SVBC News
San Mateo County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee Now Accepting Applications
The County of San Mateo has issued a call for applicants for their newly formed Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC). Applications are due Friday, February 5, 2016 at 5 pm. The BPAC will advise the Board of Supervisors on policies, programs, funding, and other issues that relate to improving and increasing walking and bicycling transportation in San Mateo County. Eligible applicants are people who live in San Mateo County (either in incorporated cities or in unincorporated areas). Members will be selected to represent the interests of older adults, safe routes to schools, bicycling, and other walking/bicycling interests.
Results of SVBC Survey on Caltrain Use
We recently partnered with San Francisco Bicycle Coalition to gather your thoughts on our work towards Caltrain’s bike-friendly future through on online survey. A huge thank you to everyone who took their survey and provided feedback! Following a successful campaign [link] to increase bike capacity on future electrified Caltrain trains (coming 2020) and secure $3 million in funding for bike parking at stations, we wanted to hear from you on what improvements would help make accessing Caltrain as easy and convenient as possible for you. The results of this survey will give us a data-driven approach to our future Caltrain advocacy work and help us accurately communicate the needs of our members to Caltrain.
Supporting Cities' Funding Applications
As part of our work to get better biking infrastructure across our two counties, we offer our support to local jurisdictions as they apply for various funding pots. Whether it’s the statewide Active Transportation Program (ATP), nationwide grants, or local level funds, we reach out to cities and the counties to offer our review and support of their grant applications for better bike infrastructure and programs. Because these funding programs for bicycle and pedestrian improvements are always oversubscribed and there are a lot of good projects, support letters from relevant organizations make applications more competitive, can be worth several points in the ranking process, and can be the difference between being awarded a grant or not.
Update on Millbrae Station Area Specific Plan
City Council of Millbrae will hold a study session on the Millbrae Station Area Specific Plan (MSASP) on Tuesday, January 5 at 7:00 pm at City Hall. Following that, there will be a public hearing on the MSASP and the Final Environmental Impact Report on Tuesday, January 12 at 7:00 pm at City Hall. This gives you two chances to provide your voice and comments to this plan, which will have a big impact on the future of regional transportation moving forward. SVBC first got involved over the summer, partnering with other organizations to educate residents and stakeholders on some of the key issues .
Need a Bike Route to Work, School, or the Store? Virtual Bike Route Scouts Can Help!
Ever been stuck in traffic while a bike commuter breezes past you with a big smile on her face? Or maybe you’ve seen someone merrily riding along, with groceries in his bike bags? You’d love to try commuting or shopping by bike, but aren’t sure how to find a bike-friendly route that will work for you. If only someone could help …
You’re in luck! SVBC will soon be launching Virtual Bike Route Scouts, our personalized route advice service! If you want to ride your bike from “point A to point B” but aren’t sure how to find a route, you’ll soon be able to get the help you need from the Route Scouts. You’ll tell the Route Scouts where you’re starting your ride and where you want to go.
Envision Tax Dollars Being Spent
The latest step in our campaign to get quality bike and pedestrian projects included in the (potential) upcoming transportation sales tax measure took the form of a survey, sent to our member, to gauge their support for different project types. The results are in! Some priorities were expected, some were a surprise. All will help guide our work as we wheel and deal with other organizations intent on carving out a place in the measure for their interests.
Page Mill/280 Interim Improvement Process
In the six weeks since cyclist Jeff Donnelly was fatally struck by a vehicle on Page Mill Road near Highway 280, staffers at all the involved agencies have been working to improve, fund, and construct an interim design solution that will boost safety in the short term. SVBC has proposed a forum intended to gather public input and come to consensus on a design. The County Roads and Airports Department would prefer to first meet with technical staff from Palo Alto, Los Altos Hills, Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) and Caltrans, then bring a more fleshed-out design to local cyclists for input. In any case, finding the money necessary for detailed design and construction is first on the to-do list.