f you live on Sand Hill Road, between San Francisquito Creek and Santa Cruz Avenue in Menlo Park, just backing your car out of your driveway each day can be a very daunting task.
Residents say that traffic often speeds down the street, paying no attention to them as they attempt to pull away from their homes.
"It's very scary," said Jane Federele, who lives on Sand Hill Road. She noted that her car has almost been rear-ended several times.
The residents live along what is perhaps the most controversial stretch of roadway in Menlo Park. Stanford University has long sought to widen Sand Hill Road from two lanes to four from the creek to Santa Cruz Avenue.
The Menlo Park City Council, however, has steadfastly refused Stanford's offer to widen the roadway. San Mateo County Supervisor Rich Gordon recently stepped into the breach, writing Mayor Nicholas Jellins a letter suggesting that county and city staff members work together to help alleviate the residents' woes.
Speeding traffic is one of many safety hazards that residents brought up at a February 8 meeting with Menlo Park City Council members Mary Jo Borak and Paul Collacchi. Their complaints included a lack of sidewalks, overgrown shrubbery that obscures traffic signs and pedestrians from drivers' views, and traffic-generated noise and pollution.
The council members said they could help with at least some of the issues but would not discuss the possibility of widening Sand Hill Road.
"We fear for our lives when we walk our dogs," said Willie Wolf, one of a dozen residents at the meeting.
About 15 homes are located along the strip of Sand Hill Road that lies between the creek and Santa Cruz Avenue, according to San Mateo County Public Works Director Neil Cullen, who also attended the meeting. The residents said that their efforts to have their problems redressed have been complicated by the fact that the roadway falls under Menlo Park's jurisdiction, but their adjacent homes are located in unincorporated San Mateo County.
"We've come to feel like we're bastard stepchildren," Mr. Wolf said.
Several residents urged the council members to accept Stanford University's long-standing offer to widen the road. Part of the proposal includes a frontage road for the homeowners and a berm that would shield them from Sand Hill's noise and pollution.
Mr. Collacchi and Ms. Borak, however, refused to discuss this issue. The council has long contended that widening Sand Hill Road would attract additional traffic to the area, worsening congestion and cut-through traffic on residential streets.
The council's opposition to widening the road became more entrenched in December with the results of a traffic study that contended widening would not significantly alleviate congestion without at least a partial grade separation at the Sand Hill Road-Santa Cruz Avenue interchange. Such a project, officials said in December, would include purchasing homes by eminent domain and adding freeway-style ramps to the intersection.
Ms. Borak noted that the frontage road offered by Stanford would greatly benefit the Sand Hill residents, but her responsibilities extend beyond those residents.
But Mr. Collacchi said there were some problems the city could address, such as trimming shrubbery along the road. He also said that police could concentrate traffic-enforcement efforts on Sand Hill Road for a month, but could not do so permanently.
"You will notice when it goes," Mr. Collacchi told the residents.
He said that other issues could be brought to City Manager David Boesch, who would see what Menlo Park could tackle.
Residents' opinions were mixed on the council members' statements.
Shawhan Shirley said that previous councils had ignored the Sand Hill residents problems entirely.
"I, for one, am grateful you've come here tonight," she told Ms. Borak and Mr. Collacchi.
Mr. Wolf said he was glad a line of communication had been opened to the council, but was dissatisfied with the meeting's results.
"I don't see how we can deal with the safety issue without changing the configuration of the road," he said, adding that changing the road does not necessarily mean following Stanford's plan to widen it.
Rich Gordon's proposal
During the meeting, Mr. Collacchi said that Menlo Park may be able to work with county officials to overcome jurisdictional hurdles that have impeded solutions to traffic problems on Sand Hill. He cited the January 31 letter that Mr. Gordon wrote to Mr. Jellins, which does not refer to any specific solutions.
"I don't know what the possibilities are," said Mr. Gordon, who said he wants to open a dialogue between the city and county. Mr. Gordon said he does not discount any possible solutions at this point, including widening Sand Hill Road.
"I'm hopeful we can find something to give them some assistance," he said.
Menlo Park council members said they are willing to have their staff meet with county officials.
Councilman Steve Schmidt said he hopes such discussions might generate some solutions for easing congestion on Sand Hill Road other than widening it. He said the city and county might then bring those ideas to Stanford.
