We've got lots of interesting articles for you this month, including information on Homestead Road, a great trail hike for you and your furry friends, and information (plus a cool time-lapse video!) on how to bike to work. We also have some sad news, including a recent fatality on S. Foothill Boulevard. Read on for these stories, our goodbye to the Cupertino Safe Routes Coordinator, how a teacher at Monta Vista is demonstrating being eco-friendly, and lots of event recaps!

The Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is working on a project to make Homestead Road safer for student cyclists and pedestrians. Car traffic dominates the corridor, which is a major route for students attending Homestead High, Cupertino Middle, and West Valley Elementary.

The intense car traffic combined with minimal bike and pedestrian infrastructure make biking and walking to school treacherous and discourage many students from going to school car-free. As a result, bike ridership to Homestead has declined markedly over the past few years.

Although the VTA design has some desirable elements, it fails to address some of the most problematic areas on Homestead Road. Two of these areas are the Foothill/Grant/Vineyard intersection (near the Foothill Trader Joe’s) and the Kennewick Bike Route (across from Homestead High School). 

Read more...

See below a video of a student who was hit in the bike lane at HHS by an exiting car, using the Kennewick Route.

Kennewick Drive to Homestead High

This route is from the Kennewick Drive/Homestead Road intersection to the main HHS bike racks on campus. Read more..

Foothill/Grant/Vineyard Intersection

This is arguably the most dangerous location on the route to school for cyclists and especially students heading from Los Altos. Read more...

The Walk Bike community in Cupertino is deeply saddened by a tragedy that happened on South Foothill Blvd on Saturday April 27, 2024 at 6:15pm between Monta Vista Park and Stevens Creek Boulevard. Four children were struck by a suspected DUI driver in his pickup truck while walking home from Monta Vista Park.

One child died, one was severely injured, the other two had minor injuries. All three injured children were treated for their injuries and released from area hospitals. Many news channels have reported on this horrific crash, including Cupertino Today, KTVU, East Bay Times, KRON4, the Mercury News, and Hoodline.

We mourn this senseless tragedy and send our deepest condolences to the families of the children. Losing a child is unthinkable. It is the hardest thing to endure as a human being. We grieve for the young life cut short and the shattered futures of the loved ones left behind.

It is our responsibility as a city to do everything we can to protect our most vulnerable residents. The Walk Bike Cupertino board pledges that we will work with residents and city officials to identify and implement infrastructure and policy improvements that will help make this road safer for pedestrians and cyclists.

The Bike Ped Commission and the City Council will be looking to adopt the city’s Vision Zero Plan within the next few weeks. We urge the commission and the city to ensure the Vision Zero Plan includes specific recommendations to prevent future tragedies like this one. Read more...

Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s office Traffic Investigative Division at 408-868-6600, or the anonymous tip line at 408-808-4431.

Click on the above to watch a timelapse of my commute to work each day.

As my company (Amazon) started to ask employees to return to the office after the consequences of the COVID pandemic were better understood, I faced a dilemma: I had moved to Cupertino with my family in 2020 without even thinking about where my office location was. Turns out that I was assigned to an office in Santa Clara, around 7 miles away from my home. As a family, we only own one car, thus the obvious answer to this challenge was: let’s bike to work! I started commuting by bike in the second half of 2024, and here are the 5 lessons I learned from doing it on a regular basis for the past months. (read full article...)

1) Preparation is key

The first thing to take into consideration is your employer’s bike infrastructure: do they offer a secure bike rack or bike lockers? If not, it would be a great thing to request. Large companies pay close attention to their carbon footprint these days and management gets rewarded for installing such facilities. The second thing to consider is whether showers are available at your office or nearby gym. I tend to (read more...)

2) Get the right equipment

I work in tech, so electronic devices with an app are things I enjoy putting on my bike. I use a back light, which doubles as a radar, alerting me on my phone screen when cars are passing me. I also use a GoPro camera to record my commute. It is an interesting way to capture the often negative, but sometimes surprisingly positive interactions with other road users (cars, pedestrians, etc.).  (read more...)

Goodbye and good luck

to a wonderful Cupertino advocate of walking and biking

Below is Cherie at the Cupertino Bike Fest with "Poppy", the balloon mascot she chose that has been a huge hit with attendees.

At Monta Vista High School, the bustling campus life is not just managed by the staff from behind desks. Among the dedicated administration members, one stands out not only for his role but also for his unique mode of transportation. Thomas Michaelis, the school’s Student Conduct Specialist, has taken to biking around the campus, a choice that blends efficiency, visibility, and environmental responsibility.

Thomas Michaelis’ job as the Student Conduct Specialist is critical for maintaining the school’s decorum. His responsibilities include ensuring students adhere to the rules, such as preventing them from leaving the premises during closed-campus hours like tutorial periods. 

With a campus as expansive as Monta Vista High’s, traditional methods of patrolling on foot can be time-consuming and less effective. That’s where Michaelis’ bike comes into play. By using a bike, Michaelis can easily navigate the school grounds, reaching various corners of the campus in a fraction of the time it would take via foot.

Read more...

WBC has calculated how much CO2 is saved by biking to school each day.

You too can "plant a tree" by biking or walking to work, on your errands, or to your local destinations!



For many students at Cupertino High School, biking is their main mode of transportation to commute to school. Students must safely make it to and from school in the mornings and afternoons on bicycles. However, many students ride bicycles that are not up to par, and may be in a state of disrepair, posing a significant danger to the rider. The benefits of commuting to and from school on a bike can be overshadowed by the risks of riding a poorly maintained bike.

Recognizing this, the Cupertino High School Safe Routes team recently hosted Dr. Bike, a free bike repair event, emphasizing the importance of safe cycling among students.

Cupertino High School Safe Routes to School students Raashi Sachdeva and Henry Widjaja, mentored by Safe Routes parent Seema Lindskog and Vice-Principal Steve Puccinelli, successfully applied for and obtained the grant. Read more...

During our wildflower adventure at Máyyan ‘Ooyákma Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve, we asked a park ranger to recommend other parks to explore native wildflowers. The Santa Teresa County Park was on the top of the list, and we marked our calendar to visit it on our next hike. A few weeks ago, we enjoyed a beautiful hike, seeing checkerspot butterflies and wildflowers along the way. Also, our doggie friend on a leash was permitted to join us at this park. Together, we hiked a loop trail and discovered a small three-level cascading waterfall at the end of the Hidden Springs Trail. What a refreshing reward for us and for our doggie friend! 

Our Hike to Discover Hidden Springs

We hiked from Ohlone Trail to Hidden Springs. It’s a relaxing hike without much climbing. According to the park brochure, “a majority of the park is underlain with serpentine soils, high in magnesium and low in calcium, a limiting factor for most plant life, but represents habitat for unique plant communities adapted to those conditions. While serpentine accounts for only 1% of California’s geologic base, it supports about 10% of the state’s native plant biodiversity.” This natural diversity is similar to that of Máyyan ‘Ooyákma Coyote Ridge Open Space Preserve. That is why we encountered the special checkerspot butterflies again. Here are some of the best views we captured.  Read more...

Below are some great pictures of how WBC helped at two major festivals recently: the Cupertino Earth Day Festrival, and the Senior Center Health Expo.

Are you interested in helping advocate for better walking and biking? Please contact us at info@walkbikecupertino.org!

🌍 Earth Day: April 20, 2024

WBC Boardmembers Aaryan Doshi, Helene Davis, and Taghi Sadaati answer questions, and sign in residents who need a free new helmet.

(Top) Fun for all! (Bottom) SCC Health provided the helmets and expert fitting.

🩺 Senior Center Health Expo: May 19, 2024

WBC Boardmember Helene Davis and member Frank Geefay manned the WBC table at the fair.

They shared ideas on how to stay active, including using an electric trike, with older residents.

We hope to see you at another event soon!

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.