Bike crash statistics and hotspots in Menlo Park, CA
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- 179
- bike crashes, 2021–2026
- serious or fatal
- 18
- serious or fatal
- fatal
- 0
- fatal
- street with the most
- Willow Rd
- street with the most
Where they cluster
All 10 spots, explained- 1Menlo Ave & El Camino Real15 crashes · 1 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 4 of 15, a driver turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear.
- 2Middle Ave & El Camino Real11 crashes · 3 serious or fatalPolice reports: in 3 of 11, a driver turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear.
- 3Willow Rd & Coleman Ave13 crashesPolice reports: in 4 of 13, a driver turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear.
Is Menlo Park safe to ride a bike?
This page covers traffic crashes, not crime. We don't rate cities as safe or unsafe: crash counts can't say how risky a street is, and busy streets have more crashes partly because more people use them. What the records show: 179 bike crashes were reported in Menlo Park from 2021–2026, 18 of them serious or fatal. The most were at Menlo Ave & El Camino Real (15). 19% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 13% happened after dark.
Where to look next
How people on bikes get hit in Menlo Park
- 19% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across).
- 13% happened after dark.
What the reports show about bike crashes in Menlo Park
- 13% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark.
- 7% (California: 41%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster.
- 10% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- The busiest hour was 8 a.m. (California: 3 p.m.).
- 4% (California: 3%) were on a wet road, as the report records it.
- The reports name something about the road itself in 2 crashes: a construction or repair zone (2).
Set against all bike crashes in California, 2021–2026. Without traffic counts these can't say how risky a street is.
Where bike crashes cluster
Spots with 3 or more reported crashes within about 250 m, worst first.
- 0115 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Menlo Ave & El Camino Real
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 4 of 15, a driver turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 0211 crashes · 3 serious or fatal
Middle Ave & El Camino Real
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 3 of 11, a driver turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 0313 crashes
Willow Rd & Coleman Ave
A mix of crash types
Police reports: in 4 of 13, a driver turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 047 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Valparaiso Ave & Crane St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 058 crashes
University Dr & Santa Cruz
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 063 crashes · 2 serious or fatal
Wallea Dr & Cathy Pl
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 076 crashes
Ravenswood Ave & Alma St
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- 084 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Bayfront Expressway & University Ave
A mix of crash types
75% happened after dark. Traffic is posted at about 50 mph.
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
- Use a front and rear light, even on lit streets.
- Traffic is fast here. A quieter parallel street is often worth the extra minutes.
- 094 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
Alameda De Las Pulgas & Avy Ave
Side-impact crashes at the junction
Police reports: in 3 of 4, a driver turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear. 2 of 4 crashes were broadside: a vehicle hit at an angle, usually a driver pulling out of a side street or driveway, turning across, or running the signal.
- Slow down approaching the junction, watch drivers' front wheels at side streets and driveways, and don't assume a driver waiting to turn has seen you.
- 103 crashes · 1 serious or fatal
W & San Mateo Dr
A mix of crash types
- No single crash pattern stands out here. Slow down, stay visible, and leave extra room.
Streets with the most bike crashes in Menlo Park
| Street | Crashes | Serious/fatal |
|---|---|---|
| Willow Rd | 18 | 2 |
| Santa Cruz Ave | 17 | 1 |
| Valparaiso Ave | 9 | 1 |
| Oak Grove Ave | 8 | 0 |
| El Camino Real | 7 | 1 |
| Ravenswood Ave | 7 | 0 |
| University Dr | 7 | 0 |
| Middle Ave | 6 | 0 |
| Sand Hill Rd | 5 | 0 |
| Menlo Ave | 4 | 0 |
Reported bike crashes, 2021–2026, counted by the street each police report names first, so a crash at a corner counts toward one of its two streets. Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
What the police reports say drivers did in Menlo Park
| A driver… | Crashes | |
|---|---|---|
| turned or changed lanes when it wasn't clear | 40 | |
| didn't yield while turning left | 15 | |
| drove too fast for conditions | 8 | |
| didn't yield pulling out of a driveway or alley | 7 | |
| didn't yield at an intersection | 4 | |
| ran a stop sign or didn't yield after stopping | 4 | |
| opened a door into traffic | 3 | |
| ran a red light | 2 |
The other vehicle, where the report names one: 104 cars, 23 SUVs, 7 pickup trucks, 6 truck or semis, 4 minivans and 1 motorcycle. In 3 crashes the report says the other driver had been drinking or was on drugs.
Reported bike crashes, 2021–2026. The officer names one party and one Vehicle Code section as the main cause of each crash; these are the crashes where that party was a driver. It is the officer's reading at the scene, not a court's finding, and many reports name the person on foot or on a bike instead, which we don't list.
Bike crashes in Menlo Park by year
| Year | Crashes | Serious/fatal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 22 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 25 | 3 | |
| 2023 | 33 | 3 | |
| 2024 | 31 | 3 | |
| 2025 | 36 | 5 | |
| 2026 | 32 | 2 |
How people get to work in Menlo Park
| Share of workers | Menlo Park | California |
|---|---|---|
| Drive alone | 48.4% | 65.7% |
| Carpool | 6% | 9.5% |
| Public transit | 2% | 2.9% |
| Walk | 1.7% | 2.4% |
| Bicycle | 8.2% | 0.7% |
| Work from home | 32.4% | 17.2% |
7.9% of households in Menlo Park have no car (California: 7.1%). The average trip to work takes 23.9 minutes one way (California: 28.7).
US Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates, 32,727 residents. These are trips to work only: walks to school, the shops or a bus stop aren't counted, so they can't say how much walking or riding happens on Menlo Park's streets.
Common questions about Menlo Park
- Where do the most bike crashes happen in Menlo Park?
- The worst spot is Menlo Ave & El Camino Real, with 15 reported bike crashes from 2021–2026, 1 of them serious or fatal. Next are Middle Ave & El Camino Real (11) and Willow Rd & Coleman Ave (13).
- How many cyclists were killed in Menlo Park?
- No deaths were reported in 179 reported bike crashes in Menlo Park from 2021–2026, and 18 left someone seriously hurt or killed.
- How do cyclists usually get hit in Menlo Park?
- 19% were side-impact crashes at junctions (drivers pulling out or turning across). 13% happened after dark.
- When and where do bike crashes happen in Menlo Park, compared with California?
- Of 179 reported bike crashes in Menlo Park from 2021–2026: 13% (California: 21%) of crashes happened after dark. 7% (California: 41%) were on roads posted 40 mph or faster. 10% (California: 13%) left someone seriously hurt or killed. The busiest hour was 8 a.m. (California: 3 p.m.). 4% (California: 3%) were on a wet road, as the report records it. The reports name something about the road itself in 2 crashes: a construction or repair zone (2).
- Which streets in Menlo Park have the most bike crashes?
- By the street each police report names first, 2021–2026: Willow Rd (18), Santa Cruz Ave (17), Valparaiso Ave (9), Oak Grove Ave (8), El Camino Real (7). Long, busy streets collect more crashes partly because more people use them.
- How many people bike to work in Menlo Park?
- 8.2% of workers in Menlo Park ride a bicycle to work (California: 0.7%), and 2% take public transit. 7.9% of households have no car (California: 7.1%). From the Census American Community Survey, 2020–2024.
- How many bike crashes happen in Menlo Park each year?
- Reported bike crashes with map locations: 2021: 22, 2022: 25, 2023: 33, 2024: 31, 2025: 36, 2026: 32. The latest year can rise as late reports come in.
- Where does this data come from?
- Police crash reports in the California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), published by the state on data.ca.gov. Only crashes reported with map coordinates are counted, so the real totals are higher.
Places to ride to near Menlo Park
Bike climbs near Menlo Park
Nearby cities
Source: California Crash Reporting System (CCRS), 2021–2026. A report with no coordinates is placed at the intersection its street names give; reports with neither are not counted, so these numbers are lower than the real total. Busy streets show more crashes partly because more people use them. Data last rebuilt 2026-10-22. How the data works.