San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail Continues to Face Challenges During Levi's Events
SVBC recently joined the Santa Clara City Council, Levi’s Stadium management, Santa Clara Police and Fire Departments, and several local advocates for a field trip to the home of the 49ers. At issue is (and has been for several years) event-day bicyclist and pedestrian access to San Tomas Aquino Creek (STAC) Trail, which runs along the stadium’s parking lot, between lines full of ticketholders and the entry gates. Since the stadium’s opening in 2014, due to security concerns, people walking or biking on the trail have had to take a long detour that routes them to the east and through a transit station parking lot whenever a large event is being held. We're grateful that the City and stadium management have been looking hard at creative solutions for maintaining trail access.Between the added distance, the danger of being routed behind vehicles entering and leaving a parking lot, and the door-zone bike lanes on Stars and Stripes Drive, people who rely on the STAC trail as a commute corridor are understandably miffed. Adding to the frustration is the fact that trail users feel that they were misled during the environmental review process. In short – trail users, particularly bicyclists, are getting majorly inconvenienced and put in danger during big stadium events; and due to the physical and security constraints, a safe and convenient alternative won’t come easily.The latest round of proposed fixes included three short-term reroutes that would require bicyclists to dismount and walk along a predetermined path through the Levi’s or Great America parking lot. How this is an improvement over the path through the much smaller VTA parking lot that is currently being used is not clear to us. SVBC is firm that any solution that requires people to walk their bikes is not a viable alternative to a functioning trail.The field trip illuminated the complexity of the situation – the venue must maintain a security perimeter, which requires the use of magnetometers (metal detectors) that event attendees pass through. It’s not feasible to have trail users pass through security (especially if they’re hurrying to catch a train), so the detour must pass outside of the secured zone. This will require sacrifice, creativity, and funding to achieve. At the May 16 council meeting, city staff was directed to refine its suggestions and return with a plan in 60 days. As we recently wrote to councilmembers, we look forward to working with city staff, Levi’s management, the Santa Clara City Council and Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, and our members to come up with a workable solution that ensures the trail is always safe and accessible in the future.We want to know what you think! Share your thoughts on this trail here:[gravityform id="7" title="true" description="true"]If you’re interested in staying up-to-date on this advocacy campaign, email colin@bikesiliconvalley.org
