Downtown Campbell could become a safer place for pedestrians to walk and bicyclists to pedal.

The city council held a study session Sept. 6 about where safety improvements could be done in the downtown core and surrounding streets. City-hired consultants from Community Design and Architecture and Fehr and Peers shared a number of safety-boosting plans with the council.

Consultants suggested targeting improvements to intersections within the downtown, specifically along Civic Center Drive, Orchard City Drive and intersecting streets such as First, Second and Third streets. Civic Center and Orchard City drives in particular were suggested for improvements since high-speed traffic cuts through to avoid East Campbell Avenue traffic.

Consultants suggested restructuring sidewalk curbs to shorten the distance pedestrians need to cross, adding crosswalks closer to the VTA light rail tracks near Railway Avenue and extending the sidewalk on Orchard Street between Second and Third streets.

Bringing more bike racks to the area was suggested, though consultants advised council members to work with businesses on the matter as vehicle parking might have to be reduced to meet the need for more racks. There was also discussion of creating a bicycle boulevard to connect bikers to the north and south ends of the city.

Consultants suggested the city look into creating parklets, small areas within the downtown that could be furnished with a few benches and minor landscaping.

Prior to meeting with the city council, both consultants met with stakeholder groups in the spring, including the Downtown Campbell Business Association, the library, the bicycle and pedestrian advisory committee and homeowner’s association that covers the downtown neighborhoods. City staff met with the consultants in March to go over what areas the city thought needed improvement.

Vice Mayor Liz Gibbons said the city should look into making Ainsley Park, a small area between East Campbell and Civic Center Drive, part of the pedestrian experience by adding or moving a crosswalk closer to it.

The city is crafting a Transportation Improvement Plan that includes a project list with preliminary cost estimates for pedestrian and bike safety improvements. Once complete, the plan will help city staff apply for grants that could fund some of the projects.

According to consultants, the next step is to apply the council feedback to a draft of the plan, share cost estimates of possible projects with the council in a month or so, and then finalize plans toward the end of fall.