To the Menlo Park City Council members:
The Almanac reported this week that you are looking into the possibility of closing Valparaiso to downhill traffic from the top of Valparaiso Hill to Altschul. As a longtime La Loma Drive homeowner, I believe this change to the traffic pattern would have dangerous consequences.
The recent car accident on Valparaiso was tragic, and my heart goes out to all involved. Closing the street to downhill traffic is not the right response. Doing so would most likely increase, not prevent, future tragedies. Downhill traffic would shift to La Loma Drive, with its blind curve right before the stop sign and school bus stop at the Bellair intersection. La Loma is a popular walking route throughout the day and evening, and many families with small children use the bus stop in normal times. Some sections of La Loma are steep, most of the street does not have sidewalks, and cars are frequently parked along the curbs on both sides during the day, making passage narrower. Teens, delivery drivers, and others already speed down La Loma and take the curve too fast, putting pedestrians at risk. Cars and bicycles turning left onto La Loma from Bellair are also at risk, as the curve hides approaching vehicles. Increasing the traffic volume would ratchet up these dangers even more.
Please leave Valparaiso open to two-way traffic to reduce the risk of future accidents on La Loma.
Thank you for considering this request,
Kim Mitchell
75 La Loma Drive
