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Menlo Park commission recommends permanent closure of Blake Street at Middle Avenue
Summary
After hearing survey results and public comment, the Complete Streets Commission voted to recommend the permanent closure of Blake Street at Middle Avenue (retain bollards). Commissioners cited pedestrian and cyclist safety; staff said larger vehicles can operate with multi-point turns and staff will note operational needs.
The Menlo Park Complete Streets Commission voted on Nov. 12 to recommend the permanent closure of Blake Street at Middle Avenue and to retain the existing bollards that prevent through vehicle traffic.
Katrine Mackey, the city’s senior transportation planner, summarized the closure’s history: the temporary bollard closure began following a community petition in 2022 and the subsequent Middle Avenue Complete Streets project added a flashing beacon, speed hump and bike lanes. Mackey reported results from outreach and a community survey of 167 respondents showing 72% support for making the Blake closure permanent.
Why it matters: commissioners and public commenters said the closure reduced cut-through traffic, improved conditions for children walking to Nealon Park, and made the corridor feel safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. Multiple residents described personal safety concerns that predated the pilot and told commissioners they now feel more comfortable walking and biking in the corridor.
Operational concerns: staff and residents described occasional operational challenges for large service vehicles. Mackey said Recology indicated trucks need to perform multi-point or three-point turns and that some drivers have driven over flexible bollards; residents confirmed variability by driver. Commissioners noted the issue is operationally manageable and not necessarily disqualifying but asked staff to document service-vehicle access and design considerations should the closure be formalized.
Commission debate: a number of commissioners supported the permanent closure, citing survey backing and observed safety benefits. Other commissioners urged caution about making an exception that might be hard to replicate citywide and proposed exploring alternatives (raised crosswalks, slow-street treatments or mid-block traffic-calming features) to achieve similar safety without full closure. The Commission weighed neighborhood quality-of-life and pedestrian priority against citywide policy consistency and replicability.
Motion and vote: a motion to recommend Blake Street’s permanent closure at Middle Avenue (retain bollards) was made and seconded; the Commission adopted the motion.
What happens next: staff will record the Commission’s recommendation and include operational notes (service-vehicle access, signage, enforcement implications) when the matter is forwarded for Council consideration or for inclusion in implementation planning. Staff also noted a webpage will provide updates on related corridor projects and that additional traffic-calming or crossing treatments remain options if Council prefers alternative remedies.
