San Jose city council approves downtown bicycle project

City of San Jose file photo

This afternoon San Jose set in motion the first among several new bicycle projects that will make downtown a convienent, safe, and easily navigable business and residential district.
With a unanimous vote; the council approved actions that will involve the addition of eight miles of new bikeways in support of implementing a Downtown Bike Share system in 2012 using various grant funding sources.

The following streets will now see the installation of new bikeways in accordance with California Vehicle Code section 21207.

(1) Almaden Boulevard between Grant Street and Santa Clara Street;
(2) Notre Dame Street between Santa Clara Street and St. John Street;
(3) Third Street between Julian Street and Reed Street;
(4) Fourth Street between Julian Street and Reed Street;
(5) Tenth Street between Hedding Street and Keyes Street; and
(6) Eleventh Street between Hedding Street and Keyes Street.

In addition the project will authorize the removal of vehicle travel lanes on specified segments of Almaden Boulevard, Third Street, Fourth Street, Tenth Street and Eleventh Street and installation of bicycle lanes consistent with Envision 2040 goals for developing "complete streets" as described in this memorandum.

Bike Share in Paris - Presenting Velib

Bike Share is Coming to the Silicon Valley

Bike Share is due to arrive in our part of the world by late summer if all goes well. Over the next few months I will be highlighting bike share systems around the U.S. and the world. But first here is a video clip on the Parisian model called Velib. This systems has over 20,000 available bicycles to share.

This video was produced by Bikes Belong, an advocacy organization based on Washington D.C. which seeks to get more people on bikes. That Simple.

Happy New Year

High Line Park
Photo: High Line Park

Happy New Year

I hope everyone was able to take some time off at the end of the year and reflect on the inspirations and challenges that we experienced over the last 12 months. Hopefully you were also able to sit and figure out new goals and challenges for the new year.

I've spent some time thinking about how to make this blog both interesting and relevant to those who desire to see positive changes in their communities. Living in the Silicon Valley area of the San Francisco Bay, I have come to expect dynamic changes in certain areas especially the technology sector; but in other areas, well change and innovation is a bit disappointing. In a land blessed with ideal weather, great soil and beautiful mountains and shores we still spend much of our time indoors, inactive, eating overly processed foods that are grown more than a time zone away. It's sad to see that outdoor dining is more common in Quebec, Canada (where it is 0 degrees Fahrenheit right now), or that an outdoor activity such as cycling is more popular in places like Copenhagen and Portland than in the Santa Clara Valley.

Outdoor dinning in Montreal

I plan to continue to discuss and write about key transportation, land use, and urban and livability issues. The need for effective and dynamic leadership in this area is crucial if we expect to continue to attract talented and creative workers to the area. In 2011, I was amazed at the positive changes taking place in other parts of the country. In a recent "Dream City" series Salon writer Will Doig  highlighted 12 bold and imaginative projects in the works right now across the country (The Bold Urban Future Starts Now). From the Millennium Reserve Initiative in Chicago to the taking back of the Los Angles River down south the author highlights imaginative steps taken in these financially tough times.

Instead of running from our urban, transportation, energy , and livability issues, Americans are beginning to confront and embrace these issues head on. New residents are migrating to abandon inner cities which have been neglected for over 40 years and remaking them to reflect new values such as community, sustainability, local production and agriculture, and especially exercising new powers in local leadership.

Much of this is due to the localizing effects of new and mobile technology. Some of it is due to a new generation that eschews the suburbs, shuns auto ownership and seeks to connect to others not just online but in their neighborhoods as well. With ubiquitous Wi/Fi, who wants to drive one hour to work isolated and unproductive. That time could be spent with someone else doing the driving, freeing up time to catch up on reading, work, or just to talking with a fellow passenger.

Of course I plan to cover local issues as well, such as regional transportation plans, policies, and financing (Wonky), BART to San Jose, Caltrain, highway and road funding, and of course bike culture such as San Jose Bike Party. In addition I plan to cover issues of a national concern such as:

• Bike Sharing
• The drop in auto usage and ownership.
• The shift to local retail.
• The resurgence of intercity bus travel
• The New Urbanism - New ways of living, working, playing and raising families in America's new urban frontier.
• The challenge of infrastructure funding
• New ideas in livability.

So feel free to contact me to add any additional ideas. These are exciting times.

Bike Share will bring much needed improvements to downtown San Jose

Two great changes are on the table next year in the South Bay. At the last Caltrain BAC (Bicycle Advisory Committee) meeting it was announced by Caltrain staff that an RFP will be initiated in December for vendors to manage the Bay Area bikeshare system. We should see a roll out of the system by late early 2013.

In preparation for an extensive bike share system in downtown San Jose, the city will be making some changes to improve cycling infrastructure. In conversations in the last couple of weeks with San Jose Department of Transportation staff I was informed of several projects that cyclists will be sure to love.

The long awaited San Fernando buffered (and colored) bike lane will finally come to fruition. This project (along with the paving of the Guadalupe River trail north of the airport) has been brought up at previous San Jose Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee meetings, but it now looks like we will have a iconic cycletrack in our future. This will create a key link with Diridon Station at the west end of downtown and the city hall and university areas at the easterm end.

Other improvements will include;

• One-way freeway feeder streets such as 3rd, 4th, 10th, and 11th will gain a bike lane. These are key streets bordering San Jose State University that will provide a visible invitation for new cyclists.
• A road diet on San Carlos Street along with much needed streetscape improvements.
• Improvements to the Park Ave. bike route. This will be a great improvement to the fading sharrow markings that currently mark the route.

City staff stressed that the timing of these improvements will coincide with the opening of the bikeshare system and will encourage more residents and vistors to either ride their own bike or rent one on a short term basis. Thanks for the great news.

Bike share in San Jose?

On a trip last year to Portland to attend a conference I was so impressed with the many and varied ways that you can rent, borrow, or share a bike in the city. Our conference supplied a fleet of bikes for a tour of the city. A local vendor set up shop in the hotel garage so that twenty of us could take off on a tour of the city.

Many Portland hotels offer free loaner bikes (complete with helmet and lock). Just sign the waiver and off you go. While staying at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, near  the Rose Garden Arena I did just that and found a wonderful new restaurant on the North Williams bike corridor. Called Tasty and Sons, this restaurant is just one of many new business that are buoyed by the increase in bicycle traffic along the corridor. The popularity of the Williams Street bike lanes even warranted an article in the January, 2009 issue of Sunset Magazine. Many hotels in the downtown area also have their own fleet of loaner bicycles or are within a couple of minute walk to a vendor that rents bicycles.

While searching on the hotel's website I found this "tip". The actually are encouraging you to ride their free rail system or pedal yourself and ride one of their free bikes to get out and enjoy their city. Very nice indeed.

Park your car, save money and help the environment. Utilize MAX-Portland's Light Rail system when exploring Portland. Access the light Rail just 3 short blocks from our front door. Max Light Rail offers, Fareless Square allowing you ride into downtown Portland for FREE OR USE ONE OUR COOL COURTESY BICYCLES TO PEDAL YOURSELF.

On my return to San Jose I thought I would do a quick survey to see what hotels offered the same loaner system in downtown San Jose. 

• Hotel DeAnza - No
• Crowne Plaza Hotel - No
• Fairmont Hotel - Yes (if you are a member of their presidents club program, but there is no evidence that they actually have bicycles on the premise.)
• San Jose Hilton Hotel - No
• Four Points Sheraton Hotel - No
• San Jose Marriott Hotel -Yes $10 for 1 hour $25 for 3 hours
• St. Claire Hotel - No
• Ramada Inn - No

Its interesting to note that out of the eight hotels surveyed only one makes loaner bikes available and they are not free. That hotel is the San Jose Marriott Hotel at $10 per hour. It is interesting to note that the local Crowne Plaza hotel doesn't offer bicycles to loan.

From the Marriott's web page:

The San Jose Marriott provides our Guests with the ability to easily balance priorities in a stylish, inviting atmosphere. We enable your success through our friendly service culture.

Guests of The San Jose Marriott Hotel enjoy First-Class Guest Services and Hotel Amenities including; Fitness Center, Outdoor Pool, Jacuzzi, Top Shelf Dining and much more.

What is interesting to note is that the Marriott offers a free fitness center (treadmills, stationary bicycles, etc), but you must pay for the bicycles. With only four bicycles, Marriott's "fleet" couldn't have cost them more than $2,000 up front whereas a fitness center ends up costing them more for the space and equipment.

Imagine the boost to downtown San Jose as well as outlying neighborhoods if downtown hotels offered bicycles available to loan to guests. With the city's commitment to expand on street bicycle routes, bicycle trails, and bike parking this makes perfect sense to bring hotel guests to local restaurants, coffee houses, and stores. More on this topic later.