Dear Atherton and Menlo Park City Councils,
My wife Ann and I, residents of Menlo Park, are writing to you with deep concern following the tragic death of a cyclist yesterday on Middlefield Road, adjacent to Encinal Elementary in Atherton, where our two daughters attend first and third grade.
As a family that frequently bikes throughout Menlo Park and Atherton, we have personally experienced numerous close calls that mirror the circumstances of this devastating incident. With our daughters beginning to bike more independently, it is crucial that they have the freedom to travel to school, activities, and friends homes safely, a principle supported by the Let Grow movement endorsed by the MPCSD.
We believe urgent action is required to enhance cycling safety within our community. It is alarmingly clear that a significant number of drivers either lack the awareness to safely share the road with cyclists or, more concerningly, fail to exercise the necessary caution and adherence to traffic laws. We urge both municipalities to consider this a critical issue demanding immediate attention.
We believe a comprehensive approach, including enhanced signage, speed calming measures such as speed bumps, additional stop signs, and robust community education campaigns, along with other innovative solutions, can significantly mitigate the risks cyclists currently face. We believe all possible measures should be considered to ensure our community learns from this profound loss and honors the memory of the cyclist by preventing such tragedies in the future.
Sincerely,
Ben Janofsky and Ann Lu
Menlo Park Residents
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Ben Janofsky
(215) 518-6047
ben.janofsky@gmail.com
