Menlo Park commission unanimously approves timed loading zone, daylighting at Springline on El Camino Real

The Menlo Park Complete Streets Commission on Feb. 11 unanimously approved a staff request to designate three timed loading-zone parking spaces on El Camino Real and two daylighted no-parking spaces at Springline (1313 El Camino Real/Garwood Way) to address safety and sight-line concerns caused by double-parked delivery trucks.

Cassandra Cortez, associate transportation planner for the city of Menlo Park, told the commission that staff observed delivery trucks double-parking to serve businesses at Springline and confirmed calls for service to the police department (8 calls in 2024 and 21 calls in 2025) related to trucks blocking the northbound travel lane and fire lane. Cortez said staff’s site-distance analysis supports creating 25 feet of red curb (one parking space) at each garage entrance and designating three existing El Camino spaces as a timed loading zone to improve safety and traffic flow.

George Halstead, representing Springline, said ceiling heights prevent box trucks from using the underground garage and noted the garage contains 900 public spaces; he said retailers rely on curbside deliveries and that customers can continue to use garage parking that is free for two hours.

Public commenters and several commissioners urged longer daylighted areas to anticipate future protected bikeways and to reduce conflicts between loading and bike infrastructure. The commission moved and seconded the recommendation and voted unanimously in favor; no appeal period or further council action was recorded at the meeting.

The timed loading restriction aligns with Menlo Park municipal code for yellow-curb loading zones (9 a.m.–6 p.m.). If no appeal is filed to city council within 15 days, Springline will implement curb changes via the city's encroachment permit process.