Congratulations for approving bike network improvements on such a popular route for bicyclists. I hope your leadership inspires Menlo Park to protect the many bicyclists who use Ravenswood to reach Middlefield Road.The section between El Camino and Laurel is embarrassingly and dangerously bad for bike riders and could easily be improved.

Dana - Menlo Park and the Fire District supported enhanced bicycle route modifications on Oak Grove Avenue, one block over from Ravenswood and a street that runs parallel, with far less traffic and it runs from Middlefield and M/A High School over ECR and also into down town Menlo. What more could you want?

Perhaps the smart and safe thing to do would be to completely eliminate and discourage bicyclists using Ravenswood at all! The stretch between Laurel and the railroad tracks is so narrow you end up on the sidewalk, which is extremely unsafe.

We met with the County and Atherton to discuss Middlefield Road and collectively agreed that bicycle routes made more sense on Middlefield Road than on El Camino Real.

There needs to be a balanced approach to supporting Bicycle routes and maintaining primary vehicle routes that also double as our primary emergency response routes that are used for the good of the entire community.

Every street shouldn't be expected to support a bicycle route and yet that's what we seem to be hearing at times - Its time to strike a balanced approach!

In summary, the Fire District does NOT support bicycle routes on Ravenswood or El Camino Real but we fully support them on Oakgrove and Middlefield as long as each lane of travel is 11 feet in width.

Harold Schapelhouman, Fire Chief

Below is a link to the PA/MV VTA bikeways map. The sole reasonable, safe, and contiguous N/S (in the 101 sense) bike route is Middlefield. Palo Alto, embarrassingly, plops a big glaring hole in that beautiful purple line from Loma Verde all the way to Menlo Park. This needs to be fixed at an inter-city, inter-county level. I commute Middlefield daily to work in PA, mainly by car, and there is zero need for four lanes down Middlefield. One lane each way with center turn lane would likely improve traffic flow (eliminating cars stopped in the left lane waiting to turn across opposing traffic and associated weaving as people dodge around them) while adding space for bike lanes. PA - fix your mess, please. Try looking at a map that doesn't terminate at the PA border as if you were an island for a change. The above Middlefield improvement would have been a much better investment than your needless Ross Road project (which already had Louis one block over with big beautiful bike lanes).

Web Link

Harold:

I respectfully disagree with your position.

1. The Menlo-Ravenswood corridor is THE most popular route for high school and adult bicyclists traveling east-west. I know because I have spent hours monitoring bicyclists crossing El Camino at the Ravenswood, Santa Cruz, Oak Grove and Glenwood intersections. Note: The city has never published such data.

2. Bicyclist who use Middle Avenue and travel to destinations south of Ravenswood - and visa versa - will NOT detour to Oak Grove. It makes no sense whatsoever from the perspective of convenience. For example, why would anyone ride from Middle to Burgess Park, M-A, Middlefield, and Willow using Oak Grove.

3. I have recommended that a bike path run BESIDE Ravenswood from El Camino to Middlefield so bikes would NOT share the street. The section between ECR and Laurel would be entirely on City land, and SRI had offered to let Menlo Park build a bike path across its land in the strip of land between Ravenswood and its parking lots.

Please explain why you would oppose this simple, safe, convenient and comfortable solution?

Every road provides multiple functions ( cars, bikes, pedestrians, etc.) but every road cannot provide every function.

it makes no sense to allow the current "popularity" of a route to trump safety.

Unless a protected bike route can be provided on Ravenswood then bikers should be diverted to Oak Grove.

Peter: You like Harold are ignoring what I have said in my comment - and many times before.

1. I am NOT recommending that bicyclists are encouraged to ride on Ravenswood.

2. The section between Alma and ECR does not have the space to add bike lanes on both sides due to the vehicle lane configuration.

3. I HAVE recommended that a 2-way bike path be build alongside Ravenswood, at least from El Camino to Laurel and with SRI support to Middlefield. That would be the safest possible facility for bicyclist who now ride on Ravenswood.

4. Convenience is a primary determinant of where bicyclists ride, so popularity DOES indicate a preference for a bike route. Bike network designers recognize this and understand bicyclists generally will NOT take significantly longer routes, i.e., detours. (There are actually established metrics for this behavior).

5. Many bike riders already use Ravenswood even though the section between El Camino and Alma has no bike lanes. That means they are willing to accept discomfort and a level of risk. Since they are not going to change their behavior the City should not ignore their safety. Doing nothing amounts to negligence.

I invite both you and Harold to discuss this matter in person.

Dana - You are proposing a a 2-way bike path be build alongside Ravenswood, That does not exist and I oersonaly doubt that it will ever be built.

Harold and I are dealing with the existing reality - Unless a protected bike route can be provided on Ravenswood then bikers should be diverted to Oak Grove.

I ride the whole proposed route every day, in part because it has the best bike lane. It is the rest of Middlefield Road that needs help.

I have biked Palo Alto for 45 years and have discovered safe routes through Palo Alto and Menlo Park. But a lot of roads with bike lanes terminate their bike lane very inconveniently.

Prohibiting bikes on Ravenswood is interesting. I ride this route once a week. Forcing me to use Oak Grove would almost double my time from M-A High to el Camino. And I don't feel safer Oak Grove.

A reality IS that many bicyclists already ride on Ravenswood and there is no way to "divert" them to Oak Grove because that's NOT what they want to do. How would you recommend the City either force, discourage or induce them to take what these bicyclist view is an undesirable detour.

A reality IS I am suggesting a real world solution to a real need and problem. It's an affordable and doable way that only needs the City to recognize its obligations. Please note that CENTRAL (Ravenswoodl east-west bike facilities were recommended in the 2004 bike network development plan - the last one the City did - and restated in the 2012 Specific Plan.

Why does Menlo Park spend so much spend time and money on these "important" planning exercises then totally ignore community input?

Simply because some residents feel they know better???

As I said we can talk anytime that is convenient for you.

You're essentially proposing a brand new "road" for bikes be laid out. I like it, but it is pie in the sky and cost prohibitive given the realities of the day.
You also make an unfounded assumption that people, who now have no choice will not switch over to a safer route if it is presented.

Just because an idea CAN work, does not make it the best given the realities. I know you think you came up with a great idea, but I'm sorry, I think Peter is on the right path, pun untended because, hey, it's Friday.

Let it go - What makes you think a HALF mile long, 2-foot wide bike path on existing land is too expensive for Menlo Park given the great combination of convenience, comfort and safety it would provide?

Also, if you and others truly want to understand the trade-offs that bicyclists make when they select a bike route I recommend you read the standard methodology that is used by bike network design and planners in the US Web Link


You will learn that there are many different types of bicyclists and they have different skills and perceptions of safety, convenience and comfort. Good bike network design is not a matter of opinion; major cities use professional designers who now use the methodology referenced above. It also accommodates the needs of a different bicyclists by providing attractive options not single solutions. Menlo Park is a "distant follower" in terms of bike friendly network design. Our neighbor Palo Alto is a leader.

Typo in prior comment ...should read 12-foot wide bike path - although 2 feet would be cheaper :)

Oh my, LOL.
Looking forward to the Middle field changes!