Menlo Spark releases results of mobility survey

Mobility and transportation issues have become top priorities in Menlo Park. This summer, Menlo Spark interviewed residents of Menlo Park with an emphasis on the Belle Haven neighborhood, as well as residents of East Palo Alto and North Fair Oaks, with a mobility survey in English and Spanish.

The survey, taken by 95 community members ranging from students to seniors, serves as a window into the wishes of residents that can help inform the City of Menlo Park’s Transportation Master Plan, as well as new regional transportation funding programs.

The survey results show that the majority of participants – 58% – use a car as their primary mode of transportation, but this is lower than the average of about 70% in San Mateo County. Taking public transportation was the second most common mode, selected by 21% of the participants. Walking, biking, and ride sharing are less common modes. One commenter noted: “I think many people are discouraged from using bikes or walking because there is so much car traffic.”

Another survey taker said he wanted to “help most of the world’s population to use electric vehicles so we will not have global warming.” You can find all Survey Comments here.

When asked for the top transportation improvements desired, survey respondents favored safety improvements to bike lanes (21% of participants), followed closely by almost 20% each favoring improvements to the bus and transit system and to sidewalks and crosswalks . You can find out more about the Survey Findings here.