Dear Menlo Park City Council,
Im concerned that the Middle Ave Traffic Calming Project, as currently designed, risks creating dangerous conditions on neighboring residential streets by failing to address cut-through traffic impacts. The unintended risks to safety have been well-documented throughout the project’s planning process, but to date, no strategy has been implemented to mitigate them.
As recently as October 2024, a bicyclist was injured in a collision with a car on Partridge Ave, and in summer 2024, two collisions occurred on College Ave. These incidents highlight that the dangers from cut-through traffic are real and escalating. Streets like College Ave, Partridge Ave, and Cambridge Ave are now carrying traffic that should be using Middle Ave, the designated collector route.
These concerns have been raised consistently throughout the project’s planning process, including in public comments and in Public Works Director Hugh Louchs project preparation summary in 2022. Despite this, when asked by the Complete Streets Commission how these concerns would be addressed in the Summer 2025 implementation plan, the city confirmed that no strategy to understand or mitigate these impacts was included in the project. This is deeply concerning and appears to be at odds with the Citys Circulation Element and Vision Zero Action Plan, both of which prioritize minimizing cut-through traffic and ensuring neighborhood safety.
Over 110 Allied Arts neighbors have signed in support of immediate traffic safety improvements on the impacted streets. I urge the Council to authorize staff to implement network-effect traffic calming as part of the Middle Avenue project this summer. Taking this step will ensure the City’s actions align with its long-standing commitment to safety and proactive planning.
Thank you for your attention to this critical issue.
