Bike-Big Rig Collision Claims Life of 55-year-old Man in Sunnyvale

See an updated blog from Feb. 4 with call to action here.It is with a heavy heart that we share news of a bicyclist who was killed yesterday morning in Sunnyvale at Caribbean Drive and Borregas Avenue, near the SMaRT recycling center and the NetApp campus. We express our deepest sympathies to friends and family of the victim.While the investigation is still ongoing, we know that the crash occurred when a big rig collided with the bicyclist, who is identified as a 55-year-old man according to authorities. Given the extent of commercial activity on Caribbean Drive, it can be a particularly fraught road because of the high stress from large trucks. Members who use Baylands Park for their commute also attest to being regularly passed by trucks on their way toward Crossman.Upon hearing early reports, SVBC immediately contacted City leadership to better understand what happened and how to improve this area for biking. You can watch this space for updates as we gather more information.To make our streets safer for all users, SVBC has been conducting trainings for shuttle drivers employed by major businesses in Santa Clara County. Perhaps to avoid future collisions between big rigs and people biking, the City of Sunnyvale and other nearby cities can jump on board to help educate truck drivers frequenting these industrial corridors like the one near the SMaRT recycling facility.Other cities, like Cupertino, have also looked at limiting the hours of operations for trucks that make heavy commuting times around school routes safer for children. With Sunnyvale’s bike plan up for review, SVBC sees additional opportunities to engage stakeholders about mitigating precarious road conditions for bicyclists and big rigs alike, so that such tragedies like this can be avoided.If you live, work, or play in Sunnyvale and are interested in keeping up to date on this issue, the bike plan, or other biking issues in the city, please email me at Ben@bikesiliconvalley.org with Sunnyvale in the subject line.