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Menlo Park commissioners push El Camino Real quick-build planning, urge Caltrans coordination
Summary
The Complete Streets Commission discussed advancing an El Camino Real quick-build for protected bike and pedestrian space from the southern border with Palo Alto to Middle Avenue, agreed to refine a plan for council reporting, and emphasized the need to coordinate with Caltrans because El Camino is state right-of-way.
Commissioners on Feb. 11 discussed next steps for an El Camino Real quick-build intended to deliver near-term protected bike and pedestrian facilities along the corridor from Menlo Park’s southern border (adjacent to Palo Alto) north to Middle Avenue.
Chair Athena Yercomos described the ad hoc subcommittee’s plan to assess parking impacts, survey businesses and residents, and return to the full commission with an actionable plan that could be reported to city council. Joanna Chan, Menlo Park’s transportation manager, told the commission that reporting to council is the appropriate route to align with council priorities and that coordination with Caltrans and other agencies (including SamTrans) will be necessary because El Camino Real is a state highway.
Commissioners asked staff about timelines (repainting and repaving windows were discussed, with repainting mentioned at an approximate five-year horizon), options for preemptive surveys, and whether formal council action or public comment could be used to speed attention to the project. Public commenters and commissioners repeatedly emphasized that protected bike and pedestrian access should be a foundational element of any plan, and urged that daylighting and curb decisions be forward-looking to avoid later conflicts with bike infrastructure.
Commissioners agreed to return with a more developed plan in a few months and to explore council presentation options, consistent with the commission’s annual report-out schedule.
