Campbell BPAC February 2018 Update

Editor’s note: Thanks to BPAC member Laura Smith for her continued reporting from the front lines of Campbell bicycle and pedestrian policymaking!Harriet Avenue Traffic Calming Project:  City Council approved the concept design in November.  The project will include the installation of speed humps; bulb-out sidewalks and a pedestrian hybrid beacon system at McCoy Avenue; as well as green bike lanes with painted buffer marks and wider sidewalks over San Tomas Aquino Creek.  BPAC felt any bicyclist should be able to traverse a 14-foot long speed hump with a height of only three inches.  Other layouts were considered such as terminating the edge of the speed hump across the bike lane buffer.  In the end, the BPAC was fine with having the speed humps end at the lip of the gutter.  Furthermore, there was some concern that drivers would drive around the speed humps and into the bike lanes in an effort to avoid them.  The Council, however, felt the benefits outweighed this drawback.  Construction could begin in fall 2018.  For more information about this project, please see Jasmine Leyva's November 2017 article in the Campbell Reporter.Electronic Bicycle Locker Program (TFCA - funded):  Bike lockers have been installed at the Hamilton and downtown Campbell light rail stations.  A total of eight locker spaces are available to be rented out electronically, which were mostly grant funded with a construction access permit issued by VTA. To open the solar-powered lockers, users will need a BikeLink card, which can be purchased online for $20.00 and at 5 cents per hour at bikelink.org. For more information, please see Jasmine Leyva's January 2018 article or check the City of Campbell website.Eden Avenue Sidewalks (VERBS):  This project is ongoing but progressing, as the proposal seeks to benefit parts of the streets closest to Rosemary School.  The city wants to install a flashing light beacon system and curb ramps at marked crosswalks near the school.  The project also entails installing storm drains to handle flooding at the intersection of Eden Avenue and Rosemary Lane.  For next steps, the preliminary design has been approved and the project is proceeding to the consultant phase, with construction projected to begin in 2019.