Hello MP Council —
I support Option 1 for Middle Ave. Middle Ave. is a high-volume bicycle thoroughfare for Oak Knoll, Hillview, and some private school students who need to get to this side of town for school.
I live only a few blocks away on Olive St. so I watch the continual flow of students on bicycles up and down Middle and then Olive every single school day. The students are numerous, they’re wearing heavy backpacks, and many of them are small and seemingly vulnerable with respect to bicycle accidents. Ensuring a safe, uninterrupted bicycle lane in both directions is crucial for their safety. (I have friends whose kids were “doored” on Olive and Valparaiso due to parked cars opening doors, and one close call on Middle is too many, especially if it’s your child.)
Note that it’s also an equity issue in my book. Families with parents who work early hours need safe, functioning routes for their children to get to and from school on their own. Many of these are residents who live in the single family homes around Middle, but let’s also not forget about the affordable housing units in Allied Arts. I know one of those families, and their child uses the bike routes frequently and out of necessity. Let’s make it safe for them, too.
Thank you,
Angela Evans, Menlo Park resident
