This month my household acquired our second e-bike. My husband and I have enjoyed riding together to Trader Joe's and the Farmer's Market, and to a dinner date at Oak and Violet. While yes, we could have made these trips on conventional bikes, the magic of the e-bike is that it eliminates the "Do I want to exercise now?" and "Do I want to sweat?" calculations. Riding an e-bike around Menlo Park is fun and easy and is often faster than driving.
I believe that Menlo Park's streets should be safe and inviting for people off ages and abilities to get around without a car. I'm working hard to make this vision a reality.
In 2019, Caltrans completed its modification of the Willow and 101 interchange. This item is to provide direction on how to landscape the intersection. The Staff-recommended landscape plan considers the budget, the public's desire for a forest-theme (as many trees as possible) and species that are anticipated to use less water and be more resilient to climate change and growing conditions at the interchange. The staff report has more details for those interested in this item.
Staff is recommending the approval of a scope of work with Kimley-Horn and Associates to complete a Quiet Zone implementation plan. The scope of the plan would include the five at-grade crossings in Menlo Park (Ravenswood, Oak Grove, Glenwood, Encinal and an additional pedestrian crossing at the Caltrain station) and the Palo Alto Avenue grade-crossing in Palo Alto. The City of Palo Alto has been working with Menlo Park and will contribute $35,000 of the $150,000 project cost (23%). For more information about this item, click here.
As previously mentioned, the City Council voted unanimously to appoint Interim City Manager Justin Murphy into the permanent position. This item contains the formal appointment and the approval of the compensation package. If approved, Mr. Murphy will receive a starting annual base salary of $275,000, among other benefits. For details, click here.
Other Items of Interest
Below are some additional items of interest:
Caltrain Electrification Notice: Glenwood Avenue Closure Notice
July 11th to July 22nd from 9:30am to 4:00pm
Beginning July 11th, Caltrain will be performing signal potholing work in Menlo Park that will require temporary lane closures of the Glenwood Avenue railroad crossing to vehicle and bicycle traffic. The temporary closures are required due to construction equipment and crews entering and exiting the Caltrain right-of-way at Glenwood Avenue.
From 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. from July 11th to July 22nd there will be temporary lane closures of the Glenwood Avenue railroad crossing.
Directional signs will direct vehicle and bicycle traffic from closed lanes, to use the adjacent open lanes during the closures. The crosswalks on Glenwood Avenue will remain open for pedestrian traffic during construction.
Middle Avenue Complete Street - Conceptual Design Agenda Item
Complete Streets Commission on Wednesday, July 13th at 7pm
The Middle Avenue Complete Street project proposes bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements along the entire length of Middle Avenue between El Camino Real and Olive Street. This project is of significant value to D3 because in conjunction with the Middle Avenue Bike/Ped Undercrossing, there will be a direct route across town to improve connectivity to schools, parks, grocery stores, downtown and residential neighborhoods.
On Wednesday, July 13th at 7pm, the Complete Streets Commission will review proposed conceptual designs for Middle Avenue and will vote on a recommendation for City Council consideration. Based on public feedback, City Staff has developed design options within three areas:
Bikeway facility design
Intersection design at major intersections (El Camino Real, University Drive and Olive Street)
Traffic calming treatments along the corridor
For more information about the proposed design options, and to access the agenda for Wednesday's meeting, including ways to participate/offer feedback, click here.
Menlo Park Summer Concert Series at Fremont Park
Kicks Off Wednesday, July 13th at 6pm
Pack your lawn chairs and blankets and bring your family and friends to Fremont Park for the Summer Concert Series. The Summer Concert Series is back with a variety of musical styles: R&B, classic rock, Lain blues, southern soul, disco and pop. Concerts are on Wednesdays and start at 6pm. Upcoming dates are below and here.
July 13th - Luv Bomb
July 20th - Brave Bartones
July 27th - Monreal Latin
August 3rd - Curley Taylor and Zydeco Trouble
August 10th - Busta-Groove!
August 17th - Sun Kings
In addition, there will be two nights of Summer Concerts at the Belle Haven School field (415 Ivy Drive):
August 19th - Busta-Groove! Part II
August 26th - The Tebo Experience
National Night Out on August 2nd
The 39th Annual National Night Out will take place Tuesday, August 2nd, in communities and neighborhoods throughout Menlo Park and the nation. This event gives neighbors an opportunity to join together in a combined effort and to strengthen the partnership between the community and Police. Many neighborhoods around Menlo Park are gathering for block parties and potlucks. For more information about the event, and to register your neighborhood's event, visit https://beta.menlopark.org/Government/Departments/Police/Community-engagement/National-Night-Out.
