Hi,
I believe the paragraph in the staff report “24-073-CC” that discusses the Blake Street closure does not describe the situation precisely and, in this loss of precision, it may not convey the situation adequately. The paragraph, as written, is:
Circulation to College Avenue: Primary concern is a lack of alternative vehicular connections to College Avenue with the Blake Street temporary closure. Blake Street is one of the primary Nealon Park access points for pedestrians and bicyclists from the Allied Arts neighborhood. On Oct. 18, 2022, the City Council approved the temporary closure of Blake Street to provide a safer environment for those pedestrians and bicyclists. Restoring Blake Street vehicular access could address the concern about the lack of alternative vehicular connections. Staff recommends continued monitoring of the temporary closure of Blake Street at Middle Avenue until summer 2025.
The first problem with this paragraph is that the term “vehicular” is too broad. Bicycles are vehicles, and they are allowed through the intersection of Blake Street with Middle Avenue. (In fact, the paragraph goes on to say the City Council approval was intended “to provide a safer environment for pedestrians and bicycles.” )
The second problem is the use of the word “lack.” Prior to the closure, there were 6 streets that provided vehicular access to College Avenue (Arbor, Yale, University, Blake, Alto Ln, and El Camino Real). The Blake Street closure removed one of them. Thus, there is no “lack of alternative vehicular connections;” there are now 5 instead of 6. Even if considering just the section of College between El Camino and University Avenue the closure at Blake reduces the count from 4 to 3. Hardly a “lack” of alternatives.
Nevertheless, while there was not a loss of access, I do agree there was a loss of convenience for some of our neighbors, myself included. I would ask that this loss of convenience be weighed against the improvement in safety for the adult and child pedestrians and bicyclists that continue to use Blake Street as a connection from the Allied Arts community to Nealon Park and beyond. We have always prioritized safety over convenience, and we should continue to do so here.
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Sandy Napel
445 Blake Street
Menlo Park, CA
