What can be done?

Well, for starters. parents could actually teach their kids how to safely and legally ride bikes in traffic. What I see the majority of Menlo Park parents do is setting horrible examples about safe bike riding and etiquette.
Easy to balem Stanfords finest, when weekends parents with kids are clearly the worst.

Starts with not indicating turns, blasting along sidewalks and of course blatantly ignoring all traffic laws (blasting though stop signs, racing across crosswalks, riding against traffic).

One would think that these people are highly educated and smart adults...not so much (entitlement?).

Last Tuesday afternoon I watched in horror as 2 kids on bikes darted out from Live Oak onto University without any concern. Right in front of a car going NB on University. Luckily the driver was going the speed limit (rare) AND paying attention. Double luck for the kids.

Why were only white middle aged women invited to speak on this panel?

"Safe" and "bicycling" are always mutually exclusive when people ride bicycles on any roads that motor vehicles use at the same time, unless the bicyclists are completely separated from the motor vehicles by a very strong physical barrier.

It makes me sad to see so much effort devoted to encouraging children to engage in an activity that is inherently dangerous -- riding bicycles on roads that motor vehicles use.

The efforts being put forth to push this very dangerous practice should be spent instead on getting school buses back for all K-12 students to ride. And please do not expect SamTrans to do this -- it is a public transit agency whose job is to serve everyone in this county, and not only schoolchildren.

To those who disagree with me:
Please provide evidence that any collision between any bicyclist and any motor vehicle will not result in the bicyclist being seriously injured (or worse!), while the occupant(s) of the motor vehicle is(are) uninjured.

I wonder why it is that the proponents of encouraging (forcing, in a way?)children to bicycle on roads that motor vehicles use can keep ignoring the laws of physics? As I have said in previous posts, even the smallest motor vehicle weighs at least 20 times as much as a child on a bicycle! And the child does not have a steel cage around him or her to protect him or her. But all motor vehicle operators and passengers do. (I am not referring to motorcycles here.)

And it is ridiculous to think that all drivers are ever going to be perfect drivers 100% of the time, and that all children will ever be able to ride their bicycles using mature adult judgment 100% of the time.

Our precious children deserve to be transported to and from school in swell-made and maintained school buses driven by highly skilled and trained and well-paid drivers, whose backgrounds and driving records have been checked before they were hired, and are checked randomly while employed as school-bus drivers.

During the past few years a large and growing number of adults who either ride bikes or run in our street are a lot more visible to motorists - safer and comfortable - because they wear bright clothing and shoes. Parents should encourage their sons and daughters to adopt this practice and not ride or run without similar attire. Perhaps, parents and schools could provide cool-looking lightweight vests or windbreakers and encourage/insist they are worn, especially by elementary or middle school students riding to/from schools. These items need not be expensive and are certainly a lot less costly than new bike lanes. Bright colored backpacks would also help. A "be seen" campaign would also heighten community awareness of the need for BOTH bicyclists and motorists to safely share our streets, obey all vehicle laws, respect and look out for each other. Parents and the city might share the cost.

Biking is much safer and more pleasant when there are dedicated and protected bike paths, but until that happy day bicyclists need to learn to ride defensively and motorists need to act as if the smaller craft always has right of way. There is no worse feeling than injuring a bicyclist (or pedestrian), even one who was careless/reckless. Safe Routes to School is a good first step towards making Menlo Park safer. A lot more is needed but we have to start somewhere.

"Why were only white middle aged women invited to speak on this panel?"

Perhaps -- just perhaps -- because the women in question expressed the most interest in and concern for this issue, irrespective of their gender, age or ethnicity? Were you denied a seat on the panel? Have you any idea how the panel was selected? If not, then why not inquire with the organizers first before tilting at diversity windmills in this forum?

I wish parents would wear their helmets when they bike to school with their children. It sets a bad example when they don't for their kids...and for mine. I'm curious why so many ride without one.

The primary concern I hear about helmets is hair.

Lots of people seem to have helmet-incompatible hair. Think 'big hair', lots of more complex hairstyles, Sikh hair (no haircuts, ever), etc.

(As a bike commuter - I go for short / low maintenance / helmet-friendly)

Sweaty-head is also a concern, but it's easy to find / buy well ventilated helmets.

Was any outreach done to try to get panel members from Belle Haven?

There are students who live on the other side of the freeway, and they have to walk through Willow Road, crossing the freeway entrances and exits. This is more dangerous than just walking from your house to your neighborhood school, many of these kids live and Menlo Park, I hope you think about them when you plan. All students count, not just the ones who live on the other side of the Freeway.

I just wish cyclist would follow the law like stopping at stops signs, not going through red lights, cycle on the correct side of the streets etc.

I also think if your using the streets you should have a license and insurance just like any other vehicle on the streets. That way when you go though red lights or stop signs you can be reported and police might do something??

If you want to share the road share the laws and responsibilities! be a safe cyclist, but no most think they own the road and can do what they like.

Tonight there was an late event at Oak Knoll School that ended well after nightfall.
Apart from the noticeable reckless driving to and from school, I observed several parents picking up their children by bicycle.

The majority of parent's and their children's bikes had neither front or rear lights, not even reflectors, even though it was completely dark.
(There were few, but notable exceptions, so it can be done)

I still think drivers, who do not adjust their speed (below the speed limit if necessary) and/or refuse to acknowledge that pedestrians and cyclists are allowed to lawfully share the road, are the biggest challenge to keep children safe.

Driving doesn't give you more rights than cycling or walking, and the other way round.
We got enough rules and laws,
Let's make them happen!