Menlo council to consider six-month plan for Santa Cruz Avenue Menlo council to consider six-month plan for Santa Cruz Avenue (June 19, 2002)

**Restriping plan would eliminate 54 parking spaces.

By Pam Smith

Almanac Staff Writer

The latest recommendation for Santa Cruz Avenue, from University Drive to N. Lemon Avenue: Lay out 10.5-foot traffic lanes and 4- and 5-foot bike lanes, remove 54 parking spaces, take out the median islands in front of St. Raymond Catholic Church, and cut back some of the concrete islands on the side of the street. Give it a six-month trial period. Then, evaluate how it's working.

The City Council is scheduled to consider the city staff's proposal at a special public meeting Wednesday, June 19, at 7 p.m. (That's the day after the regular weekly council meeting.) For the full proposal with specifics, including schematic drawings of each intersection, call the city manager's office at 858-3360.

There was public outcry after the city began installing traffic-calming measures, meant to slow traffic and protect pedestrians, in early May. In response to the complaints, the city halted work mid-stream and approved a re-design of the project.

So far, the council has approved the elimination of 16 curb extensions (concrete islands on the side of the road); 10 crosswalks; and 10 center medians from the design.

That didn't completely quell the criticism.

More than a dozen residents joined Councilman Nicholas Jellins on a walk down the avenue last Saturday to ask for further changes, critique the latest recommendations, get explanations, or criticize the project. A typed petition from a handful of residents awaited Mr. Jellins, taped to a construction barrier at May Brown Avenue.

The council will consider further recommendations this week -- a proposal, the city staff says, to keep some traffic-calming benefits while not "unduly" restricting traffic. It suggests that after four months Menlo Park conduct speed surveys and hold public meetings, so the council can re-evaluate the plan in February.

Parking restrictions are necessary to accommodate wider traffic lanes than first designed, says the staff report. The staff is recommending 10.5-foot lanes, plus a 6-inch buffer alongside median islands.

The staff suggests using temporary tape instead of paint to mark the street during the trial period.

The fire district is still concerned about the remaining median islands, and has suggested that the city eliminate them, give them "rolled curbs" so trucks can go up and over them, or narrow them so trucks can "straddle" them, says the staff report. The city staff is not endorsing those suggestions.

The police department supports the trial plan, and feels that traffic calming, "balanced with enforcement," is essential for traffic safety, says the staff report.

Crews began the approved removal work June 11. That's costing the city about $3,500 a day, and should take eight to 10 days, said Public Works Director Kent Steffens.

The city spent $44,187 installing the traffic-calming measures before work was halted in May, and has also paid about $70,000 for the red pigmented material intended for colored bike lanes, according to Mr. Steffens.

The city has since decided to hold off on using the red material, but could choose to use it later on Santa Cruz Avenue or another project, he added.

The $990,000 contract, for the traffic-calming project as well as the repaving of Santa Cruz with so-called quiet asphalt, included $100,000 in "soft costs" such as administration and contingencies, said Mr. Steffens.

The city does not break down how much of those soft costs go to the repaving, and how much to the traffic calming, he said.

E-mail Pam Smith at psmith@AlmanacNews.com.