Bike-friendly signals in San José – where are they most needed?
Submitted by Carlos on July 22, 2010 - 12:56pm
It’s happened to all of us, you arrive at a red light and there’s no bike pavement marking or a way for a bicyclist to trigger a green light. While a state law (AB 1581) requires cities to make new and modified signals bike-friendly, it doesn’t apply to older signals that aren’t being modified.
To address this need, the City of San José is seeking grant funds to make some existing signals bike-friendly. If the City receives the grant it will only be enough for about 20 signals. So which San José bikeway corridors are in greatest need? Which streets would you like to see receive bike-friendly signals with pavement markings? Let us know your top five corridors. Include street name and cross streets (e.g. Main Street from A Street to B Street).
So please feel free to comment below on which corridors you would like to see included. (San Jose Bike Map)
Submitted by Tom Schaefer on August 6, 2010 - 5:43pm.
I think special attention should be given to any intersection where bicycles must cross a major street and (in the absence of a bike detector) no pedestrian button is readily available. An example is westbound Clarendon St at DeAnza Blvd. There is no pedestrian button to the cyclist's right -- a cyclist who wants to press a pedestrian button has to cross the opposing traffic lane and press the button on the SE corner -- contending with both left- and right-turning cars from DeAnza Blvd. That's totally unreasonable! (There is a buried detector here, but there are so many grooves in the pavement it is hard for a cyclist to know where to stand to trigger it.)
Submitted by marylou on August 5, 2010 - 11:34am.
Lots of good recommendations folks! I second the need at Monroe, northbound, as it crosses Stevens Creek. Also westbound Williams as it crosses Winchester. I'd add Plum/Pomona heading south as it crosses Alma (my route to Tamien train station) as often there is no car to activate the signal nor a ped button going my direction. Same situation at Thornwood heading west across Santa Teresa Blvd. (Oak Ridge shopping mall)
Submitted by tommy on August 4, 2010 - 12:56pm.
It seems to me that with only limited funds, the city should try to make the biggest impact it can. This would be done by installing sensors mostly for left-turn lanes, because this is where there often is no car to trigger the signal for us.
I really hope the city doesn't waste money on any straight-through lanes where you'd never actually have to wait long, when there are hundreds of left-turns that need some help! I agree about Stockton; also Mabury Rd, the Alameda, and San Antonio St from 24th east needs upgrading.
Submitted by Martin Delson on August 3, 2010 - 8:40am.
At the west end of Coe, where it meets Lincoln Ave. (Coe was recently repaved, and now the traffic loop is no longer visible.)
Submitted by Stephen Bartnikowski on July 31, 2010 - 8:47am.
Monroe & El Camino Real in Santa Clara (heading N or S on Monroe)
Lincoln Ave & W San Carlos St in San Jose (heading N or S on Lincoln)
Willow St & Bird Ave in San Jose (heading W on Bird)
Surprisingly, I've only got 3 that bother me!
Submitted by Neil Wright on July 30, 2010 - 8:15am.
San Thomas Expressway, but especially at Monroe and at Cabrillo.
Submitted by Tom Schaefer on July 29, 2010 - 10:25pm.
Westbound Williams Road at Winchester Blvd -- has neither bicycle symbol nor visible detector loop. This is a natural through route for anyone using the Downing Avenue overpass of Highway 17. Auto traffic is fairly light on this part of Williams Road, so a bicyclist often has no choice but to use the pedestrian button.
Submitted by Mark Sauerwald on July 29, 2010 - 1:24pm.
The two areas that seem to give me the greatest grief are around Diridon station - getting to/from the city core - Autumn st onto Julian, as well as all the signals on Santa Clara between the station and 1st St. The other problem area is crossing east-west in the area of the airport. Hedding at coleman is very bike unfriendly, not detecting bicycles, and having the right turn slip lane are two bad things, Taylor is another very unfriendly st between 1st st and the alameda. North of the airport is also a problem - getting from De La Cruz onto Central or from the airport road (Ewert?) onto Central is always a challenge.
Submitted by Irvin Dawid on July 29, 2010 - 11:49am.
As a former grad' student @ SJSU, commuting from Palo Alto via Caltrain, I DON'T have fond memories of my 1.5 mile bike ride along San Fernando from Diridon. Fortunately, bike lanes and sharrows have gone up on San Fernanado - but the twin, one-way streets of Autumn and Montgomery still represent bad memories of this commute as they are bike-unfriendly in terms of activating the light - so for future Caltrain (assuming there is one) bike commuters to SJSU, I nominate those two intersections.
Submitted by sheilastev on July 29, 2010 - 11:03am.
The intersection of Monroe and Stevens Creek is in great need. Southbound is lousy, but it is especially difficult to cross northbound (from the side of the bicycle overpass going toward Valley Fair). The only cross walk is to the left of the intersection. This requires three crossings of traffic lanes (cross Monroe to get to signal, cross SC, then cross Monroe again to continue north).