Musings

Our mission is for kids to be able to get to and from school safely. Kids should be able to ride bikes, walk, carpool and take the bus to school. Furthermore, Parents for Safe Routes is not solely focused on Engineering/Infrastructure (though that gets the most attention). We are about using all the E's of Safe Routes (Engagement, Engineering, Education, Enforcement, Encouragement, Evaluation and Equity) to realize true safety for kids on our streets.

Our city's streets can not handle the current burden of the number of single occupancy vehicle trips. Furthermore, all of the cars on the road leave those that want to or need to bike in danger. Our kids are not safe now and the quality of life for all of us in Menlo Park is at stake.

As for parking that is being removed, we are sympathetic to those who will be inconvenienced. However, up until now, all of the inconveniences and alternative arrangements have been put upon our kids and their families. Parents for Safe Routes was founded to speak for them. Please consider their need for safety (and all the benefits that biking to school provides our youth) when weighing the needs of other groups.

We don't just have to accept how things are. We can work together to make things better. As with everything, but it's especially true with traffic, if we keep doing what we're doing, we're going to keep getting what we're getting. It's just too dangerous now.