No 'nightmare' on IKEA streets No 'nightmare' on IKEA streets (December 26, 2003)

Fewer customers mean fewer cars

By H. Tom Nguyen

IKEA's opening caused city officials and residents to sweat over whether the mega-store would generate gridlock more complicated than assembling an ALVE desk.

Four months after its August grand opening -- a kickoff that attracted more than 16,000 shoppers -- traffic has actually been smooth, according to local residents and city officials. But not perfect.

"It's not as bad as I thought," said Cathy Kinch, who lives two blocks away from IKEA in East Palo Alto.

Transportation officials in the local area agree that IKEA has not produced the traffic congestion everyone feared several years ago when East Palo Alto was still deciding on the IKEA construction.

"Traffic was never that bad as we thought -- for Palo Alto or even East Palo Alto," said Joe Kott, chief transportation official for Palo Alto. "Most of the traffic is on and off near the interchange and on University Avenue. Most people use those roads to access IKEA."

In 2001, East Palo Alto issued an environmental impact report that projected IKEA would attract 2,370 daily vehicle trips to and from the store, and 7,402 on Saturdays alone.

According to Kott, one factor for the lack of traffic is the new IKEA's failure to draw the same amount of customers as the first IKEA in Emeryville.

"Certainly, everyone misjudged that the second IKEA would attract the same number of people of as the first IKEA," Kott said. "But it doesn't have the same market area. The first IKEA was the only game in town; it had the entire Bay Area market to itself. Now they both share the market area. When you consider the traffic planning, the location near the highway, and that the second IKEA shares the marketplace with the first IKEA, the little traffic makes sense."

IKEA officials say business has actually been good and in accordance with their expectations. They say careful planning and local efforts are the main reasons for the minimal traffic.

"The planning was very good," said Didi Malubuyo, IKEA manager. "We're happy with the level of cooperation and support we've received from the East Palo Alto Police Department. Traffic has been a non-issue."

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