Here's Everything You Need to Know About the Bicycle Superhighway
What: VTA’s Bicycle Superhighway Network will serve as high-quality bicycle commute routes that will create a connected countywide network in Santa Clara County and provide an exemplary, uniform, and memorable riding experience whether through off-street trails and paths or on-street facilities.
Why: The Bicycle Superhighway Network will provide a safe, comfortable, and convenient bikeway that makes biking joyful, encourages you to ride more often and will connect you to more places that you need and want to go to. The Bicycle Plan includes a concept entitled “bicycle superhighways,” which are high-quality, uninterrupted, long-distance bikeways separated from motor vehicles that traverse the county. In practice, the bicycle superhighway network will consist of a network of high-quality, low-stress, on-street bikeways and trails that provide an efficient option for long-distance bicycle travel. The distance is generally defined as between three and 20 miles.
Who: This project will provide a safe and high-quality transportation option for commuters, people who want to run errands by bike, and recreational or weekend bicycle riders.
Where: SVBC has also already been involved with the first project for the Bike Superhighway Network, the Central Bikeway. We are excited at the prospect of having a Central Bikeway to provide a connection for people biking from Berryessa BART station in San José across the north of the city and through Santa Clara to Sunnyvale, passing by parks, businesses, and residences.
The Central Bikeway Conceptual Network Map
Map of Bicycle Superhighway Routes
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) has identified three alignment alternatives for the Central Bikeway project - the first bicycle superhighway in the Bay Area. Three alternatives were selected for further study to be evaluated based on goal-based criteria, stakeholder input, and public collaboration. The three alternatives are the: Walsh Wizard, the Shortliner, and the Trail Trackway.
When: Further outreach (Round 3) on the preferred alternative for Central Bikeway will begin in August 2021. VTA will develop planning-level concept design plans (10%) for the preferred alternative following approval from VTA and project partners. Staff expects to brief VTA committees on the implementation strategy and draft plan in Fall 2021.
As the VTA continues with its efforts to complete the Central Bikeway Study, construction on the additional corridors of the Bike Superhighway Network is actively underway.
Related Efforts
In 2020, Caltrans District 4 began investigating “What Makes a Good Bike Highway?” and analyzing “Where Should Bike Highways Go?” by conducting working group meetings in which Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition participated and contributed to, among other stakeholders.
Caltrans District 4 is currently working on the Public Draft Study/ CalTrans Bay Area Bike Highway Study and anticipates generating a final report by Winter 2021 – 2022. The goal of the report is to answer the following question, “How Can Bike Highways be Implemented?”. There was a public survey this past spring and more information will be put this fall.