Walking & Biking News & Ideas
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Hello,
Our newsletter this month is jam-packed with the latest news from around Cupertino. With the easing of Covid restrictions, events are being planned again and we'll have a regular feature on those starting this month. The Biking Viking shows you how you can bring your favorite canine on your next bike ride. We also have a great hiking trail review for nearby Rancho San Antonio, and updates on how Cupertino was just awarded $800K in bike/ped funding. Read on for this and much more!
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The Biking Viking - Biking With Your Dog |
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Discover a great new way to spend time with your favorite canine – go biking together! Regardless of the size of your dog, there’s a way for Fido to join in the fun. In this video, the Biking Viking discusses ... (read more)
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Now that events are being scheduled again, there is much to look forward to! Find more information about each event on our WBC website here. |
March 25: Sunnyvale Bike for Boba
Students from Homestead and Fremont High Schools are encouraged to join this fun and social bike ride around Sunnyvale which will highlight the Homestead Road bike corridor and bring attention to additional safety measures needed there. The ride will stop at several Boba shops with FREE boba for students!
March 31: Last day to input your bike/ped issues on the LSRP tool
Don't forget to let the city know where you have had accidents, near-miss accidents, or have areas of concern when walkiing or biking. Click here to report easily.
April 3: Monthly WBC Cruiser Ride
Join WBC and Cupertino Rotary riders on an enjoyable 1.5 – 2 hour bike ride each month! The routes vary, but always include a social stop and good times. Everyone is welcome–no need to sign up, just show up! Meet at Quinlan Center at 9:00am.
April 13: Safe Routes to School Meeting
Cupertino SR2S works to create a safer environment for students and families in Cupertino to travel to and from school actively. Any community member (you don’t need to have a student in the local schools) who has an interest in creating safer streets is welcome! Email saferoutes@cupertino.org to become more involved.
And mark your calendar for the Earth Day Festival and Family Bike Ride on Saturday, April 23!
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Cupertino Transportation Staff action nets $800K award for Cupertino |
Many thanks go to our Cupertino Transportation staff and their manager, David Stillman!
A new and unexpected $800K in funding has now been given to Cupertino to cover almost all the cost for Class IV bike lanes on Stevens Creek between Bubb Road and Tantau Avenue.
Recently, VTA announced it had $3.2 million in unused funding (due to other cancelled projects in the valley) that must be allocated by January 2023. The Cupertino city staff quickly worked with VTA to request funding for one of the high-priority projects in Cupertino and which is on the VTA's OBAG (One Bay Area Grant) potential grant list. With their efforts,Cupertino was successfully granted $807,000 out of the projected $911,555 total cost for the lanes.
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City Work Projects
by Seema Lindskog
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Bike/Ped Improvements Get the Most Votes |
Every year, the city develops a City Work Plan to guide its work on major projects during the next fiscal year from July to June. All the City Commissions provide input on what they see as their main priorities and the city fields a survey to gather community input on topics of most importance to residents. (read more)
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Make the streets safer for all!
The City of Cupertino is developing a comprehensive Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) to improve traffic safety for all modes of transportation and for people of all ages and abilities. This is a necessary first step for Cupertino to receive further grant funding and gather important data about safety.
Your help is needed! Either use the online tool found here or join the online community meeting below. More information about what to report and about the plan is here.
LSRP Community meeting
Wednesday, March 30 at 6 p.m.
To RSVP and get the link, go here.
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Join us to help bike sharing stay possible |
The Kill Bike-Share Bill (AB 371) would require providers of shared bikes and scooters (whether a private company or even a government agency) to assume liability for damage and injury caused through no fault of their own, including by the rider’s own negligence. It would apply to every bike and scooter rented in California. This is likely to put many companies out of business, or prevent shared bikes being available in many places.
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No other service provider of any service is required to have insurance for the damage caused solely by the users of their product (even skydiving companies)! Shared bikes have an fantastic safety record and are incredibly important to the expansion of green mobility options and reducing traffic.
Join us in saying NO to this bill.
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Measuring Ridership at our local High Schools
By Dino Sakkas
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Congestion around schools is a persistent problem.
Having students walk or bike to school greatly helps this issue.
WBC is measuring what is effective in encourging students to do so at all our local high schools.
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Walk-Bike Cupertino is working with the Cupertino Safe Routes to School organization at all the High Schools and a student-led Rotary Interact group at Monta Vista High School to increase awareness of the global and local impact of electing to get to school in a gasoline powered automobile. This will hopefully get more students to get out of their parents' cars on the way to school and instead traveling actively.
A successful program must be confirmed with good data. Up to now the success of the various motivational programs (read more)
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The percentage of students getting to school actively has not changed much in the past few years. (Click on the graph for a larger version.) |
Walk-Bike Cupertino will be counting the number of bikes at the high schools monthly and after encouragement events at all local high schools to see what impact they make. |
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As shown here, looking from E. Estates, we are just waiting on the new fences to be installed for the neighbors. |
A current bridge picture is here! |
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Regnart Creek Trail Update |
The trail itself is mostly complete, including the new bridge to Wilson Park. The city contractor is now working on building the fences and concrete walls that the residents along the trail requested, to replace their existing fences.
The city wants to wait until these new fences and walls are completed before opening the trail to the public. The latest estimate from city staff is that the trail will open in October or Nov 2022, a few months behind the initially scheduled opening date of August 2022.
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Bicycle-Pedestrian Commission and
Stevens Creek Trail updates
By Byron Rovegno
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Here's what's happening at the latest meetings of the Cupertino Bike/Ped Commission and the Friends of Stevens Creek Trail. To learn about upcoming meetings, go to our WBC calendar here. |
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- Commissioner Maanya Condamoor has resigned her seat on the commission. There could be an interim appointment or council may wait until January 2023.
- Closing Lozano Lane public easement to Regnart Creek Trail was added to the upcoming City Council agenda.
- Lawson school safety improvement plans for students biking and walking to school are on hold. City staff will request money in next FY budget to do traffic and feasibility study and public outreach.
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City staff is asking council for money for safe bike parking at many locations on city owned property. (more here)
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A Spectacular 10-mile Hike
at Rancho San Antonio Preserve
By Jian He
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The hike on the Stephen E. Abbors Trail was a great experience of rigorous climbing and sightseeing. The winter breeze helped us cool down after each strenuous uphill slope. Drinking water and wearing a hat is essential for this trail. Looking beyond the PG&E’s electrical towers along the path, we could see the entire Santa Clara valley under the clear sky. (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 500 words or less, and should include a picture (at least 3 pictures for hikes). All submissions are subject to approval & 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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