Dear MP City Council Members,
Ive lived on San Mateo Drive for 23 years and want to thank you for your efforts on the Middle Avenue Complete Streets Project-in general I feel like the traffic calming street plan will give Menlo Park a beautiful new corridor. However, Im writing to express STRONG OPPOSITION TO ALL-WAY STOP SIGNS AT MIDDLE AVE AND SAN MATEO DRIVE, AS IT WILL NOT CALM TRAFFIC BUT MAKE IT WORSE OVERALL COMPARED WITH LIGHTED SIDEWALKS. This recommendation was made on Middle Avenue Complete Streets report #22-161-CC page J-2.4,
Stop signs back traffic up and do not let it flow. This results in excessive noise, the gunning of engines as the cars have to stop and start. It also results in increases energy use as the cars stop and start. Moreover, the stop signs are present 24 hours a day, 7 days a week causing traffic to start and the re-start, when the main times for traffic calm occur during school pick up and drop off. Why have excessive car back ups and this unnecessary 24 hrs/day 7 days a week when a lighted sidewalk will serve the same purpose when crossing is needed, and let traffic flow during low peak times? We addressed a similar issue many years ago with the Santa Cruz sidewalk project which I was involved with. The decision was to put a lighted sidewalk on Santa Cruz and San Mateo Drive. This has worked well, providing open car flow through Santa Cruz Ave and San Mateo Ave, and a lighted crosswalk for the main times when bicyclists and pedestrians need to cross. Why install a traffic snarling mechanism on Middle Avenue when the lighted sidewalks on Santa Cruz Avenue have proven to work instead? I urge you not to follow the Staff Report recommendations of 22-161-CC to put an ALL-WAY-STOP SIGN at Middle and San Mateo Drive. We dont need the traffic snarling even at low peak travel times, and we certainly dont need to create additional noise and energy waste.
Please vote AGAINST THE ALL-WAY STOP SIGNS AT MIDDLE AVE AND SAN MATEO DRIVE.
Happy to discuss more.
Sincerely,
Tony Oro
