For about a year now a small, but energized, group of locals have been meeting and
exchanging emails on the topic of traffic in Cupertino and alternatives to an
automobile centric community.
My favorite pieces of feedback from community leaders include; 'we don't have a
problem in Cupertino,' 'you will never get them out of their cars,' 'the school
summer,' and, i do love this one, 'parking requirements are adequate.' This
final comment obviously comes from someone who has not tried to park at Whole
Foods, the new Ike's, Peet's behind Whole Foods, the Oaks front lot, La Boulanger, the Crossroads or Target.
The common theme that runs through my little list above is the Stevens Creek Boulevard corridor from the Post Office down to the end of town near Wolfe Road. As a
small group of visionaries we are not focused on today, or the past, so much as
we are on the future of traffic in Cupertino when a number of major projects
are completed. The question is begged; shouldn't we as a community be looking
forward to preventing a problem rather than snuffing it off to the outcome of
the Apple Campus 2 EIR? Apple is not going to be our savior!
Let's put it in perspective; other than Apple Campus 2, projects under development or near opening include the Bay Club at Vallco Mall, the new hotel on S. De Anza Boulevard near Stevens Creek, the Biltmore project, and the Main Street project. The truth is that Stevens Creek Boulevard is a valuable stretch of real estate for development and the resulting increased traffic.
Then there is the expansion of De Anza College. It goes without saying that this
growth is having an impact on our community.
This quote resonates with me daily, "Personally I love the idea of a trolley in
Cupertino and think it would add a bit of ambience and charm to a community
that is not known for having any personality."
"People are not going to give up their cars unless there is something very easily
accessible in Cupertino. It can't be something that would take a lot longer in
travel time than getting in their cars, because the time will trump the
environmental benefit." Author wished to remain anonymous.
I don't know what the solution is. Our little group is frustrated and stuck as we
appear to have reached a bottleneck of apathy toward the topic of alternative
transportation for our community.
How many times have you had trouble finding a parking space at Cupertino Square, Marina, or the many other shopping destinations? Don’t you just hate to get into a very hot car to drive to and from shadeless parking lots? How much money would be saved in gas, insurance, and auto maintenance if you could take a free or low cost and effective transportation? Not driving your car would eliminate the potential for accidents that could injure you or others. Perhaps you could totally eliminate the need and cost for that extra car. Then there are those who are poor at driving and parking a car or otherwise unable to drive that might be enticed to use a transpiration alternative. Have you ever had trouble trying to find your car among a sea of similar cars in an overcrowded parking lot? Have you ever totally forgotten where you parked and spent much time and extreme frustration searching for it? Have you ever had your car damaged, vandalized, or stolen from a parking lot? Then there is the benefit of forcing you to do more exercise by walking to and from a shuttle bus stop. Of course there will be some inconveniences taking public transportation. You may have to carry or cart your shopping goods to a shuttle bus stop and wait for it to arrive. It is also problematic when the weather is bad, but how often does Cupertino really experience bad weather. On those rare occasions you can still use your car.
In spite of Cupertino’s rapid business growth, public transportation isn’t even on the radar screen of City Council. We are depending upon visitors both from Cupertino and other cities to make the proposed Main Street and other business ventures successful. Yet we neglect providing transportation alternative to make visiting these destinations more convenient. This is shortsighted, like seeding a farm without considering an irrigation system. It is about time that Cupertino City Council start taking a holistic approach towards dealing with city growth. Consider what is about to happen: Apple Campus 2, the Bay Club at Vallco Mall, the new hotel on S. De Anza Blvd., the Biltmore project, and of course Main Street. How can we help these enterprises become more successful as well as deal with the many traffic, parking and environmental issues? Public Transit.
Poor planning continues to redefine our quality of life, and not in a good way.
[The Valley Transit Authority (VTA) is considering running a BRT along Stevens Creek through San Jose and Cupertino. The San Jose to De Anza College ridership is the highest in the VTA system. A BRT mimics a light rail system without the rails making it cheaper. It uses dedicated lanes and bus-trains on tires.] I have a dream of a free bus system that would shuttle shoppers between shopping centers along De Anza Blvd, Stevens Creek Blvd, and Wolf Rd. whereby shoppers could park at convenient parking spots then hop on a shuttle to their shopping destinations. The shuttle could later be expanded throughout the city and residential areas. [This will help distribute parking throughout Cupertino reducing overcrowding parking lots.] I have a dream of some shuttle buses being diverted and used as school buses during the morning and afternoon hours to transport students to and from local schools. [Designated parents could ride the buses to keep order and maintain the safety of young children.] Gary has a dream of nostalgic old fashion trollies rolling down Stevens Creek Blvd. and beyond. I have a dream of a combination of these and other transit alternatives used throughout Cupertino to reduce overall costs, parking and traffic congestion, air pollution, as well as increased shopping convenience and visitors to Cupertino shopping destinations.
Now it is Cupertino's turn to extend the Stevens Creek Trail farther south. The benefits of the trail multiply as it connects more communities, since many people live in Mountain View and work in Cupertino or vice versa. Come on Cupertino, you can do it. Cost is tremendously cheaper than building another freeway that no one wants in their backyard anyway.
But the big draw for shopping and dining will still come from the convenience of vehicular travel. It is essential that City Council plan on ways to drawing outside visitors into Cupertino to shop and dine. Main Street and other Cupertino shopping destinations are depending upon this. We need to pull shoppers away from Valley Fair and San Antonio Row into Cupertino. A Stevens Creek Blvd. BRT together with a free city shuttle bus system will make it much easier for everyone to conveniently shop at many shopping destinations. It will also alleviate traffic and parking congestion that might result from so many visitors. It isn't good enough just to encourage business growth, because without large numbers of customers with positive shopping and dining experiences, grandiose shopping venues are destined to struggle or fail. But we must not forget those who enjoy walking, hiking or biking to shop. Main Street will have convenient places to secure bikes and nice shaded seat areas for the weary hiker or walker to rest. Hopefully other shopping areas will also provide for those who choose not to drive or bus.
http://mv-voice.com/news/show_story.php?id=5755 There is also, I believe, a $3.5 million funded plan to continue the Stevens Creek Trail from where it ends at Black Berry Farm to Stevens Creek Blvd. This improvement along with the Mary bridge over Hwy 280 goes a long way toward you goal "commuter."
But it is the safety issue that prevents people like me from riding. Many of our Cupertino bike lanes are still unsafe. Cars seem not to notice bikers. The distance between bikers and cars can be as little as 1-2 feet. Cupertino has a biking commission which needs to extend bike lanes and trails as well as make biking safer so that more residents like me will feel safe riding bikes we already have safely throughout Cupertino. On the other hand bikers need to pay much more attention to the rules of the road. I see bikers constantly ignoring stop signs and even signal lights. I see them riding on sidewalks endangering pedestrians. They are often oblivious of the traffic around them. Bikers also have a responsibility to ride defensively and responsibly and obey the rules of the road in which they share with vehicular traffic. The city needs to do much more work on safer biking. It is healthy, has little impact upon the traffic, and is good for the environment.
But the question should still be asked if they have any plans to support bike routes around their facilities to accommodate the needs of their employees. This would help reduce the number of cars converging upon this new campus of more than 14,000 employees.
The Valley Transit Authority (VTA) already has funds to establish a number of BRT systems in this region. The bus line from San Jose to De Anza College already has the highest VTA ridership making this a prime candidate for a BRT. San Jose is already establishing a BRT elsewhere, has an extensive VTA system, and is a progressive environmental city so they are likely to approve it. BRT is essentially free to both cities. So it’s up to Cupertino City Council. Cupertino is banking on Main Street and other developments to draw shoppers from Valley Fair and Santana Row. A BRT along Stevens Creek would help bring in San Jose shoppers and diners to the doorsteps of many of our establishments. I believe there will be far more visitors from San Jose visiting Cupertino than the other way around because San Jose residents are more adept at using public transportation and Cupertino has superior shopping. However this would require that two of the six lanes along Stevens Creek be dedicated to BRT. Some residents may object. However a BRT along Stevens Creek would help reduce traffic. A local shuttle bus system connected to BRT would further BRT’s effectiveness to alleviate traffic and provide for long term growth.
I share a dream with Gary of an old fashion nostalgic Trolley or Streetcar running up and down De Anza Blvd. Since part of this is half Cupertino and half San Jose it might be subsidized by both cities. Though there are many businesses along De Anza Blvd. stretching from Saratoga to Sunnyvale this might encourage more business growth and reduce car traffic. It would take 2 of the 6 lanes on De Anza Blvd. but much of De Anza is not too busy. It would add to the character of our city as well as draw tourist from elsewhere.