Silicon Valley

Bike Vision
Acknowledgements
This report lays out a vision for the bicycle to become
a major mode of travel in Silicon Valley. It is presented
by Joint Venture Silicon Valley and the Silicon Valley
Bicycle Coalition, in partnership with Nelson\Nygaard
Consulting Associates, Inc. The report was made possible
by generous funding from Google, and by additional
funding from Facebook and Stanford University. The
authors would like to thank the following people for their
invaluable assistance:

Jeral Poskey, Google, Inc.

Kevin Mathy, Facebook, Inc.
Lesley Lowe, Stanford University
CONTENTS
1 Introduction 1

2 Benefits of Bicycling 5

3 The State of Biking in Silicon Valley 17

4 Gaps And Key Opportunities 27

Source: Flickr user PaulKrueger
 BIKE VISION
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
The bicycle is the most efficient form of
transportation ever invented. It is five times
more efficient than walking, carbon-neutral,
and a powerful tool to reduce motor vehicle
congestion and health and wealth disparities
in our region.

Despite increases in vehicle congestion and widening peak-hours,

only 1.7%1 of Silicon Valley residents bike to work. There are a variety
of reasons why people choose not to bicycle to work, but a primary
deterrent is fear of being hit by a motor
vehicle. A meaningful increase in bicycle A regionally-connected, safe, and
commuters in the Valley will require safe and
connected bikeways that are comfortably
highly utilized bicycle network
separated from motor vehicles. can be achieved if Silicon Valley
This report documents the existing physical leaders commit to collaborate in
environment for bicyclists in Silicon Valley. the development of high-impact
It identifies current challenges that prevent
people from biking, presents rationale for
policies and projects.
making investments in bicycling facilities,
and offers next steps for creating a safe, continuous, and connected
bikeway network that would make bicycling a compelling alternative
for Silicon Valley residents. It will also be used as a guide to measure
regional progress moving into the future.

1
 SILICON VALLEY
Silicon Valley is poised to
become a leader in bicycling...
Silicon Valley offers ideal bicycling
conditionsa mild year-round climate and
a relatively flat topography. Because many
transit options are at capacity and roadway
congestion is at a historic high, people are
looking for travel alternatives. With right-of-
way holdings that would provide ample room
for the highest quality bike infrastructure,
Silicon Valley has the opportunity to apply its
innovative spirit to design and build bikeways
for the 21st century.

...but todays bikeway network

is insufficient and fractured.
The bicycle networks in Silicon Valley are
clustered and discontinuous. They force bike
commuters to traverse freeways and railways
at inefficient and poorly-designed crossings,
and to travel along high-speed roadways with
little room for error. Invisible jurisdictional
boundaries, coupled with city and county
policy and program constraints, introduce
discontinuities in the bikeway network that
compromise the user experience.

In addition to these systemic gaps in the

regional bikeway network, low-stress bike-
way networks are needed to draw families
traveling to school or social destinations.
The concept of a fully built low-stress

2
 BIKE VISION
network is sometimes referred to as an 8-to-80 network,
meaning that users from eight to eighty years of age feel
comfortable and confident riding on the network. Neighbor-
The time to be bold is now.

INTRODUCTION
hood streets with low traffic volumes may be comfortable
without significant infrastructure, but as motor vehicle
speeds and volumes increase, people need greater separa-
tion from cars to maintain acceptable levels of comfort.
The time to start is now.
Many on-street bikeways feel unsafe for all users, and some
low-stress bikeways cannot be accessed without traveling
far out of ones way, navigating high-speed streets, or
crossing large and stressful intersections. A solitary high-
stress barrier within a low-stress route can be enough to
prevent someone from choosing to bike. To improve the
bicycling environment and attract new bicycle commuters,
Silicon Valley will need to take an innovative and
collaborative approach to funding, designing, and building
connected bikeways.

How do we get there?

Visionary cities like Davis, CA have some of the highest
bicycling rates in the world because they prioritize safe and
comfortable bikeways. Twenty percent of commuters in
Davis bike to work.

That doesnt happen overnight. It took Copenhagen over

forty years of incremental changes to become a leading
bicycle cityand they are still improving.

If Silicon Valley leaders and policy-makers prioritize

programs, policies, and practices that integrate a low-stress
bicycling experience into our transportation system, safe
streets that provide a seamless bicycling experience can be
Source: Flickr user Payton Chung

achieved here as well.

3
 BIKE VISION
BENEFITS OF BICYCLING
BENEFITS OF
BICYCLING
The research is clearbicycling is good for
people and their communities:
When more people bike. there is less motor vehicle traffic.

Those who bike live longer, healthier lives.

Good bicycle infrastructure creates safer roadways for all road users.

Bicycling reduces our impact on the environment.

Bicycle infrastructure builds our economy and is one of the most

equitable ways for people to get around.

Auto-dependency is no longer practical. Decades of roadway expansion

designed exclusively for motor vehicles have resulted in protracted
vehicle congestion. Adding safe, high-quality bicycle facilities requires
less space than road expansion, reduces auto demand and delay, and
costs far less than road expansion projects.

Bicycling is good for you. People who bike and walk as part of their daily
routine live longer, healthier lives, are less susceptible to serious medical
conditions, and have lower medical bills.

More comprehensive bicycle infrastructure makes biking safer, and not

just for the bicyclist; protected bike lanes reduce crash numbers for all
roadway users.

5
Bicycling is good for you.
People who bike and walk
as part of their daily routine
live longer, healthier lives,
are less susceptible to
serious medical conditions,
and have lower medical bills.

Bicycling is healthy.
 BIKE VISION
HEALTH BENEFITS
Reduces Results Reduces

cardiovascular risk.
Regular bicycling, like bicycling to work, reduces
cardiovascular risk by 11%.2 Commuting by bicycle
more than halves the likelihood of experiencing a
heart attack.3
infewersickdays.
On average, bicyclists take 15% fewer sick days
at work and live two years longer than non-
bicyclists.4
BENEFITS OF BICYCLING
healthcarecosts.
Using bike-to-work incentives can result in a 4.4%
decrease in healthcare costs, compared to a national
increase of 24.6% in healthcare costs.5

+24.6%
-11% -15% sick days
cardiovascular healthcare
risk costs

-4.4%
Bike-friendly growth
Reduces stress. decreasesnegativehealthoutcomes.
Bicycle commuters are less stressed, have greater Smart growth strategies that encourage bicycling can reduce premature deaths, heart attacks, asthma
feelings of relaxation, and are more satisfied with attacks, other respiratory symptoms, chronic and acute bronchitis, and respiratory-related ER visits.7
their commute than those who drive or take transit
to work, even in winter.6
>95
less stress Fewer cases of
acute bronchitis
more
satisfaction
>60 >1,025
fewer
fewer asthma
premature attacks
deaths
7
Compared to other modes of
transportation, bicycling and walking
are the best for the environment.
The entire lifecycle of a bicycle is
essentially carbon-neutral. Bicycle
riding reduces greenhouse gas
emissions and improves regional air
quality.

Bicycling is goodfortheplanet.
 BIKE VISION
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
Biking to work More overall walk Bikes have a carbon-

BENEFITS OF BICYCLING
reduces CO2. and bike trips neutral life cycle.
Commuting four miles by bike saves 2,000 miles
reduces CO2. When the complete life cycle of the following
of driving and2,000 lbs of CO2 per year.8 modes are taken into account, the carbon
Increasing the mode share of all bike and walking

4 mile
emissions (grams per passenger per kilometer)
trips from 12% to 15% could lead to fuel savings
bike commute of 3.8 billion gallons per year and a 33-million-
are approximately:10
results in: ton reduction in GHGEs per year.9

-2,000 15% 271

lbs of CO2 + 12%
Grams CO2
perpassenger

-2,000 33,000,000
ton reduction in GHGs
per kilometer

miles of driving
Thats the equivalent of a 5% reduction inthe
average Americans carbonfootprint!
That is equivalent to replacing 19 million
conventional cars with hybrids!
101
-5%carbon 21
footprint

19M
conventional cars hybrid
cars
9
 Bicycling contributes to
local economies. Home
values rise when bike lanes
and paths are installed
nearby. Not only does
bicycle access contribute
to the local economy, but
bike projects also save
money since they cost
substantially less than auto
infrastructure projects.
Bicycle infrastructure
projects create more jobs
per dollar spent than auto
infrastructure projects.
Source: Flickr user PaulKrueger

Bicycling helps us prosper.

Joint Venture Silicon Valley
 BIKE VISION
ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Bike parking costs
Bike projects Bike lanes are less less to build than car

createmore jobs.
Bicycling and walking projects create 11-14 jobs
pers $1M spent, versus only seven jobs per $1M
spent on highway projects.11
expensive than roads.
One mile of street widening for cars is equivalent to
600 miles of bike lanes; 300 miles of buffered bike
lanes; 120 miles of bike boulevards; and 30 miles of
BENEFITS OF BICYCLING
parking.
It costs $150-$300 to install a bike rack for two
bikes compared to $36,000 for one parking spot in
a parking structure in Silicon Valley.7, 13

1
off-street bike trails.12

$ M
investment 1 mile
of street widening
costs the same as $150300 $36,000
building perrack persingle space
+ 120 miles
of bike boulevards Bicyclists spend
moreon local retail.
People on bicycles spend more on local retail per
week than other modes: $163 per week compared
11-14 jobs to $143 per week.14

$143
perweek
7 jobs
$163
perweek

11
 Comprehensive bicycle infrastructure
makes the transportation network
safer, and not just for the bicyclists;
protected bike lanes reduce crash
numbers for all roadway users.
Source: Jonathan Schuppert

Bicycling makes us safer.

 BIKE VISION
SAFETY BENEFITS
Bike lanes make Biyclists make roads Build it safely and

BENEFITS OF BICYCLING
roads safer for all. safer for all. they will come.
Protected bike lanes can result in a 40-50% Cities with high bicycling rates ... Bicycle safety improvements attract proportionately
drop in injury crashes for all road users (drivers, more people to bicycling than automobile safety
cyclists, and pedestrians).15 improvements.17

4050% ... tend to have lower crash rates for all road users. 16
For example, a
reduction in crashes on streets
with protected bike lanes
Crashes 10%
increase in bike safety
willresult in

more than 10%

... for all roadusers increase in the share of people
commuting by bicycle.

13
 Bicycling is a more equitable
transportation option compared to
driving a car. The cost of purchasing,
operating, and maintaining a bicycle
is small when compared to the same
costs for a car. Bicycling provides
people with access to jobs that
would be otherwise unavailable, and
for a fraction of the cost.
Source: Flickr user Joe Linton

Bicycling levels the playing field.

 BIKE VISION
SOCIAL EQUITY BENEFITS
Bicycling benefits
The lowest-income Bicycling is zero-vehicle

households bike most.
Households earning less than $20,000 per
year are roughly twice as likely to bike for
transportation as all other income groups.18
BENEFITS OF BICYCLING
moreaffordable. households.
The average cost of operating a vehicle for one Households with people of color are less likely to
year in 2013 was approximately $10,000. The have access to a motor vehicle.20
cost of operating a bicycle for a year in 2013 was
roughly $300.19
Share of U.S. households

$10,374
7% without motor vehicles
Proportion of
people who bike per year Black 21%
fortransportation

Hispanic orLatino 13%

4% 4%

3% 3% American Indian
orAlaska Native 13%

$308 per year

Asian 11%

Two or more races 11%

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15
 BIKE VISION
STATE OF BIKING IN SILICON VALLEY
THE STATE
OF BIKING IN
SILICON VALLEY
Communities such as Davis, CA have
experienced rapid bicycle mode share
growth after investing in their bikeway
network. Meanwhile, Silicon Valleys journey
to work mode share has remained low
and fairly static over the last five years.
Fortunately, new collaborative efforts for
better bike planning are underway, but
many more are needed.
For example, Redwood City, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Mountain View, and
Stanford have formed a new partnership to tackle their transportation
challenges collectively, rather than individually. The Managers
Mobility Partnership, convened by Joint Venture Silicon Valley, has
made bike infrastructure a top priority and is working to create a
continuous, high-quality north-south bicycle corridor traversing their
cities.

17
 I-680
Oakland
Alameda
San Francisco

WHERE ARE BIKEWAYS San Leandro

Dublin

LOCATED? Daly City

Pleasanton
Livermore

Off-street shared-use paths are separated from traffic

and are used by both pedestrians and bicyclists. Hayward

Millbrae
On-street bike lanes are painted adjacent to the curb
or parked cars to provide some separation from traffic
but do not include physical barriers between bicyclists
San Mateo
and moving motor vehicles. Bike routes use signs to I-880

101
bridge gaps in the network, requiring bicyclists to Fremont

share the motor vehicle travel lane; in Silicon Valley Redwood City
I-280
it is not unusual to see bicyclists sharing a travel lane Menlo Park

with motor vehicles traveling at 35 MPH and above. At

this speed, bicycle-involved collisions are more likely
Milpitas
Palo Alto
to result in serious injury or death. Bike boulevards
are also classified as bike routes, but they are typically Mountain View

SAN MATEO
found on low-volume neighborhood streets that have COUNTY
Sunnyvale
Santa Clara
low speed limits and traffic calming elements such San Jose

as roundabouts. Finally, protected bike lanes provide

physical separation from motor vehicles using parked
Cupertino
cars, raised curbs, or traffic hit-posts; they are gaining
traction in the U.S. and are beginning to be seen as the
gold standard for effective street design.

Today, there are approximately 1,125 miles of bikeways

throughout Santa Clara County and San Mateo County.
Approximately 258 of those are off-street shared-use SANTA CLARA
paths, 611 are bike lanes, and 258 are bike routes or COUNTY
bike boulevards. There is currently less than one mile
of protected bike lanes in both counties combined.

In Silicon Valley, not all bikeways are created equal. A

Shared-Use Path
bike boulevard, if planned and designed correctly on a
low volume street, is low-stress and can accommodate Bike Lane

all users. Alternatively, bike routes are not suitable for Bike Route

Protected Bike Lane

18 0 Mi 5 10
 BIKE VISION
WHAT KINDS OF BIKEWAYS ARE AVAILABLE?
What percent of the road network has a bikeway?

STATE OF BIKING IN SILICON VALLEY

Bikeways data derived from Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, Metropolitan Transportation Comission, and study partners

Shared-Use Paths Bike Lanes Bike Routes* Protected Bike Lanes

San Mateo
County 12%

Santa Clara
8.9%
County

Palo Alto 13.5%

Redwood City 16.9%

San Jose 8.6%

Stanford 62.4%

Mountain View 11.6%

Menlo Park 9.7%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

*Includes Arterial Bike Routes and Bike Boulevards

19
 I-680
Oakland
Alameda
San Francisco

all users as bicyclists are required to share lanes with Dublin

San Leandro
high-speed traffic. Such a bikeway will only be used
Daly City Livermore
by the most confident bicyclists and is ineffective at
Pleasanton
capturing latent bicyclist demand. Bike lanes that lack
adequate buffers along high-speed and high-volume Hayward
streets are equally ineffective at encouraging bike Millbrae
commute trips by less confident riders.

There are some areas in Silicon Valley where the

San Mateo
overall density of bikeways would be considered a I-880

system gap. If bikeways are not continuous throughout

101
Fremont

the region, the capacity to get new bicyclists on Redwood City

I-280
the road is hobbled. A safe bike network that is Menlo Park
convenient, connected, continuous, and complete
entices people of all ability levels to travel by bicycle. Milpitas
Palo Alto

WHO BIKES TO Mountain View

Sunnyvale
WORK TODAY? Santa Clara
San Jose

Throughout most of Silicon Valley, bikeways support

only strong, confident bicyclists. Cities that have Cupertino
taken a bolder approach to systemwide bicycle
improvements have more bicycle commuters. Palo SAN MATEO
COUNTY
Alto, Stanford University (within Palo Alto), and
Mountain View have bicycle mode share greater than
the regional average, and over the past five years have
shown notable growth in bicycle commuting. SANTA CLARA
COUNTY

< 1%

1.01 - 2.5%

2.51 - 5%

5.01 - 10%

10% <

20 0 Mi 5 10
 BIKE VISION
HOW HAS BIKE COMMUTING CHANGED?
Percent of people who bike to work in select Silicon Valley

STATE OF BIKING IN SILICON VALLEY

communities, 2011 to 201521
San Mateo Santa Clara Redwood Mountain
County County Palo Alto City San Jose Stanford University View Menlo Park

2011 1.2 1.6 8.4 1.4 0.9 35.4 3.8 7.8

2012 1.3 1.7 8.6 1.7 0.9 40.3 4.1 7.3

2013 1.1 1.7 8.6 1.4 0.9 41.6 5.0 6.6

2014 1.3 1.8 9.0 1.9 0.9 42.2 5.5 7.3

2015 1.3 1.9 9.3 2.3 1.0 44.0 6.0 6.6

21
 I-680
Oakland
Alameda
San Francisco

WHERE CAN WE San Leandro Dublin

IMPROVE BICYCLE Daly City Livermore

SAFETY? Pleasanton

Significantly, many of the intersections with high concen- Hayward

trations of bicycle-involved collisions between 2011 and Millbrae

2015 are on the borders between cities:

# Number of crashes at location San Mateo

I-880

Los Gatos Road & Austin Way, border of Monte

101
Fremont
12 Sereno, Saratoga, and Santa Clara County Redwood City
I-280

Menlo Park
Tully Road & Senter Road, border of San Jose
10 and Santa Clara County
Palo Alto Milpitas
Palo Alto Avenue & El Camino Real, Palo Alto
Mountain View
9 Monterey Road & Tully Road, border of San Jose SAN MATEO Sunnyvale
COUNTY Santa Clara
and Santa Clara County San Jose

Saratoga Road & Massol Avenue, Los Gatos

Cupertino
Rengstorff Avenue & Central Expressway, Moun-
tain View
8
San Antonio Road & El Camino Real, border of
Mountain View and Los Altos

Stevens Creek Boulevard & De Anza Boulevard, SANTA CLARA

Cupertino COUNTY

Story Road & King Road, San Jose

Middlefield Road & Loma Verde Avenue, Palo

Alto
6
San Antonio Road & El Camino Real, border of Collision Density (2011-2015)
Mountain View and Los Altos High
Low
Ravenswood Avenue & Alma Street, Menlo Park

22 0 Mi 5 10
 BIKE VISION
HOW HAS BIKE SAFETY CHANGED?
Annual collisions per 1,000 bike commuters22,23

STATE OF BIKING IN SILICON VALLEY

San Mateo Santa Clara Redwood Stanford Mountain
County County Palo Alto City San Jose University View Menlo Park

2011 62 63 41 79 108 4 27 20

2012 54 52 36 62 90 4 23 28

2013 65 51 37 82 96 3 14 41

2014 52 49 32 54 87 4 10 28

2015 46 50 34 50 78 4 22 30

23
 WHERE ARE COMMUTERS TRAVELING AND WHAT WOULD
THEIR BIKE COMMUTE LOOK LIKE?
23

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More than 26,000 commute trips of eight More than 30,500 commute trips of eight
miles or less are made to and from the miles or less are made to and from the
Stanford area per day. A vast majority of business park areas near Google, NASA, and
those trips require that people cross El Intuit. The limited crossing options at U.S.
Camino Real and Alma Street, which in many Highway 101 force bicyclists far out of their
cases would be too stressful for a bicyclist way to find a low-stress crossing or lead
who is interested in bicycling but concerned them to rely on crossings that have a road
about safety. design hostile to bicyclists.
1,000 to 1,250 trips
t
0 Mi 0.5 1 ng St
di r
! !H!e T!
d yl o
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More than 55,000 commuter trips of eight
miles or less are made to and within the
business park areas home to Cisco Systems
and Oracle. To effectively bicycle in the area,
people on bikes are required to use a number
of stressful connections, including those over
Montague Expressway and U.S. Highway
101, that are inhospitable except to the most
confident bicyclists.

More than 1,250 trips

Existing bikeway

Intersection gaps

24
 Source: Flickr user Naotake Murayama
BIKE VISION
While half of my route has a bike lane and
traffic volumes are quite low, the second half is
on a 40 mile-per-hour road that crosses both
the Caltrain tracks and Central Expressway.
Even for someone like me, who has been bike
commuting for 12 years, the intersection at
Mary and Evelyn is hair-raising!
- Silicon Valley Bicycle Commuter
25
 BIKE VISION
GAPS AND KEY OPPORTUNITIES
GAPS AND KEY
OPPORTUNITIES
The most prominent reason people do not
bicycle is because they fear getting hit by a
motor vehicle. Today, the network gaps pose
too many risks for a person who is interested
in, but concerned about, bicycling. With a
bold push by cities and counties in Silicon
Valley, tomorrows landscape can feature a
regionally-connected network suitable for
all bicyclists.

The existing networks of low-stress bikeways in Silicon Valley

are disjointed by high-stress barriers, including intersections,
high-speed arterials, and freeway and expressway overcrossings,
leaving islands of low-stress bikeways as stranded investments.
Oftentimes, like the patterns of collisions, these barriers occur at
city boundaries where bicycle network improvements would require
inter-jurisdictional, County, or State collaboration. Grant funding
and planning efforts that are regional rather than city-specific would
unlock stranded investments in Silicon Valley and create a superior
bicycle network.

27
 I-680
Oakland
Alameda
San Francisco

EXISTING GAPS San Leandro Dublin

AND NETWORK
Daly City Livermore
! Pleasanton
! !
BARRIERS ! !
Hayward
Significant barriers to bicycling in Silicon Millbrae
Valley include:

High-stress streets !
San Mateo
!! I-880

Bike routes on streets with !101

Fremont
!
posted speed limits above !
! Redwood
!!! ! City
30 mph !!!!
!!!Menlo Park
I-280

! !!
Streets with unprotected !! !
! ! ! !! !
bike lanes that are exposed !!! ! !
! !! ! !! Milpitas
to fast-moving motor !
Palo !
Alto
! !! !! !
!! !! !! ! ! ! !
! !!! !!
vehicles !! Mountain
! ! ! View ! !!!!!! !
! ! ! !
!
SAN MATEO !!!! !!
!
! ! ! !! ! !
! !!! !!!
Sunnyvale
! !
! !!! ! ! ! !
High-stress intersections COUNTY ! !! !
! !!Clara
!!
!
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! ! !San !
!!
! ! !!! ! ! ! ! ! !!
!!Jose !
Street crossings of more ! !! !
!
!!
! ! !!! !
!! ! !!
!!!! ! !!!!!!
!
than two lanes !!
! !!! ! !! ! ! !
!!!! ! !
Cupertino
! ! ! !!
Crossings with freeway on !! ! ! ! !!
! ! !
and off ramps
! ! !!!!! ! ! !!
!!! !
!!
Out-of-direction travel ! ! !
! ! ! !
!
Limited-access expressways !! !
that disrupt the street grid !

Railroad crossings SANTA CLARA

COUNTY
Waterways that force
bicyclists far out of their
direction of travel

High-stress streets where bicycles do not 55 MPH <

have sufficient separation from motor
45 - 55 MPH
vehicles are one of the most common
35 - 45 MPH
barriers.
! Crossing gaps

28 0 Mi 5 10
Only the most confident bicycle rider can
operate on these streets, and most still
experience dangerous and uncomfortable
situations. For people who do not consider
themselves strong and confident bicyclists,
exposure to high volumes of fast motor
traffic prevents them from bicycling and
limits the functionality of the bike network.

Intersections and interchanges present

major barriers that are pervasive throughout
the Silicon Valley bicycle network. Many bike
lanes end just before intersections, forcing
people on bicycles to merge with traffic on
high speed, multi-lane arterial streets.
Freeway interchanges pose even
more dramatic barriers,
frequently having inclines
and lane configurations
that force bicyclists to
merge with vehicles
traveling at high
speeds as they
approach or exit
freeway ramps.
These high-stress
intersections
effectively isolate
islands of high-
quality bicycle
facilities and impact
the ability of a user to
connect across them.

29
 Low-stress bikeways greatly reduce the
chance of a collision with an automobile by
prioritizing bicycle travel on streets with
low volumes and speeds, or by providing
separation from faster moving car traffic.
Bicycle boulevards are low-speed, low-
traffic streets that prioritize bicycle travel
by diverting vehicle traffic onto adjacent
streets. Protected bike lanes allow greater
protection for a person bicycling on a street
with high traffic and speed. At large and busy
intersections, enhanced crossings connect
the bikeways.
By implementing innovative solutions
that reduce the stress of bicycling at
critical connections, Silicon Valley can
leverage existing low-stress facilities to
create a world class bicycle network that
comfortably accommodates all users.
What is a
low-stress bikeway?
Traffic stress is the perceived sense of danger associated with riding in or adjacent to
vehicle traffic. A low-stress bikeway is suitable for all ages and abilities, including
children.
San Jose maintenance priorities
lead to more low-stress bikeways
San Jose has been able to rapidly implement green and buffered bike lanes. When
the San Jose Public Works Department is resurfacing a street or intersection, the
department communicates with the city Department of Transportation to assess
the feasibility of putting in bike lanes, allowing for a streamlined approach to road
resurfacing and bike facility implementation.
Facility Type

HIGH
Off-street Path/Trail

Level of Separation
Protected Bike Lane

Buffered Bike Lane

Bike Lane

Bicycle Boulevard

LOW
Bike Route

LOW HIGH
Family
Street Speed and Volume
Commuter
LOWER STRESS
Recreational Cyclist
HIGHER STRESS

30
 BIKE VISION
Building For Tomorrow
FREEWAY AND RAILWAY CROSSINGS

GAPS AND KEY OPPORTUNITIES

Silicon Valley is crisscrossed by freeways and the Caltrain railroad tracks.
A handful of fully separated bicycle and pedestrian bridges and tunnels in
Silicon Valley provide ideal crossings for freeways and railroad tracks. How-
ever, most people have to travel far out of their way to access them. Shared
interchange crossings must be designed to protect people on bicycles from
motorists entering and exiting the freeway. Additional grade-separated
bridges and tunnels will improve the network. Grade-separated tunnels
and bridges are expensive projects, but will provide crucial connections
that greatly expand the Silicon Valley bike network and should play a more
prominent role in road improvement conversations.

So
urce
: Flickr Naot
ake
Mur
ay
am

Source
: https://loc
alw
iki.
org /d
av
s i
31
 Building For Tomorrow

Source
ARTERIAL CROSSINGS

: Flickr user S
Arterial crossings are often the links between low-stress bikeways.
Intersection design, signal changes, and road striping can provide

DOT
clear guidance on who has right-of-way at an intersection with
multiple modes traveling in multiple directions. Safety should not be
sacrificed for reductions in vehicle delay.

Source
: Flickr user J
n oh

Source
Gree
nfi
eld

: Flickr user O
DOT
32
 BIKE VISION
Building For Tomorrow
BUFFERED OR PROTECTED FACILITIES

GAPS AND KEY OPPORTUNITIES

The primary factor in determining level of traffic stress is the separation
between fast-moving motor vehicles and bicycles. On streets with
higher traffic and speeds, a protected bike lane or a shared-use path
will create an enjoyable environment, encouraging more people to bike.
Both the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)
and Caltrans provide guidance on protected bike lanes that should be
the default design for arterial streets.

Source
: Flickr user S
ergi
oR
uiz

33
 Building For Tomorrow
CLASS I PATH CONNECTIONS
A shared-use path provides complete separation from motor vehicles
and is a preferred design to attract bicyclists of all ages and abilities.
Shared-use path connections across streets should provide an equally
low-stress experience. Treatments to support a safe and intuitive
environment include traffic signals, flashing beacons, and wayfinding
signs with pavement markings.

Source
C a rr : Flickr user
ie Ci za
us
ka
s
34
 BIKE VISION
Building For Tomorrow

Source
WAYFINDING

: Dan Allison

GAPS AND KEY OPPORTUNITIES

Wayfinding is a critical part of a bikeway network. It helps people
navigate the network by confirming turns in the route, informing
decision-making, and indicating the way to popular destinations.
When combined with branding, wayfinding also alerts roadway users
that they are on a bicycle priority street. The City of Berkeley has
branded their low-stress bicycle boulevard network to help people on
bikes stay on low-stress streets throughout the city.

Source
: Flickr user P
ay ton
Ch
un
g

35
 MOVING FORWARD
Cities with progressive bicycle policies are
recognized by the League of American
Bicyclists as Bicycle Friendly Communities.
The common thread between all bicycle-
friendly communities is that city leaders
have committed to a purposeful strategy of
policies and thoughtful planning to make
bicycling safer and more convenient. To have
a high-functioning regional bicycle network,
it is essential for Silicon Valleys cities and
counties to implement a suite of policies and
planning and design practices that support
efforts to overcome current barriers to
bicycling. Joint Venture Silicon Valley and
Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition will use the
following framework as benchmarks to work
with cities in the region moving forward.
It represents pivotal steps that Silicon
Valley partners can take together to make
measurable progress toward a vision of safe
and connected bikeways for people of all
ages and abilities.
Policies
Partnerships
1. Foster an active and effective advocacy
community by working with bicycle
advisory committees (BACs).
BAC actively engages with planning
department
BAC meets at least once per month
BAC has recommendation
responsibility to Council or Planning
Commission
36
2. Participate in regional planning
forums, such as the Managers Mobility
Partnership, that focus on filling in
bicycle network gaps that occur at city
boundaries.
Membership with Joint Venture Silicon
Valleys collaborative working group
Active participation within the working
group
3. Establish a permanent staff position that
works primarily on active transportation
policy and programming.
Full-time position in planning or
public works dedicated to active
transportation
Active transportation staff are involved
in land development review
Active transportation staff actively
included in capital improvement
project development and project
prioritization
4. Update and implement bicycle or active
transportation master plans.
Current bicycle or active transportation
plan is less than five years old
Active transportation plan is reference
document for land development and
project review
Dedicate an annual budget for
implementation of projects and
programs in the bicycle or active
transportation master plan
Utilize protected bike lanes as the
default bikeway design for high-volume
streets
Integrate the bicycle or active
transportation plan into other modal
plans to resolve conflicts between
transit, bicycle, parking, and loading
networks
Include miles of connected, protected
bikeways as a performance measure
5. Adopt Vision Zero policies and enact
programs and design standards intended
to achieve zero traffic fatalities.
Adopt Vision Zero policy with the goal
of implementing safer street design
Use Vision Zero goals to direct and
prioritize education, engineering,
enforcement, and evaluation of street
safety
Weigh anticipated safety benefits
of street design over costs of motor
vehicle delay
6. Modify city/county analytical
requirements of the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to
enact statewide reforms that update
transportation impact analyses.
Implement State CEQA reforms
adopted by Senate Bill 743 allowing for
more flexibility in bike facility design
and implementation

Modernize minimum and maximum
motor vehicle parking requirements
in zoning codes to achieve housing
affordability and traffic-reduction goals
Projects
7. Modify regional grant criteria to
quantify relative utility of a proposed
project.
Modify grant criteria so that proposed
projects that connect existing low-
stress networks are more strongly
considered
Use quantitative measures of
connected, low-stress network to
prioritize grant allocation
8. Adopt NACTO design standards.
Officially adopt NACTO design
standards as default design rather than
as an exception
Fully integrate staff in implementing
NACTO designs including professionals
in planning, design, engineering,
maintenance, parks, and inspection
9. Formalize a workflow between city
and county planning departments
and public works to leverage street
resurfacing and redesign opportunities
to implement bike facilities.
Prior to undertaking resurfacing
projects, assess if a street can be
reconfigured to accommodate suitable
bike infrastructure
CONCLUSION
Like other visionary bicycling cities in the US
including Davis, CA, Eugene, OR, Boulder,
CO, Minneapolis, MN, and Salt Lake City, UT,
adopting bold policies that reward visionary
street design and cultivate collaboration
between cities and counties will help grow
bicycling in Silicon Valley. Once the Valley
establishes a suite of protocols that allow
it to create continuity and connectivity
between all of its high-quality bikeways,
the region will be able to move more happy
people by bicycle.
Silicon Valley has the potential to create a
world-class bicycle network that improves
overall safety for all road users. Achieving this
vision will not be easy. It will require better
collaboration between Silicon Valley cities,
counties, and transportation agencies; it will
require leadership within local governments
and by citizen action committees to advance
modified transportation priorities; and it
will require substantial funding of bicycle
infrastructure. Tradeoffs may be required,
but they will benefit all road users with
reduced congestion, enhanced safety, and
a more pleasant road experience. Silicon
Valley is world-renowned for being a hub of
innovation it is this innovative spirit that will
carry the Valley forward in creating better
roadways for everyone.
Success
BIKE VISION
Stories
GAPS AND KEY OPPORTUNITIES
Mountain View Mobility
Coordinator
The Mobility Coordinator position in
Mountain View is a perfect example of
leveraging private and public resources
for a shared good. Google provided
initial funding to the city to help support
the creation of a new Transportation
Planner position that works on bicycle
and pedestrian programs and projects
within the city. The work will not
only benefit Google employees and
Mountain View residents, it will also help
bicycle commuters that must connect
through the city on their way to other
destinations.
The Sunnyvale Bicycle
and Pedestrian Advisory
Commission
In 2016, the Sunnyvale BPAC made an
official recommendation to City Council
that the city adopt a Vision Zero policy
and pursue policies, programs, and
projects consistent with achieving zero
road fatalities. The Sunnyvale BPAC built
support within the community with the
help of the Silicon Valley Bike Coalition.
With community backing and the BPAC
endorsement, Council approved moving
forward on Vision Zero and will begin
work on the program this year.
37
 SOURCES
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Silicon Valley
Bike
Vision