|
|
Video: Traffic Garden in Utrecht, Netherlands
|
|
Traffic Gardens
Wouldn’t it be nice if kids could learn the rules of the road on streets free of vehicles? This is precisely the purpose of a traffic garden. It's a playground-type space designed to resemble a typical streetscape with traffic signals, signage, crosswalks, and more. Traffic gardens simulate real-world conditions so people of all ages and abilities can safety learn the rules of the road and how to navigate city streets and intersections in a fun and safe environment, free of motorized vehicles.
Here are two videos of some beautiful examples: Utrecht Traffic Garden in the Netherlands, and Brookhaven Safety Town in Long Island. If you would like to see a Traffic Garden built here in the Silicon Valley, click here to let us know!
Cupertino Safe Routes to School Coordinator Cherie Walkowiak will be presenting the idea of a traffic garden to Cupertino's Bicycle Pedestrian Commission on Wednesday, December 16. For meeting details, see the Important Upcoming Dates section at the bottom of this Newsletter.
|
|
Virtual Bicycle Education Classes
The Bay Area BikeMobile is hosting a virtual presentation series about Bicycle Tips & Tricks. Lessons are free, interactive, 30 minutes, and for ages 10 & up. Visit the Bay Area BikeMobile Website calendar page to see the ongoing schedule. Below are the various lessons that the BikeMobile will be offering.
Lesson Topics
- Bike Types & Fit - Learn about different types of bikes, how to pick the best bike for your needs, and how to adjust the frame to fit your body.
Beginner lesson – Bike ownership not required.
- Lock up your Bike - Learn how to defeat bike thieves by avoiding 3 common mistakes that can result in a stolen bike. Also learn about various types of bike locks and their strengths and weaknesses.
Intermediate lesson – Bike ownership is recommended, but not required.
- ABC Quick Check & Equipment - Learn the 5 minute Pre Ride Safety Check to help prevent problems before you leave home. Also learn about basic equipment to bring on a ride.
Intermediate lesson – Bike ownership is recommended, but not required.
- Flat Tire Repair - Learn how to change a flat tire while on the road or at home
Advanced lesson – Bike ownership and basic knowledge of maintenance is recommended.
|
|
Be Visible, Be Safe
Now that it's darker earlier, make sure to make yourself visible while walking or biking. Wear bright and reflective clothing to ensure that vehicles see you at night.
|
Bike Light Laws
When biking in the dark, you are required by law to use a white front light and a red rear reflector. We also recommend attaching a red tail light to your bike. Extra lights such as the ones in the image below make you even more visible. Stay safe and visible this winter!
|
|
Stay Safe by Social Distancing
The Regional Stay At Home Order prohibits households from gathering, even when exercising outdoors. Only bike, walk or hike with people in your household. Be alert and maintain a physical distance of more than six feet from anyone outside your household. When biking, maintain six feet when coming to a complete stop. If six feet is not possible to maintain, mask up.
Don’t forget to bring your face covering with you!
|
|
SR2S in Science Classes at Kennedy Middle School!
Every summer, San Mateo County Office of Education hosts an Environmental Learning Collaborative (SMELC) where they train teachers how to integrate sustainability topics into their curriculum. This past summer, a transportation component was added to the training, with an emphasis on transportation impacts on the environment and Safe Routes to School as part of the solution. Cupertino Safe Routes to School Coordinator Cherie Walkowiak attended the training as an observer along with Safe Routes to School colleagues from San Jose, the County Public Health Department and the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, with the intent of creating a similar transportation-related teacher training program with the Santa Clara County Office of Education.
As it turns out, Kennedy Middle School science teacher Susan Hansen also attended SMELC this past summer, where she and Cherie met and a collaboration was born. Ms. Hansen incorporated the SMELC transportation component into her 8th grade science classes this fall as part of her yearly Climate Unit. Ms. Hansen taught students about the environmental impact of vehicle emissions and how they can make a positive impact on the planet by making climate-friendly transportation choices such as walking, biking transit and ridesharing. As part of the unit, she invited Cherie to give her students two lessons. The first was an overview of the Cupertino SR2S program, where Cherie explained all the ways the program makes it safer for students to walk and bike to school. Her second lesson was a Bicycling Life Skills lesson to teach students the rules of the road and how to be safe while biking to school.
Cherie reinforced the importance of sustainable transportation and how students can make a difference by commuting to school by any means other than the single family vehicle. Students learned about the City's suggested routes to school maps, which highlight suggested walking and biking routes. As homework, the students used the maps to plot their own walking or biking route to both Kennedy and Monta Vista, where they will attend high school next year. Cherie concluded her lessons by reminding students that the best way to limit our environmental impact is to change our behavior so that we make decisions with the health of our planet in mind.
At the end of the climate unit, Ms. Hansen assigned her students a climate-related project. Lilja Kiiski created the amazing video below as her end-of-unit project. It gives a great explanation of transportation conservation, how our choices affect the environment, and what the best transportation options are to slow global warming. Take a look by clicking on the video below!
Video by Kennedy eight grader Lilja Kiiski: Transportation Conservation
|
|
Citywide Infrastructure Updates
Regnart Creek Trail
On December 11 and December 15 respectively, the City advertised the Regnart Creek Trail project and the Regnart Creek Trail Privacy Fencing project for bid for construction. Together, these two projects will construct a multi-use trail along Regnart Creek and fencing along the trail to provide privacy to residents whose property abuts the project. Bids for both projects will be opened on January 5. If proposals are received within budget limits, staff will award the construction contract to the responsive and most competitive contractors. Work is anticipated to begin in early 2021.
RRFB (Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon)
McClellan Road Class IV, Phase 2
The City has nearly competed Phase 2 of the McClellan Road Class IV Bike Lane Project, where separated bike lanes are being constructed along McClellan Road between Stelling Road and De Anza Blvd, and along Pacifica Drive between De Anza Blvd and Torre Ave. The last step is to do touch-up striping. We expect the project to wrap up by the end of the calendar year.
Wayfinding Signs
City crews have installed bicycle wayfinding signs like the one pictured to the right along Foothill Boulevard. They will continue to install signs as resources permit, one bikeway at a time. This work will likely continue for 6 to 9 months.
Stevens Creek Boulevard Class IV,
Phase 1
The City is well into Phase 1 of the Stevens Creek Boulevard Class IV Bike Lane project, where we're installing separated bike lanes along Stevens Creek Boulevard between Wolfe Road and Tantau Avenue. The "pork chop islands" that used to allow drivers to make sweeping, speedy right turns at Finch and Wolfe have been converted to allow cyclists to make a "free right" turn without the need to stop at the red light, protected from left-turning vehicles. The turning radius for vehicles has been tightened, requiring drivers to slow down to make a right turn, increasing pedestrian and cyclists safety. We expect construction to be completed by the end of February 2021.
Bollinger Road Corridor Safety Study
The City has selected a consultant for the Bollinger Road Corridor Safety Study. This study will evaluate and make recommendations for improvements to vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian operations and safety along Bollinger Road between De Anza Boulevard and Lawrence Expressway. The study will involve community outreach and be done in partnership with the City of San Jose. We expect the study to be completed by summer 2021
|
 School Walk Audits
The City's Transportation Division has submitted 98% of Tier 1 work orders, and City crews are in the process of completing that work. Tier 1 work orders include improvements such as crosswalks, signs, striping and vegetation trimming. City engineers are in the process of coordinating Tier 2 items. These are items that can be done in-house, but require more coordination or are more expensive than Tier 1 items, such as installing rectangular rapid flashing beacons (see image to the left), which a pedestrian can illuminate when they want to cross the street. We expect construction on Tier 2 items to begin within the month. Tier 3 coordination will begin once Tier 2 coordination is complete. Tier 3 items are projects that require traffic studies, designs to be drawn up, concrete work, and/or an outside contractor to construct them, such as crossing guard warrant studies, trails, and curb ramps. We expect to complete all Walk Audit work by the end of 2022, assuming COVID restrictions have lifted enough to allow for traffic studies required for some of the projects.
 |
Wayfinding Sign
Mary Avenue Buffered Bike Lanes
City engineers have completed the striping design for buffered bike lanes along Mary Avenue between the Don Burnett bridge and Stevens Creek Boulevard. The City will stripe the bike lanes in summer 2021, following pavement rehabilitation work along Mary Avenue.
Stevens Creek Boulevard at Bandley Traffic Signal Modification
Public Works is finalizing the bid package for a modification to the traffic signal at the Stevens Creek Boulevard/Bandley Avenue intersection. This modification will allow the signal to operate in a split-phase manner, which provides separate protected signal phases for the northbound and southbound movements. This operation has the safety advantage of separating pedestrian crossings from opposing vehicle left turns. The City plans to to bid the project for construction in early 2021.
Wolfe Road/Interstate 280 Interchange
City staff, VTA, and Caltrans are continuing to make progress on the design of a replacement interchange on Wolfe Road at Interstate 280.
|
|
Working Group Meetings Hosted on Zoom
Our Safe Routes to School (SR2S) Working Group meetings are held via Zoom on the second Wednesday of most months. Members of the public who are not designated SR2S partners must register in advance to join each meeting. Visit the link below to register and view the complete list of this school year’s working group meeting dates. Thank you, and we hope to see you at our next meeting!
Working Group Meetings
|
|
Important Upcoming Dates
Agendas will be posted 72 hours before each meeting at the links below. Zoom registration details can be found in the meeting's agenda.
|
|
|
|
|
