Form Name: Boards and Commissions Application
Unique ID: 1357399273
Applicant Information
Name Diyi Zhu
Are you a Sunnyvale resident? Yes
How long have you lived in
Sunnyvale?
1.5 years
Description Area Residence Notice:Unless otherwise noted, your principal place of residence must be in Sunnyvale. You must live in Sunnyvale at the time of appointment and at all times during service on a board or commission.
Current Main Residence
Email
Phone
Are you currently a registered
voter in Sunnyvale?
No
Have you ever served on a City of
Sunnyvale board or commission?
No
Have you attended a meeting of
the City Council, or a board or
commission?
Yes
Briefly describe what you learned
by watching or attending a
meeting of the City Council,
board or commission. What
improvements would you
suggest?
The commissions are run on Parliamentary procedure, which creates a structure for public comment, consent to approve, etc.
It's well established and well run. The open comment section for the public is a very valuable part of the meetings, given that each decision that the commission makes affects the community at large, so creating a space for community input helps guide the commission to best serve its community. When the Chair makes the meetings high energy, such as Chair David Kesting adding in small Easter eggs like "play ball" and "Ooh this is the fun part", it keeps the commission and the community members relaxed and engaged. During the discussion section, it's very helpful to have a Chair like Kesting to keep the discussion rolling, and to reach voting as soon as possible.
Have you attended meetings of
the board(s) or commission(s) for
which you are applying?
Yes
Diyi Zhu
How many meetings have you
attended?
4 Board or Commission Selection
First Choice Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission Applicant Qualifications
What motivated you to apply for
this board or commission?
I've benefited greatly from biking in my own life, and have encouraged a number of friends and family into a healthier lifestyle by getting on their bikes. I'm an active member of Silicon Valley Bike Coalition, and the recreational riding group Western Wheelers, and I recently just started my own no-drop bike club. I hope to play a bigger role creating even more opportunities for Sunnyvale residents to discover the joy of biking, and make a difference in making Sunnyvale a more safe, sustainable place.
What skills or attributes can you
bring to this board or
commission?
I am a community builder at heart and for the past 10 years have built up a portfolio of skills that help me bring people together. My user research background helps me understand what my
neighbors need to connect; my event management background allows me to put on events from intimate backyard dinners to 1000+ attendee conferences without a hitch; and my engineering and economics degree guide me in making decisions that are both financially savvy and make high impact in the city.
The primary role of a board or
commission member is to provide
advice to City Council on policy
issues that are within the scope
of the board or commission. What
steps would you take to
effectively exercise this specific
board or commission role?
I hear the needs of Sunnyvale residents from a range of diverse perspectives through participating in a variety of different activities - Moms of Sunnyvale, sustainability enthusiasts from my Gardening Class, retirees in my aqua yoga class, participants at the food bank. I hope to bring all these real life perspectives and needs to the commission so that we continue to put on
programming that meets the needs of Sunnyvale residents where they are.
Education – List college degrees,
majors and any relevant training
or experience that demonstrates
your ability to effectively serve
on this board or commission.
Duke University - Mechanical Engineering and Economics
Started and exited education startup
10 years in community building in various education technology companies
10 years in property management for family business and 2 years in real estate as a realtor
10 years commuter cyclist and evangelist
Diyi Zhu
Describe your involvement in
community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations.
In addition to the aforementioned membership in Silicon Valley Bike Coalition and Western Wheelers, I enjoy being active in my community, and will go out of my way to meet my neighbors. For the past 2 years I've volunteered on the youth crisis line with California Coalition for Youth. I'm relatively new to Sunnyvale, and in the past year here I've hosted 2 block parties for my neighborhood, volunteered for the Sunnyvale Theatre and food bank (Second Harvest), and gotten involved in my local church.
Before my move, I was the head of a Civics Guild in San Francisco, and we hosted many local leaders such as London Breed and Daniel Lurie to come talk to us about issues that young SF transplants care about.
Description Area The City has a Code of Ethics and Conduct for Elected and Appointed Officials and an Attendance Policy (7.2.19), 2 G (II) that appointed members are required to follow.
Do you have any concerns related
to the above code and policy?
No
Are you willing to accept a
temporary appointment for the
remainder of an unexpired term?
Yes
Board or Commission-Specific Questions
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission
Category One: I am a bicyclist or
pedestrian residing in Sunnyvale.
Yes
Diyi Zhu
Like many Santa Clara County
cities, Sunnyvale is faced with
problems stemming from traffic
congestion and air pollution.
Suggest ways the City can
improve facilities for bicyclists
and pedestrians. Also, how might
the City improve education and
safety programs for motorists,
bicyclists and pedestrians?
The city is making promising progress in making the city safer for cyclists and pedestrians with projects like the Hollenbeck Bike Lane study. I've appreciated how much community input the city takes into account when undergoing these projects, and I believe there is room for improvement. For example, neighbors near Washington Park petitioned together to create a study of speed limit for motorists on Washington Ave next to the park, and after months of effort we were able to get a study on the books for this summer. Can we make these improvement suggestions easier by creating an easily accessible public database of all proposed studies, and allow Sunnyvale residents submit new ones as well as vote for the existing issues on the table? Signs around the city with a textable number can also make it much more accessible for residents to send in feedback, like "text this number to send in your feedback about this road / intersection / park"
Relatedly, Sunnyvale residents can be better educated about how they can get involved in the safety of their transportation - I can see something like creating a summer challenge around attending a variety of different events around the city related to transportation safety, like a seminar at the library about bike safety or info sessions at school for street safety, then the winners of this challenge get a meet and greet or a shared Perry Park Ride with the mayor. Cross-pollination with local activist groups and businesses like the Silicon Valley Bike Coalition and Walt's Cycle can further compound the impact of these
educational programming and make a larger and longer-lasting impact throughout the city.
Description Area View the Active Transportation Plan
Have you read the Active
Transportation Plan?
Yes
Diyi Zhu
What are your thoughts on the
Active Transportation Plan?
I'm encouraged to see that the ATP prioritizes biking and walking as more desired modes of transportation than driving, especially driving alone. The amount of community input that was collected and taken into account is impressive and insightful. As a commuter cyclist myself who came from a city that had a very visible bike culture, I'm hopeful that the various safety improvements and programming recommendations in the ATP will lead to a more vibrant biking and walking culture in Sunnyvale, and help us hit the 10% of commuters are cyclists in 2030 metric (from the disappointing 2017 number of 1.5%).
I also want to applaud the efforts of the Bicycle Rodeo Kits for schools, it seems very apt that to change the transportation culture of a city we start with our children in schools.
One suggestion I have for the ATP is more recognition for the carpooling option. It seems like a viable on-ramp solution between driving solo and biking/public transportation, and is a good opportunity to build community within the people who already share a school or workplace in common. I can see programming collaboration with various schools and employers in the area for some kind of incentive for carpooling.
Description Area View the Vision Zero Plan
Have you read the Vision Zero
Plan?
Yes
What are your thoughts on the
Vision Zero Plan?
I'm familiar with the Vision Zero Plan because it has been referenced frequently during the commission meetings
throughout various presentations and even public comment. A plan is only as effective as it is actively acknowledged, and Vision Zero seems to be well known as a common goal that the
commission and the community is systematically working towards addressing.
However, I did not hear about Vision Zero until I started tuning in to the commission meetings, and I believe a better PSA effort can be put forward by the city and various community organizations to make this goal well known through Sunnyvale and align its residents to work towards this goal together.
Demographic Information
Your age
Diyi Zhu
Your gender
Description Area LGBTQIA+ Identity (LGBTQIA+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and the “+” is an all-inclusive way to include additional terms used to describe one’s gender, romantic, and sexual identities for those who do not identify with heterosexuality or the gender binary.)
LGBTQIA+ Identity
Race or Ethnicity (select all that
apply)
Do you speak a language other
than English?
Which languages?
Household Income
Residence - Are you a
Do you live in a
Your Agreement
Description Area IMPORTANT NOTICE – READ BEFORE SIGNING:By selecting both “Yes” and “Submit Form” below I am adding my digital signature to this application. I am also agreeing with the following statements:All statements I have made on this application are true and correct.I authorize the City of Sunnyvale (City) to investigate the accuracy of this information.I release the City from all claims and liabilities arising from such investigation.I acknowledge that any false statement on this application will be grounds for the City to deny my appointment. A false statement discovered later, will be grounds to dismiss me from my appointment at any time.I acknowledge that any false statement on this application could lead to criminal charges. Charges could fall under California Penal Code, Section 115 or other applicable law.
I agree Yes
Your full name Diyi Zhu
Date Jun 27, 2025
Diyi Zhu