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 Come join the Kindergarten Parade,
We’re walking to school for fun!
The thought of starting kindergarten can be scary. But there's no better way to get familiar with your new school, teachers, and classmates than to march in your very own parade! In a new program, incoming Faria kindergarteners got to do just that last month.
Faria Elementary School is a choice school. This means it attracts students from all over the school district, which spans all of Cupertino and a portion of five other cities: Los Altos, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga, and Sunnyvale. It is simply too far for a majority of families to walk to Faria from home. The school is located in a lovely residential neighborhood and does not have a large parking lot, so drop-off and pick-up times can get pretty crazy. The school strongly encourages families to park a couple blocks away and walk the rest of the way to keep everyone safer, minimize traffic congestion, and establish good walking habits, even for those who have to drive.
On June 3, incoming kindergarten students and their families were invited to meet each other and their teachers at the parade starting point a couple blocks from school - on Western Drive. After a round of introductions, they got some important traffic safety tips from our partners with Ecology Action's Walk Smart program and parking tips from Faria's Principal. Then everyone marched off to school, practicing Faria's Suggested Route and how to cross at the crosswalk safely. Once the parade got to Faria, the students were invited to explore the playground while Principal Alarid-Enright welcomed the parents with a short overview of what to expect the first days of school.
The City's first Kindergarten Parade included music, waving, and laughter along the way! Isn't that what kindergarten should be about?
Kindergarten Parades are a new offering from Cupertino Safe Routes to School, designed to show incoming students and families that oftentimes the fastest, easiest, and funnest way to school is by foot. If you'd like a Kinder Parade for your school, we'd be happy to work with you to make it happen! Contact us at: saferoutes@cupertino.org
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Safe Routes Programming Successfully Delivered to High Schools Thanks to New Grant!
 Back in April, we were excited to announce a new $500 grant, available to each of the three high schools in Cupertino for Safe Routes to School (SR2S) programming during the school year. Now that the school year is over, we're even more excited to report on the fabulous programs the high school representatives implemented!
The Cupertino High School team ran three events to encourage fellow-students to take sustainable modes of transportation to school. They started their suite of programming in February with a "Walk, Bike, or Carpool for Boba" event (pictured above). They got the idea from Cycle for Change (a Cupertino Rotary-sponsored club) who ran "Bike for Boba" events at several high schools last fall, which were wildly popular. In April and May, Cupertino High rounded out their programming with two more events: "Don't Drive for Donuts," and "Donuts for Not Driving." Combined, they gave out a total of 745 prizes for walking, biking, and carpooling to Cupertino High.
Other schools held different activities. Monta Vista High School started by asking students how they got to school and why. They discovered the main considerations in commuting choices are convenience, safety, and fun (socializing and exercise). Then they hosted a SR2S Workshop at lunch to give out information and tips. They used blender bike smoothies and music to attract over 200 students to come rethink their commute choices. Via Cupertino was also on hand, giving out discount coupons for rides around town on the community shuttle, and reported an 88% increase in ridership from the school afterwards!
These high school students are making an impact through their programming! For a complete report on their activities, check out the Working Group webpage for the SR2S Grant Reports they gave at the June 8 SR2S Working Group.
High schools also started SR2S instagram channels this past school year to disseminate commute information. They also participated in Cupertino's Local Road Safety Plan effort, providing valuable commuting information to the City's traffic engineers which will inform future improvements around the City.
With such a successful inaugural year, we're happy to announce the SR2S High School Grant Program will be back next year. We can't wait to see how the program grows!
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Record-Breaking Number of High School Representative Applications!
Thank you to all who applied to represent your high school on our SR2S Working Group! We had a record 27 applications, which made choosing only two from each school rather challenging! There were quite a number of exceptional applications! We're excited to welcome our representatives for the 2022-23 school year and would love to see SR2S groups at each school to take advantage of all the interest.
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Mini Summer Bike Challenges: June 1 - July 31
There's still one more month to participate in our bike challenges this summer! Come out, enjoy the weather, see all the new bike lanes around town, and explore Cupertino!
Ride to the Library
SR2S is partnering with the Cupertino Public Library to sponsor a "Ride to the Library" Challenge. Bike to the library and sign up for their reading challenge this summer to collect your prize! Make sure to bring your helmet inside as proof of riding.
For bike-friendly routes, visit VTA's newest bike map (Note: the map takes time to load):
Santa Clara Valley Bikeways Map
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Show and Tell: How Much Can You Carry?
What’s the biggest, heaviest, wackiest thing you’ve ever transported on a bike? Email pictures and stories by July 31, along with any bike-carrying tips and tricks, to saferoutes@cupertino.org
with Subject line: "Look What I Can Carry!" We’ll publish the best in future newsletters, and you'll have a chance to win a prize!
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You'll have another chance to win prizes and participate in fun bike challenges at this year's annual Fall Bike Fest, happening on Saturday, September 24th, 9am to 1pm. Mark your calendars for some fun in the fall!
Fall Bike Fest
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Skateboards
Skateboards are about going fast and challenging yourself to do tricks. Take extra care to protect your head while having fun!
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Bikes
Everyone riding a bike should wear a properly fitting helmet! This includes the person pedaling and any passengers.
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Scooters
It’s not just a good idea, it’s also CA law that everyone under 18 must wear a helmet while rolling on a bike, scooter, skateboard, or roller blades.
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Local Road Safety Plan - Second Community Meeting
Monday, July 11 at 6 p.m.
The City of Cupertino is in the process of developing a Local Roadway Safety Plan (LRSP) to analyze traffic collisions on City roads and recommend safety improvements. City staff will present the LRSP analysis results and proposed solutions at their 2nd virtual LRSP community meeting. Join us on Monday, July 11 at 6 p.m. to give your feedback.
Learn more on the project website: https://engagecupertino.org/lrsp
Register in advance for this webinar:
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Middle School Bike Skills Workshops
in July & August
Registration is still open for summer bike safety workshops! They are held at the Cupertino Senior Center (21251 Stevens Creek Blvd) from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Remaining dates (all Saturdays) include:
- July 16
- Aug 6
- Aug 20
- Aug 27
There are only a few spaces left in July. There are plenty of spaces in August. Sign up (preferably 4 weeks in advance) while there's still room!
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These workshops are designed for students who will be in middle school this fall. They prepare students to ride to school and beyond with a lesson on the rules of the road, bike handling skills drills, and a neighborhood bike ride to tie all the lessons together. A guardian is expected to attend the class with the student.
Give your student (and yourself!) the gift of independence through bike safety. Learn more here: www.cupertino.org/msbs
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Signal Timing at Stevens Creek and Finch
The intersection of Stevens Creek Boulevard and Finch Avenue was redesigned last year when separated bike lanes were installed along Stevens Creek Boulevard between Finch Avenue and Wolfe Road. The intersection received new high-visibility crosswalks and new signal heads, including bicycle signal heads. The final stage of the redesign was completed last week! New signs now illuminate to prohibit drivers from turning right when cyclists have a through signal.
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City Council Approves!
In June, Cupertino's City Council endorsed enhancing Cupertino's bike network by approving the following projects:
Bikeway Feasibility Study along Lawson Middle School Frontage
Students cycling to Lawson Middle School need a safe way to get to the bike cage adjacent to Forest Avenue that does not require turning left across oncoming cars in the middle of the block or cycling on sidewalks crowded with students walking to school. Building upon an initial analysis of options conducted in a partnership between Cupertino Safe Routes to School, Cupertino Union School District, Lawson Middle School, dedicated parents, and the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission, this goal of this feasibility study will be to draft official concept options, provide in-depth cost estimates for each option, and conduct an impact analysis for any options that may involve removing parking. This should be well underway by the end of the calendar year.
Separated Bike Lanes along De Anza Boulevard
City Council approved funding for the design and construction of separated bike lanes along De Anza Boulevard from Homestead to Bollinger. This is a 1.73-mile corridor that stretches from Cupertino's southern border with San Jose to the northern edge of the City, almost to Sunnyvale.
Regional Transportation Study along Stevens Creek Boulevard
Cupertino will be contributing funds and staff time to join the City of Santa Clara, Santa Clara County, the City of San José, and VTA in a multi-jurisdictional corridor study of Stevens Creek Boulevard. The goal of the study is to envision a vibrant “complete street” along Stevens Creek Boulevard with appealing bikeways, walkways, and public transit from Cupertino to Diridon Station in San José. The project is anticipated to kick off in September of this year.
Signal Upgrade Construction at Homestead Road and De Anza Boulevard
Cupertino will soon be replacing the signals at the intersection of Homestead Road and De Anza Boulevard. The City has identified Homestead Road and De Anza Boulevard as the intersection with the highest crash rate in the city, and strives to reduce that rate through installation of higher visibility signal poles and mast arms for the northbound and southbound directions. Significant funding for this improvement has been provided by a federal Highway Safety Improvement Grant. Construction will begin this summer and should only take a couple months to complete.
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Join us for SR2S Working Group Meetings
Safe Routes to School Working Group meetings are held via Zoom on the second Wednesday of most months. If there's a topic you'd like the Working Group to discuss at an upcoming meeting, email us! saferoutes@cupertino.org
Visit the link below to register, access agendas, and view the complete list of dates for the coming school year’s Working Group meetings. We hope to see you at our next meeting!
Working Group Meetings
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Important Upcoming Dates
Agendas will be posted at least 72 hours before each meeting at the links below.
- Saturday, July 16, 8:30 - 12:30
Middle School Bike Skills
Cupertino Senior Center (21251 Stevens Creek Blvd)
- Wednesday, July 20, 7 p.m.
Bicycle Pedestrian Commission
Topics: Stevens Creek Blvd Phase 2, Eastern Segment of the I-280 Trail, Fall Bike Fest Coordination
- Saturday, Aug 6, 8:30 - 12:30
Middle School Bike Skills
Cupertino Senior Center (21251 Stevens Creek Blvd)
- Wednesday, August 17, 7 p.m.
Bicycle Pedestrian Commission
Topics: TBD
- Saturday, Aug 20, 8:30 - 12:30
Middle School Bike Skills
Cupertino Senior Center (21251 Stevens Creek Blvd)
- Wednesday, August 24, 4:00 p.m.
SR2S Working Group Meeting
Topic: TBD
- Saturday, Aug 27, 8:30 - 12:30
Middle School Bike Skills
Cupertino Senior Center (21251 Stevens Creek Blvd)
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