CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT – ACTION ITEM
TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
GEORGE RODERICKS, CITY MANAGER
FROM: STEVEN D MCCULLEY, CHIEF OF POLICE
DATE: JULY 2, 2025
SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF TRANSPORTATION, BICYCLE AND
PEDESTRIAN COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION FOR A
PARKING PERMIT PROGRAM ON MAPLE AVENUE; AND
DISCUSSION OF TRAFFIC CIRCULATION AND PARKING
ISSUES/CONCERNS ON MAPLE AVENUE, ASHFIELD ROAD,
WALNUT AVENUE AND WITHIN THE TOWN CENTER
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council provide direction on the Transportation, Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee’s recommendation to implement residential Parking Permit Program on Maple Avenue.
In addition, staff seeks Council input on broader traffic circulation and parking concerns impacting neighborhood streets and the Town Center campus.
BACKGROUND
The neighborhoods surrounding the Atherton Town Center and Library have been experiencing significant parking congestion, particularly during popular library programs and community events. This overflow has impacted nearby residential streets, such as Maple Avenue, Ashfield Road, Station Lane, Walnut Avenue, and portions of the Town Center parking lot itself.
In response and at the request of residents, the Transportation, Bike, and Pedestrian Committee reviewed the issue at its meeting on May 27, 2025, and recommended that the Town consider a resident-only permit parking program on Maple Avenue. This recommendation is intended to address the increasing parking conflicts related to library programming, while also prompting consideration of a more comprehensive approach to circulation management.
As the Council is aware, the FY 2025/26 Budget includes funding for a comprehensive circulation analysis for the Town Center and surrounding neighborhood streets. This study will be undertaken in the new fiscal year.
ANALYSIS
To date, several operational steps have been implemented to address the concerns raised by residents and Town staff:
Neighborhood Parking Concerns Related to the Atherton Library July 2, 2025
• Speed Surveys: Speed studies conducted on Maple Avenue, Ashfield Road, and Walnut Avenue found that average vehicular speeds remain under 20 mph, which is well below the posted 25 mph speed limit.
• Crash History: A 20-year collision history analysis shows no reported traffic accidents on these streets.
• Traffic Calming Installations: At the request of residents, speed humps were installed on Maple Avenue to discourage cut-through traffic and reduce speeds. • Parking Restrictions: Red curb painting was added to the north side of Maple Avenue near Station Lane to reinforce parking restrictions and improve visibility and access. • Program Redistribution: The Atherton Library has voluntarily begun relocating several of its programs — including Yoga, Tai Chi, Walking Club, Meditation, and Computer Classes — to Holbrook-Palmer Park, and is now staggering program schedules to reduce peak congestion periods.
• Patron Outreach: Educational letters in English and Spanish are distributed to library patrons, informing them of available alternative parking areas and encouraging carpooling, use of public transit, and other congestion mitigation practices.
Ongoing and Emerging Issues
Most of these efforts are newly implemented and their effectiveness is still being evaluated.
Despite these efforts, congestion and parking overflow could continue to affect both residents and Town operations. Staff recommends a holistic approach when evaluating parking and traffic issues around the Town Center campus. Isolated solutions have the potential to displace congestion onto neighboring streets. Staff has identified several ongoing challenges that require policy-level discussion.
• Neighborhood Spillover: Increased popularity of the Library may continue to draw vehicular traffic well beyond the capacity of the Town Center parking areas. As a result, Maple Avenue, Ashfield Road, Walnut Avenue, and Station Lane are frequently impacted. • Displacement Risk: Without a holistic strategy, parking restrictions on one street may simply shift congestion to adjacent areas. A coordinated approach is necessary to prevent unintended displacement effects on streets such as Fair Oaks, Lloyden, and Watkins Avenue.
• Operational Needs: Parking demands by Town staff, Library staff, Council, and service vehicles will be present during business hours. This is a function of the use of the facilities.
Use of offsite parking (e.g., Holbrook-Palmer Park) for staff is not operationally feasible for all personnel due to the need for quick, repeated access to Town Hall, field inspections, emergency response, and meetings.
Neighborhood Parking Concerns Related to the Atherton Library July 2, 2025
Policy and Program Options
Neighborhood Permit Parking Program(s)
• The Town could implement a resident-only permit parking program on Maple Avenue, with potential expansion to Ashfield Road and Walnut Avenue. • The program would need to define permit eligibility, enforcement hours, and duration (e.g., weekdays, special event hours).
• The program could add use allowances for Town Council or staff. • The program should evaluate the use of placard-based permits for ease of management and enforcement.
• Enforcement will be an issue. While current Code Enforcement staff could be utilized for parking enforcement, there will be competing priorities.
Comprehensive Circulation and Parking Study
• The Town should initiate a professional traffic and parking study for the Town Center area, including adjacent residential streets. The study should evaluate traffic flow, parking patterns, pedestrian safety, and long-term demand trends. • The study should include data collection during peak library programming hours and community events.
• As the Council is aware, this is funded for FY 2025/26.
Town Center Parking Lot Management
• The Town’s parking area should have clear usage policies, including:
o Short-term library patrons (30-minute to 2-hour zones) o Drop-off/pick-up areas (20-minute limit)
• Enforcement of overnight parking restrictions.
Infrastructure and Signage Enhancements
• Where possible, expand red curb zones to further improve emergency access and visibility. • Consider adding directional and regulatory signage at Town Center entry points, such as:
“No Library/Event Parking” in residential areas or “Overflow Parking at Holbrook-Palmer Park”.
• Consider time-limited parking and additional signage to reinforce traffic rules and reduce long-term occupancy of key spaces.
• Combine speed humps, reduced speed limits, red curbs, and time-limited parking in a wellplanned approach. • Update current two-hour parking restrictions and add additional signage where needed on neighborhood streets.
• Add up to 6 new parking stalls on Caltrain property near the Corporation Yard (already planned).
• Consider the installation of a crosswalk from the Civic Court to the Caltrain sidewalk ROW to improve pedestrian access and safety.
Neighborhood Parking Concerns Related to the Atherton Library July 2, 2025
Staff Parking Needed
Town departments rely heavily on ready access to the Town Center due to the nature of municipal services. Specific parking needs are as follows:
• Police Department: 9–11 personnel per shift; 4–5 park personal vehicles onsite; the remainder use Police or Town vehicles.
• Public Works & Maintenance: 6 staff predominately park onsite but are in/out of their vehicles throughout the day for field work.
• Finance and Administrative Staff: 8–10 staff predominately park onsite. • Planning and Building: 5–8 staff; but are in/out of their vehicles throughout the day for field-based work.
For those staff that are in/out throughout the day for field work, walking back and forth from Holbrook Palmer Park is not a viable operational solution. Police personnel would remain within the Town Center parking areas.
Corporation Yard Use for Possible Alternative Library Parking The Town has already conducted a comprehensive space utilization analysis of the Corporation Yard at the Town Center. As a result, materials and equipment that could be reasonably relocated have been transferred to Holbrook-Palmer Park. However, it is important to underscore that the Corporation Yard at the Town Center and the Yard at the Park serve fundamentally different operational purposes and support distinct functional needs.
While the desire to create additional parking is understood, the Town Center Corporation Yard is a critical operational facility dedicated to the maintenance of the Town’s infrastructure. It involves access for and storage of essential heavy equipment — including trucks, backhoes, and skiploaders — as well as materials necessary for field operations, such as sand, slurry, asphalt, gravel, and other infrastructure support supplies.
The Yard also provides essential turnaround space for large vehicles when loading and unloading these materials. It functions as a staging area for debris management and off-haul to GreenWaste, including downed trees, illegally dumped items, and material cleared from storm drains.
Additionally, it serves as laydown space for temporary storage of equipment and supplies associated with active maintenance projects (e.g., streetlight components, replacement bollards, barricades, gravel, and construction materials).
These operations require a secure and dedicated area to ensure both safety and efficiency. All Public Works and MCE field personnel currently park either within the Corporation Yard or at Holbrook-Palmer Park, consistent with operational necessity.
While it is technically feasible to redevelop the Gilmore House site as a full-service Corporation Yard, such an effort would likely face strong opposition from adjacent. The Corporation Yard at Neighborhood Parking Concerns Related to the Atherton Library July 2, 2025
the Town Center remains essential for field operations, and any reduction or repurposing of that space would directly impair the Town’s ability to maintain its public infrastructure.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff seeks Council input and direction on the following matters:
1. Whether to proceed with the implementation of a resident-only parking permit program for Maple Avenue and potentially other nearby residential streets.
2. Guidance on development of a Town Center parking lot usage policy, including designation of spaces and time limitations.
3. Support for continued coordination with library staff on programming schedules, educational outreach, and future parking demand strategies.
4. Direction on prioritizing and funding infrastructure improvements and signage to better manage circulation and public access.
5. Staff also recommends that the Council consider allowing staff the necessary time to continue to work with the Library staff on identifying and implementing recent measures.
GOAL ALIGNMENT
Goal Area B — Preserve Small Town Character and Quality of Life Goal Area D — Manage Circulation and Improve Safety
Goal Area F — Be Forward-Thinking, Well-Managed, and Well-Planned
FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impact will be determined based on the Council’s direction and policy decisions.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Public notification was achieved by posting the agenda, with this agenda item being listed, at least 72 hours prior to the meeting in print and electronically. Information about the project is also disseminated via the Town’s electronic News Flash and Atherton Online. There are approximately 1,200 subscribers to the Town’s electronic News Flash publications. Subscribers include residents as well as stakeholders – to include, but be not limited to, media outlets, school districts, Menlo Park Fire District, service providers (water, power, and sewer), and regional elected officials.
COMMISSION/COMMITTEE FEEDBACK/REFERRAL
This item __X__ has or _____ has not been before a Town Committee or Commission. ____ Audit/Finance Committee (meets every other month)
____ Civic Center Advisory Committee (meets as needed)
____ Environmental Programs Committee (meets every other month) ____ Park and Recreation Committee (meets each month)
____ Planning Commission (meets each month)
Neighborhood Parking Concerns Related to the Atherton Library July 2, 2025
____ Rail Committee (meets every other month)
_X__Transportation Bicycle/Pedestrian Committee (meets every other month)
ATTACHMENTS
None