Christopher Kao

My name is Chris and I am a resident of East Palo Alto. I work as a software engineer. I am also a Public Works & Transportation Commissioner, advising City Council on infrastructure issues.

Canopy Planted 20 Trees for Free in Our East Palo Alto HOA

This is a runback to share how to organize a tree planting in your HOA, how to overcome potential challenges, and how to get the approval of multiple stakeholders.

December 20, 2024 - 9 min read

Our Speed Hump Request Was Denied and It Would Have Qualified in Menlo Park

East Palo Alto's speed hump eligibility criteria does not allow for neighborhood connector streets. I make an argument that it should, to conform with Menlo Park's policy on the same streets.

December 18, 2024 - 4 min read

Temporary Traffic Circle Installed at Fordham & Notre Dame

The City of East Palo Alto's third temporary traffic circle has been installed at Fordham & Notre Dame.

December 07, 2024 - 2 min read

Third Temporary Traffic Circle to Be Installed at Fordham & Notre Dame in East Palo Alto

On November 13, 2024, the City of East Palo Alto will be installing its third temporary traffic circle which one day may be a permanent mini roundabout.

November 05, 2024 - 5 min read

Petition for a Speed Hump on Your Street

Pretty exciting news! A number of streets in East Palo Alto are now eligible for speed humps even if buses run on them. Residents and businesses along Pulgas Ave, Clarke Ave, and parts of the University Village (to the north) should jump on this opportunity.

July 13, 2024 - 7 min read

The Ravenswood Business District Specific Plan Update

The City of East Palo Alto has been working on an update to the Ravenswood Business District Specific Plan. Potential options studied include 2.8 million or 3.3 million sq ft of office space.

April 09, 2024 - 2 min read

How to Identify and Add Trees into Canopy's TreePlotter Web Software

This morning I added around 150 trees in my neighborhood into Canopy's TreePlotter software in only 1.5 hours. Here is how I was able to leverage AI technology to make the process very efficient.

April 07, 2024 - 2 min read

Cars Regularly Block Pulgas Ave Southbound While Queueing for Ecumenical Hunger Program

A number of stakeholders have identified that Pulgas Ave southbound between Bay Rd and Weeks St is regularly being blocked by cars queueing to pick up food and items at the Ecumenical Hunger Program. In this post, I write about the current problems.

March 31, 2024 - 8 min read

Analysis: EPX is the Second SamTrans US-101 Express Bus

EPX is the second SamTrans US-101 express bus. This is a big deal! I dived into the 2018 SamTrans US-101 Express Bus Feasibility Study and wanted to share my learnings here.

March 09, 2024 - 7 min read