Last week on the Tuesday hills ride we had an interesting encounter with the Menlo Park police.  

We were heading west bound on the bike path with the intent to turn left on Willow (the normal path that so many of our rides utilize).  We waited for the light and the  WALK indicator to change.  As we had done the in the past, we got on our bikes and rode in the crosswalk, and proceeded to turn left onto Willow as we have done a hundred times before.  On the shoulder there were two Menlo cops and they stopped us.  

After an extended discussion the message from the police is to walk the bike in the crosswalk both at Willow and University.  The primary issue they had was us riding our bikes against traffic.  I think the congestion at the Willow intersection with the increase in cars going into Facebook, the Facebook bikes, the Facebook pedestrians and I am sure a myriad number of incidents, the police are really cracking down. Luckily we avoided a ticket(s).

To avoid walking I suppose you could cross at University (walking your bike) to the north side of HWY 84, ride around Facebook on the bay side and then ride through the Facebook tunnel or use the crosswalk (and I guess you can ride as you will be going with traffic at that point).  Or you just walk in the crosswalk at Willow.

Just be aware this looks to be a big issue with the Menlo Park Police and I am sure it they catch a bicyclist doing what we did a likely outcome is a ticket....

Jay Gilson