Menlo Park officials are looking into ways to improve safety by reducing speed limits on several local roads, including Middle Avenue, Bay Road and Santa Cruz Avenue.
The Menlo Park City Council in September directed city staff to look into lowering speed limits on residential streets. City staff is also looking into lowering the speed limit on Santa Cruz Avenue to 20 mph to protect businesses in the downtown “streetaries” program.
The council on July 11 got an informational report from staff that identified the following streets as under consideration for a speed limit of 25 mph, down from the current 30 mph:
• Bay Road between Marsh Road and Ringwood Avenue
• Bay Road between Ringwood Avenue and Willow Road
• Middle Avenue from Olive Street to University Drive
• Olive Street between Santa Cruz Avenue and Middle Avenue
• Ravenswood Avenue from Laurel Street to Middlefield Road
• Santa Cruz Avenue from the city limit to the Avy Avenue/Orange Avenue intersectin
• Van Buren Road from Bay Road to its terminus past Iris Lane
The city is working from a 2020 engineering and traffic survey, and is unable to modify any of the proposed streets’ speed limits without an ordinance, with the exception of Van Buren Road. Menlo Park city staff have placed 25 mph speed limit signs on Van Buren Road since it qualifies as a residential street.
The change corresponds with Menlo Park’s safe streets program, with the aim of lowering overall speeds according to the staff report. Council member Maria Doerr said in a July 11 City Council meeting that there are streets in discussion that did not make the list in the staff report.
“Even though these other streets are not included on this list, the conversations are continuing with city staff,” Doerr said.
The staff report found that the vast majority of motorists drove at speeds ranging from 30-35 mph, and the city is considering signs saying that the speed limit in Menlo Park is 25 mph unless otherwise posted. The city plans for the new speed limits to go into effect on July 1, 2024.
Assistant Public Works Director Hugh Louch did not respond to a request for comment.
