The Envision Silicon Valley process is moving along and, gauging from the feedback at a recent VTA Board of Directors workshop, a ballot-ready transportation sales tax measure is shaping up. On Friday, April 22, the Board gathered to hear presentations from VTA staff and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, as well as take comment from the public on the proposed measure. SVBC attended and spoke to the importance of the Complete Streets requirements included in the Local Roads, Expressways, and Highway Interchanges categories.

SVBC had the pleasure of working with Santa Clara County’s Roads and Airports Department to convene a public workshop on the notoriously bad-for-bikes Page Mill/280 interchange last week. The County did a great job on the event, which was the latest step toward an interim design solution, following the tragic death of cyclist Jeff Donnelly last year.

Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of attending a pop-up two-way cycletrack, or separated bikeway, demonstration on Park Boulevard, put on by City of Palo Alto and Fehr & Peers consultants.Pop-up bikeways and other temporary projects, like parklets, are sweeping the nation as tools used by local cities and advocates to demonstrate how a potential project could work, gain direct feedback from people biking and walking, and generate support for new, innovative designs. They also help to educate people on how to use a separated bikeway - still a relatively new concept in California - and create excitement as people experience them firsthand.

Thanks to years of advocacy and the dedication of Caltrain as a bike-friendly transit system, all Caltrain train sets now have over 70 bike spaces, starting today, increasing on-board bike capacity, decreasing the chance of being bumped, and offering additional transportation options. This is a win for everyone!