Action Alert: Support San José bikeways
San José cyclists: If you live or work here in "The Capital of Silicon Valley," we need you to act fast to let the City Council know that you support new bike infrastructure on 3rd, 4th, 10th, and 11th Streets as well as Almaden Boulevard, in the downtown area. SVBC has worked with the San José Department of Transportation, which has done a great job with public outreach surrounding this project. Now, it's time to move ahead and secure City Council approval. This is a great opportunity to provide improved bike access to a major employment and retail area.
There are two ways you can help:
- Send a letter to your Councilmember right away. We have prepared a letter that you can personalize and send (CLICK HERE to download a Word document or copy and paste the letter below), or you can write your own. You can find your Councilmember's contact information at http://www.sanjoseca.gov/council.asp. They need to see your letter before Tuesday's (April 10th) Council meeting. It takes just minutes to personalize the letter and email it!
- Join SVBC staff and members at the April 10 City Council meeting (agenda available here - see Item 6.1) to publicly support the proposed project. If you would like to join us, please email Colin Heyne at colin@bikesiliconvalley.org so we know you are coming and can share talking points.
Don't know who your Councilmember is? Download a handy district map here.
You can copy and paste the following form letter:
April 6, 2012
Honorable [Councilmember’s Name]
200 E. Santa Clara Street
San Jose, CA 95113
Dear Councilmember [name]:
I am writing to express my firm support for the downtown bike network projects that will add bike lanes and buffered bike lanes to 3rd, 4th, 10th, and 11th Streets as well as Almaden Boulevard. These bike facilities will benefit the community in a number of ways:
- They improve North-South bike access: Currently, the downtown area is served by the San Fernando Street bikeway, but lacks north-south connectivity. This project will remedy that lack of access and bring more cyclists into our City’s shopping and entertainment district.
- Safety will increase: The buffered bike lanes in the proposed project will make drivers more aware that they are sharing the road with bicyclists and make cyclists feel more secure.
- Sustainable travel will be promoted:Completing these bikeway projects will help the city achieve its bold Envision 2040 General Plan goals of 15% trips by bike.
- It’s a smart use of funds: Installing these bikeway projects as part of the City's pavement maintenance program maximizes the efficacy of existing bikeway grant funds.
- The community agrees:Community input at the project public meetings voiced almost unanimous support across an audience of homeowners, businesspeople, and commuters.
I urge you to approve this ambitious project. As San José fights to keep its reputation as a hub of innovation and forward thinking, it is imperative that we embrace smart, sustainable development practices. Hopefully, these bike lanes will be just the beginning of a citywide effort to promote active, healthy modes of transportation.
Thank you for your consideration of this exciting opportunity.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]
