Santa Clara Continues to Resist Pruneridge Bike Lane Plans

Guest Blog by Betsy Megas. Betsy lives and works in the city of Santa Clara, and commutes by bicycle. She is an SVBC member and volunteer.

---

Now that San Jose extended the protected bike lanes on Hedding Street to the Santa Clara border at Winchester, Santa Clara council and staff are taking a renewed interest in connecting the remaining two miles of Pruneridge. City Manager Deanna Santana writes in her latest blog post (http://www.santaclaraca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/36176/):

Pruneridge Avenue Study: Recently, the City of San Jose completed a roadway reconfiguration of Hedding Street east of Winchester Boulevard, which consisted of changing the 4 lane roadway to one lane in each direction with a center two way left turn lane and dedicated bicycle lanes. West of Winchester Boulevard, Hedding Street becomes Pruneridge Avenue in Santa Clara. Subsequently, members of the public and the City’s Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) have shown an interest in completing the bicycle lane gap on Pruneridge Avenue in Santa Clara from Winchester Boulevard to Pomeroy Avenue.  Pruneridge Avenue in Santa Clara is currently a four lane roadway. The extension of the road diet and bicycle lanes from San Jose into Santa Clara will complete a vital cross-County bicycle corridor identified in the Valley Transportation Authority Countywide Bicycle Plan. From Pomeroy Avenue westward to the western City Limit with Cupertino, Pruneridge Avenue has already been reconfigured to a roadway configuration with one lane in each direction with a center two way left turn lane and dedicated bicycle lanes. The BPAC members at their October 2017 meeting were supportive of a study to complete the missing bicycle segment. Staff will start the process for obtaining grant funds to study options for implementing bicycle lanes along the segment of Pruneridge Avenue missing bicycle lanes and gather public input prior to starting any design and construction. The earliest any possible grant funds can be awarded to start the study would be the Fall of 2018.

This blog post is prompting renewed opposition from neighbors, along much the same lines as last January's community meeting (https://bikesiliconvalley.org/2017/02/safer-streets-santa-clara-couple-minutes-traffic/). Since last January, however, the Hedding Street segment has been completed, and the city acknowledges the VTA bike plan and indicates intentions to complete the two miles still without a bike lane. This update seems to be a step in the right direction, if a hesitant one.

What you can do:

· Write to Manager@santaclaraca.gov and MayorAndCouncil@santaclaraca.gov, to express support for connecting the bicycle lane along Pruneridge, and to offer ideas and suggestions. If they only receive opposition to the bike lane, it may increase reluctance and prolong the delay.

· Stay tuned for announcements and attend community outreach meetings about this street, as well as public workshops for the city's bicycle plan update (upcoming) and trail plan update (underway).

 -Betsy Megas, Santa Clara resident and SVBC member