SVBC is your best source for bicycling information in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Check this page to learn about interesting events, volunteering opportunities, and current issues facing bicyclists.
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A couple of years ago, SVBC joined together with assorted regional advocates to encourage MTC to create a Safe Routes to Schools funding stream to help get communities up and running with Safe Routes programs. We were successful--as a result, VTA received $4.039M and C/CAG received $1.429 (the money was distributed relative to population).
Well, it's all over with. The Silicon Valley Bike Advocacy Summit has come and gone. It was a pretty crazy ride for me over the last two or three months. It was the first time I had planned an event, and I had more questions than answers. Were people going to show up? Were the speakers going to confirm? What should the topics be? How big does the room need to be? Where will we get extra laptops? WHAT ABOUT FOOD? IS IT ALL GOING TO FALL APART? WHEN WILL THIS TERROR END???
Our friends at Greenbelt Alliance are looking for a part-time temporary campaign coordinator to work in South Santa Clara County.
Supervisor Ken Yeager's Year End Report was just released and one of his goals that caught our eye here at SVBC was goal #2: Ensure Santa Clara County Gets Its Fair Share of Regional Funding.
As Ken states:
Last night, pedestrians, cyclists, and residents filled the cafeteria at Castlemont elementary school in Campbell to learn how Caltrans will solve one of the most frustrating traffic problems in the valley - the 880/280/Stevens Creek interchange. As many shoppers at this time of the year are well aware, the interchange turns into a very expensive parking lot. For cyclists, the Stevens Creek crossing over 880 is, at its best, challenging.
Great news! The Town Council of Los Gatos has approved the network of bike paths proposed in the Santa Clara Countywide Bicycle Plan. This means that the town can now proceed with grant writing in pursuit of funding for the expanded trail system.
From the Mercury News:
The Santa Clara Countywide Bicycle Plan identifies 11 potential bike paths that would interconnect with existing trails and pathways, making it easier for bicyclists to travel from place to place.
The Santa Clara County Special Events Ordinance was passed by the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, August 24th. This revised ordinance now addresses all of the concerns raised by the VTA/County BPAC, and SVBC. SVBC wishes to thank County staff and the Board of Supervisors for working with the bicycling community and revising the ordinance to make it a law everyone can live with.
Residents, cyclists, families, students and neighborhood leaders gathered on Monday, August 23 to speak about the plan for Diridon Station. With an upcoming September San José City Council vote, the group voiced their concerns on the existing three conceptual alternatives that were presented at a city sponsored meeting on August 7.
Santa Clara County is currently seeking volunteers to serve on its Roads Commission. The Roads Commission acts in an advisory capacity to the Board of Supervisors on matters generally relating to the planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation of the County's expressways, highways and roads.
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) approved 22 new capital grants totaling $44 million through its Transportation for Livable Communities (TLC) program to finance pedestrian, bicycle and streetscape improvements near public transit in cities around the nine county San Francisco Bay Area.
About 90 residents came to San Jose City Hall on August 7 to help decide how a future Diridon Station Area will look like. One of the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition's main areas of advocacy is helping to shape the future of this rail hub and its surrounding neighborhoods.
The Metropolitan Traffic Commission (MTC) will be distributing Federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) funds, to be used in part to conduct Bay Area bicycle infrastructure projects that are on the Regional Bicycle Network (RBN). Funding will be available for projects in both Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.
Safe Routes to School (SRTS) projects in the Bay Area have recently gotten a shot in the arm. SVBC, together with the Bay Area Bicycle Coalition, worked with the Metropolitan Traffic Commission (MTC) to secure SRTS funding in the Commission’s recent "Climate Action Plan." There is $17 million available for SRTS projects across the Bay Area, with $1.43 million and $4.04 million going to San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, respectively. Distribution of funds was based on K – 12 school enrollment in the various counties.
