We've got some great updates on some big infrastructure projects going on locally, news about our new interactive calendar including hikes and bike rides you can join, a recap (including cool drone footage!) of the Cupertino Bike Fest, a beautiful Trail Review of the many sights in the Almaden Quicksilver Park, and much more. Read on!

The construction of the new bridge at Wolfe Road over I-280 has now begun. Completion is expected in 2025. The new bridge will be an improvement for both pedestrians and cyclists which face dangerous conditions today when using that stretch of road.

The new bridge is expected to be built without closing Wolfe Road to through traffic at any time. The off- and on-ramps are being completely reconstructed into new shapes, so are expected to have temporary closures and re-routing of traffic to a single off- or on-ramp during the project work. Read more...

click on graphic to see a larger version

Click on the image above to see drone footage from the family ride!

Cool bikes seen at Bike Fest

Walk-Bike Cupertino was on hand to give advice, information, fit bike helmets and to pass out free biking helmets to children (see picture below) that needed them to ride safely. Over 65 helmets were passed out! Many thanks to the Santa Clara County Public Health Department who provided the helmets.

Some of the team of WBC that helped at Bike Fest.

Helene Davis, Jennifer Shearin (left) and Seema Lindskog (right) were leads at Bike Fest.

Cupertino SRTS Coordinator Cherie Walkowiak, with Poppy, the balloon mascot.

Making it all happen

Months of preparation were led by Cherie Walkowiak, Safe Routes to School (SR2S) coordinator, and the assistant SR2S coordinator Birgit Werner. Similar to last year, Walk-Bike Cupertino Board members Helene Davis, Jennifer Shearin, and Seema Lindskog met with them monthly to plan and organize, helped lead the logistics for the day, and led volunteer teams for several of the booths. City Transportation staff Matthew Schroeder and Prashanth Dullu helped with logistics, with Matthew running the entire cleanup operation that day. Vice Mayor Sheila Mohan opened the festival and gave a warm welcome to everyone. Thank you to all who helped make this a great day for all the residents, especially to Cherie and Birgit, who made it all possible.

The intersection of De Anza at McClellan and Pacifica has been slated for a much needed overhaul for a few years now, as part of the McClellan Road Separated Bikeways Project. Other sections of McClellan were improved with protected bike lanes in 2019 and 2020, with this intersection remaining as one of the last pieces of the project. It’s a long diagonal intersection which can be difficult to cross for pedestrians and less confident cyclists. It has also been identified in the city’s Vision Zero Plan as one of the more dangerous intersections in our city.

The project is finally moving forward. In a rare unanimous vote, the city council members voted on October 10, 2023 to move forward to construction. Several residents spoke in favor, including six Walk-Bike Cupertino board members. Construction will start in November 2023 and is expected to be completed around February 2024. Read more...

Bike & Walking Bills

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

The following bills were signed into law recently by our governor.

AB413 Daylighting Bill

This bill is not about lighting, but instead about better visibility for pedestrians. It creates critical visibility for vehicles approaching crosswalks by eliminating parking next to crosswalks.

AB43 Setting Safe Speed Limits

Pedestrian deaths have been rising, and this bill is designed to change that trend as the faster a vehicle is traveling in a crash, the more severe the injuries will be to the pedestrian. Currently, speed limits are set by determining what is the 85th percentile speed of drivers on a road, then rounding up for the speed limit.

This bill would allow municipalities to round down. The new law further allows local governments the leeway to lower speed limits on roads by an additional 5 mph. The criteria and work that must be done for roads to change their speed limit is complicated, so look for an article in this newsletter next month that explains it in detail.

Now is a great time to hike and look for autumn colors! Thanks to a friend’s invitation, I explored new trails last week at Almaden Quicksilver County Park, which is located in the town of New Almaden in south San Jose, about 20 miles from Cupertino.

It is adjacent to two large open space preserves: Sierra Azul and Rancho Cañada del Oro. The park offers more than 4,000 acres of outdoor beauty with 37 miles of hiking trails, 30 miles of equestrian trails and 16.6 miles of bike pathways. You can also visit Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum to learn about California’s mercury mining history since 1845. Read more...

Many shady trails

Great places to explore

Wildlife is abundant

Map of Quicksilver Park. Click on image for a larger view.

But wait, there's more!

In addition to hiking, biking, picnicking, horseback riding, you may also go fishing in Guadalupe and Almaden Reservoirs. (Be alert that there is a policy of Catch and Release--don't eat the fish--due to the mercury contamination.) Read more...

LA Freeway closed to all but pedestrian traffic for Arroyo Fest

The Arroyo Seco Freeway has only been closed to traffic once since it was opened in 1940, but it was pedestrian-only for one day last month. Read more ...

Check out this video of a deer getting a bit too close to a cyclist!

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.