Dear Editor,

Please don’t forget Stanford’s responsibility in the tragic death of cyclist Lauren Ward on Nov. 4. Because Stanford Management Company is the largest landowner and the source of much of the automobile traffic in the area, Santa Clara County has been trying to get them to build a pedestrian/bicycle trail under Highway 280 just south of Alpine Road for 10 years.

Less than a mile south of where Lauren was killed, Stanford owns a cow tunnel under Highway 280. The local community has been begging Stanford to open this tunnel to the public as an alternative pedestrian and bicycle undercrossing. We sincerely believed that Stanford would be required to open this tunnel as mitigation for the development rights they received from the county in the year 2000.

Many people who work at the University, the hospital, the Stanford business parks and downtown Palo Alto who live in Portola Valley and Woodside would find bicycling to work safe and enjoyable if Stanford would only allow them to use this cow tunnel.

Elaine Haight M.S. ’88

Palo Alto