About the CTRA

CTRA LogoThe purpose of the College Terrace Residents Association (CTRA) is to enable residents to work together to maintain and enhance the quality of life in College Terrace.

To fulfill its mission, the CTRA:

  • provides information and discussion opportunities on issues affecting the neighborhood
  • represents the interests of College Terrace before appropriate organizations
  • creates occasions for social interaction and community building within the neighborhood

The CTRA also organizes social activities, including two annual gatherings in local parks. One is typically held in the spring and the other around Labor Day. They are informal potluck picnics and a great chance to meet College Terrace neighbors.

Over the years, the CTRA has supported the community in a variety of ways:

  • Traffic Barriers (1974): Successfully worked with the City to lessen cut-through traffic.
  • Kite Hill (1972–79): Encouraged Stanford to keep Kite Hill as open space when the Peter Coutts Housing Project was being developed.
  • Tree Planting (1996): 100 volunteers planted 100 trees in CT as Canopy’s first planting, followed by an extensive Oak inventory and maintenance program, which was extended to the rest of the City. A subsequent planting was held in 2014. Be sure to check out Canopy’s College Terrace self-guided tree walk.
  • JJ&F 50th Birthday Party (1998): Led a celebration for our original neighborhood market
  • Residential Permit Parking (1999-2009): Discussions began with the City in 1999 with the  program finally in place in 2009. Part of the 2000 Stanford GUP conditions of approval.
  • Mayfield Projects (2003–04): CTRA worked with the City and Stanford to modify design, circulation and construction logistics, and to better integrate the housing into the neighborhood (street extension, school choice, sidewalk extension, bike path, traffic impact analysis).
  • Traffic Calming (2005): Which gave residents several speed bumps and two traffic circles. Part of the 2000 Stanford GUP conditions of approval.
  • College Terrace Market (2007–15): Worked with the neighbors to get input, strengthening of public benefit. Worked to keep construction trucks off interior streets.
  • Library (2004-5): Rescued College Terrace library from closure (fundraising drive, letters to the City)
  • Facebook (2010): Worked with City and Facebook to move a thousand employees from parking on CT streets, and to set up a shuttle system.
  • Traffic Counts (2012): Began an extensive and ongoing project to get accurate traffic counts on all CT streets
  • University Terrace and 1050 Page Mill (2012–15): Worked with Stanford to get construction trucks off California Avenue for the first year of construction. Asked for sidewalks on both sides of Amherst Street within the Mayfield Project and got it. Ongoing communications continue with developer and the City.

There is an archive of information on major College Terrace items, including minutes of board meetings, on the CTRA Google Drive account.

All College Terrace residents over the age of 18 are automatically members of the CTRA. Read the CTRA Bylaws for full  details on the governance of CTRA, including membership, duties and powers of the board of directors, meetings and voting.