Cupertino to protect cyclists on Stevens Creek Boulevard

One of Cupertino’s most dangerous roads will soon become safer for cyclists.

The Cupertino City Council approved the extension of a protected bike lane project down Stevens Creek Boulevard in a 3-2 vote last month. Mayor Liang Chao and Councilmember R “Ray” Wang support protective bike lanes but voted no, citing concerns about the project’s design. Golden Bay Construction will install cement barriers between cyclists and cars along a roughly 2.5-mile stretch between North Wolfe Road and Mary Avenue — creating some of the most well-protected bike lanes citywide.

Chao said she’s advocated for options other than concrete barriers since 2019 because of the unintended dangers they may cause.

“Concrete barriers create hazards for both cars and bicyclists since they are low in the ground and hard to see at night,” she told San José Spotlight. “(If) a bicyclist hits it by accident, they will likely fall and get hurt badly.”

The project is expected to cost more than $2.2 million, supplemented by approximately $807,000 from a One Bay Area grant and and $693,000 in Senate Bill 1 funding. Both funding sources support transportation infrastructure throughout the region. Construction begins this month and is expected to be completed by September. The project will not reduce car lanes once complete.

Councilmember Sheila Mohan said she supports improving safety for cyclists and students walking or biking to nearby schools, such as Cupertino High School.

“It is really important to me because it’s the right thing to do, (get) away from our cars, from the carbon emissions that come out of the excess use of cars,” she told San José Spotlight.

The city’s recently adopted Vision Zero plan identified Stevens Creek Boulevard as one of its most dangerous streets. Approximately 16 incidents resulted in severe injuries on the road between 2012 and 2021, according to data from Vision Zero — which aims to eliminate severe traffic injuries and deaths by 2040. The boulevard had the most reported incidents resulting in severe injuries citywide in that timeframe.

This is the second phase of the city’s plan to improve bike safety on Stevens Creek Boulevard. Cupertino installed cement barriers between Tantau Avenue and North Wolfe Road in 2021 to kickstart safety improvements. The effort is one of the highest-ranked priorities in the city’s 2016 Bicycle Transportation Plan.

The project adds to the city’s bike network. Cupertino began installing protected bike lanes along De Anza Boulevard between Bollinger and Homestead roads last year, reducing some roads from four car lanes to three.

Jennifer Shearin, board member of pedestrian and bike safety organization Walk-Bike Cupertino, said she bikes on Stevens Creek Boulevard multiple times a week and has had numerous close calls.

“The is an important test of whether or not our city is willing to go forward and actually live out the Vision Zero,” Shearin told San José Spotlight.
Other residents are unsure about the project.

Resident Muni Madhdhipatla, who serves on the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission and bikes about 2,000 to 4,000 miles a year, said he wants more emphasis on bike lanes in areas with fewer cars traveling at high speeds. He said narrow bike lanes on busy roads could lead to dangerous situations where faster cyclists unsafely pass slower cyclists. It’s why he avoids biking on major roads.

Madhdhipatla said protected bike lanes on McClellan Road are often blocked by debris and haven’t worked as well as officials hoped.

“Are we solving a problem? Or are we creating a problem?” Madhdhipatla told San José Spotlight. “The McClellan bikeway created a problem. That same thing might happen on Stevens Creek.”

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