Town of Los Gatos Takes Action on Cut Through Traffic

A Word from the Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce

Hi everyone,

Please take a moment to read the Town's Press Release about cut-through traffic in Los Gatos.

Thanks,

Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce

Town Takes Action On Cut Through Traffic

Los Gatos, CA - Beginning this weekend, the Town of Los Gatos will be taking immediate action to address the long standing issue of cut through traffic on summer weekends. While Los Gatos welcomes visitors to its beautiful downtown for shopping, fine dining, recreation, and other activities, it cannot continue to function as an alternate route to the beach from Highway 17. Mobile apps, such as Waze, direct drivers through Town as a "short cut," to speed their travel to the coast, but experience has shown that travel time to the beach is increased, not decreased, by traveling through Los Gatos. Drivers are best served by remaining on Highway 17 or using alternate freeway routes, such as Highway 85 or 101 to Highway 152 to reach coastal destinations.

Mayor Marcia Jensen emphasized that traffic impacts on the Town are "not simply a matter of inconvenience, but they create real public safety issues for Town residents who may not be able to receive timely emergency assistance when needed or become 'trapped' in neighborhoods due to gridlock." Routes along local Los Gatos streets result in slower, not faster, access to the beaches.

Mayor Jensen added that Los Gatos will be implementing pilot measures this weekend in an effort to alleviate the problem including increased police traffic enforcement and control at key intersections, as well as posting signage at freeway exits to redirect beach traffic out of town. This is a much larger problem than one community can solve alone. It requires the cooperation of Caltrans by allowing use of electronic sign boards to provide real-time information about traffic conditions, technology companies such as Waze and Inrix in updating advisories and recommended detours to discourage short cuts, and Town residents and freeway drivers in posting and sharing information.

In addition to these short term solutions, the Town has engaged a traffic consultant to study cut
through traffic and recommend alternatives to alleviate the problem going forward. Mayor
Jensen has made this issue a priority, particularly in light of the upcoming Labor Day weekend.

"Los Gatos will always be a great destination," said Mayor Jensen. "We want visitors to come to
Los Gatos and stay to enjoy it, rather than wind up sitting in a traffic jam. The Town hopes
beachgoers will come to realize that the freeway is the fastest way over the hill and should be
their first choice for trips to the coast and that Los Gatos should be their first choice for a post-beach stop to enjoy dinner, music, or a stroll through Town on their way home."