Cupertino could limit Bicycle Pedestrian Commission powers

The power of Cupertino’s Bicycle Pedestrian Commission is up in the air, leaving transit advocates worried about safety.

The City Council on Tuesday will decide how much oversight should be given to those commissioners. Councilmembers will review four options, including splitting the commission’s responsibilities with the Planning Commission or expanding the planning commission’s role to cover major infrastructure changes. Councilmembers could also enable the bicycle pedestrian commission to include car travel, or disband it and fold it into the planning commission’s responsibilities.

City officials say the discussion is needed to ensure equal representation on large infrastructure projects between drivers and pedestrians. But transit advocates say it’s a political move to weaken the bicycle pedestrian commission.

Seema Lindskog, board chair of advocacy group Walk Bike Cupertino and a planning commissioner, said multiple councilmembers dislike the numerous transportation projects the city has completed over the past decade. That includes the elimination of a car lane on De Anza Boulevard to accommodate bike lanes. The bike commission has five council-appointed members and makes recommendations about transportation projects, while the five appointed planning commissioners consider land use issues and make make recommendations and small decisions on developments.

“The concern is that if you combine (the bicycle pedestrian commission) with the planning commission, you’re going to have a hard time getting the same kind of focused attention to these matters,” Lindskog told San José Spotlight. “That is important because the vast majority of people who walk and bike are vulnerable people.”

Lindskog said Cupertino could miss millions of dollars in Metropolitan Transportation Commission grant funding without the bike commission. She added transportation advocates have been silenced by the council because they won’t be allowed to speak on Tuesday if they’ve already spoken on the topic at a previous meeting.

Councilmember R “Ray” Wang said the discussion isn’t an attempt to eliminate the bicycle pedestrian commission, but rather to include drivers in infrastructure decisions. He said it’s not a political move and added other cities, including Palo Alto, have combined transportation and planning commissions.

“We’re not having a discussion that allows all the stakeholders’ input (now),” Wang told San José Spotlight. “It’s been very tilted toward the (bike-pedestrian) lobby… and I think it’s really important for everyone to be able to participate.”

The issue is spurring youth advocacy.

Beck Poltronetti, who rides his bike daily to Monta Vista High School, said a separate commission is necessary to protect cyclists. He said there’s a generational divide between councilmembers and residents who ride bikes the most — students.

“Because younger people can’t vote, their needs aren’t prioritized over those of car driving and voting adults,” Poltronetti told San José Spotlight. “The councilmembers are trying to cripple the bicycle pedestrian commission while disguising it as a transfer of responsibilities.”

This isn’t the first time the city council has tried to scale back transportation issues. Councilmembers defunded a Bollinger Road safety improvement study last May. But the city is working on its Vision Zero goals, which aim to eliminate all traffic deaths and severe injuries.

City commissioners have varied opinions about their responsibilities.

Planning Commission Chair San Rao said transferring some responsibilities to his commission could help with public engagement because the meetings are held in the council chambers, rather than the small meeting room where other commissions meet. He said the political split is unnecessary.

“We are all interested in improving safety for pedestrians who are the most vulnerable,” Rao told San José Spotlight. “There is a lot of common ground, and I encourage the community to work together rather than listen to hyper-partisan special interest groups that have an agenda.”
Gerhard Eschelbeck, bicycle pedestrian commission vice chair, said it’s good to have these conversations, but wants his commission to keep its powers and potentially broaden its scope.

“I do really believe that there is value for the city of Cupertino to have its own dedicated kind of transportation and mobility commission in the long run,” he told San José Spotlight.

Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X.