Thanks for your great work City Council.
A top 2024 priority needs to be the Middlefield Road Safe Street Project, specifically intersections of Middlefield & Willow, Middlefield & Woodland and segment of Middlefield Road in-between. The safety of our children as bicyclists, and of motorists turning south on Middlefield, must be improved. In many ways this areas design, or lack thereof, prioritizes sending east-bound traffic towards 101 and the Dumbarton Bridge at the expense of our childrens safety, and the safety of our overall community. We can do better than this. We can improve this area which the City data recognizes as a high-conflict area, and which has Tier One (highest priority) projects #47, #69 and #70 designated in the Transportation Master Plan which City Council adopted in 2020. This is a longstanding issue for our community, and this is the year in which progress needs to be made.
Ive tracked this for a while starting as a presentation back in 2019 on safety issues and then as a member of the Citys Transportation Master Plan Oversight and Outreach Committee. Most recently I met with the Hugh Louch, the Citys Assistance Public Works Director - Transportation and District 2 Councilmember Drew Combs in October 2023 to walk the area and revive discussions about improving safety. Every time my son navigates this area on bike going to-and-from Hillview, Burgess or downtown my heart stops, especially when I see aggravated commuters barreling in front of Willows Market making a rolling-ish pause before turning onto Willow road and not looking at who is coming. And every time I almost get T-boned in my car turning onto Middlefield from Woodland my life flashes before my eyes.
It is time to make progress.
Andrew Barnes
Willows Neighborhood
