Dear Councilmembers,
My name is James Loftus. I live on Coleman Avenue with my wife and our three children—ages 17, 14, and 11. Weve attended many of these meetings, and my wife has spoken publicly in support of the multi-use pathway for bikers and pedestrians, as we are deeply invested in street safety.
I want to thank you for the work you have done so far. I am writing today to make a particular and urgent request.
Please do not leave “traffic calming” undefined. I’m concerned that it isn’t even mentioned in the summary on page 3 of the agenda for the April 29 meeting. We need speed bumps—not vague measures, but actual speed bumps that force drivers to slow down.
Right now, Coleman is a straight shot to Willow Road, and drivers regularly and significantly exceed the 25 mph speed limit to make the green light at Willow. When cars are parked on either side of my driveway—especially large SUVs and work trucks with tinted windows—I am blind when pulling out. It’s dangerous for me, my wife, my kids on bikes, my son who is a new driver, and for every family living on this street.
Speed tables or similar traffic calming measures won’t fix this. It will still allow cars to coast through with speeds over 35 mph. That’s not calming—that’s enabling. And it doesn’t just put residents at risk—it endangers the very people using the new bike lanes. Some cyclists, especially older students and adults, may choose to ride in the sharrows if the bike lane is crowded with younger children. That makes it even more essential that we slow all traffic down - for walkers, bikers, and drivers.
We have sent video footage showing cars speeding, driving erratically, and even driving on the wrong side of the street to enter the Korean BBQ parking lot—using it as a cut-through to Willow Road when traffic backs up at the light. This is not hypothetical. It is happening.
I know families will stand up to support the pilot, and I am glad that so many people will be safer biking and walking to school and work. However, I also want to remind you: the people who live on Coleman Avenue should not be made less safe to make it safer for others. That is not a fair trade.
In addition to installing speed bumps, we are asking for the following:
* 6 feet of red curb on both sides of all driveways to improve visibility.
* More speed limit signage and radar speed signs. (Currently, there is only one speed limit sign at Santa Monica facing eastbound traffic.)
* Painted parking spaces to improve parking efficiency.
* Regular enforcement of the overnight permit system, the 72-hour parking rule, and speeding. (Parking enforcement currently only happens when residents file non-emergency calls or email the Police Commander. For example, a SeeClickFix request for an abandoned vehicle on Coleman has been open for over a month, and the car is still there.)
* A street cleaning plan. Currently, there is no street cleaning plan for Coleman. With permanent parking on the south side, the street will rarely get cleaned. It is unacceptable that other neighborhoods receive this basic service while ours does not, especially when east-side homeowners pay the same taxes as every other resident of Menlo Park.
Former Councilwoman Wolosin once asked us if one-sided parking would be a "hardship". Yes, it’s going to be inconvenient for those of us who live on Coleman—but we supported it in the name of safety. Now we are asking you to fully support us in return. Please do not stop halfway. Let’s finish the job and make Coleman Avenue truly safe and fairly served for the families who live here every day.
Please add specific language to your approval for the Coleman Ave Pilot to add speed bumps on Coleman Avenue as part of the pilot.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
James Loftus
Coleman Avenue Resident
