Dear City Council members and Transportation staff,

The running of red lights has become a frequent and egregious occurrence in Menlo Park. In my morning commute I make a left turn from northbound Gilbert onto westbound Willow. At least once a week I see a car westbound on Willow running the red light. Since I am waiting through only one change of lights, it stands to reason that inbound commuters are committing this violation several times each morning. Many times I've reported these violations to the police and requested that they station an officer at that intersection occasionally, but I have yet to see one.

I believe that there is another important change that could reduce these violations. Most traffic lights in Menlo Park, including the one at Gilbert and Willow, have a delay between one direction turning red and the next direction turning green. Surely this timing gives tacit encouragement to red light runners! We are plainly telling commuters that they will do no harm if they sneak through on the beginning of the red light.

When we learn to drive, we are rigorously instructed to check for traffic when the light turns green before moving. So why does Menlo Park provide this additional "protection" of an all-red phase? It reduces the efficiency of the intersection and mainly protects scofflaws.

Presumably there is a traffic management handbook somewhere that recommends inserting an all-red phase for safety. But surely the practice discounts the public's sense of personal responsibility and simply leads to contempt for mechanical signals.

I strongly urge that the all-red phase be eliminated from all traffic lights under the city's jurisdiction. I recognize that an abrupt change could cause accidents, so I would suggest that the all-red period be shortened by about a tenth of a second each month until it is reduced to zero.

Please consider my suggestion; I look forward to your responses.

Max Crittenden
former Transportation Commissioner Received on Tue Mar 11 08:13:33 2008