Good afternoon Chief Goitia,
I have resided on 247 Willow Road since 1992, between Middlefield and Nash. We fully realized about the street where we live and the pros and cons of it. We sacrificed our comfort of living in the City to have the outstanding school district, which my husband and I are very happy with. We've endured years of traffic on our street and yet, have never been satisfied with the way the police turns the other cheek regarding speeding. When your own patrol cars do not follow the speed limit, why should the average citizen? The patrol cars are not always en route to a call, they are just cruising. When a patrol car is following a car clearly speeding, they cannot waste their time to pull them over.  

Throughout the years, I have requested police presence to discourage speeders, inquired about speed bumps, requested speed signs that lights up when going over the limit (Palo Alto has a permanent one on Middlefield). All without any action. It was a waste of my time and phone call. Apparently, homeowners on Willow Road and their concerns does not quite get the attention other "real" neighborhoods get.
When people are driving west of Middlefield on Willow, they encounter speed bumps and are driving in a mellow state. Once the light turns green however as  they continue on Willow, something happens, they think it's a mini freeway and bolt.  

I cannot tell you how tired I am and sometimes fearful, of tailgaters, people passing me on my left and yes, it's happened, right side, honked at, given the finger, yelled at, been called derogatory and racial names. Tell me, how would you react? There have been times when I would pull over, shaken and nearly in tears because I was so angry but cannot react because of not endangering my own kids in the car.
We all know if I was a big African American man, not nearly one of these incidents would occur.
Why should I be harassed for being a law abiding citizen?  

Again, I have requested the study of having speed bumps, I have communicated with the Police Department, I have asked for lighted walkways. There is no stop light or sign for 3 blocks and we cannot even cross the street without risking our lives. What happened to pedestrian rights? Since there is now a fire station on the other side of 101, I see no other deterrent to not have speed bumps.    

For the neighbors' opinion the department has failed your mission statement: The Menlo Park Police Department exists to protect life and property by minimizing the effects of criminal and traffic activities.    

Tell me, what else is a person supposed to do? What I can tell you what I didn't do, I didn't write an article to the Almanac first, I thought this would be my last attempt for change.  

Sincerely,
Alice

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