Walking & Biking News & Ideas
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We hope you are staying healthy!
We've got lots of news to share this month! Cupertino's facing a potential budget crisis which may affect biking and walking projects, the Stevens Creek Trail is getting that much closer to having all the cities connected (c'mon Cupertino, let's finish the last missing segment!), Apple gets approval for a new building with a bike shop, new CUSD bell schedules, a fantastic guest author article on why being careful around pedestrians and cyclists matters so much, and all about what to build in our city infrastructure to be senior-friendly. All that, plus photos from the Regnart Trail opening. Read on for information you can use and enjoy!
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Stevens Creek Trail is coming to Sunnyvale!
Connection to Mountain View approved by Council
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The Stevens Creek Trail is being extended from Mountain View southward to Sunnyvale. |
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This marks the first time that the Stevens Creek Trail will come to Sunnyvale, allowing easy access for residents in south Sunnyvale and Los Altos, and for Cupertino residents via Homestead Road. |
Click on map for larger view. Map courtesy of Friends of Stevens Creek Trail and VTA. |
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The Trail will connect today’s southernmost trailhead at Heatherstone Way in Mountain View to Fremont Avenue at Highway 85 in Sunnyvale.
In March, the Sunnyvale City Council ratified a plan that includes a Remington Avenue bridge over Highway 85 to Mountain View High School and multiple landings at Fremont Avenue (see map). The safety of the Fremont landings was a subject of much discussion at the Sunnyvale City Council meeting.
With concerted advocacy from the Friends of Stevens Creek, Bike Sunnyvale, and Walk-Bike Cupertino, the Council agreed to most of the safety suggestions. Read more...
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Cupertino's Budget Woes:
Will they affect Bike/Ped Projects?
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Cupertino is facing a budget shortfall starting this year. The decline in revenue is due to a change in sales tax distributions based on an audit by the CDFTA (California Department of Fee and Tax Administration) of how Cupertino receives sales tax revenue from Apple.
At the last Cupertino City Council meeting on April 13, the staff provided a review of the worst-case scenario of what the projected revenue for the city would be over the next ten years. (See video here, item 6).
The majority of the Councilmembers acknowledge that the magnitude of the cut is still in doubt. Vice Mayor Mohan was very clear about the uncertainty in the revenue information that the city has at this time.
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“We need to remember that we are still operating under a whole set of unknowns, we still don’t have exact numbers, and hopefully we’ll have some something more concrete on May 1st.”
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Current Projects
Below is a list of the current bike/ped related projects in Cupertino as listed by the city staff either in the Workplan (staff time only, <$50,000 cost), or CIP (capital improvements projects, <$50,000 cost). Items below the blue line are either not funded yet or could be cut as part of budget-cutting.
Click on the image for a larger view
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The early staff worst-case estimates are a reduction of $30.6 million, or about 28% of total city revenues. The worst-case shortfall is only $17.8M if their early recommended budget changes (not filling open staff positions, reducing special projects, and more) are implemented.
The majority of the Councilmembers are not looking back for scapegoats or falling prey to hysteria, but are rising to the challenge. Mayor Wei exhorted everyone to work together and not rush into a frenzy of fear.
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“As Councilman Fruen says, let us not panic. We have a great community, we have staff with expertise, [and] you have dedicated council members….together, we’re going to pull through this.” |
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It's likely that there will be changes that will affect all city departments going forward, including bike/ped projects. As all Transportation projects fall under the Public Works department, they will also be competing for staffing manpower and funding with other infrastructure, such as the City Hall Annex and solar panel array for the Civic Center parking lot. Read more...
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Below are some great pictures that were taken of the event. Click on the picture to go to a larger view. |
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➤ New Apple Building planned to include a bike shop
The Cupertino City Council unanimously approved a tear-down and rebuild of an Apple building at 19191 Vallco Parkway on April 13. The new building is not quite twice the square footage as the old building with the additional two stories, and includes a separate parking garage. (For the site plans and renderings, click here.This requires allowing downloads from the City of Cupertino.) Public comment was generally favorable for this update, especially as it increases curb-side green space.
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One exciting amenity is the ground-floor retail space, which Apple is planning to rent as a Bicycle Shop. At 2300 square feet, it is the typical size of a newer bike shop. With the easy access to the new Tamian Innu (formerly named I-280 trail), it is likely to be popular, and provide some much-needed sales tax revenue to the city when completed.
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➤ Bike Rack Public/Private Partnership
Cupertino City Staff are working on a plan to bring bike racks--which are already a $50K budgeted item--to locations closer and more useful to both residents and businesses. A local non-profit has also stated they will donate funds to make the racks more artistic instead of strictly functional.
If you are a business in Cupertino that would like a bike rack in front of your business, contact Transportation Manager David Stillman at davids@cupertino.org. Studies across the nation have shown that cyclists are great consumers, and having great cycling infrastructure and parking can increase a business's revenues (one article is here.)
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➤ Safe Routes
High School Representatives
Is your child interested in making a difference in safety for students at their high school? If so, encourage them to apply to be a Cupertino Safe Routes to School High School Representative. The student must attend High School in Cupertino, though they can live outside the boundaries. The commitment is only during the school year. Applications are due by April 30. Learn more here.
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I love my car,
but I won't kill for it
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by Bridget Kitson, local resident |
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It’s a sentiment that we can hopefully all agree on.
Our cars are a means of freedom, independence, and convenience. But when we get behind the wheel, we must remember that with that freedom comes a very important responsibility: to look out for the safety of others on and around the road, particularly pedestrians and bicyclists.
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With tragic regularity, we are reminded that those not in cars are at a fatal disadvantage when it comes to accidents on the road. |
(Several tragic local stories in recent news also recommend Bikes vs. Cars 2015). And yet, Cupertino is a community that values walking and biking. Mindful drivers (that means all of us behind the wheel) make that possible.
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It's easy to forget that people are a lot like dogs. We are social pack animals, often loving, occasionally aggressive, and definitely very interested in other dogs. People in cars behave similarly. When driving, we tend to look for other cars on the road. The only pedestrians we notice are those who, with frustrating regularity, use the crosswalk and cause the traffic light to take a few moments longer than we’d like. We all notice those pedestrians! |
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But there's a problem with this mindset. We put people in danger by not actively looking for pedestrians and bicyclists. To make our community safer, we must change how we think about driving. Instead of seeing it as a way to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible, we need to treat it as an opportunity to look out for others on the road. We must actively seek out pedestrians and bicyclists and give them plenty of space to move around us safely. Read more...
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Do you have something on your mind about biking and walking that you'd like to share? We're happy to give you an audience. Articles should be no more than about 200-400 words, and we reserve the right to edit your article and publish at our discretion in our newsletter or online. Contact us at info@walkbikecupertino.org.
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Building a Senior-Friendly Community
Aging in Your Hometown and Home Enjoyably
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A thriving community is one that meets the needs of its residents at every age. In Cupertino, seniors are a rising and large portion of our population. According to the Age-Friendly Cupertino Task Force in May 2019, about 20% of Cupertino’s homes are occupied by seniors, and about 43% of those seniors live alone.
According to the AARP, the vast majority of seniors (90%) prefer to age in place in their own home. To make this possible, multiple research studies have shown that a community must be mobility-friendly to allow seniors to be independent as they lose the ability to drive, get outside for exercise and fresh air, and be involved in their local community.
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Complete Streets
Neighborhoods that make it easier for seniors to be out and about are called walkable neighborhoods. This means they must have:
- Wide, even sidewalks
- Frequent benches for rest breaks
- Walking proximity to parks and trails
- Walking proximity to amenities like grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, cafes, and banks
- Streets easy to cross for slower walking residents
Do you sometimes wonder why there are so few people walking in our streets, or why we don’t see kids playing in the streets the way they used to just 50 years ago? One of the reasons is streets built since then prioritize car traffic over everything else.
Streets that are safe for everyone to use and to cross (drivers, walkers, bicyclists, children, wheelchair users, seniors) are called Complete Streets. They are streets designed for everyone, regardless of age or mobility.
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There is no one way to design a Complete Street, each is unique based on the needs of the community. A Complete Street could include things like:
- Protected bike lanes
- Frequent and lighted crosswalks
- Slower speeds with fewer and narrower car lanes
- Roundabouts, bulb-outs, and median islands
- Pedestrian-primary streets
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New Bell Schedules announced for CUSD |
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To accommodate the new state requirements for high school students–who must not start school before 8:30am–and middle school students–who must not start school before 8:00am–many CUSD elementary and middle schools will start and end at new times. These changes are also planned to help reduce traffic around schools by spacing out start times as much as possible for schools in nearby locations.
Why does this matter for walking and biking? By making these changes, it should improve safety for kids who walk or bike to school by reducing traffic on their routes. Drivers who are on the road at these new times can also try to avoid school routes to avoid traffic and keep students safer on their their way to school.
Click on the charts below to get a larger view of how your local schools are changing their start times. When two times are noted, this is because some middle school students start their days earlier due to having a "zero" period.
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Monta Vista High Feeder Schools |
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Cupertino High Feeder Schools |
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Homestead High Feeder Schools |
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Fremont High Feeder Schools |
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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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