their petition SAID they want human guards. Most Palo Altans oppose closing Churchill especially the half living east of the tracks because it solves nothing. wastes money and makes gridlock even worse. Many residents have vowed to vote against CC members who vote close Churchill next week. Most sincerely, Jo Ann Mandinach Palo Alto, CA 94301 From:doria s To:Council, City Subject:Fwd: Closing Churchill Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 2:25:44 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear honorable City Council members, Mayor and Vice Mayor, Please do not close Churchill crossing to all as it is not clear that : 1. Closing temporarily is an option. 2. Closing will have a positive effect citywide on youth suicide. It is clear that : 3. Closing will have many negative impacts, and safety concerns for the entire city. And…. 4. The student petition did not call for closing rather for guards/ watchers. Respectfully, Doria Doria Summa (650) 867-7544 Mobile This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Gary Bradski To:Council, City Subject:Keep Churchill St open Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 3:49:26 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Council I often Churchill biking to get onto the bike path behind Paly and on to downtown or Stanford w/o encounting much car traffic. Don't close Churchill. The suicides are a cultural rearing problem that would paper over that in exchange for harder to pin deaths from slower emergency response or traffic/pedestrian/bike fatalities by crowding traffic elsewhere. If we were serious, we'd study why other schools with train track crossings experience fewer suicides. Gary Bradski 4082 Nelson Dr, Palo Alto, CA 94306 This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Alan Bennett To:Council, City Subject:Churchill Road Crossing Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 4:08:40 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i At risk of stating the obvious, there are multiple ways for troubled people to commit suicide in Palo Alto by train,including the other track crossings, the space between crossings , the open platform at the Palo Alto station etc. Elimination of one crossing at great inconvenience and great eventual cost for many Palo Altans and commuters is hardly the best way to proceed. Finding ways to reduce some of the academic pressure on students and more spending money on mental health would seem a far more effective way of reducing the number of these tragic deaths.Crossing guards seem to be an obvious example of virtue signaling, but if they, in fact, are somewhat effective, continue their use. Alan Bennett 233 Tennyson Ave Palo Alto This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Michael Brozman To:Council, City Subject:Please keep Churchill open Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 4:13:38 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Hi, I live at 1652 Castilleja Avenue and have major concerns about closing Churchill. Castilleja avg has heavy bike traffic from kids going to school, pushing more traffic to those streets would literally be deadly. I've seen plenty of close calls as is already. And I've seen firsthand how traffic patterns change when Churchill is closed, it won't be good. That's not even mentioning ambulance/firefighter response ability. -- Michael Brozman mbrozman@gmail.com This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Theo Nissim To:Council, City Subject:Please keep Churchill open Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 4:26:14 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear council members, I am writing to urge you to vote to keep Churchill open. Closing it would severely impact traffic around our city, compromise safety on multiple streets and intersections, and add time and uncertainty to emergency responses. Virtually everybody living or visiting our city would be negatively affected, traffic, accessibility and general community feel. The closure would divide our city and community, with no cross access between the east and west neighborhoods between Charleston and Embarcadero. This means a de facto separation of our city in halves, with significant damage to the Palo Alto sense of place and community. If Churchill would be closed, that would imply that Charleston must be closed as well, as more suicides occurred at that location. The same rationale against closure applies in that case as well. Placing guards at the Churchill cross is the correct solution for eliminating suicides by train there. Please make it a long term arrangement. Please vote to keep Churchill open ! Thank you, best, Theo Nissim Theo.nissim@nissimspace.com +16507407851 From:Lisa Nissim To:Council, City Subject:Keep Churchill Open! Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 4:33:18 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Honorable Council Members, I am writing to remind you an overwhelming majority of Palo Alto residents, including myself, oppose closing the Churchill train crossing. Closing this crossing would create safety hazards for all of us. A student led petition asked the City Council to post monitors at the rail tracks and you responded immediately. Thank you for listening and taking quick action. Track monitors in Palo Alto are a proven way to mitigate suicide risk. We have not experienced suicide when they are in place. Sadly, this is not the first suicide cluster in Palo Alto meaning prevention of suicide in Palo Alto has been studied in detail. Neither the 2016 CDC report nor the 2026 JED report recommended closing any train crossings in Palo Alto. In discussing potential crossing closures JED report said, “While these strategies may reduce incidents at specific sites, they are unlikely to address suicide by train across the broader peninsula, given the many accessible points along the rail corridor.” Closing the Churchill crossing would be unsafe, the Rail Safety Committee identified 19 mitigations necessary to safely close the road, while on my count, the XCAP report recommended more than 30 mitigations. Closing Churchill would make the surrounding area unsafe for bikers, pedestrians, drivers and ER patients being transported via ambulance to Stanford hospital on a gridlocked Embarcadero Road. I urge you to step back and look at the facts. It will take courage not to be driven by the emotion of the moment but by the safety of our town, it is important you make your decision based on facts. Do not close Churchill. Thank you for your careful consideration of the issue. Best, Lisa Escobita Avenue From:David Schnedler To:Council, City Subject:Please Keep Churchill Open Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 5:23:26 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. I can not think of a more grave or troubling, heart wrenching phenomenon than a teen suicide; perhaps like the canary in the coal mine each victim signals deeper and more troubling problems in our community, our society, our culture, our country, problems which urgently need to be addressed. These latest tragedies prove the inadequacy of previous efforts to do so. Closing Churchill crossing, while dramatic, does not take us any closer to a solution, and if we are looking for a near term expedient to keep people from killing themselves on the train tracks we already have that solution — direct and personal intervention by a human being. What is the issue with additional people on the PAUSD staff performing this function at this one crossing? In this age of near total automation such a solution may appear wasteful, but at the age 77 I remember as a kid I remember waving to the man in the tower next to my barber shop who operated the crossing gates, prior to automation. In the past 30 years Palo Alto City Council embraced growth, from a sleepy college town and bedroom community to what it is today, and the result is Palo Alto is now busy, crowded, with near gridlock on all of the major east/west arteries from 3 PM on. Closing Churchill will profoundly effect an already terrible situation, and Paly High students and parents would be among those disastrously effected. Add the security detail to the payroll and keep Churchill open for the betterment of all concerned. Dave Schnedler 1671 Castilleja Avenue From:Tom Kellerman To:Council, City Subject:Fwd: Delivery Status Notification (Failure) Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 6:22:16 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Date: Fri, May 8, 2026 at 6:15 PM Subject: Churchill Closure Honorable City Council Members: Thank you for your continued careful consideration of the safety requirements for the Palo Alto rail crossings, including both at grade crossings and underpasses. We have written to the Council in the past concerning the intersection of Embarcadero Road and Emerson Street and Kingsley Avenue. We are pleased to understand that the planned re-configuration of that intersection will be moving forward this summer. We believe the planned changes will enhance the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. With respect to the potential closure of Churchill Avenue currently under consideration, we ask that the Council continue to apply a diligent, data-based analysis of the potential implications of such a closure on other rail crossings, particularly at Embarcadero. As has been discussed in the past, there can be no doubt that the levels of vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic at the Embarcadero crossing will increase quite substantially if the Churchill crossing is closed. There has never been a formal analysis of the projected increases in Embarcadero traffic if a closure is implemented. Before a responsible decision can be made, the Council needs to develop a thoughtful analysis of these changes and the anticipated impact on safety at the relevant intersections along Embarcadero and through the narrow tunnels under Alma Street and the tracks on both sides of Embarcadero. This analysis needs to include traffic levels during open school days for both Palo Alto High School and Stanford. An informed estimate of the amount of traffic that is likely to relocate from Churchill to Embarcadero is necessary to create a credible model of expected traffic flows and to make determinations regarding the safety impacts for all constituents. The Council has made clear that no one wishes to exchange one safety risk for another potentially equal or greater risk. Accordingly, we urge the Council to conduct a thorough and appropriate analysis of these matters prior to reaching a conclusion on any permanent changes to the Churchill Avenue crossing. We appreciate your service and diligent attention to this important public safety issue. This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report Tom and Rachel Kellerman From:Charlotte Reissmann To:Council, City Subject:Do not close Churchill crossing Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 9:44:16 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Council: Please do not think that closing the Churchill Crossing will stop suicides. I am a retired therapist who has dealt with many suicidal people. Even if you close Churchill, a person in that kind of emotional crisis will find another similar place. East Meadow has had its share of fatalities. Are you going to close East Meadow next? Please don’t create more traffic congestion than we already have. Sincerely, Charlotte Reissmann Ph.D Resident of Palo Alto since 1981 Sent from my iPhone From:Sara Girton To:Council, City Cc:Board@pausd.org Subject:Please keep Churchill open Date:Friday, May 8, 2026 11:01:04 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Closing Churchill would cause more traffic congestion along Embarcadero and its side streets. Emergency response would be compromised. Embarcadero would become more dangerous for students biking and walking to Paly. Continuing to have Security Guards at all the crossings will prevent deaths on the tracks. That will be more effective than closing Churchill. Sincerely, Sara Girton This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Tao Lin To:board@pausd.org; Council, City Subject:Please do not close Churchill Avenue Caltrain Crossing to Paly Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 12:47:23 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Resending with corrected email addresses. Dear City Council and School Board We are residents to Palo Alto and we are parents to 4 past and current Paly students. We are writing to you to let you know that we are strongly against closing the Churchill Avenue Caltrain crossing to Paly. While we were deeply saddened by the recent tragedy occurred at Churchill Ave Caltrain crossing, closing the crossing is definitely not the right way to do it. With Churchill Avenue pass closed, many students and parents will be forced to use the Paly Entrance on Embarcadero, thus funneling even more traffic to the very busy Embarcadero. Embarcadero is a main traffic thruway for Palo Alto and Stanford. It’s high volume and high speed traffic is a risk to students and parents whether they are drivers and passengers, bikers, or pedestrians. Through the years we have witness so many more accidents and deadly tragedies on Embarcadero. It would be irresponsible for the city and the school board to put so many more students and parents in even greater danger. Closing the Churchill Avenue cross covers up for the true source of the problem. Palo Alto schools lack effective ways to handle bully, discrimination, and harassment on campus. Palo Alto schools lack the means to ensure the wellness of the students. Palo Alto schools lack the care and the determination to reach out to students and leave no one behind. The tragedy happened at the Churchill Avenue crossing, but make no mistake. The source of the tragedy is in our schools, our family and our community. Closing Churchill Avenue crossing endangers our students and solves no problem. Best regards, Tao Lin and Fun Chu From:Tao Lin To:board@pausd.org; Council, City Subject:Please do not close Churchill Avenue Caltrain Crossing to Paly Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 12:47:29 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Resending with corrected email addresses. Dear City Council and School Board We are residents to Palo Alto and we are parents to 4 past and current Paly students. We are writing to you to let you know that we are strongly against closing the Churchill Avenue Caltrain crossing to Paly. While we were deeply saddened by the recent tragedy occurred at Churchill Ave Caltrain crossing, closing the crossing is definitely not the right way to do it. With Churchill Avenue pass closed, many students and parents will be forced to use the Paly Entrance on Embarcadero, thus funneling even more traffic to the very busy Embarcadero. Embarcadero is a main traffic thruway for Palo Alto and Stanford. It’s high volume and high speed traffic is a risk to students and parents whether they are drivers and passengers, bikers, or pedestrians. Through the years we have witness so many more accidents and deadly tragedies on Embarcadero. It would be irresponsible for the city and the school board to put so many more students and parents in even greater danger. Closing the Churchill Avenue cross covers up for the true source of the problem. Palo Alto schools lack effective ways to handle bully, discrimination, and harassment on campus. Palo Alto schools lack the means to ensure the wellness of the students. Palo Alto schools lack the care and the determination to reach out to students and leave no one behind. The tragedy happened at the Churchill Avenue crossing, but make no mistake. The source of the tragedy is in our schools, our family and our community. Closing Churchill Avenue crossing endangers our students and solves no problem. Best regards, Tao Lin and Fun Chu From:jfleming@right-thing.net To:Vicki@VickiforCouncil.com; pat@patburt.org; Ed@EdLauing.com; Lu, George; me@lythcott-haims.com; Reckdahl, Keith; gstone22@gmail.com; Council, City Cc:Clerk, City Subject:Almost all Palo Altans want Churchill open Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 3:44:46 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Veenker, Vice Mayor Stone and Councilmembers Burt, Lauing, Lu, Lythcott-Haims, and Reckdahl, I am writing to add my voice to those of the countless Palo Altans who have already contacted you to call for Churchill to remain open. As you well know, Churchill is a critical artery for cars, emergency vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. Closing it is asking for big trouble, including litigation against the city. I do hope, however, that you will consider offering every parent of a troubled Palo Alto High School student the option of transferring their child to Gunn. Sincerely, Jeanne Fleming Jeanne Fleming, PhD JFleming@Right-Thing.net 650-325-5151 From:Jim Cornett To:Council, City Subject:Please Don"t Close Churchill RR Crossing Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 7:44:19 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council, Please do not close the Churchill Ave RR Crossing. You have heard in detail about the traffic pattern changes that WILL result from the closure. Adding to those known liabilities are the unintended consequences of the closure. Personally, I will not be significantly affected by such a closure; for the last several years I have used a bicycle for ALL my local area travel for work, pleasure and errands. Thank you, Jim Cornett 420 Sequoia Ave Palo Alto, CA 94306 (650) 279-2434 This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Michael Price To:Council, City Subject:Do not close Churchill Avenue Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 7:49:33 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i I am writing to you to oppose the closing of the Churchill Ave. Caltrain crossing. 1. With Track Watch in place, closing the crossing will make no additional contribution to preventing suicides. 2. Closing Churchill does nothing to prevent suicides at the other crossings. A concerted, city- wide approach is needed to address the problem of suicide by train. 3. The safety of pedestrians and bicyclists at the Cal Ave tunnel and the Embarcadero underpass will be significantly degraded. This trades one problem for another, probably worse, one. 4. The safety improvements on Embarcadero, recently begun, are both welcome and long overdue. These are insufficient to mitigate the increased safety risks created by a closure. 5. Closing Churchill will not be temporary: the CPUC and NRA do not recognize the concept of a temporary closure. Reopening the crossing will be as difficult and time-consuming as creating a new crossing altogether. 6. The impacts on the neighborhoods bordering Churchill and Embarcadero will be significantly impacted. The safety of people walking in their neighborhoods will be greatly worsened. 7. While traffic congestion isn't a primary reason to oppose closing the crossing, it is, nevertheless, a major concern. It's hard to imagine what will happen during Stanford and Paly games. The Track Watch program provides the time for Caltrain and the City to implement effective measures to make it much harder to kill oneself by train. Any such measures could then be implemented at all of the crossings in Palo Alto and all along the Caltrain corridor. This would be a far better outcome than merely closing Churchill. Michael Price Southgate, Palo Alto This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Susan L M To:Council, City Cc:Board@pausd.org Subject:Vote to Keep Churchill Open Date:Saturday, May 9, 2026 10:47:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Council, Please do not vote to close the Churchill crossing at the train tracks. The most important issue here is to save lives, especially the lives of our most vulnerable young people at Palo Alto High School. Closing this crossing may prevent the last minute impulsive action of our angry and hurt children, but closing Churchill would present alternative routes that will endanger so many more young bicyclists and pedestrians going daily to and from Paly. We need to spend our funds and resources on providing more personal connections and immediate contacts for our young people. We need to teach compassion and acceptance of people who may seem different from us. Lack of knowledge about our current world creates fear, misunderstandings and suspicions, which leads to intolerance and bullying. A physical barrier may stop an immediate impulsive irreversible final action, but this Churchill Closing barrier will present many more hurtful or deadly accidents for all students cycling or walking to and from school. Our current mitigation of providing non stop friendly human safety personnel at the crossing has proven from the past that it works to prevent death by suicide. It is the human to human contact that’s been working. Closing Churchill will only divide our city. It is not about the notion of having to take an extra 15 minutes to go around to one’s personal destination. You already know the points of view from our Fire and Emergency departments. I implore you to vote no in closing Churchill, temporarily or permanently. Thank you, Susan Lee Mitchell I am a retired life long teacher, a Paly graduate, a Paly parent of three Paly graduates. My three siblings also graduated from Paly. This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:abby bradski To:Council, City Cc:Board@pausd.org Subject:Please Keep the Churchill Crossing Open Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 2:10:27 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear board, Thank you for your caring, time and careful consideration about the closing of Churchill. I am concerned: That closing Churchill will create more danger and chaos on Embarcadero, Oregon and neighborhood streets than we can handle It will delay response time in Southgate and at Paly for emergency vehicles We don't have alternative routes in place. Tell us how students will get from Southgate to Walter Hays. How will Embarcadero handle the extra cars, bikes and pedestrians? How will the school buses get in and out? If crossing guards aren't working, we should stop paying for them. If we close Churchill, how will we know if that is a better solution than having the guards? If closing Churchill is the best or only solution that works, then shouldn't we close all of the crossings? Gunn students count too! If you close Churchill temporarily, what is the reopening date and plan and what will that be based on? Thank you for caring, Abby Bradski 1543 Madrono Ave 650 269-0784 abbybradski@gmail.com This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:chapin Chet To:Council, City Cc:Board@PAUSD.org Subject:Keep Churchill OPEN, keep Crossing Guards stationed Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 2:12:17 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council Members, and PAUSD Members Please keep Churchill crossing open. Do not close it even temporarily. Closing Churchill without the described and previously-assessed mitigations would endanger many more students than the current situation, due to increased traffic to Embarcadero, up and down the rail corridor. Closing Churchill would immediately endanger neighborhood street residents by the resulting daily influx of additional and unplanned-for thousands of vehicles, especially in high traffic times of every day. What HAS and DOES work to prevent suicide-by-train events: Crossing Guard stationing works. Thank you for re-instituting this proven effective measure. Carl Dowds Palo Alto resident This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report Powered by Mimecast From:Rob Levitsky To:Council, City Subject:leave churchill open Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 3:07:34 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Council Every weekday, 8500 or so people in cars choose to cross the tracks at Churchill, and another few hundred cross on bicycles. As well as people in Ambulances, Police cars, Fire Engines, and School busses. Southgate neighborhood dwellers need the access. If crossing the Tracks at Churchill is closed, there is no mitigation that will accomodate all these people, without throttling back and gumming up Embarcadero Road and Oregon Expressway, and making a cloverleaf out of Alma North to Lincoln to Emerson to Embarcadero, which already backs up……….every day. To paraphrase Pottery Barn - If you break it, you own it. so please dont break the churchill track crossing.. that said, please continue to fund the Track Watchers, who are doing a good job rob levitsky 1200 Emerson, at Embarcadero Sent from my iPhone From:nmadison complianceexpress.com To:Council, City Cc:board@pausd.org Subject:Do not close the Churchill crossing Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 5:03:32 PM Dear Palo Alto City Council, I am writing to encourage you to vote against closing the Churchill crossing. Although at first consideration, closing Churchill might look like a meaningful measure for preventing student suicides and making Palo Alto citizens safer, it is anything but. It is important to remember that the overwhelming majority of the tragic student suicides that have occurred on the railroad tracks within Palo Alto have not occurred at the Churchill crossing.They have occurred at other railroad crossings in Palo Alto or on the tracks above the Embarcadero underpass. It is reassuring to know that measures are being taken to eliminate access to the tracks above the Embarcadero underpass, but it is difficult to understand the logic behind closing the Churchill crossing while leaving open the other railroad crossings where most suicides have occurred. An unintended consequence of closing the Churchill crossing would be to put the safety of Palo Alto citizens in general at increased risk on the alternate routes that pedestrians, bikes, and cars would take instead of using the Churchill crossing. Hazards at the Embarcadero underpass and the Cal Ave tunnel, where bikes and pedestrians already converge in dangerous conditions, would increase exponentially. Factor in the increasing prevalence of e-bikes and e-scooters on those routes and the closing of Churchill would increase the possibility for potentially lethal accidents. Furthermore, closing Churchill would impact the ability of emergency vehicles to respond to 911 calls and to bring casualties to hospitals in the shortest time possible. To date you have reacted responsibly and quickly to address the recent suicide tragedies by installing security guards at all Palo Alto railroad crossings.That is a measure that has been proven to work without shifting hazards to other areas in Palo Alto. Please continue to pursue mitigations to prevent student suicides that don’t increase risks for other locations or populations. Sincerely, Nancy Madison From:Akash Pai To:Council, City Subject:Don"t Close Churchill Avenue. Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 7:56:08 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council Members, I am a resident of Palo Alto. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of what to do around the Churchill Rail crossing. Please keep Churchill crossing open. Do not close it even temporarily. Closing Churchill without the previously studied mitigations would endanger many more students than the current situation, due to increased traffic to Embarcadero, up and down the rail corridor. Closing Churchill would immediately also endanger residents on neighborhood streets as a result of the daily influx of additional and unplanned-for thousands of vehicles, especially in high traffic times of every day. What HAS and DOES work to prevent suicide-by-train events: Crossing Guard stationing works. Thank you for re-instituting this proven effective deterrent. Thank you for listening to the very strong support from the Palo Alto community for keeping Churchill open. Please vote to keep Churchill open when you vote on May 11. Thanks. -- Akash Pai This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to you. Mark Safe Report From:Ann Balin To:Council, City Subject:Keep Churchill Crossing open Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 10:26:32 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautious of opening attachments and clicking on links. Dear Mayor Veenker, Vice Mayor Stone and Council Members, I am writing to urge you to vote to keep the Churchill crossing open. I attended the April 15th special meeting and donated time to Nadia Naik who presented the case for keeping the crossing open. There are no suicides at the Burlingame High School which is adjacent to the train tracks. Why is this school spared but PALY is not? What is within the culture of Palo Alto High that contributes to these tragic outcomes? Is this a by product of Silicon Valley’s embrace of exceptionalism where pressure to be special is paramount? Is it bullying? Obviously there are a many reasons including depression and bi polar disorder to mention but a few mental illnesses for this devastating outcome. The city with PAUSD must continue to contract guards to monitor the tracks at Palo Alto High. Past records demonstrate that when guards are present suicides stop. The students’ petition calls for the rails to be monitored by guards and do not call for the closure of Churchill. Respectfully, Ann Lafargue Balin From:Reshma Singh To:Council, City Subject:Please keep Churchill crossing open Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 11:43:27 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear Palo Alto City Council Members, Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of what to do around the Churchill Rail crossing. Please keep Churchill crossing open. Do not close it even temporarily. Closing Churchill without the previously studied mitigations would endanger many more students than the current situation, due to increased traffic to Embarcadero, up and down the rail corridor. Closing Churchill would immediately also endanger residents on neighborhood streets as a result of the daily influx of additional and unplanned-for thousands of vehicles, especially in high traffic times of every day. What HAS and DOES work to prevent suicide-by-train events: Crossing Guard stationing works. Thank you for re-instituting this proven effective deterrent. Thank you for listening to the very strong support from the Palo Alto community for keeping Churchill open. Please vote to keep Churchill open when you vote on May 11. Thank you for taking care of our city Best regards Reshma Singh This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report From:Brittany McLaren To:Council, City Subject:Please Do Not Close the Churchill Crossing Date:Sunday, May 10, 2026 11:58:07 PM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Council Members, My name is Brittany, and I am a Southgate resident who was born and raised in Palo Alto. I am writing one final time ahead of tomorrow’s vote to respectfully ask that you do not close the Churchill crossing. As someone who has lived here intermittently for more than 40 years, I have personally witnessed the enormous amount of traffic that funnels through the Churchill crossing each day, especially during commute hours. I have also experienced the strain already placed on the Embarcadero underpass and seen firsthand the challenges it faces during heavy rainy seasons. I cannot imagine diverting the daily Churchill traffic solely to Embarcadero without significantly impacting quality of life for residents across Palo Alto—not just in Southgate. I felt this way even before reading the studies that have since confirmed the likely impacts of closure on pedestrian and student safety around Embarcadero, neighborhood traffic congestion, commute times, and emergency response access for ambulances and fire trucks serving both sides of the tracks. I also want to acknowledge the deeper issue at the center of this discussion. Suicide is a tragic and deeply complex problem that has affected our community for many years. I lost a classmate a year or two after graduating from Paly, though not at the Churchill crossing. While I support continued efforts to improve safety around the tracks, I continue to feel that too much focus is being placed on the crossing itself without enough attention directed inward at the broader cultural and mental health challenges facing our students. If we do not address the root causes—the intense academic pressure that pervades this community, mental health struggles, burnout, isolation, and fear of failure—we risk simply shifting the danger elsewhere rather than meaningfully reducing it. I respectfully urge the Council to pursue a more comprehensive and balanced approach that includes: Continuing targeted safety improvements at the crossing, including barriers, detection systems, and increased monitoring, rather than full closure. Many of these measures, This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. Mark Safe Report including 24/7 security, have only recently been implemented and deserve time to be evaluated. Increased investment in school-based mental health resources, including counselors, on- campus support, and earlier intervention efforts rather than primarily crisis response. Community education for parents and caregivers focused on recognizing warning signs, reducing unhealthy academic pressure, and supporting emotional well-being. Efforts to address the culture of extreme achievement pressure in Palo Alto by promoting healthier and more balanced definitions of success, including celebrating non-academic paths and reducing the intense emphasis on competition and class ranking. Expanded peer support programs and more accessible crisis resources for students, including earlier screenings for anxiety, depression, and burnout, and normalizing regular mental health check-ins before students reach a crisis point. I hope the City will direct equal urgency and funding toward prevention and early intervention efforts that can support students long before they reach the point of despair. This is an opportunity for Palo Alto to lead with a thoughtful, multi-layered response—one that improves safety while also addressing the deeper struggles many young people in our community face. Thank you for your time, consideration, and service to our community. Sincerely, Brittany From:Nancy Patterson To:Council, City Subject:Don’t close Churchill Date:Monday, May 11, 2026 8:40:52 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Be cautiousof opening attachments and clicking on links. i Dear City Council, Please don’t close Churchill even temporarily. There are too many unforeseen and serious consequences that this may likely cause. Please keep the guards at the train crossings and keep working on other suicide preventions and mental health issues, particularly for students. Thank you. Nancy Patterson Sent from AT&T Yahoo Mail for iPhone This message needs your attention This is a personal email address. This is their first email to your company. Mark Safe Report