Central Bikeway Feasibility Study
and Alternatives Analysis
FEBRUARY 2022
CENTRAL BIKEWAY .
01 The Vision 03
02 Santa Clara and
San José Today 09
03 A Community-Based
Process 15
04 Central Bikeway
Alternatives 29
06 Appendices
A. Basis of Design Plans
B. Gaps, Barriers, and Opportunities
C. Alternatives Analysis + Evaluation
D. Implementation Strategy
E. Community Engagement
a. CBO Selection
b. Outreach Strategy
c. Engagement Principles
d. Round 01 Summary
e. Round 02 Summary
f. Round 03 Summary
05 Recommended
Alternatives 43
SETTING A VISION
UNDERSTANDING SANTA CLARA
AND SAN JOSÉ
DEVELOPING CENTRAL BIKEWAY
PROJECT PARTNERS
Central Bikeway project partners include:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ڂ
from a Caltrans Sustainable Planning Grant.
Project Development Team:
Brent Pearse, VTA
Karen Gauss, VTA
Deanna Bolio, VTA
Lauren Ledbetter, VTA
Carol Shariat, City of Santa Clara
Jonathan Yee, City of Santa Clara
John Brazil, City of San José
Nicky Danty, City of San José
Ellen Talbo, Santa Clara County
Ben Aghegnehu, Santa Clara County
Elliot Goodrich, Caltrans
Greg Curry, Caltrans
Consultant Team:
Alta Planning + Design
HMH Engineers
Hexagon Transportation Consultants
Bike-minded Design Consulting B.V.
Community Based
Organizations:
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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City of
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THE VISION
A Vision for the Region
This Plan builds upon the vision set forth in
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Bicycle Superhighway Implementation Plan
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an area that is served by a countywide bicycle
network that is safe, convenient, and
connected, enabling people of all ages and
abilities to bike to work, school, shopping,
transit, and elsewhere.
The Countywide Bicycle Plan identifies a
network of approximately 950 miles of Cross
County Bicycle Corridors (CCBCs), as well as
seventeen corridors for potential bicycle
superhighways -- CCBCs that provide low-
friction, long distance, unbroken bicycle travel,
separated from motorists.
The Central Bikeway is one of the first bicycle
superhighway projects to move forward and
work toward completing this monumental vision.
WHY CONNECT SANTA CLARA
AND SAN JOSÉ?
Santa Clara and San José include highly
populated areas, employment centers, and
key destinations, with plans for expansion
through numerous planned development
projects. The study area has several important
transit stations and services including the
recently opened Berryessa / North San José
BART Station and Santa Clara Transit Station.
As part of the Countywide Bicycle Plan
process, community members repeatedly
commented on the need for east-west,
low-stress bikeways in the region.
While there are several north-south regional
trails that pass through the study area, there
are few comfortable east-west bicycle routes
that connect these two cities. The Central
Bikeway will close this key gap in the regional
bikeway network, providing opportunities and
improved access to disadvantaged
communities. Through it s connections to key
CCBCs and transit stops like BART and
Caltrain, the Central Bikeway will provide a
key regional connection to destinations in
Santa Clara County and beyond. Eventually,
the Central Bikeway is proposed to connect
west through the City of Sunnyvale.
The Central Bikeway corridor and study area
ۋۋ Study Area
ۋ Central Bikeway
ۋ Trail
01 THE VISION
3THE VISION
5THE VISION
Central Bikeway Vision and Goals
The Central Bikeway project is driven by a project vision and seven project goals: Equity, Project Compatibility, Community-Desired Project, Sustainable Mobility, Access, Joy, and Safety.
Developed in collaboration with project partners, community partners, and the public, the vision and goals were used to guide the development of project alternatives and identify one preferred Central Bikeway alignment.
CENTRAL BIKEWAY VISION
To create a bicycle superhighway
that will provide a joyful,
continuous, connected, and
comfortable bikeway between
Santa Clara and North San José
Bike riders at Viva Calle San José
Access
A bikeway that expands travel
choices, increasing access from
local neighborhoods to transit
stations and major destinations. Joy
A bikeway that provides a
continuous route through
engaging landscapes, expanding
travel choices that increase access from local
neighborhoods to natural areas, parks, and
elevated viewsheds.
Safety
A bikeway that will provide a safe
route that is separated from
vehicular traffic.
Equity
A bikeway that improves access
to opportunities for traditionally
underserved communities,
especially in low-income or communities of
color.
Project Compatibility
A bikeway that will be compatible
with previous and existing
planning efforts.
Community-Desired
Project
A bikeway that connects to
community-identified destinations and serves
community-identified desires and needs.
Sustainable Mobility
A bikeway that provides an
efficient and continuous route for
people to bicycle in a low-stress environment,
expanding connections to the existing and
planned active transportation network.
4 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022
8 0
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0 Bicycle Superhighways
Around the World
While bicycle superhighways are new for
Santa Clara County, there are numerous
examples of successful bicycle superhighway
networks around the world that make
bicycling a safe, convenient, and normal
everyday commute option.
What is a Bicycle
Superhighway?
Bicycle superhighways are low-stress,
accessible, direct, and continuous routes that
provide an efficient option for long-distance
bike travel. They connect major commercial
and employment destinations to local
neighborhoods, nearby cities, and regional
and local bikeways to create a consistent and
accessible network.
A NEW MODEL FOR SANTA CLARA
COUNTY
The Central Bikeway will take the bicycle
superhighway model and adapt it to an urban
context. Because the Central Bikeway will be
built along the existing roadway network, it
will require stops at intersections and will not
be fully grade-separated or uninterrupted.
However, the Central Bikeway will be
designed to provide a comfortable and
accessible experience for users of all ages
and abilities. The Central Bikeway will include
design features such as physical separation
from vehicular and pedestrian traffic,
protected intersections, and features to
minimize delay for bicyclists.
KEY FEATURES
Bicycle superhighways are...
ACCESSIBLE
They are the backbone of the
r
egional bicycle network.
DIRECT
They connect key destinations
with f
ew detours and stops.
DEDICATED
They are mostly separated from
v
ehicular and pedestrian traffic.
LOW EFFORT
They have limited interruptions
and
low grades.
ATTRACTIVE
They provide a positive and safe
user
experience, and include high
quality materials and amenities.
A route with few interruptions and high
quality lighting
A clear route that is separated from vehicular traffic
Photo Credit: Jack
Thurston, Flickr
COPENHAGEN CYCLE
SUPERHIGHWAY NETWORK
Copenhagen has an inter-municipal cycle
superhighway network of 466 miles spanning
across 30 municipalities in the Greater
Copenhagen region. Cycle superhighways
prioritize commuters by connecting residential
areas, employment centers, and schools with
each other and with public transit.
If San José wants to
take climate change
seriously, we need to
put effective non-car
infrastructure first.
COMMUNITY MEMBER
“
LONDON CYCLEWAY NETWORK
London has an extensive urban cycle
superhighway network within the boundaries
of Greater London. The cycle superhighway
network consists of a network of protected
bikeways, off-street bikeways, and bicycle
boulevards connecting the center of the city
to the suburbs.
6 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022 7THE VISION Photo Credit: Bike-minded
Design Consulting
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CONTEXT
Project Area
The Central Bikeway study area covers nearly
14 square miles between Santa Clara and
North San José (Figure 1ڂ
the Central Bikeway will connect the Santa
Clara and College Park Caltrain stations, VTA
light rail, and the Berryessa BART station, as
well as several shared-use paths, including
the Guadalupe River Trail, Upper Penitencia
Trail, San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail, and the
future Coyote Creek Trail extension.
In addition to existing transit stations and
trails, there are also numerous schools, parks,
employment centers, and commercial areas
including the San José International Airport,
Santa Clara University, and commercial
destinations along El Camino Real.
Just beyond the study area, Downtown San
José serves as a key employment and
commercial destination, with San José State
University located a few bocks away. See
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for more information on existing conditions in
the study area.
Ԇյ Central Bikeway Study Area
San Jose
International
Airport
Walsh Ave
Hedding St
Taylor St
Maburry Rd
White Rd
El Camino Real
Central Expressway
Guadalupe
River Park
GuadalupeRiver Trail
C oyot e Creek Trail
SANTA
CLARA
DOWNTOWN
SAN JOSE
SAN JOSE
SUNNYVALE
Berryessa
North San Jose
BART Station
Lawrence
Station
Milpitas
BART Station
College
Park
Station
San Jose
Diridon Station
Santa Clara
Station
Santa Clara
University
Levi
Stadium
£101
¥
680
£101
¥
280
£101
¥
680
¥
880
¥
880
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San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail
ۋۋStudy Area
Existing Trails
Proposed Trails
02 SANTA CLARA
AND SAN JOSÉ
TODAY
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11SANTA CLARA AND SAN JOSÉ TODAY 10 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022 Who Will Use the Central
Bikeway?
Approximately 208,000 people live in the
area around the Central Bikeway, with an
average population density of 8,967 people
per square mile. By 2040, the population is
expected to increase to 14,085 people per
square mile.
The area is diverse and the languages
spoken most frequently are English,
Spanish, Vietnamese, and Chinese.
1 ԇԅԆԇՔԇԅԆԍ ˪ɟ̿ʡɂǵ˱ H́˪˪ͽ˱ʡͮΰ Ɖͽ̿Ξɟΰ ԋՈΰɟǵ̿
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The languages spoken most frequently are
English, Spanish, Vietnamese,
and Chinese.
I believe that biking
and good public
transport is one of the
ways to equalize and
improve life and health
for people in general.
COMMUNITY MEMBER
“
What Will the Study Area Look Like in the Future?
The Central Bikeway study area is undergoing
rapid land use and transit changes (Figure 2ڂ
There are a number of capital improvement
transportation projects planned within or
adjacent to the study area, including the
planned U.S. 101 De La Cruz/Trimble
Interchange Redesign, the future U.S. 101
Berryessa Interchange, and several bicycle
and pedestrian crossing improvement
projects. In addition, the City of Santa Clara is
continuing to work on Specific Plan for El
Camino Real and there are numerous pending
development projects in the study area. A
future BART station will be built adjacent to
the existing Santa Clara Station.
ԇյ Ŵˍǵ˱˱ɟɎ Ɨ̿ǵ˱͝ʡͮ ǵ˱Ɏ SɟΞɟˍ̵́˪ɟ˱ͮ Ŵ̿́ʽɟɂͮ͝
Levi
Stadium
San Jose
International
Airport
Santa Clara
University
San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail
Piedmont Rd
Lawrence Expy
Berryesa Rd
Mabury Rd
Capitol Ave
Kifer Rd
Walsh Ave
Airport Blvd
Coleman Ave
Hedding St
Taylor St
El Camino Real
De La Cruz Blvd
BowersAve
San Tomas Expy
Central Expressway
Guadalupe
River Park
GuadalupeRiver Trail
Coyo teCreekTrail
SANTA
CLARA
DOWNTOWN
SAN JOSE
SAN JOSE
NNYVALE
Berryessa
North San Jose
BART Station
e
Milpitas
BART Station
College
Park
Station
San Jose
Santa Clara
Station
£01
¥
680
£101
¥
680
¥
880
¥
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Coyote Creek
Extension and
Creek Overcrossing
10th & 11th
Complete Streets
6th & Taylor
Intersection
Redesign
Bridge
Widening
Trimble
Interchange
Market Park
Redevelopment
Coleman Highline &
Gateway Crossings
Terminal B
Expansion
NVIDIA
Campus
There are also numerous pending development projects, which together will provide:
10,255 357,000 FT 2 8,500,000 FT2
Additional Housing
Units
More Retail
Space
More Commercial
Space
ۉTransportation Projects
ۉDevelopment Projects
ۋFuture Development
The study area is racially diverse
46%
36%
24%
5%
3%
12%
are Asian
are White/
Caucasian
are other race
are Hispanic
or Latino
are
multi-racial
are Black/African
American
!gill
13SANTA CLARA AND SAN JOSÉ TODAY 12 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022 How Do People Currently Get Around?
78%
11%
6%
3%
1.4%
2012-2016 American Community Survey
5-year Estimate
EXISTING AND PROPOSED BICYCLE
NETWORK
Figure 3 illustrates existing and proposed
bikeways within and adjacent to the study
area, as identified in the City of San José
Better Bike Plan and City of Santa Clara
Bicycle Master Plan as well as the CCBCs
identified in the Countywide Bicycle Plan. The
Central Bikeway will build upon these planned
facilities to close existing gaps within the
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£101
¥
680
£101
¥
280
£101
¥
680
¥
880
¥
880
Ã87
Levi
Stadium
San Jose
International
Airport
Santa Clara
University
San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail
Piedmont Rd
Lawrence Expy
Berryesa Rd
Mabury Rd
Capitol Ave
Kifer Rd
Walsh Ave
Airport Blvd
Coleman Ave
Hedding St
Taylor St
El Camino Real
De La Cruz Blvd
BowersAve
San Tomas Expy
Central Expressway
Guadalupe
River Park
GuadalupeRiver Trail
Coyo teCreek Trail
SANTA
CLARA
DOWNTOWN
SAN JOSE
SAN JOSE
SUNNYVALE
Berryessa
North San Jose
BART Station
Lawrence
Station
Milpitas
BART Station
College
Park
Station
San Jose
Diridon Station
Santa Clara
Station
greater bicycle network, especially along key
routes without existing facilities that have
been identified as priority CCBCs. Notable
gaps in the existing bikeway network include
connections around Berryessa BART station,
the east side of San José airport, and east-
west corridors through Santa Clara.
TRANSIT RIDERSHIP
The project study area contains a high
number of local and regional transit services.
Transit services in the area include VTA bus
service (Rapid 500, Rapid 522, Frequent 22,
Frequent 60, Frequent 61, Local 59, Local 53,
ڂ
Orange lines), Caltrain, and Bay Area Rapid
ڂ
corporate shuttles that serve residents of the
study area. Figure 4 illustrates VTA light rail
and bus ridership by stop.
Cycling needs to be
an easy, fast, and
most importantly, safe
method for almost
everyone to commute
and shop.
COMMUNITY MEMBER
Ԋյ @ͽ͝ ǵ˱Ɏ Ėʡʄʎͮ żǵʡˍ żʡɎɟ̿͝ʎʡ̵
Levi
Stadium
San Jose
International
Airport
Santa Clara
University
San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail
Piedmont Rd
Lawrence Expy
Berryesa Rd
Mabury Rd
Capitol Ave
Kifer Rd
Walsh Ave
Airport Blvd
Coleman Ave
Hedding St
Taylor St
El Camino Real
DeLa Cruz Blvd
BowersAve
San Tomas Expy
Central Expressway
Guadalupe
River Park
GuadalupeRiver Trail
Coyo teCreek Trail
MILPITAS
SANTA
CLARA
DOWNTOWN
SAN JOSE
SAN JOSE
SUNNYVALE
Berryessa
North San Jose
BART Station
Lawrence
Station
Milpitas
BART Station
College
Park
Station
San Jose
Diridon Station
Santa Clara
Station
£101
Ã237
¥
680
£101
¥
280
£101
¥
680
¥
880
¥
880
Ã
Ã87
Transit hub
connections really help
the everyday riders
like myself.
COMMUNITY MEMBER
Bus Ridership Weekday Boardings
ԇԅԇԅԼ
Light Rail Train Ridership
Weekday Boardings
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ԆԅԆՔԍԅԅ
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“
Existing Bikeway
Class I Shared-Use Path
Class II Bicycle Lane
Class III Bicycle Route
Class IIIB Bicycle Boulevard
Class IV Separated Bikeway
Proposed Bikeways
Class I Shared-Use Path
Class II Bicycle Lane
Class III Bicycle Route
Class IIIB Bicycle Boulevard
Class IV Separated Bikeway
Cross Country Bicycle Corridors
Corridor
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15ڂڂڂ
OVERVIEW
Who Did We Partner With?
VTA partnered with three community-based organizations (CBOs) to help lead meaningful outreach and engagement with lo cal communities with a focus on reaching traditionally underrepresented community members. The CBOs served as the project’s anchor institutions in a paid role to help lead local outreach and engagement.
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META is a vibrant team of well trained, highly skilled peer educators and community workers that serve as a bridge between institutions and residents. META works with and represents low-income people and immigrants across the City of San José in English and Spanish using social meda, phone calls, messaging, pop-ups, and events.
Meet the CBO Partners
What has been your role within
the Central Bikeway and what do
you consider the most important
outcome of your involvement?
Our role within the Central Bikeway Project
was to conduct outreach to our hardest to
reach community. We made sure to inform
them, to listen to their feedback, and to
encourage them to participate in helping pick
out and design the bike route that would best
fit their needs.
What is a message you would
like to share about what the
Central Bikeway could bring to the
community?
A route that is safe, secure and enjoyable.
Most importantly it will be a route that was
chosen and designed by the community for
their families and children to enjoy.
03 HľġġƣĩÄƗǓՔ
BASED PROCESS
17ŴżľH^ƉƉ16 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022 ԻżŴHԼ
GRPC is a nonprofit that advocates for green communities with a primary focus on the Guadalupe River Park Trail and Gardens in San José and operates through social media, volunteers, and events.
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The purpose of the SVBC is to create a healthy community, environment, and economy through bicycling for people who live, work, or play in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. Their mission states “We envision a community that values, includes, and encourages bicycling for all purposes for all people. Our mission and vision cannot be achieved without making our cultural humility and social justice central to our work.” What has been your role within
the Central Bikeway and what do
you consider the most important
outcome of your involvement?
The GRPC has served as a nexus between the
community and the Central Bikeway project, as
we have worked to disseminate information
regarding project meetings, project status, and
Central Bikeway updates to residents of Santa
Clara County. Our extensive social media and
park advertisement efforts have informed
thousands of residents about this incredible
Active Transportation Project. The most
important component of the Conservancy’s
involvement was ensuring that the community’s
preferences were heard and subsequently
considered in the Bikeway Design Process.
What has been your role within
the Central Bikeway and what do
you consider the most important
outcome of your involvement?
SVBC’s role has been to help ensure that
diverse voices are included in the development
of the project. That role stems from one of the
most important outcomes of the project: That a
project is delivered best when the concerns
and needs of communities it is present in is well
represented. SVBC is glad to have been able to
do outreach and involve community groups and
members as a part of the entire process, in
particular its partnership with CBOs - GRPC and
META LLC.
What is a message you would
like to share about what the
Central Bikeway could bring to the
community?
The Central Bikeway presents an exciting
opportunity to increase bike ridership and
transportation connectivity in Santa Clara
County. This project gives residents multimodal
transportation options, encouraging individuals
to select an environmentally considerate,
healthy, and joyful alternative to car commuting.
With hundreds of thousands of bike rides along
the Guadalupe River Trail annually, we see the
Central Bikeway project as a way to encourage
more park users to connect with nature and
each other. The community will greatly benefit
from having new bike infrastructure that will
make riding pleasant, well-connected, and safe.
What is a message you would
like to share about what the
Central Bikeway could bring to the
community?
The Central Bikeway will provide a safe and
high-quality transportation option for
commuters, people who want to run errands by
bike, and recreational or weekend bicycle
riders. And, importantly, it will be the first
bicycle superhighway, setting the stage for
many more to come. This high-quality facility
will ensure that biking is made more joyful and
inviting for anyone to ride more and more often!
18 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022
Engagement Principles
The project team created a set of five engagement principles to guide all engagement efforts for the project. The principles were co-created with the CBO partners.
ACTIVEL Y REACH UNDERREPRESENTED COMMUNITIES
Include all communities in the outreach process, with a particular focus on groups that have been excluded, underserved, or underrepresented in the planning process
BUILD TRUST AND RESPECT WITH THE COMMUNITY
Honor the community’s expertise, time, energy, and needs and create an open and honest dialogue between all community members
MAKE IT RELEVANT
Connect the project to the community’s current and long-term needs
YOU SPEAK, WE LISTEN
Commit to actively listening to community members’ needs, create a culture of participation and openness, and engage in shared decision- making to ensure all voices are considered and heard
DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF JOY
The community engagement process must be fun and joyful for all who participate
Community members stop by to learn about the Central
Bikeway during a pop up event.
Help out communities
and people that have
been ignored.
COMMUNITY MEMBER
“
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20 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022
Engagement Summary by Round
The Central Bikeway engagement process was divided into four rounds between fall 2020 and ڂ
rounds of outreach.
̿ǵ˪ɟ
FALL 2020
The first round of engagement sought to listen to the community’s vision and needs for the Central Bikeway and refine project goals to guide the project.
^Ξǵˍͽǵͮɟ
EARL Y 2021
The second round of engagement shared three potential alternatives for the Central Bikeway and sought feedback on the community’s preferences and priorities between the three alternatives and bikeway types.
Sɟ͝ʡʄ˱
SUMMER 2021
The third round of engagement shared the top ranked alternative from the evaluation process and sought feedback on potential design features and amenities.
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WINTER 2021
The fourth round of engagement sought feedback from community members on the Draft Plan before finalizing the document.
How Did We Engage the Community?
ڂ
With this, the State of California and many local jurisdictions implemented executive orders per Center for Disease Control guidelines to limit gatherings, practice social distancing, and even ڂ
pandemic presented challenges, innovative responses were utilized to uphold a robust public engagement process through a variety of virtual and socially distant in-p erson events described on the next page.
How Did We Raise Awareness About the Project?
• Direct mailers
• Social media posts
• Online noticing & e-newsletters
• E-mail list serves
• ڂ
vaccination clinics and food banks
• Flyers in public areas and along the
preferred route in Round 3
• Posters on A-frames
• Local news stories
• Briefings and committee presentations
• All materials presented in four languages:
English, Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese
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23ڂڂڂ
By the Numbers
14 ɟΞɟ˱ͮ͝
6 ˪ɟɟͮʡ˱ʄ͝
131
ڂ
attendees
1,711
̵́ʡ˱ͮ͝
2,550
͝ͽ̿Ξɟΰ͝
44,000+
ڂ
̵́ʡ˱ͮ͝
4 languages
ڂ֕ڂ
ENGAGEMENT
During the first two rounds of engagement,
META was out in the community providing
critical support services during the pandemic.
META distributed flyers at food and diaper
distribution centers and while doing door-to-
door vaccine outreach. In addition to
distributing flyers, META spoke one-on-one
with community members to guide people
through the online survey and assist with
completion. During the third round, the
project team conducted in-person
engagement at the City of San José’s Viva
Calle event.
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SVBC and META attended multiple local
community group virtual meetings to present
about the project and invite attendees to take
the online survey and spread the word.
Neighborhood group meetings included
Vecino Actovos, EMPUJE, Jovenes,
ڂ
Project Access, Northside, and Kings Crossing
neighborhood meetings. Additionally, SVBC
led an outreach training for both GRPC and
META constituents to inform participants
about the Central Bikeway project and get
them more involved in overall bicycle
advocacy efforts.
WHO DID WE HEAR FROM?
The study area is diverse and the Central
Bikeway is trying to meet the needs of people
who are not currently biking for their everyday
travel needs, which historically has been
women, non-binary, and people of color.
Following each round of outreach, the project
team compared demographic information of
people who completed the online surveys with
census data in the study area to adjust
outreach efforts to better represent the
people who live there. The Central Bikeway
team saw an increase in the percentage of
new bike riders or commuters during the
second round of engagement, which can be
attributed to the CBO partners helping with
outreach and engagement efforts in the
community.
The charts to the right provide an overall
summary of who we heard from during all
three rounds of engagement, out of a total of
2,550
completed online surveys.
55% of survey respondents were white, which
is an overrepresentation compared to 36% of
the population who is white in the study area.
There was an underrepresentation from Asian
and Hispanic populations with only 21% and
11% compared to 46% and 24% of the
population reported in the census.
55%
White
21%
Asian or
Asian American
10%
Prefer not
to say
1%
American Indian
or Alaska Native
1%
Black or African
American
11%
Hispanic, Latino,
or Spanish Origin
1%
Native Hawaiian or
Pacific Islander
WHICH RACIAL
GROUP DO YOU
IDENTIFY
65%
Man
29%
Woman
3%
Prefer not to say
2%
I Self identify as...
1%
Non-binaryWHAT
IS YOUR
GENDER?
ONLINE ENGAGEMENT
A series of online surveys accompanied each
round of community meetings. The online
surveys were live for about 30 days during
each round of engagement as an effective
way to reach community members during the
pandemic. The first round also provided an
interactive mapping tool which collected
community preferences for destinations to
reach by bike and desired routes for the
Central Bikeway. The surveys were available
in four languages: English, Spanish,
Vietnamese, and Chinese.
VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS
Virtual Community Meetings were hosted on
Zoom to present a summary and status of the
project, solicit preferences through interactive
polling activities, and offer opportunities for
questions, feedback, and comments. All of the
virtual community meetings were streamed
simultaneously on YouTube and interpreted in
Spanish and Vietnamese. Chinese was
available upon request.
22 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022
25ڂڂڂ 24 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022
ACCESS TO DESTINATIONS IS
IMPORTANT
When asked why community members would
use the Central Bikeway, half of respondents
said they would use the Central Bikeway to get
to work, school, or another destination,
indicating the potential for the bikeway to
serve as a critical transportation route, in
addition to health, exercise, and fun!
What would help you choose riding your bike?
Over 60% of respondents said they would prefer
a route that connects to more destinations over
a route with a short travel time.
Reason Why People Would Use the Central Bikeway
29% 27% 24% 20%
For health or exercise
For fun
To commute to work or school
To get to another destination
ۋ
ۋ
ۋ
ۋ
Type of Route That Would Help People
Choose to Ride a Bike
63% 37%
A route that connects to more
destinations
A route with a short travel time
ۋ
ۋ
SAFETY IS KEY
Safety was routinely identified as a top
priority goal for the Central Bikeway. As
shown in the graph the right, when asked
about barriers to cycling, 74% of the
responses involved safety from vehicle traffic
and a lack of comfort on roadways. People
were also concerned about personal safety
related to crime and cycling in the dark and
isolated locations. The remaining 26% of
responses were not related to safety and are
not included in the graph.
Percent of Survey Respondents who Identified
a Safety Issue as a Barrier to Bicycling
PEOPLE LIKE TRAILS
When selecting a preferred alternative, more
people choose the alternative with the highest
percentage of trails. People said that they feel
safer on trails, prefer to be away from cars
and traffic, and expressed concerns at
conflict points when riding on streets such as
at cross streets and driveways. Forty-eight
percent of respondents said an off-street trail
would most encourage them to ride on the
Central Bikeway instead of driving or
carpooling.
Type of Bikeway that Would Most Encourage
People to Ride the Central Bikeway
48%
25%
27%
An off-street trail
A two-way on-street protected bikeway
A one-way on-street protected bikeway
ۋ
ۋ
ۋ
Key Themes
Through the three rounds of outreach, four key themes emerged from the community.
IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE
Respondents were split on implementation.
53% of people wanted to see a bikeway that
can be built more quickly on the street
network versus new trail corridors that would
take more time to build.
Type of Bikeway People Would Prefer
53% 47%
A bikeway that can be built more quickly,
but uses the street network
A bikeway that may take more time to
build, but uses trails not near cars
ۋ
ۋ
■ I'm concerned about personal safety from
traffic
■ There aren't comfortable bikeways or
roads that connect to where I want/need
togo
■ There isn't secure bike parking at my
destinations
■ Roads or bikeways are not pleasant or
comfortable
I'm concerned about personal safety from
other sources
■
26 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022
Demonstration Event
An in-person demonstration was showcased
on September 19, 2021 during the City of San
José’s Viva Calle event. The demonstration
featured a seven foot wide bikeway separated
from traffic by a physical buffer and trees and
landscaping donated by Our City Forest. The
bikeway passed along the back side of a
simulated bus island to demonstrate how the
bikeway would interact with bus stops and
transit riders. It he lped demonstrate to
community members what it would feel like to
ride the Central Bikeway.
A photo booth allowed community members
to picture themselves on the future Central
Bikeway.
Project staff asked participants to comment
on proposed design treatments, and how
comfortable the treatments would make them
feel along three corridors proposed for the
Central Bikeway (El Camino Real, Hedding
Street, and Taylor Street).
Of the 121 completed surveys completed
during the demonstration event, being
separated from traffic was voted as the
design feature that would improve people’s
comfort bicycling the most. Community
members also prefer wide bikeways with
shade trees and landscaping.
98%
of people surveyed at
the demonstration event
say the proposed design
features would improve
their comfort riding along
the Central Bikeway
“I don’t ride on
El Camino but I
would with this
bike lane”
DEMONSTRATION
EVENT PARTICIPANT
“
Photos to right from the demonstration
event at Viva Calle 27ڂڂڂ
HERE'S WHAT PEOPLE HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE DAY:
"It makes me sad
it doesn't already
exist!!!"
''The barrier makes
you feel safer"
"I like this wide bike
lane, other ones are
too narrow."
"I like the shade"
"Me gusta el nuevo
ordenamiento
porque da
seguridad al peat6n .
iFelicitaciones!"
(I like the new
arrangement
because it makes
it safer for people
walking . Congrats!)"
29CENTRAL BIKEWAY ALTERNATIVES
OVERVIEW
How Did We Develop
Alternatives?
The project team identified key east-west and
north-south corridors in the study area to
develop a network of potential corridor
opportunities. These corridors were reviewed
for feasibility, with non-feasible corridors
removed; roadway and trail segments were
then added between corridors to create ten
potential alignments that would connect the
western and eastern termini of the study area.
All alignments met the key features for a
bicycle superhighway described in Chapter 1.
These ten alignments were screened against
initial criteria to identify three alternatives,
from which one would be selected as the
preferred alternative for the Central Bikeway.
Initial criteria were coded by project goal and
included categories such as whether the route
was identified in previous planning efforts,
connected to communities of concern, and
connected to major destinations. Initial criteria
were scored on a qualitative basis. I think this
is important and should be moved closer to
the beginning of this section.
The three alternatives selected best
responded to the project goals, stakeholder
input, and public feedback during the initial
screening process. The three alternatives
selected to be evaluated were the Walsh
Wizard, the Trail Trackway, and the Shortliner,
which are described in detail in the following
pages.
ڂ
Evaluation for more information on the
development and screening of the alignments
and alternatives.
CORRIDORS
A BUNCH OF SEGMENTS
ALIGNMENTS
COHESIVE AND CONTINUOUS 8-MILE
BIKE SUPERHIGHWAY ROUTES
ALTERNATIVES
THREE ALIGNMENTS THAT RESPOND TO
THE PROJECT GOALS, STAKEHOLDER
INPUT, AND PUBLIC FEEDBACK
04 CENTRAL
BIKEWAY
ALTERNATIVES
31CENTRAL BIKEWAY ALTERNATIVES 30 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022
KIFER RD
WALSH AVE
LAFAYETTE ST
£101
Ã237
Ã82
SANTA
CLARA
SUNNYVALE
Lawrence
Station
TRIMBLE RD
DE LA
CRUZ
BLVD
MARTIN AVE
BERRYESSA RD
GUADALUPERIVERTRAIL
HEDDING ST
San Jose
International
Airport
¥
680
£101
¥
280
¥
680
¥
880
¥
880
Ã87
MILPITAS
DOWNTOWN
SAN JOSE
SAN JOSE
Santa Clara
Station
Diridon
Station
Berryessa
BART Station
ڂ
The Walsh Wizard
The Walsh Wizard represents the north-of-
airport alternative option for the Central
Bikeway (Figure 5ڂ
alignment utilizes on-street one-way or
two-way protected bikeways, except for
the off-street trail portion along Guadalupe
River Trail. The alignment follows Kifer
Road and Walsh Avenue through Santa
Clara as an alternate option to Central
Expressway, and connects to planned
improvements along Trimble Road. This
alternative is the most readily
implementable and lowest cost of the
three, with extended portions along
corridors with existing trails or bikeways.
However it has the longest travel time for
bicyclists.
ԋյ The Walsh Wizard
Tradeoffs
How does The Walsh Wizard compare to
the other two alternatives?
BIKE SUPERHIGHWAY CRITERIA
TRAVEL TIME
QUANTITY OF ACCESS POINTS
ROADWAY IMPACTS
COST COMPARISON
LOWER PERFORMING
HIGHER PERFORMING
Connects with existing trails, may
be implemented more quickly
PROTECTED BIKEWAY
TRAIL
CROSSING IN PLANNING/DESIGN
BY ANOTHER PROJECT
SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION
MINOR INTERSECTION
L
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33CENTRAL BIKEWAY ALTERNATIVES 32 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022
CALTRANSCORRIDOR
COYOTE CREEK
TRAIL
PENITENCIA
CREEK TRAIL
San Jose
International
Airport
¥
680
£101
¥
280
¥
680
¥
880
¥
880
Ã87
MILPITAS
DOWNTOWN
SAN JOSE
SAN JOSE
Santa Clara
Station
Diridon
Station
Berryessa
BART Station
ڂ
The Trail Trackway
The Trail Trackway provides a primarily
off-street trail option for the Central
Bikeway (Figure 6ڂ
connects the center roadway median along
Central Expressway with San Tomas
Aquino Creek Trail and the Railroad/Caltrain
Corridor. It then connects the Santa Clara
Station underpass to the Freeway Corridor
along Coleman Avenue around the south
side of the airport and continues north
ڂ
connecting to the Penitencia Creek Trail.
Use of the Santa Clara Station underpass
will require further study. This alternative
uniquely features extended segments of
grade separated trail along Central
Expressway and the Caltrans corridor to
bypass major intersections and freeway
on-ramps. This alternative features the
greatest separation from vehicles.
ԍյ Ɨʎɟ Ɨ̿ǵʡˍ Ɨ̿ǵɂ˅ǵΰ
CALTRAIN CORRIDOR
SAN TOMAS
AQUINO CREEK
TRAIL
CENTRAL EXPRESSWAY
£101
Ã237
Ã82
SANTA
CLARA
SUNNYVALE
Lawrence
Station
Tradeoffs
How does The Trail Trackway compare to
the other two alternatives? Off-street trails along
Caltrans corridor
Off-street trails along
Caltrain corridor are
currently not allowed by
policy in certain locations
BIKE SUPERHIGHWAY CRITERIA
TRAVEL TIME
QUANTITY OF ACCESS POINTS
ROADWAY IMPACTS
COST COMPARISON
LOWER PERFORMING
HIGHER PERFORMING
ƗżÄĖ
PROTECTED BIKEWAY
TRAIL
CROSSING IN PLANNING/DESIGN
BY ANOTHER PROJECT
HżľƉƉÄĩ
SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION
r'
!
I
I
r l
r I______!_! _
/
\
\
\,
35CENTRAL BIKEWAY ALTERNATIVES 34 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022
HEDDING ST
THE ALAMEDA
TAYLOR ST
10TH ST /
11TH ST
MABURY RD
San Jose
International
Airport
¥
680
£101
¥
280
¥
680
¥
880
¥
880
Ã87
MILPITAS
DOWNTOWN
SAN JOSE
SAN JOSE
Santa Clara
Station
Diridon
Station
Berryessa
BART Station
ڂ
The Shortliner
The Shortliner provides an entirely on-
street connection along the southern end
of the study area (Figure 7ڂ
along El Camino Real and The Alameda, the
alternative provides direct access to
community-identified destinations, local
bus stops, Santa Clara University, and the
Santa Clara Caltrain Station. East of the
airport, the alternative connects to
Hedding Street and ultimately to Mabury
Road, and features intelligent signal
coordination to provide an efficient route
for bicyclists from the Guadalupe River Trail
to the Berryessa BART Station. This
alternative provides the greatest level of
access for local communities and the
fastest travel time for bicyclists across the
entire study area.
Ԏյ Ɨʎɟ Ɖʎ́̿ͮˍʡ˱ɟ̿
EL CAMINO REAL
£101
Ã237
Ã82
SANTA
CLARA
SUNNYVALE
Lawrence
Station
Tradeoffs
How does The Shortliner compare to the
other two alternatives?
BIKE SUPERHIGHWAY CRITERIA
TRAVEL TIME
QUANTITY OF ACCESS POINTS
ROADWAY IMPACTS
COST COMPARISON
LOWER PERFORMING
HIGHER PERFORMING
Connects to transit
along El Camino Real
Connects to community
identified destinations
south of airport
PROTECTED BIKEWAY
SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION
MINOR INTERSECTION
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37CENTRAL BIKEWAY ALTERNATIVES 36 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022 Goal-Based Evaluation Criteria
A goal-based evaluation of the three alternatives was conducted, which involved four key steps. 01 Develop Criteria
On their own, there is no singular way to
measure the project goals - they are
inherently complex goals. Instead, each
goal was broken down into two to five
measurable criteria.
02 Identify Segments
The study area was divided into three
segments (Figure 8ڂ
three areas, it provided a more detailed
comparison and enabled the preferred
alternative to be the best possible mix-
and-match combination of the three
alternatives.
ԏյ Ɖɟʄ˪ɟ˱ͮ͝
SANTA
CLARA
DOWNTOWN
SAN JOSE
SAN JOSE
SUNNYVALE
Lawrence
Station
Santa Clara
Station
Diridon
Station
Berryessa
BART Station
03 Measure Criteria
The criteria were analyzed and measured
for each alternative by segment to provide
a standard basis for comparison.
04 Compare Alternatives by
Goal
Once measured, the criteria were
consildated into their respective goals.
This allowed for a direct comparison to
identify where alternatives met or
exceeded each goal. SANTA CLARA AROUND
THE AIRPORT
SAN JOSÉ
Ԇյ Ɖͽ˪˪ǵ̿ΰ ́ɿ ^Ξǵˍͽǵͮʡ́˱ H̿ʡͮɟ̿ʡǵ
GOAL TIER 2 CRITERIA
INFORMED BY
Engagement
Data
Equity
New Users
Women/Non-Binary & People of Color
Equity Analysis
Project Compatibility
Available ROW
Traffic Impacts
Parking Analysis
Transit Impacts
Aligns with Planning Efforts
Community-Desired
Project
Community-Identified Destinations
Community-Identified Segments
Sustainable Mobility
Time/Length
Modal Friction
User Demand
Potential VMT Reduction
Access
Transit Access
˱ǵˍΰ͝ʡ͝
Access to Employment
Joy
Access to Open Space
Promotes Passive Attention
Expands Choice
Level of Effort
Safety
Separation from Traffic
Intersections & Exposure to Vehicles
Traffic Speed
Perceived Safety
~
111
~
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111 • 111 ' ' ' ' '
111 ' ' ' ' '
111 ' ' ' ' '
111 ' ' ' ' '
111 ' ' ' ' '
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39CENTRAL BIKEWAY ALTERNATIVES 38 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022 EQUITY
Two of the equity criteria directly analyzed the
responses of underrepresented groups in
bikeway planning and design from the second
round of outreach. The first criterion extracted
the preferred alternatives selected by women/
ڂ
Women/non-binary and POC made up 45% of
respondents (Figure 11 Լձ
The second criteria extracted the preferred
alternatives of potential new users—people
who are interested in cycling but due to a
variety of reasons do not currently bike. New
users made up 29% of respondents, which is
considerably high for this type of feasibility
study.
ڂ́ͽͮ̿ɟǵɂʎԬ
NEW
USERS OR
COMMUTERS
WOMEN/
ĩľĩՔ@ÄĩżǓ
AND POC
10%
45%71% 45%
29% Prefer Not to Say
White MenWomen/Non-
Binary and People
of Color
Existing
Commuters
New Users or
Commuters
ڂ͝ɟʄ˪ɟ˱ͮԬ
ۋTrail TrackwayۋShortlinerۋWalsh WizardۋNo Preference
SANTA CLARA THE AIRPORT SAN JOSÉ
Community Input Guided the
Development and Evaluation
of Alignments
Community input was used throughout the
project to guide the development and
evaluation of alternatives. In particular,
community input directly informed the
evaluation for two of the project goals: Equity
and Community-Desired Project.
Ŵżľć^HƗ
Both criteria for the community-desired
project goal were directly informed by
community input. During the first round of
outreach, the community was asked to
identify destinations across the study area
that they would like to access (Figure 9ڂ
alternative was analyzed for the extent to
which it provided access to these
“Community-Identified Destinations” both
along the route and accessible from
ԆԅԼձ
ڂڂ
Ȼʡ˅ɟԬ
42% Grocery/Shopping/
Restaurant/Other
22% Recreation/Exercise
15% Work or School
12% Other
5% Transit
4% Friends or Family
ۋ
ۋ
ۋ
ۋ
ۋ
ۋ
ڂɎɟͮ͝ʡ˱ǵͮʡ́˱͝
The results show significant latent demand for
accessing destinations such as stores and
restaurants.
During the second round of outreach, the
community was asked to select their preferred
alternative in each of the three segments -
ڂ
These preference percentages were directly
used in the evaluation model.
-
41CENTRAL BIKEWAY ALTERNATIVES 40 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022
DOWNTOWN
SAN JOSE
SAN JOSE
ara
n
Berryessa
BART Station
SANTA
CLARA
Lawrence
Station
Santa Cla
Station
Summary of Results
Although only the Equity and Community-
Desired Project goals were directly informed
by outreach, all criteria were aimed at
identifying an alternative that would best
meet community needs. For example,
community members noted the importance of
making connections to open space, which
was a criterion under the Joy goal.
Figure 13 illustrates evaluation results by goal
as well as provides as an overall roll up score
within each of the project areas.
In Santa Clara, the Shortliner performed the
best with the project goals, and performed
best for feasibility as well along with the
Walsh Wizard.
Around the Airport, the Shortliner
overwhelmingly performed the best for both
the project goals and feasibility. The Walsh
Wizard and Trail Trackway were a distant
second and third, respectively.
In San José, the Shortliner performed the best
with the project goals an d feasibility, with the
Walsh Wizard slightly behind. The Trail
Trackway was a distant third.
Although the Trail Trackway was the preferred
alternative based on community input during
Round 2 of outreach, the Shortliner was a
close second. Because it provides more
access to community-id entified destinations,
the Shortliner scored highest overall for the
Community-Desired Project goal.
Ԇԉյ Ɖͽ˪˪ǵ̿ΰ ́ɿ żɟ͝ͽˍͮ͝
AIRPORT SAN JOSÉ SANTA CLARA
Wizard
Trackway
Shortliner
WIZARD TRACKWAY SHORTLINER
WIZARD TRACKWAY SHORTLINER
Equity
Project
Compatibility
Community
Desired Project
Sustainable
Mobility
Access
Joy
Safety
Overall
Feasibility/
Implementation
Lower
performing
Higher
performing
WIZARD TRACKWAY SHORTLINER
I
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\
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43RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE
THE SHORTLINER ALTERNATIVE BECOMES
THE CENTRAL BIKEWAY
The Shortliner alternative was the best
performing alternative overall in Santa Clara,
around the airport and in San José (Figure 14ڂ
The alternative connects from west to east
along El Camino Real, The Alameda, Hedding
Street, 10th/11th Street, Taylor Street, and
Mabury Road.
The Shortliner alternative scored highest for
the goals of Community-Desired Project,
Sustainable Mobility, Access, and Joy. It also
scored highly for feasibility and
implementation due to its relatively low cost
and maintenance needs and high
opportunities for funding. Because of its
overall high scores, the Shortliner alternative
was chosen as the preferred alternative for
the Central Bikeway. It is referred to simply as
the “Central Bikeway” in the following pages.
ڂˍͮɟ̿˱ǵͮʡΞɟ
05 RECOMMENDED
ALTERNATIVE
AT A GLANCE
10 MILES LONG
KEY DESTINATIONS
Berryessa BART Station, Santa Clara
Station, Santa Clara University,
Japantown, Guadalupe River Trail,
Coyote Creek Trail
KEY CORRIDORS
El Camino Real, The Alameda,
Hedding St, Taylor St, Mabury Rd
ڂ
BIKEWAY
45RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE 44 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022 Connects to Community
Destinations
The Central Bikeway connects to the
greatest number of community-identified
destinations.
Access to Jobs & Transit
The Central Bikeway provides convenient
access to jobs in downtown San José, the El
Camino Real corridor, and Santa Clara
University. It provides direct access to Santa
Clara Caltrain station, two VTA light rail
stops, Berryessa BART, and major bus lines
along El Camino Real.
Efficient and Quick Route
The Central Bikeway is the shortest
alternative both in terms of distance and
travel time.
WHAT DOES THE
CENTRAL BIKEWAY
DO WELL ALREADY?
Santa Clara University
SAP Arena
Japantown
Berryessa
Flea Market
San Jose State UniversitySan Jose State University
EarthquakesStadium
Coyote Creek Trail
San Jose Intl. Airport
¥
680
£101
¥
280
¥
680
¥
880
¥
880
£
Guadalupe
River Park
& Trail
PenitenciaCreek Park
DOWNTOWN
SAN JOSE
NORTH
SAN JOSE
MILPITAS
Santa Clara Station
Diridon Station
Berryessa Station
Orange Line
Green & Blue Lines
Figure 15 shows how the Central Bikeway
makes critical connections to transit and cross
county bike corridors (CCBCs) in Santa Clara
and San José. Through these connections, the
Central Bikeway will connect users to a number
of key commercial and employment
destinations, including Santa Clara University,
San José State University, and Berryessa Flea
Market. In addition, the route will allow for
connections to key recreational areas and
sports arenas, including Guadalupe River Park,
the Bay Trail and Baylands Park, and the
Earthquakes and Levi Stadiums.
ڂH́˱˱ɟɂͮʡ́˱͝
NVIDIA
San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail
Levi’s Stadium
Santa Clara Town Center
Moonlite Center
£101
SANTA CLARA
SUNNYVALE
BAY TRAIL &
BAYLANDS PARK
CAMPBELL
Lawrence Station
S
LEGEND
Central Bikeway
Connecting trail
Bikeway connectors
Transit connection
Destination
Q
o' I
6 Q
I
I
6 Q
'o
············O ····································
◄
-111()11
.. o ..
•
47RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE
Trail-Like Experience
We heard repeatedly from the community
that trails are desirable and preferred. The
Trail Trackway ranked highest by the
community because it was the alternative
with the most trails. However, it is not
feasible at this time due to Caltrain policy
along their ROW.
When all criteria are taken into account the
Central Bikeway alternative ranked highest
overall, including for the Community-Desired
Project goal due to its connections to
community-identified destinations.
Although the Shortliner runs along the road
network, the design will incorporate design
features that promote a feeling of openness,
safety, flow, and physical comfort—making it
feel more like a trail experience.
WIDE BIKEWAY
The standard width for each direction of the
bikeway is seven feet. Significantly wider than
a traditional protected bikeway, this provides
space for passing and riding side-by-side
with a friend.
SEPARATED FROM TRAFFIC
The bikeway will be consistently separated
from traffic, with a standard buffer of four to
five feet. The buffer will be curb-height to
provide a physical barrier to vehicles.
SHADE TREES & LANDSCAPE
The Central Bikeway will feature shade trees
as well as extensive landscape to provide
habitat, cooling, and stormwater benefits.
WHAT DESIGN
FEATURES WILL
HELP THE CENTRAL
BIKEWAY ADDRESS
COMMUNITY
PREFERENCES?
RAISED CROSSINGS
At stop-controlled intersections, the bikeway
and crosswalk will cross the roadway elevated
at curb height to prioritize cyclists and
pedestrians and make them more visible to
vehicles.
ƗÄġÄĩ
From Berryessa BART to the Guadalupe River
Trail, the bikeway will feature bike-priority
signal timing. This will provide longer green
lights for cyclists, shorter reds, minimize
stopping, and increase flow.
PROTECTED INTERSECTIONS
Where the bikeway crosses roadways with
other bike routes, a protected intersection will
provide dedicated space for cyclists to merge,
turn, and queue, all while separated from
traffic.
46 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022
49RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE
WHAT WILL BE THE EXPERIENCE
ALONG THE CENTRAL BIKEWAY?
El Camino Real
The Central Bikeway along El Camino Real will
be an active mobility backbone through Santa
Clara. Closely aligned with the Santa Clara
Bicycle Master Plan Update,, the bikeway is
part of a larger regional effort to make El
Camino Real a more walkable and multi-modal
corridor.
The bikeway will be seven feet wide at
sidewalk level on both sides of the street to
provide an urban trail-like experience and will
connect conveniently to expanded bus-island
stops. Separated from traffic by a landscape
and tree-lined buffer, it provides shade and
nature to a previously exposed and concrete
environment. At intersections and driveways,
the bikeway will be raised to curb height to
prioritize bicyclists and make them more
visible to vehicles. Driveway consolidation
along El Camino Real is a goal in both Santa
Clara and San José.
A bicycle facility along El Camino Real will
provide direct access to jobs, grocery stores,
restaurants, and retail. Residents, students,
and employees alike will have a choice in how
they want to move through the corridor,
making for a more diverse and accessible El
Camino Real.
Conceptual rending of the Central Bikeway along El Camino Real CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 202248
Hedding Street
Hedding Street is the connective tissue that
links Japantown, Downtown San José, and the
Guadalupe River Trail. Characterized by
numerous connections to local bikeways, the
Central Bikeway along Hedding Street
features bicycle-priority signal timing and
frequent protected intersections to create a
quick and connected corridor.
The design builds upon the existing bikeways
along Hedding Street, making the bikeway
wider and fully buffered from traffic. It
maintains a residential character with a
tree-lined buffer, landscape at intersections,
and pedestrian lighting.
Conceptual rendering of the Central Bikeway along Hedding St.
Clear separation from
the road is key. It must
be more than paint on
the street.
COMMUNITY MEMBER
“
Taylor Street
Taylor Street links central San José to
Berryessa BART Station, and provides
safe crossing over US 101. On Taylor
Street, the Central Bikeway is
proposed to be a bi-directional
bikeway, with a wide six to 10-foot
landscaped buffer to create a trail-
like experience through a residential
area. It features dedicated bike
signals and raised crossings at
intersections for a safe, relaxing, and
joyful cycling experience.
Over US 101, the Central Bikeway
features a dedicated bike and
pedestrian space physically
separated from cars to provide
convenient and safe access into
Berryessa BART Station and Coyote
Creek Trail.
“Plant trees along
bike routes for shade
for bikers.”
COMMUNITY MEMBER
Conceptual rendering of the Central Bikeway
along Taylor Street
50 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022
“
51RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE
53RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE
Building the Central Bikeway is an
ambitious process that will require
fundraising, community engagement,
detailed design and engineering,
environmental study, and permits from
state and local agencies.
The vision set forth for the Central Bikeway
will require about $200 million to design
and construct. Because of the large scope
and scale of this multi-jurisdictional
project, full implementation may take years
due to the number of steps required to get
to construction. Figure 16 describes where
to go from here.
ڂ
for more details on the implementation
strategy and funding opportunities.
ڂHʎǵ̿ͮ
2020-22
THE CENTRAL BIKEWAY STUDY identified a community-preferred feasible alignment, and established a basis of design to enable VTA and project partners to secure funding for future development.
The full vision of the Central
Bikeway may not be built at
one time. Construction of the
Central Bikeway may be
accomplished through
PHASED COMPLETION.
Additions and improvements
to the corridor may be
accomplished over time.
Finally, CONSTRUCTION can begin on the Central
Bikeway. A public bid will be released to hire a
construction team, and a qualified contractor
will conduct oversight to ensure the plans,
environmental mitigation measures, and permit
conditions are followed as approved.
FINISH!
The Central Bikeway is
complete! You and your
family, friends, and
community will enjoy
and maintain the
bikeway for years to
come.
WE ARE
HERE
Opportunity
for public input
VTA will begin to
SEEK FUNDS FOR DESIGN,
ENGINEERING, AND
CONSTRUCTION. Grant
application writing and
securing funds can take
between two and five years.
With funding secured,
detailed ENGINEERING AND
DESIGN can begin. This will
result in detailed plans
including the exact design of
the Central Bikeway.
At the same time, the Lead
Agency will apply for permits
and complete Environmental
documentation.
Opportunity for
public input
HOW DOES THE
CENTRAL BIKEWAY
GET BUIL T?
52 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022
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55RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE 54 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022 Implementation Approach:
Phased with Segmented Construction
It is recommended that VTA pursue
environmental clearance for the entire Central
Bikeway project and then segment the
corridor for phased construction.
The primary benefit to this approach is the
flexibility and efficiency it would allow. Smaller
segments of the project could move forward
as funds became available, which would allow
for portions of the bikeway to be built more
quickly. This could allow segments with
greater public support to be built sooner and
not be held up by more challenging locations.
This approach would also require lower up
front construction costs, and could rely on a
variety of smaller grant programs.
Figure 17 identifies the two segments under
ڂSanta Clara Station
to White Roadڂ
west of Santa Clara Station. Segment 1
includes three sub-segments for
consideration.
Within these two segments, further
segmentation could be made based on
existing bikeway conditions, alignment with
other local projects, right-of-way availability,
and connecting logical destinations.
Each segment represents a different
opportunity to rethink Santa Clara County’s
streets. Segment 1 prioritizes connections to
transit, while Segment 2 focuses on creating
new connections to commercial destinations
along El Camino Real.
ԆԎյ Ɖɟʄ˪ɟ˱ͮɟɎ H́˱ͮ̿͝ͽɂͮʡ́˱
£101
¥
680
¥
880
Ã87
SANTA
CLARA
DOWNTOWN
SAN JOSE
SAN JOSE
SUNNYVALE
San Jose
International
Airport
Diridon
Station
Berryessa
BART Station
HEDDING STEL CAMINO REAL
THE ALAMEDA
TAYLOR ST
10TH ST /
11TH ST
MABURY RD
Santa Clara
Station
Lawrence
Station
College
Park
Station
SEGMENT 2 SEGMENT 1
East-west protected
route is needed. Now.
COMMUNITY MEMBER
“
* SMALLER SEGMENTS CAN BE PURSUED
SEGMENT 1.
żľS
Completing a segment of the Central Bikeway
that connects from the Santa Clara Transit
station, through downtown San José to the
Berryessa BART station and east to White
Road would make for a competitive grant
package and minimizes potential right-of-way
impacts along El Camino Real. This section of
the Central Bikeway passes through the most
communities of concern and may be most
competitive for the state’s Active
Transportation Program. Implementation of
this section should focus on the full design
features of the Central Bikeway, including
Class IV separated bikeway, protected
intersections, bicycle signal priority, and
landscape and amenities along the route.
SEGMENT 2.
ڂ
TRANSIT CENTER
The vision for the Central Bikeway may take
years to see the full build out. However, much
of the vision can be accomplished by
installing a sidewalk-level separated bikeway
in the space currently used by on-street
parking where feasible. Because El Camino
Real is owned by Caltrans, the agency will
need to approve all designs along this
corridor.
There are currently three block faces where
the removal of on-street parking is not
recommended by the City of Santa Clara until
redevelopment occurs. These locations are
along the eastern portions of El Camino Real
on the south side between San Tomas
Expressway and Las Padres Boulevard, the
north side between Las Padres Boulevard and
McCormick Drive, and a short block on the
north side between Main and Washington
ڂ
ڂ
these sections, standard bike lanes are
proposed until a later period of time. In
addition, to accommodate VTA’s standard 10
foot wide bus boarding islands, there are
selected locations where the existing sidewalk
would narrow. If the City of Santa Clara’s El
Camino Real Specific Plan is adopted, certain
parcels will be redeveloped. Sidewalks will be
widened and there may be opportunities to
consolidate driveways to make the route safer
for bicyclists.
The first phase of the Central Bikeway on El
Camino Real should focus on implementing
the core alignment and key safety features,
including a sidewalk-level Class IV separated
bikeway, protected intersections with existing
bikeways, and intersection improvements,
where parking and ROW impacts are
minimized. Because El Camino Real has a high
bicycle and pedestrian collision history, it may
be particularly competitive for grant programs
that address existing safety issues.
It’s all about safety and
physical separation from cars.
COMMUNITY MEMBER
“
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Project Costs
A rough order of magnitude cost estimate has been developed based on Basis of Design plans for the long-term vision for the Central Bikeway. Environmental clearance, engineering, and construction management costs are estimated as 40% of construction costs (2% planning feasibility, 4% environmental, 12% design, 6% VTA project oversight, 8% construction management, and 8% inspections). Construction costs include material and labor costs for items to build the linear bikeway, intersection, landscape, and amenity improvements as well as construction soft ɂ́ͮ͝͝ձ
ڂɂ́ͮ͝͝
Environmental Clearance and Design for Study Corridor
ڂ
ِ
27 ,000,000
Construction Costs by Area
Santa Clara (3.5 miles) $57 ,000,000
Airport (2.3 miles) $35,000,000
San José (5.1 miles) $60,000,000
Total Construction $152,000,000
Oversight, Construction Management, and Inspections - 22% $34,000,000 Project Total $213,000,000
56 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022
Organizational Strategies
Because the full vision of the Central Bikeway
will take time to build, it is important to
identify an organizational strategy that is
conducive to this multi-jurisdictional corridor
and will set the bikeway up for success.
There are a number of criteria to
consider when identifying an appropriate
organizational strategy for a bicycle
superhighway. These include:
• Risk and Liability: The level of risk taken on
by a single entity.
• Time Frame for Implementation: How
long the bikeway would take to implement
given the strengths and weaknesses of the
organizational structure.
• Staff Expertise and Resources: The level
of staff expertise and capacity to implement
and maintain the bikeway.
• Design Consistency: The ability for
the bikeway to be consistently built and
maintained. The bikeway should have
uniform infrastructural standards across all
municipal boundaries to ensure a standard
level of service.
• Funding Availability: The availability
of funding sources for planning, design,
operations, and maintenance.
• Maintenance Capabilities: The level of
resources available to maintain the bikeway.
ڂ
more information on proposed organizational
strategies for the Central Bikeway.
57RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE
Potential Funding Sources
Potential funding sources for
Section 1 include:
• ԲƗŴԼ
• 2016 Measure B
• SB 1 Local Partnership Program
• Rebuilding American Infrastructure with
ԲżÄƉ^Լ
• Ŵ̿́ʄ̿ǵ˪
• Regional Measure 3
• Urban Greening Program
Potential funding sources for
Section 2 include:
• Rebuilding American Infrastructure with
ԲżÄƉ^Լ
• Ŵ̿́ʄ̿ǵ˪
• Regional Measure 3
• Highway Safety Improvement Program
ڂ
A full list of potential funding sources
is included in Appendix D.
58 CENTRAL BIKEWAY FEASIBILITY STUDY | FEBRUARY 2022
Operations + Maintenance
To provide high-quality bicycling conditions,
separated bikeways need consistent,
dedicated maintenance, and sweeping.
Bikeway users may not know what agency
they should contact to report poor conditions
so it is critical that a clear communication
protocol is established for the Central
Bikeway. Finally, the Central Bikeway will
be designed to include potential amenities
such as wayfinding, landscaping, seating,
and public art. These amenities should be
accounted for in any future maintenance plan.
MAINTENANCE
Required maintenance may be routine
or remedial, and will vary depending
on context, user demand, and the
types of amenities present.
• Routine. Routine maintenance refers to
the day-to-day regimen of litter pick-up,
trash and debris removal, weed and dust
control, sweeping, vegetation trimming, and
other regularly scheduled activities. Some
routine maintenance may be conducted on
a seasonal basis.
• Remedial. Remedial maintenance refers
to repairing, replacing, or restoring major
components that have been destroyed,
damaged, or significantly deteriorated from
normal usage and old age. Some items
(“minor repairs”) may occur on a five to ten-
year cycle, such as repainting or replacing
signage.
• Inspections. Inspections are important
for monitoring the maintenance needs of
the bikeway and its associated amenities.
Routine inspections such as monitoring
surface conditions, signs, and lighting can
be carried out by maintenance staff. A 311
System could serve as a way for the public
to report necessary inspections and repairs.
Typical maintenance tasks along the
Central Bikeway will include pavement
sweeping, vegetation management,
and landscape irrigation.
OPERATIONS
Operation tasks along the Central
Bikeway may include management and
coordination, public safety, and emergency
response services. It may be beneficial
to designate one agency or staff person
to oversee these tasks for all bicycle
superhighways once the network is
developed beyond the Central Bikeway.
For more information on operations
and maintenance, see Appendix
Ɖͮ̿ǵͮɟʄΰձ
Keep the bike lane
free of broken glass
and debris.
COMMUNITY MEMBER
“
Project Partner Roles
VTA is the preferred agency to lead
implementation as a regional authority that
can implement cross-county corridors. VTA
would be responsible for securing funding,
leading environmental clearance and design,
ongoing community engagement and
outreach, coordinating and tracking progress,
and overseeing construction.
Partner agencies will be responsible for
allocating capital funds and staff time to
implementation efforts, updating local plans
for the Central Bikeway and bicycle
superhighway design guidelines, developing
policies and practices to reduce delay for
bicyclists, and funding and prioritizing
maintenance of bicycle superhighways.
Regional Connectivity
The Central Bikeway is the first of many
bicycle superhighways to be implemented in
Santa Clara County. Ultimately, the Central
Bikeway is proposed to extend west through
the City of Sunnyvale and connect to the
Peninsula Bikeway. Any bicycle improvements
within the City of Sunnyvale will be
implemented in accordance with
recommendations in the City’s Active
Transportation Plan.
NEXT STEPS
Potential Future High Quality
Bikeways
The Caltrain Corridor and Central Expressway
are two corridors evaluated in this study that
show potential for future high quality bikeways.
The Caltrain corridor could provide an
important spur connection between San Tomas
Aquino Creek Trail and the Santa Clara BART
station.
A high quality bikeway along Central Expressway
between Trimble and Palo Alto could serve as an
efficient and continuous bicycle superhighway
route through the South Bay.
Although the Shortliner responded best to the
Central Bikeway project goals and was chosen
as the best alternative for the users in this
project’s study area, this study does not
preclude future high quality bicycle planning
efforts along these two key regional corridors.
59RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE