Citizens of San Jose are extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to promote our city as a vibrant, creative, and forward thinking city. Diridon Station and the neighborhoods that surround it will give us the rare opportunity to not only showcase San Jose as a world class transportation hub, but also to support Mayor Chuck Reed's Green Vision.
City leaders have determined in the Envision 2040 General Plan that bicycles will play an integral role in our transportation future. To ensure a plan for the area that captures our unique spirit of innovation, creativity, and dynamism, we propose the following key components to the Diridon Station Area Plan:
Adopt a complete streets policy within the Diridon Station area.
Complete streets are designed with all users in mind: pedestrians, cyclists, persons with disabilities - as well as people of all ages - whether they're eight or 80. Designing the streets for all will reduce congestion around the station, ensure safety for all users, encourage active lifestyles, foster community, and enliven the area not just during weekdays, but on evenings and weekends as well.
Design neighborhood streets that keep vehicle speeds at safe and courteous levels.
Calmed streets attract people, whether they be shoppers, strollers, diners, or sports fans. The additional bonus is that people will attract other people. The signs of a vibrant district are the chatter of friends and family, the smell of dinner alfresco, and the sounds of children laughing and playing.
Build streets, bikeways, and pedestrian paths that are connected, creating a network that makes it easier and faster to get to one’s destination by bike and on foot.
Create bikeways, paths, and sidewalks that are intuitive, direct, and well marked and signed. Connect to existing infrastructure such as the Guadalupe River Trail, the Los Gatos Creek Trail, and the San Fernando bikeway to City Hall and San Jose State University. Just like motorists, pedestrians and cyclists prefer routes that minimize turns and changes of direction.
Create a bicycle station within the terminal that incorporates short and long-term bicycle parking, basic bicycle repair or assembly, bike sharing, and wayfinding services.
With easy bicycle access from the station to convenient shopping districts such as the Alameda, West San Carlos, Willow Glen, and the downtown business district, cyclists will add a new sense of vibrancy to traditional business districts.
We believe that a Diridon Station area, designed to be easily accessible by foot or bicycle from downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods, will be more vibrant, culturally exciting, and create a strong attraction for visitors wishing to experience the excitement of our city. We hope that city leaders, residents, and stakeholders will be bold in their vision of what the area could look like, and we believe that the bicycle will be an integral part of this plan.
Signatories include:
Shiloh Ballard - San Jose General Plan 2040 Task Force & Director,
Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition
Michele Beasley - Greenbelt Alliance
Michael Burns - General Manager, VTA
Helen Chapman - President, Shasta Hanchett Neighborhood Association
Eugene Cordero - Associate Professor of Meteorology, San Jose State University
Harvey Darnel - President, Greater Gardner NAC, Founder of Citizens
for Liveable San Jose
David Dearborn - President, Willow Glen Neighborhood Association
Nick Glaskowski - San Jose Bike Party
Paul Higgens - President, San Jose Downtown Residents Association
Melissa Hippard - Chair, Building Climate Friendly Communities, Sierra Club
Ted Huang - Webcor Builders & Director, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition
Steve Klein - President, Burbank Del Monte NAC
Hans Larson – Director, Department of Transportation, City of San Jose
Chris Lepe - TransForm
Marc Morris – Director, Shasta Hanchett Neighborhood Association
Jerri-Ann Meyer - Member, VTA Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee
Jim Parker - SunPower & Director, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition
Alyssa Plicka - Board Member, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition
Johnathan Schuppert - Board Member, Shasta Hanchett Neigborhood Association
Lilia Scott- Board Member, Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition
Stacy Scott - Owner, Treehouse in the Glen
Leah Toeniskoetter - Toeniskoetter & Breeding, Inc.
Debbie Wade - Greater Gardner Advisory Council & Good Neighbor Committee
Corinne Winter – President & Executive Director, Silicon Valley
Bicycle Coalition
Eloy Wouters - Member, Diridon Good Neighbor Committee
Richard Zapelli - Director, Willow Glen Neighborhood Association &
Good Neighbor Committee