Dear City Council,
I’m writing as a resident of Allied Arts to share my perspective on the Middle Avenue project and the associated traffic safety concerns—both specific to the Summer 2025 construction plans and to the broader network impacts already unfolding in our neighborhood. More than 135 residents of Allied Arts have signed a petition requesting safety help on our streets.
1. Middle Avenue Construction Plan – Opportunity for Smart Improvements
There appears to be openness to making targeted improvements to the Middle Avenue construction contract. I respectfully suggest the following refinements to prioritize safety while avoiding unnecessary construction:
* Move the flashing beacons to the Jack Lyle Park crosswalk at Arbor (instead of at the church). Optionally, eliminate the raised crosswalk at the church, which would save approximately $6,000.
* Leave Yale Road as-is, maintaining the recently installed crosswalk without adding additional beacons or raised crossings. This crosswalk is very close to the University Ave 4-way stop. This would save approximately $53,000.
* Delay installation of the speed humps at Santa Rita and Blake until traffic speeds can be reassessed post-implementation of the major improvements. This would save approximately $8,000 now and they could be added later if needed.
This approach aligns with guidelines that recommend monitoring traffic-calming measures at the network level and phasing in further changes only as necessary.
1. Allied Arts Network Impacts – Urgent Need for Action
There has been strong resistance to taking even small, inexpensive steps to mitigate the cut-through and speeding traffic already affecting Allied Arts streets.
Post-pilot data from the Middle Avenue study shows the following:
* A 34% increase in westbound traffic volume off El Camino onto College Avenue.
* A 16% overall traffic volume increase on College Avenue.
* An 85th percentile speed of 27 mph—well above the target of less than 20 mph for designated Bicycle Boulevards, as recommended by the NACTO 2025 Design Guide (adopted by Menlo Park in Program CIRC-2.B).
In addition:
* A bicyclist was struck on Partridge Avenue in October 2024, highlighting real and ongoing safety risks.
* College Avenue and surrounding streets sit adjacent to two of Menlo Park’s high-collision corridors and are already experiencing unsafe cut-through traffic.
* Allied Arts is a neighborhood with a high concentration of vulnerable road users. Our census tracts include 33% of the citys seniors over age 85, 23% of the citys children aged 10-14, and 22% of the citys children under 5. These are the groups most overrepresented in injury collisions.
Our Specific Request
We are simply asking for a pilot deployment of low-cost in-street signs to proactively slow traffic and mitigate cut-through danger on our residential streets—starting in summer 2025 alongside the Middle Avenue construction project.
* The signs cost approximately $250 each.
* They can be deployed quickly without major disruption.
* This approach is easily extensible across Menlo Park, including other high-risk areas like Coleman Avenue.
* Examples and more information are available at: https://alliedarts.info/slowmenlo
This is not a special-interest request. It is a pragmatic, city-aligned safety improvement that supports the Vision Zero Action Plan, Transportation Master Plan, and General Plan goals.
Note on Consultant Memo:
Attached are memo comments that highlight key issues with the consultant’s assessment of cut-through traffic. The memo downplays diversion risk, even though measurable post-pilot data shows increased traffic volume on College Ave. It also fails to acknowledge that College, Partridge, and Cambridge are all direct, parallel alternatives to Middle Ave. Both NACTO and Caltrans caution that traffic-calming measures like speed humps commonly lead to diversion onto parallel residential streets. These are important factors that should be accounted for within the project scope.
Throughout the Middle Avenue planning process, residents were told that side-street network impacts would be addressed. As the project moves into final construction, it’s essential we not lose sight of that commitment.
I respectfully urge Council to:
* Approve refinements to the Middle Avenue construction plan to better balance safety and downsides.
* Direct staff to pilot the in-street signage program as a scalable, city-aligned solution.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Laura Melahn
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Attachments:
1. Allied Arts Traffic Safety Background
2. Memo Comments – Consultant Review Notes
