September 22, 2004

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Publication Date: Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Stoplight possible for busy University/Menlo intersection

By Rebecca Wallace
Almanac Staff Writer

Fixes don't come easy for a peculiar intersection in downtown Menlo Park, for which one plan has already been approved -- and then rejected -- by the City Council.

The council gave the nod to adding a new stop sign and moving a crosswalk at the busy intersection of University Drive and Menlo Avenue near Draeger's market on August 17. The goal was to cut down on driver confusion and improve pedestrian safety at the crossroads, through which an estimated 15,000 vehicles pass daily.

Last week, though, the council reversed itself, instead agreeing to hold off on any work while city staff looks into installing a traffic signal at the intersection instead of having stop signs there. Councilman Nicholas Jellins brought the matter back to the council on September 14, saying he was dissatisfied with the earlier plan.

A stoplight would be more expensive; staff members estimate the cost at $162,000, as opposed to $6,500 for the stop sign and new striping. But officials say it could help reduce vehicle-pedestrian accidents, several of which have occurred in the Menlo Avenue crosswalk.

The intersection is called "offset" because the east and west portions of Menlo Avenue don't line up. Drivers heading south on University Drive come to a stop sign that's set far back, which can be confusing for other drivers at the intersection. In addition, the southbound drivers often don't see pedestrians in the Menlo crosswalk, staff members say.

Under the old plan, a new stop sign would have been installed farther south on University, closer to the intersection. Drivers would have stopped first at the old sign and then at the new one.

Because the new stop sign would be closer to the intersection, drivers might more easily see pedestrians in the Menlo crosswalk, transportation manager Jamal Rahimi said.

But the old and new stop signs would be only 90 feet apart. So staff members were concerned that motorists might ignore the first sign and stop only at the second, which could create safety problems for drivers coming out of the west side of Menlo Avenue.

The council discussed several strategies for the intersection, but decided 4-1, with Mayor Lee Duboc dissenting, to study the stoplight.

A stoplight could provide more safety for pedestrians in the Menlo crosswalk if it had a left-turn arrow for southbound University drivers turning onto Menlo, Mr. Rahimi said. That way, when those cars are turning left, pedestrians have a red light telling them not to cross.

A light, though, could create traffic back-ups, he said; that will be among the issues studied by staff.

Councilman Paul Collacchi said the cost of a stoplight would be worth it if the light were safer. Although the light could require up to a year of study, Mr. Collacchi said he didn't support trying any other alterations to the intersection meanwhile, because they could be temporary.

"Any change will be intrusive and visible and require retraining thousands of people," he said.

Ms. Duboc disagreed, saying she wanted to add the second stop sign on a six-month trial basis.

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