Your help is needed in Sunnyvale and Santa Clara

Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition is counting on you to help make biking safer and more enjoyable for everyone. City councils pay more attention when residents speak. There are important decisions for Sunnyvale and Santa Clara plans and policies in September. We need your help!Santa Clara CampaignsThere are two campaigns we are working on in the City of Santa Clara.1.Santa Clara bicycle master plan update 2018 http://santaclaraca.gov/government/bicycle-plan-updateSanta Clara has done a great job on its updated bicycle master plan. SVBC supports the dramatic increase in protected bikeways, off-street trails, and the project priority list in the plan. However, there are couple of areas where Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition thinks it can be improved. We want you to encourage the council to make the following two changes.1.Increase the mode shift target to 7% from 5% by 2026. Mode shift is the % of trips by bicycle instead of driving solo in a car. SVBC's mode shift goal is 10% of all trips by bicycle by 2025. Increasing the mode shift goal in Santa Clara will encourage the city planners to develop plans to meet it. More people on bicycles is a win-win-win.2.Start a Vision Zero Policy in 2020 and develop a Vision Zero Plan by 2022. The current recommendation is to "Objective 1.A: Study implementing a Vision Zero policy before 2024". Implementing Vision Zero is a key step to meet the mode shift goals by making roadways in Santa Clara safer for all users. Santa Clara should implement a Vision Zero plan quickly to save lives and encourage more people to walk and ride.The current version of the Santa Clara bicycle master plan update 2018 is scheduled for consideration for adoption by the City Council on September 17, 2019. Please contact John Cordes John@bikesiliconvalley.org if you want more information or help contacting your Santa Clara Council members. You can reach them at MayorAndCouncil@santaclaraca.gov2.Santa Clara El Camino Real Specific Plan http://santaclaraca.gov/government/departments/community-development/planning-division/specific-plans/el-camino-realThere is equal and related urgency and importance to talking to council members about the Santa Clara El Camino Real Specific Plan. This plan will shape how El Camino Real evolves in Santa Clara for decades to come. El Camino Real is the most dangerous corridor in the city of Santa Clara and we need your support to make sure the protected bikeways currently in the draft plan stay there. The next hearing on the draft Plan is currently scheduled for a council meeting in September. Please contact John Cordes John@bikesiliconvalley.org if you want more information or to join our local SVBC Santa Clara team (https://groups.google.com/a/bikesiliconvalley.org/forum/#!forum/santaclara ). You can reach the Santa Clara Council members at MayorAndCouncil@santaclaraca.gov. Tell them you want those protected bikeways in the El Camino Real Specific Plan.Sunnyvale CampaignsThere are two campaigns we are working on in the City of Sunnyvale:1.Sunnyvale Active Transportation Plan https://sunnyvale.ca.gov/news/topics/atp/default.htmThe Sunnyvale Active Transportation plan is a combination of a bicycle master plan, pedestrian safety plan, and Safe Routes to School plan in one. It will have a large impact on how bicycle infrastructure and policy evolve in Sunnyvale for many years, so it is critical to make it great. The draft plan will be coming out for comments in September. We need to engage and encourage residents to give feedback when the plan comes out. Please contact John Cordes John@bikesiliconvalley.org if you want more information or help contacting your Sunnyvale City Council members.2.Sunnyvale El Camino Real Corridor Specific Plan http://plansunnyvaleecr.m-group.us/There is equal urgency and importance to talking to Sunnyvale Council Members about the Sunnyvale El Camino Real Corridor Specific Plan. This plan will shape how El Camino Real evolves in Sunnyvale for decades to come. El Camino Real is most dangerous corridor in the city of Sunnyvale. We need to make sure the protected bikeways currently in the draft plan stay there. Sunnyvale needs those protected bikeways on El Camino Real. They are critical for Sunnyvale to meet its Vision Zero plan to reduce serious injury and fatalities in Sunnyvale in half by 2029. The next hearing on the draft Plan is currently scheduled for a council meeting in September. Please contact John Cordes John@bikesiliconvalley.org if you want more information or to join our SVBC Sunnyvale Local Team ( https://groups.google.com/a/bikesiliconvalley.org/forum/#!forum/sunnyvale).Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition has six local teams; You are invited to join as many of them as you have time and energy to participate in. Most of us bicycle across city boundaries on a regular basis so it is good to be informed and involved in all the cities where you ride.SVBC Mountain View Local Team, https://bikesiliconvalley.org/local-teams/#mvlocalteamSVBC Palo Alto Local Team, https://bikesiliconvalley.org/local-teams/#palocalteamSVBC San José Local Team, https://bikesiliconvalley.org/local-teams/#sjlocalteamSVBC San Mateo County Committee, https://bikesiliconvalley.org/local-teams/#smclocalteamSVBC Santa Clara Local Team, https://groups.google.com/a/bikesiliconvalley.org/forum/#!forum/santaclaraSVBC Sunnyvale Local Team, https://groups.google.com/a/bikesiliconvalley.org/forum/#!forum/sunnyvaleYou can read more about our work to make El Camino Real safer here. https://bikesiliconvalley.org/elcaminoreal/Questions? - Please send them to John Cordes, John@bikesiliconvalley.org.