Dear City Council,
Thank you so much for all your work on the Parkline project. I’m writing to express my strong support and excitement for this proposal. I deeply appreciate the project’s focus on sustainability (including the all-electric infrastructure and LEED Gold commitment), housing access and affordability, and open green space that welcomes the broader community. It’s clear a lot of care went into this vision and I think it will be a great addition to our community.
As someone who bikes regularly along Ravenswood Avenue to Menlo-Atherton High School, I’d love to see future planning include Class IV, protected bike lanes in both directions on Ravenswood and Middlefield. Many future residents of Parkline will likely have children attending Menlo-Atherton, and others may commute by bike or ride into downtown to grocery shop at Trader Joe’s, Draeger’s, or Safeway—unless there are plans for a grocery store on-site, which would also be a welcome addition! Ravenswood and Middlefield are key transit corridors and better separation—ideally with planted buffers—would make biking safer and more enjoyable.
The intersection at Ravenswood and Middlefield could also benefit from improvements. Right now there’s only one crosswalk, and I often see students on bikes navigating it in ways that feel unsafe to access the bike lane on the side without a crosswalk. Better bike access and an additional cross walk across all legs of the intersection would help. This may be outside the project zone but will most likely see an increase in foot, bike, and motor vehicle traffic due to the development and ensuring this intersection is safe for all is in our best interest.
Within the Parkline site, I encourage the team to consider separate pathways for cyclists and pedestrians to support safety and comfort for both. And for long-term flexibility, I hope the parking garages can be designed for future reuse—such as housing or community space—by including features like flat floor plates, extra ceiling height, and adaptable utilities.
Again, thank you for your dedication and thoughtfulness in shaping this project. I’m excited to see it move forward!
With excitement and gratitude,
Francesca
