I know the topic has been discussed endlessly, but I am very concerned about the increase in cut through traffic in West Menlo Park that will come with the Middle Plaza project. I recently was on a private bus trip from North Palo Alto to the coast, and was startled with the driver headed off up El Camino into Menlo Park and turned on Middle to use the Middle/Olive/Oak route out to Sandhill. So, we already have Waze directing cars though our neighborhoods, and once Middle Plaza opens and drivers find El Camino too crowded to turn towards Sandhill, they will head up Middle instead. Waze will tell them to do it.
Because N. Palo Alto residents fought to have Alma blocked, it’s not possible for traffic to cross from Alma onto Sandhill, and apparently Waze finds it more convenient to direct traffic through our West Menlo Park neighborhoods instead of directing it to the University Avenue underpass onto El Camino to Sandhill.
Do you need a reminder of how crazy the Oak/Olive intersection already is? Most drivers consider the stop signs completely optional. When traffic backs up on Middle at Olive, drivers cut around on Cotton/Garland to zip out onto Olive at Oak. Add lots of bicyclists, pedestrians and an overgrown Garland/Olive property taking up the parking strip and you’ve got a madhouse of an intersection. Not exactly a “safe route” to school, and likely to get far worse once Middle Plaza opens.
Please police the Olive/Oak intersection during commute hours, and please negotiate with Waze to stay out of Menlo Park neighborhoods. I wouldn’t mind having Garland or Cotton blocked to through traffic, especially during the morning commute so students can safely bike to school.
Carole Grace
carolelfgrace@gmail.com
