Stanford Mitigation Funds

On October 23, SVBC sent a letter to the Santa Clara Board of Supervisors with recommendations for use of the Stanford Mitigation Funds

Honorable Supervisors:

Thank you very much for considering the investments into recreational projects in the region as mitigation for loss of recreational opportunities on the Stanford Campus.
The mission of the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition is to promote bicycling for everyday use in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. Many strong projects have been submitted for the grant funding. As advocates of cycling, we have reviewed the proposals, and would like to share our recommendations regarding the trail projects that offer the greatest benefits.

The trail projects that have the highest value for cycling are the Ravenswood Bay Trail Connection and the Adobe Creek Bridge over Highway 101. The Bay Trail connector adds value to Santa Clara County’s Bay Trail segments by connecting Santa Clara County riders to San Mateo County and the East Bay, and the Adobe Creek Bridge connects residents of Stanford and Palo Alto to the Baylands. These two projects provide world-class recreational facilities for residents in the area and have complementary benefits for commuting as well.

There are other valuable projects that we would also strongly recommend for funding, including the El Corte De Madera Creek Trail Project, the Matadero Creek Trail, and project to close the gaps in the Stanford Perimeter Trail. Approximately 25% of the Stanford Perimeter Trail provides new facilities to improve a route that is valuable for recreation near Campus, and has complementary benefits for children and adults travelling to school, work, and other destinations.

Finally, there are several projects that we believe have merit for promoting cycling for everyday transportation and recreation. These need further evaluation as to whether they meet the criteria of this grant, whose goals are to provide new recreational facilities (and not to maintain or repair existing facilities). The Arastradero Road Trail and Menlo Park Sand Hill Road Pathway are good projects that involve maintaining and upgrading existing facilities. The Park Blvd Bicycle Boulevard is an excellent on-street transportation project that connects to recreational facilities. The Los Altos Hills Fremont Road Trail is an excellent project for local users but may have less appeal to Stanford residents and facility users.

There are many strong choices among the applicants for this funding. We are glad to see that this funding will soon be appropriated, and look forward to excellent new facilities for recreational cycling in the region.

Sincerely,

Corinne Winter
President & Executive Director