Walking & Biking News & Ideas
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Summer is here! Schools are out, the weather is sunny, and it's time to get out there and enjoy our beautiful outdoors. Read on below for ideas on local adventures and free fun hikes. We also bring you interesting news on a new gate to the Regnart Creek trail, the proposed Homestead bike lanes, why Cupertino needs a new Active Transportation Plan, a new "Walking School Bus" at Eaton Elementary, news on Cupertino's budget, and much more, including our announcement of our three new Youth Walk-Bike Cupertino Board Members. Welcome Henry, Senna, and Aaryan! |
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THE OPPORTUNITY IS HERE NOW
Homestead Road bike lanes
can be full time and safe
by Sharlene Liu, Chair of Bike Sunnyvale
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Homestead Road is a priority east-west county bike route that sits on the border of Cupertino and Sunnyvale. It has three schools, Apple, and several shopping centers along it. In Sunnyvale’s jurisdiction, the north side of Homestead currently has segments that have part-time bike lanes: after 6 pm and on weekends, they turn into parking lanes, requiring cyclists to weave in and out of 40 mph car traffic to get around parked cars and giving each parked car enough berth to avoid the door zone. For the safety of cyclists, these bike lanes need to be converted to full-time bike lanes.
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Coming vote
⬩ Alternative 1: Convert all part-time bike lanes to full-time, and preserve 18% of street parking (spaces in front of eight homes) by removing or narrowing car and bike lanes.
⬩ Alternative 2: Convert all part-time bike lanes to full-time, by simply changing signage to “No Parking Anytime”. This alternative will remove street parking in these segments.
⬩ Alternative 3: Do nothing, thus maintaining the current part-time bike lane situation.
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Today, it's easy to get "doored" with parking next to the painted bike lane. Full-time lanes would eliminate this and other dangers. |
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Best solution: Alternative 2 |
From a bicycle safety perspective, Alternative 2 is by far the best solution. Certainly it's better than
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Summer Fun Hikes in Marin County
by Jian He, WBC Board Member
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Summer is a great time to visit beaches and hike on coastal trails. In the past two weekends, I hiked several new trails with my family in between water polo games during a multi-day tournament hosted in Marin County, which offers a plethora of beautiful trails that are perfect for enjoying the summer season. |
There is a gorgeous waterfall at the Indian Open Space Preserve past Pacheco Pond. |
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The first game was hosted at Tamalpais High School. We discovered a beautiful park across the street from the campus: Bayfront Park, an open, dog-friendly park with a soccer field, picnic tables, trails & benches. We walked on Mill Valley Sausalito Pathway , a 3.7-mile paved scenic trail that runs along the shore and connects Mill Valley and Sausalito. It's a great route for a leisurely hike or bike ride with beautiful views of the bay and the Marin Headlands. This pathway is a small section of Bay Trail, a planned 500-mile walking and cycling pathway system around the Bay Area, connecting 9 counties, 47 cities, and 7 toll bridges.
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Walking further south on this pathway, we would reach Bothin Marsh Preserve along Richardson Bay, a great place for observing 200 species of birds, including herons, egrets, and ducks. Because of our limited time, we couldn’t fully explore the preserve, but noted it down for our future visits.
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The next game was hosted at College of Marin, Indian Valley campus. A few steps away is Indian Valley Open Space Preserve, home to a variety of plants and animals, including deer, coyotes, and bobcats. Many warning signs of rattlesnakes are posted on the pathways and on the campus buildings. If you read my previous article “Stay safe and keep moving on hiking trails”, you would know how to stay calm when encountering a rattlesnake. We did see one on Pacheco Pond trail. It didn’t move at all, trying to fool its prey.
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A surprising array of amphibians, including western toads, tree frogs, and newts live in Pacheco Pond. |
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Our Cupertino Safe Routes to School Coordinator Cherie Walkowiak and the Regnart Creek Trail are both up for Silicon Valley Bike Coalition awards.
YOUR vote is needed for them to win this well-deserved honor. Please click on the button to vote!
✭ Cherie has done an outstanding job of encouraging more students to actively get to school, including starting pedestrian education for 1st graders, running Middle School bike clinics each summer, coordinating the Cupertino Bike Fest each year (which has grown significantly), and working with our high school students to increase active transportation to our local schools.
✭ Anyone who has walked the Regnart Creek Trail has seen what a great project it is. It has wide shady paths enjoyed by both walkers and cyclists, and connects key destinations including Library Park, Wilson Park, Creekside Park, the Cupertino Civic Center, the Cupertino Library, Eaton Elementary School, Cupertino High School, and more.
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The gate to the Library from the Regnart Trail is now open! |
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Pedestrians and cyclists can now go safely from the trail to the sidewalk in front of the library. |
Advocacy from Walk-Bike Cupertino made this amenity for our residents a possibility. Thank you to all who helped make this a reality! |
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A Walking School Bus
Eaton Elementary has one and your school can too!
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by Hervé Marcy, WBC Boardmember and Bike Ped Commissioner |
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Growing up abroad, American school buses were an unmistakable sign of American culture. Everyone knows their yellow paint and flashing red lights, which can be seen in so many TV series and movies. (What would the storyline in Spider Man have looked like, if Peter Parker had driven his own car to go to school?) |
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What's a Walking School Bus?
A walking (or pedestrian) school bus is a group of children walking to school with one or more adults. If that sounds simple, it is, and that’s part of the beauty of the walking school bus!
How do I get one at my school (or join the one at Eaton)?
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When we moved to the Bay Area, we found out there were none of these anticipated school buses, but my son’s principal at Eaton Elementary mentioned a different type of bus she’d like to see for students: a “pedestrian bus”.
This piqued my curiosity. The Walk-Bike Cupertino team referred me to Safe Routes to School (SR2S), a partnership between the City of Cupertino, schools, parents, and community members. The goal of SR2S is to create a safer environment for students and families in Cupertino to travel to and from school actively. They were excited about creating one of these for Eaton, as they have been successful at other local schools such as Stevens Creek Elementary.
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We started to brainstorm about the best way to make this pedestrian bus happen. First we mapped the route, starting from The Biltmore and Waterfall apartment complexes on Rodrigues. With the Regnart Creek Trail now open, it’s an easy and safe walk down the trail from Rodrigues to Pacifica. Eaton Elementary is then only about 300 feet (100m) away. |
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The Santa Clara County Sheriff and Mayor Hung Wei showed up to share the fun of the first walking school bus for Eaton! |
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We held the first Pedestrian Bus on April 28, 2023. Eaton was very supportive, and encouraged parents to come with a flyer. I was very pleased to see 20+ people at the first stop (Biltmore Apartments). The kids then were amazed when they saw that the Santa Clara Sheriff Department had sent a Deputy on his motorcycle to watch us safely cross Rodrigues Avenue and our group grew to 40 people at the Pacifica entrance to the Regnart Creek Trail. Finally, Cupertino Mayor Wei welcomed the group and read more...
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Another biking Cupertino High student was hit by a car at the Calle de Barcelona and Finch intersection--this is now the second student hit in a period of a few months. We must have a solution to end the danger that over 100 of our community children face every day on the way to school.
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Please sign the petition to ask the city to make the corner a 3-way stop at Finch and Calle de Barcelona.
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BUDGET & GRANT FUNDING
News Briefs
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➤ 2023-24 Cupertino Budget approved
The extent of Cupertino's budget woes is still uncertain, but the city is required to approve a budget. The staff have prepared one based on a worst-case scenario and it has been approved by the City Council.
City Staff have spent a lot of time determining what can be cut and doing outreach for resident input. For the forseeable future, Public Works staff--who work on bike/ped projects--along with the rest of staff will have a hiring freeze and staff who leave the city will not be replaced. This will likely slow all in-process and new Public Works projects. Major bike/ped projects in progress are the Tamian Innu (formerly I-280 trail); separated bike lanes on Stevens Creek between Wolfe and CA-85; the DeAnza/McClellan intersection; the Bollinger Road study; and the "Vision Zero" study. The Carmen Bridge project has been postponed to 2025 at the earliest.
The only new Bike/Ped related item in the budget is the Stevens Creek Bridge Repair for $172,000. This is a simple replacement without bike/ped upgrades.
A bright spot for long term budget planning is that many bike ped projects are fully funded by grant money (see two news briefs to the right for examples), whether from state grant money or private donations such as from Apple. This may allow improvements to still happen even when other city projects that will need to come from general funds are delayed or cancelled.
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(Click for a larger image of the graph.) |
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➤ McClellan and DeAnza Boulevard intersection improvements receive SB1 grant dollars
On June 6, Cupertino designated the expected revenue of $1.4M in 2023/24 from SB1 bill for pavement maintenance projects around the city, and the intersection improvements for bicycle and pedestrian safety at McClellan and DeAnza Boulevard (Phase 3 of the McClellan Road bike lanes project).
The majority of the SB1 grant will go towards pavement maintenance, but the intersection project already has grant funding of $1M from the Vehicle Emissions Reductions Based at Schools (VERBS) program, and $324K designated previously from the General Fund.
With the additional input of the SB1 funding, it appears be enough to cover the cost of the project. Two previous bids were rejected by the city on May 16 as they were $200-400K over the engineer's estimate of the project cost of $1.35M.
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➤ Cupertino designates state TDA 3 grant funding for DeAnza buffered bike lanes
TDA 3 grant funding is from the 0.25% state sales taxes designated for bicycle and pedestrian projects. (See here for criteria for these projects.) Cupertino has requested $167K of these funds from the distributing agency (Metropolitan Transportation Commission, MTA) for Class II Buffered Bike lanes on DeAnza.
Though Class II lanes do not provide real protection from cars for cyclists (see here for 13-year study showing that), the new buffered bike lanes will allow for future physically separated bike lanes. Barriers can be placed in the buffer easily, with only new bike signals at intersections necessary to complete the project.
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➤ "Vision Zero" remains in budget
The year-long study to look at cyclist and pedestrian deaths as the only criteria for determining construction projects will be completed by the end of this year. As the funding was already promised in a signed contract in December 2022 ($100,000 from the General Fund), there was no discussion to remove it.
Though safety is an important part of any Active Transportation Plan, using deaths as the only criteria misses key inputs. WBC recommends an Active Transportation Plans that includes public outreach and multiple relevant factors such as usage level, equity, safety, demand, and more (see article in this newsletter).
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Walk-Bike makes a difference |
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WBC donated 58 helmets recently for recipients of donated bike from Silicon Valley Bike Exchange. |
These helmets will be donated to various charities in the area such as Hope's Corner, the Ecumenical Hunger Program, the Veteran's Administration, Catholic Workers House, and many local elementary, middle and high schools. |
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Great Ideas for
Local Summer Adventures
by Aaryan Doshi, WBC Youth Board Member
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Summer is here, and what better way to enjoy the beautiful weather than by exploring Cupertino’s wonderful outdoors? Whether you prefer biking, walking, or hiking, we have some great ideas and tips to ensure you have a great time outside. Two ideas are below, and click here to read more!
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Stevens Creek Trail Cycle Tour |
The Stevens Creek Trail is perhaps one of Cupertino’s most well-known attractions during the summer. Stretching from the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains to the San Francisco Bay trail, it is the perfect place for cyclists to get their mileage in for the day! However, this trail is by no means easy, spanning nearly 6 miles.
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...have a picnic right by beautiful Shoreline Lake at the end of the Bay Trail!
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Walk the Regnart Creek Trail |
The newly opened Regnart Creek Trail (courtesy of Walk-Bike Cupertino’s hard work!) is 0.9 miles and provides a great way to move around the city, connecting the library and City Hall in a peaceful and relaxing environment. Rather than commuting through the busy streets, bikers and pedestrians alike can reach their destination while appreciating the calm outdoors.
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...try out the fun new basketball court and see the new Community Garden at Wilson Park, right off the Regnart trail!
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Stay healthy, happy, and safe on any given excursion.
⚠️ When you go out, bring 16 to 32 ounces of water and a small snack to regain energy from burned calories.
⚠️ Always wear sunscreen and consider how many hours you are outside in the sun.
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⚠️ Avoid biking or walking outdoors at night as cars tend to drive much faster, and it is hard for them to notice passersby. Make sure your bike has lights (front and rear) and wear bright colors or a reflective yellow vest so that anyone can see you.
⚠️ While hiking, learn what are the possible risks and how to mitigate them. See here for our latest article on safety while hiking.
⚠️ Follow your medical professional's advice for how much (and how) you can exercise, especially during the summer months.
⚠️ Use trails to get places—they are usually cooler than pavement, more comfortable for those walking with their dog, and using them avoids car traffic that may not be as aware of pedestrians as during the school year.
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Cupertino needs a new Active Transportation Plan
The budget proposes one in 2024-25...let's make that happen
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Many cities locally have created Active Transportation Plans, which are combined Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans. These allow infrastructure projects which benefit both cyclists and pedestrians to be ranked together, instead of having competing priorities. Some include needs for Safe Routes to School, or even go a bit further by being a plan for all transportation (i.e. a Complete Streets Plan, which includes car traffic). Complete Streets Plans can work well, but also sometimes can be car-centric. |
Cupertino currently has a Bicycle Transportation Plan which is now seven years old and a Pedestrian Plan which is a bit newer at five years old. An update is overdue. A new plan would include information from other Master Plans such as the Parks and Rec Master Plan and Climate Action Plan; include new transportation patterns post-Covid; and allow the city to qualify for all grant funding as an updated plan is required for some funding sources.
The good news is that a new Active Transportation Plan is in the City Workplan for Fiscal Year 2024-25 - for now.
This is not guaranteed, however, as council priorities often change from year to year. Plus, as these plans usually take one to two years to develop, the current Bike Plan will be 10 years old before a replacement is done. This means it's even more critical to get it done quickly, and right.
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What should be included in the
new bike plan
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Automatic and ongoing updates
Whenever a street in San Jose is re-paved, the street is evaluated to determine if better bike infrastructure can be added with this new "blank canvas". Painted bike lanes and infrastructure are added wherever possible. These changes are automatically coordinated through San Jose's Annual Pavement Program, similar to Cupertino's Pavement Management Program.
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Combined bike/ped project ratings
There is a lot of overlap in project use for cyclists and walkers, such as Class I Trails--used by both--and Bicycle Boulevards, which mainly help pedestrians with better crossings. This makes it difficult to determine what projects should have higher priority, when the City Council needs to make a decision. A combined plan would prioritize projects for all users into one single list.
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Quick & Cost Effective solutions
There are ways to significantly improve biking and walking infrastructure without breaking the bank. Class IV lanes and safer intersections can be created with plastic bollards. Car parking can be shifted to towards the lane, with bike lanes on the inside of the curb. These solutions and more are inexpensive and quick to implement, and are a great way to do a quick test of a proposed infrastructure change. These types of projects need to be prioritized to grow the biking and walking network in Cupertino as quickly as possible.
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Encouragement and education--like this bike class--should be in the new plan too. |
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What do YOU think should be
included in the next plan?
Let us know by clicking here!
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Drivers give LESS space to cyclists in painted bike lanes:
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It's possible to get out of your car, and bike most places--even in Los Angeles!
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Meet Our New Walk-Bike
Youth Board Members
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This month, Walk-Bike Cupertino welcomed three new board members from the local Cupertino High Schools of Monta Vista and Cupertino High. They will be the voice of students on our board, and each will champion Walk-Bike projects that they are passionate about during their tenure. Look for their articles in our upcoming newsletter--such as Aaryan's already this month--and come meet them at upcoming community festivals and council meetings! |
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Henry Widjaja is a senior at Cupertino High School and will server as a WBC Youth Advisory Board Member from 2023 to 2024. Henry is an avid cyclist and has biked to school since 5th grade. He was originally born in Maryland and moved to California. His true inspiration (read more...)
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Senna Rogoyski is a junior at Monta Vista High School and will be a WBC Youth Advisory Board Member from 2023 to 2025. Since she was little, she always loved to go on hikes with friends and family, especially with her dad. During the summer, when the weather is sunny (read more...)
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Aaryan Doshi is a sophomore at Monta Vista High School and will be a WBC Youth Advisory Board Member from 2023 to 2025. As far back as he can remember, Aaryan has always had a passion for outdoor activities, whether that be to bike, play sports, or take walks (read more...)
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If you enjoyed this newsletter,
please encourage your friends or family to sign up too!
Walk-Bike Cupertino never shares or sells any personal information.
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We'd love to hear YOUR voice!
Do you know a great walk, ride, run or hike? Want to share an issue about walking, biking, city planning, or interesting idea?
Walk-Bike Cupertino would love to spotlight it in our newsletter and on our website! Articles should be 400 words or less, and should include a picture. All submissions are subject to approval and editing, and can be used by Walk-Bike Cupertino in future publications. Contact us here.
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Happy Walking and Biking,
Your friends at Walk-Bike Cupertino
Find much more, including maps, safety data, and information on all the city projects at: walkbikecupertino.org
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