Hi,
My name is Nikki. I am a Bay Area resident in Menlo Park’s neighboring San Mateo County. Currently, I am a rising junior at Hillsdale High School, but I attended elementary and middle school in Menlo Park, so I very much care about the practices of this city.
On behalf of myself and Bay Area youth, I express strong support for effective climate action that would get Menlo Park back on track to meet its 2030 net-zero goal.
Specifically, I urge you to vote in favor of increasing the number of safe bike lanes, implementing energy-efficient heating and cooling in buildings, and encouraging zero-emission landscaping.
Focusing specifically on bike lanes, I know many high schoolers, including myself, who have no choice but to commute to school on foot or by bike. However, especially during congested times of traffic (like when traveling to school), biking can be more dangerous than it should be. By adding more bike lanes, Menlo Park can not only keep its kids safe, but be the leader it strives to be in reducing its emissions. Every bike lane helps to encourage more bike riding, which in turn, decreases the number of cars on the roads.
So please vote in favor of funding the Middle Avenue bike lane, supporting energy-efficient heating and cooling, and encouraging zero-emission landscaping. All of these actions would help Menlo Park achieve its 2030 goals of sustainability, fairness, justice, and health.
We need each and every city and county to have integrity in their promises and goals to ensure future generations can live in a habitable world.
Thank you.
Nikki Donovan
