Downtown Street To Reopen As City Scales Back Public Plaza

MENLO PARK, CA — Menlo Park will reopen an eastbound traffic lane on Santa Cruz Avenue and reduce the size of its downtown public plaza under a trial plan approved by the City Council.

Council members voted Oct. 13 to modify the 600 Block Public Plaza between Curtis and Doyle streets, according to a city update published Tuesday.

The decision follows mixed community feedback, with some residents supporting the return of vehicle access while others favored maintaining the existing pedestrian plaza.

Under the revised configuration, the space will resemble an outdoor dining parklet, retaining a limited number of city-provided picnic and bistro tables.

Officials plan to test the changes for six months to a year while collecting additional public feedback and data.

After the trial, the city could restore the full pedestrian plaza, retain the smaller configuration or consider other options to support downtown businesses and public activity.

Residents can share their views by emailing the city's economic development staff at econdev@menlopark.gov.

The city has not specified when the new configuration will take effect.