Dear Chief Norris and Menlo Park City Council,
I am writing today as a concerned citizen of Menlo Park to ask for inquiry
into a significant traffic problem that is happening in front of Nativity
School Monday to Friday both when the school day begins and when school
lets out. I have observed this for two and a half years as I drive my
daughter to and from the Menlo Park train station to attend Design Tech
High School. I have been resistant to saying anything prior, but I feel it
is urgent that some city department or the Menlo Park police look into this
now as kids commuting to school all over Menlo Park are at risk, not to
mention people going to the train station. This traffic issue is happening
on Oak Grove at the entrance/exit to Nativity during both the morning drop
off and the afternoon pick up. Cars are turning left onto Oak Grove leaving
Nativity School, which crosses a double yellow line, and they are also
turning left from Oak Grove to enter Nativity School, which also means
crossing a double yellow line. Additionally when westbound traffic on Oak
Grove backs up in the mornings cars are pulling into the right hand lane
significantly before the driveway to turn into school which means they are
cutting in front of, or around, kids on bikes who are traveling west in the
bike lane. Today the backup of left hand turning cars eastbound on Oak
Grove was so bad that my daughter missed the train to go to school.
Please have someone investigate this as soon as possible. I do understand
that in California it is legal to turn left out of a private road or
driveway, but there needs to be consideration taken here for safety of
cars, bikers and pedestrians during heavy commuting times. I have seen many
schools in both San Mateo and San Jose County make exceptions for these
kinds of turns over double yellow lines in front of or near schools during
school hours.
Thank you very much for your attention to this matter. I look forward to
hearing the next steps.
Regards,
Caryn Wasserstein
2 Elmwood Place
Menlo Park
