Third Bicycling related fatality in San José of 2021 on Brokaw Rd
We are saddened to share with you the third and most recent fatality of someone while riding a bicycle in San José. The collision was reported at 4:26 pm on Monday April 5 on Brokaw Road near Interstate Highway 880 intersection.
A preliminary investigation by San Jose police has found the unnamed man was struck and killed while riding his bike across the lanes of westbound Brokaw Road. He was hit by a driver in a westbound pickup truck during the late afternoon. Brokaw Road is a wide, six lane, high speed road at this location. Westbound drivers are coming out of the curving underpass under Interstate 880 before where this collision occurred, a few hundred feet west of the Brokaw & 880 intersection. The driver of the pickup remained at the scene and cooperated with police.
Brokaw Rd is not one of San José’s seventeen Vision Zero priority safety corridors (PSC) identified in the current Vision Zero Action Plan for safety improvements, but is dangerous nonetheless. No one should die while getting around, regardless of whether they are biking, walking, or driving.
The City of San José approved a new five year Vision Zero Action Plan and $6.7 million dollars for first year implementation in Nov. 2020 to make the PSC streets safer. Unfortunately, safety improvements for this location are not in the current work plan. San José is currently improving the intersection of Story Rd and Jackson Ave for $1.8M, and installing 11 miles of quick-build on Senter Rd and Fruitdale Ave for $4.5M
A main goal of the five-year action plan is to implement 56 miles of quick build improvements on the priority safety corridors. For that to happen within five years, we need your help.
The Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition is a member of the San José Vision Zero Task Force. We help advise city staff on implementing its actions to make San José safer. The Task Force meetings are open to the public to attend. The upcoming Vision Zero Task force public meeting is
Friday, June 4, 2021: 9:00 – 11:00 am Click here to register for the virtual June 4 Task Force meeting
Please encourage your San José Council member to increase funding for San José Vision Zero Action Plan and the San José Better Bike Plan 2025 starting in FY 21/22 and beyond to reduce unnecessary deaths. FY 21/22 budget discussion are currently underway so don’t wait. Here is the map to the San José council districts to see who is your council representative if you do not know. Here are the email addresses and phone numbers to contact Mayor Liccardo and the councilmembers.