Vision Zero Action Plan

A pedestrian pushes a shopping cart across Menlo Avenue with new safety improvements

In January 2024, the City adopted the Vision Zero Action Plan as a blueprint to implement the City’s Vision Zero policy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2040. Vision Zero is an integrated set of policies, plans and programs based on the philosophy that fatal collisions are unacceptable and often preventable. The project includes a detailed analysis of safety data and robust outreach to prioritize policies, programs, and infrastructure improvements to enhance safety in Menlo Park.

The City is also implementing vision zero policies by integrating safety features into transportation and repaving projects and through a series of "quick build" projects that are implemented using temporary materials to address immediate safety issues. A list of quick build projects is provided below.

Background

The Vision Zero Action Plan uses a data-driven approach that considers safety issues for all transportation modes including motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists and transit riders. The project builds on the Transportation Master Plan, which provided a comprehensive evaluation of transportation investments within Menlo Park. 

The Vision Zero Action Plan includes:

  • A detailed review of roadway collision data and trends
  • Identifying proven infrastructure investments, policies, and programs that address the city's key safety challenges
  • Developing an action plan to implement those projects, policies and programs over time 

The Plan includes a robust public outreach and in collaboration with partners in enforcement and emergency response, local schools, businesses and other stakeholders.

The Plan is also required for the city to pursue a number of federal, state and regional grants.

Outreach

Completed outreach

  • City Council - regular business item on January 9, 2024. Adopted action plan.
  • Complete Streets Commission - regular business item on December 13, 2023. Reviewed and recommended approval of the draft plan.
  • Public workshops in English and Spanish - November 2023. Reviewed priority projects and draft actions.
  • City Council - study session on November 7, 2023 and informational update on October 24, 2023. Reviewed priorities and draft actions.
  • Complete Streets Commission - study session on August 24, 2023. Reviewed collision trends and outreach.
  • Public workshops in English and Spanish - August 2023. Reviewed collision trends.
  • Stakeholder working group - met three times during the process to review collision trends, safety strategies, and priority projects and draft actions.
  • Targeted presentations to City's Safe Routes to School Task Force and senior-supporting organizations to gather input on safety issues impacting vulnerable roadway users.

 

 

 

 

Quick build

Quick build projects use temporary materials, such as paint and bollards or flexible delineators to address safety issues. Using temporary materials allows the City to adjust or remove the project quickly based on observation and evaluation. Current City quick build projects include:

Location Description  Links
Menlo-University This project was developed to address the high incidence of pedestrian collisions at Menlo Avenue and University Drive. The City consolidated the turn lanes on Menlo Avenue into a combined left/right lane, installed a high visibility crosswalk, and added bulb outs (designated by bollards) that shorten the crossing distance, simplify the intersection for all users, and make pedestrians more visible to turning vehicles.

Staff report

Image of project(JPG, 1MB)

Alma-Willow This project addresses the speed of turning vehicles from Alma Street to Willow Road and conflicts with pedestrians. The City consolidated the lanes on Willow Road, added a high visibility crosswalk and a median for pedestrians, and tightened the turning radius for vehicles turning from Alma Street.

Staff report

Image of project(JPG, 577KB)

 

 

 

Location

Citywide, Menlo Park, CA 94025  View map

Google Map