Just a few blocks south on El Camino from Stanford campus lies a shopping and dining oasis that most students have never even heard of, let alone visited. On paper, California Avenue appears to be a perfect college student destination. The oddball cousin of University Ave, it is full of mom and pop stores and hole-in-the-wall eateries and features a yoga studio, nightclub and even a weekly farmers market.

So why don’t students ever go there?

Because Cal Ave is dated and in dire need of a makeover. Quirky, independent shops suffer from a gray streetscape, unbearable traffic and poor pedestrian environment, with benches far and few between. Despite the great food and shopping, the street lacks the color and comfort to keep bringing people back.

At one time University Avenue faced similar woes, but a massive renovation injected new life into the street.  While it can still be difficult to find parking, aesthetic improvements have made the street much more attractive than California Ave. But University is different – instead of mom and pop stores, trendy restaurants and luxury outlet stores pepper the swanky commercial center of Palo Alto. Not exactly a college student haven. California Ave has the potential to become the street we call our own – and it could happen sooner rather than later.

A restructuring plan for the Cal Ave streetscape has been in the works for a number of years, but has faced fierce opposition from local merchants, even before the City Council voted unanimously to approve the project in February 2011.

The plan, which calls for widened sidewalks, raised crosswalks, expanded seating and planting areas, and most notably a reduction from four lanes of traffic to two, would undoubtedly improve the street’s pedestrian access. This would be a boon for Cal Ave businesses, but merchants are concerned that the lane reduction would disrupt traffic and dissuade drivers from shopping on the street.

The city has faced multiple lawsuits from business owners arguing that the plan’s Environmental Impact Report – required by state law for virtually any major construction project – failed to recognize the potential business closures that would result. The charges are bogus, but they have still managed to hurt the project by delaying construction. Originally intended to begin this spring, litigation might delay this by a year or more.

This stand taken by Cal Ave’s merchants is unfortunate for the city, which is losing grant money as the project is delayed longer and longer. It is unfortunate for the business owners of the street, some of whom exhibit a surprising short-sightedness about the construction impacts, blinding them from the longer term implications for Cal Ave’s popularity. And it is unfortunate for the residents of Palo Alto, including Stanford students, who are missing out on a beautified commercial and entertainment center.

It is in everyone’s best interests for these lawsuits to be dropped and the project to advance as quickly as possible. The street will be safer, cleaner and better looking as a result. There is demand in the Palo Alto community for an alternative to University Avenue, and progress shouldn’t be slowed by the shortsighted fears of a handful of merchants.

Matt Walter ’14