Dear Sir/Madam, Im writing in regard to the proposal to remove parking from Middle Ave.
The proposal to remove all parking from Middle would be an unfair hardship on all residents of Middle Ave. It is bad enough we must deal with the burden of a very busy street: getting in and out of driveways, traffic backing up, speeders racing to make the green light, etc. Removing parking from Middle would add to a cascade of inconveniences that affect our quality of life:
1 - Many houses have single driveways: swapping cars in and out without street parking becomes a nightmare for two-parent families with the competing demands of school, after school programs, and jobs; or for the elderly with caregivers.
2 - Parking for guests, caregivers, and custodial (yard, packages, etc) becomes very difficult. Some Middle blocks are long, requiring a long walk from the next side street. Some off-Middle blocks require permits to even park, eliminating those potential spaces. Crosswalks are scarce, requiring some guests to cross the dangerous road to merely visit family or friends.
3 - With two kids, and there are many such families on Middle, its sometimes just easier to park on the street for 15-20 minutes in-between dropping Kid A off somewhere and Kid B somewhere else. Parking and leaving the driveway can be stressful, especially on garbage days or peak hours when traffic backs up on Middle; or when there are many cars parked on the road and it is difficult to leave your driveway because of speeding cars and blind spots.
If safety is the goal, several options seem better from the perspective of a Middle Ave resident:
A - No parking for dedicated times; ie, school hours. This would make biking down Middle safer for kids and allow residents to more easily plan around the limited school hour times.
B - ENFORCING the speed limit on Middle, particularly by El Camino and Nealon. Cars will race to the El Camino light to make a green. Cars also race out of the Safeway parking lot and often continue past Nealon at speeds > 35mph (probably 50-60mph.) Enforcing the speed limit along the entirety of Middle Ave would make it safer for all residents: pedestrians, bikers, and cars. Cars abiding by the speed limit make it easier for bicyclists to bike down the wide margins of each side of the road.
Middle Ave is a busy road and it will probably get worse when the new construction is completed across El Camino. Residents are already burdened by the demands of this throughfare for the community: backed-up traffic, speeders making it difficult to back out of driveways, and the general noisiness of cars all day and night long. Removing parking would place further burdens on Middle Ave residents, restrictions that would erode the quality of life that we enjoy in Menlo Park.
Sincerely,
Charles Arendt
701 Middle Ave
