As part of an agreement with Atherton to maintain the current enrollment cap, Menlo has to keep the daily average traffic count throughout the school year at or below 627 trips. This school year, the average morning trip count has been 620 trips. On Wednesdays, however, it rises to 637 trips — 10 over the target number of 627 per morning. If the daily average of the school year exceeds the limit of 627 trips set by Atherton, Menlo faces the prospect of cutting enrollment.

According to Head of School Than Healy, a Menlo parent suggested the idea of Green Ride Wednesdays, encouraging students to carpool, bike or take one of the five shuttle routes in order to limit the number of cars dropping off only one student. The school worried that the morning average would continue to rise even before the start of the rainy season. The afternoon trip counts have never been an issue, however, since students leave the campus at different times due to extracurricular activities. 

Green Ride Wednesdays launched on Dec. 3, with Healy and Director of Sustainability Chrissy Orangio showing their support by standing on the loop in their matching green sweatshirts. The first Green Ride Wednesday was a success: the morning trip count was 439, which is 198 trips fewer than the previous Wednesday morning average. 

High traffic counts during Menlo’s morning drop-off hours have been an ongoing issue, even before Healy joined the school 12 years ago. Healy has also launched programs in past years with reducing traffic in mind, such as the Go Menlo program in 2021. 

Traffic counts are measured at the main gate and the student lot gate, both on Valparaiso, with each passage through the school gates in either direction counting as one trip. The daily averages that are reported to the Town of Atherton at the end of the school year are measured during the peak morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up times, including an added 30 minutes before and after the peak. 

If the daily traffic count average exceeds the target number, Menlo may have to cut enrollment for the following school year. “I’m determined not to get there. So there is a world in which […] instead of saying please carpool, we could say only carpool on Wednesdays,” Healy said. 

As part of the initiative to reduce traffic, Menlo is also piloting a new Wednesday morning express shuttle from the Dutch Goose parking lot, organized by Orangio. “We wanted to make sure there were enough alternative options, especially since rain is coming,” Orangio said. 

The first shuttle on Wednesday, Dec. 11 hosted 10 students, less than the number of families who expressed interest. According to Orangio, whether the shuttle will continue running depends on the morning traffic count and student demand in the coming months.

Healy hopes that Green Ride Wednesdays and the community working together will reduce traffic below the required threshold. “I’d like to think that we are going to be able to get there as a community because we see this as a communal good. But if we can’t get there voluntarily, then I would certainly consider [setting more requirements],” Healy said. 

Orangio expressed similar views on the future of the program. “My hope for Green Ride Wednesdays is for families to continue to participate in green rides, not just on Wednesdays, but everyday,” Orangio said.

This story was originally published on The Coat of Arms on January 7, 2025.