Traffic congestion...it's the "third rail of Menlo Park politics." No public official wants to touch it. Yet, like a real third rail, this issue can propel us forward. So let's touch it. What constitutes "too much traffic?"

The answer depends on whom you ask.

One neighbor, a bank executive, encounters bumper-to-bumper traffic commuting through downtown Menlo Park. Another works at home, shops in the late afternoon and complains of El Camino's congestion.

Meanwhile, one restauranteur bemoans the lack of foot traffic on Santa Cruz Ave. A store owner wants more people driving downtown, not less. Both have given up on Menlo Park nightlife -- they know the action isn't here.

Can Menlo Park offer refuge after a hectic workday – and be an exciting place to shop and dine?

Not without traffic, it seems. But what about transit-friendly retail and housing development? Wouldn't this take the strain off our roads – and take the strain off our retailers?

Let's hear your thoughts....