Los Gatos feels like a small town with big city traffic.
Town leaders say on July 3 the gridlock on city streets reached a dangerous level.
"If every street is stopped, fire and police can't get places — it becomes a public safety issue," said the town's Parks and Public Works Director Matt Morley.
He added that when the weather is nice and Highway 17 gets backed up with people heading to the coast, drivers pour onto city streets trying to get around the congestion. That's when no one can get around, Morley noted.
Driver Cynthia Rotwein says it can take 20 minutes to drive four blocks.
"It was backed up," she said. "I crept through town like everyone else. It was horrible."
Town officials said they are talking with Caltrans and police, developing a plan they hope to implement over Labor Day.
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They haven't made any decisions yet but are talking about things like closing highway off- and on-ramps, re-routing city traffic and having police direct traffic, authorities said.
