That doesn't mean the new pedestrian median on Highway 9 at Massol Avenue in Los Gatos is no big deal. The new median is the first major sign that efforts to improve safety on the highway are moving forward.

Los Gatos officials had tried for several years to obtain an encroachment permit from the California Department of Transportation in order to improve the crosswalk at the site.

But it took a grassroots citizens' campaign to coordinate several agencies and individuals in making Highway 9 a safer place for pedestrians and bicyclists.

"I think Caltrans is being very responsive to screaming right now," said JoAnne Peth, co-founder of Citizens for Highway 9 Safety. "We're thrilled with that."

Peth and fellow Monte Sereno citizen Lana Malloy started the group after accidents on the highway killed two people this year.

The city of Monte Sereno hosted a public meeting in June, at which officials from that city, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Caltrans and Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority met with residents to discuss problems and possible solutions related to Highway 9. After that meeting, those officials worked together to develop a timeline of goals for analysis and action.

The new median in Los Gatos is the first permanent result of those goals.

The pedestrian median was completed shortly before classes began at nearby Daves Avenue School. Further improvements to the crosswalk and another median alongside Massol are planned, but an analyst with the Los Gatos Building and Engineering Department said specific dates were not available.

Though he said work is now several weeks behind that timeline, Monte Sereno City Engineer Gordon Siebert said he is happy to see that it is happening at all.

"I'm pleased that we're getting any progress, given how many years we've had without anything," he said.

The next step in improving the highway will be the installation of three electronic radar speed feedback signs—one each in Saratoga, Monte Sereno and Los Gatos—similar to those on other nearby roads. Caltrans spokeswoman Brigetta Smith said the agency proposed locations for the signs, but the cities rejected them.

"The cities said, 'We'd rather have them in other places,' " Smith said. "So we're working with them to find locations that make everyone happy."

City officials were scheduled to meet with private contractors Sept. 7 to discuss a draft of a bicycle and pedestrian lane feasibility study. A public meeting is tentatively scheduled to discuss that study when it is finalized in the coming weeks. It is expected to provide information that will help the cities and Caltrans decide what needs to be done next.

In the meantime, Caltrans has implemented more regular cleaning of debris from the shoulder, patching of pavement and trimming of trees and bushes near the highway. The Los Gatos­Monte Sereno Police Department has also targeted speeders on the road. In December, Monte Sereno will apply for a state alternative transportation grant to fund improvements.

The city of Saratoga is still waiting to get an encroachment permit from Caltrans to develop two crosswalks on Highway 9.

"We have a contractor on board," said John Cherbone, the city's public works director. "We are hoping to get the work completed within a month."

The crosswalks would be developed near Oak Street and Montalvo Road and would be "ladder-striped" to make them more noticeable. According to Cherbone, the Oak Street crosswalk is one of the busiest in the city.

Warning signs and road modifications are also planned.

"We will narrow the road so that it is easier for the pedestrians," Cherbone said.

If they're appreciated as much as their Los Gatos counterpart, the new crosswalks will be a welcome addition.

"I've used it about 10 times," Peth said of the Massol Avenue crosswalk just one week after its completion. "Cars have to go around you. You have a place to stop. I'm thrilled."

Some drivers told Peth they were unhappy because they could no longer wait in the median when making a left turn onto Highway 9 from Massol. But she said what is an inconvenience to them is peace of mind for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Staff reporter Kaustuv Basu contributed to this report.