Twenty-two officers from around San Mateo County, most of them on motorcycles, made more than 240 traffic stops locally on Wednesday, Oct. 15, and issued 207 citations — 114 in the morning in East Palo Alto and 93 in the afternoon in Menlo Park, according to Cpl. Brett Murphy of the Burlingame Police Department.
The top three citation categories: 58 tickets for talking on a hand-held cellphone, and 43 tickets each for driving without a seat belt and speeding, Cpl. Murphy said.
The day of enforcement was the 10th such event in 2014, always held on the third Wednesday of the month. The communities receiving extra patrols change with each month. For October, the focus was Menlo Park and East Palo Alto. Menlo Park was also the focus in September, but was paired with Atherton. Woodside and Portola Valley were up in August.
Other citations this time included 25 tickets for failure to stop at stop signs, 13 for road sign violations such as making an illegal right turn, eight for unlicensed driving, and three for driving on suspended licenses, Cpl. Murphy told the Almanac.
Police made two arrests based on outstanding warrants, and two people were cited for possession of narcotics.
Police also issued 10 tickets to bicyclists for not stopping at stop signs or red lights, nine of those in Menlo Park. Traffic violations by bicyclists were a particular focus because of the high volume of complaints to local police from residents about cyclists ignoring stop signs, Cpl. Murphy said.
One person received a ticket for stopping in the vehicle-exclusion zone marked on the pavement in front of the fire station at 3322 Alameda de las Pulgas, Station 4 of the Menlo Park Fire Protection District. That an officer was there to issue a ticket came about through complaints from firefighters to police about drivers ignoring the marked pavement, Cpl. Murphy said.
The Saturation Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) is a San Mateo County initiative, in effect since January 2013, that brings together for a day some 25 motorcycle officers, more or less, from law-enforcement agencies in the county. The Burlingame Police Department organizes the events.
The purpose is to enforce the law and to educate drivers on the need to obey the law, Cpl. Murphy said.
Redwood City attorney sues ‘First Amendment auditors’ after Menlo Park disputeApril 2, 2026 11:31 am
