{"id":81396,"date":"2025-12-04T15:14:36","date_gmt":"2025-12-04T15:14:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/81396\/"},"modified":"2025-12-04T15:14:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-04T15:14:36","slug":"sunnyvale-bicycling-advocates-score-victory-over-disgruntled-neighbors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/81396\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunnyvale Bicycling Advocates Score Victory Over Disgruntled Neighbors\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Despite much resident uproar, Sunnyvale will eliminate parking along Hollenbeck Avenue.<\/p>\n<p>At its most recent meeting, Dec. 2, the Sunnyvale City Council opted to take the recommendation of the city\u2019s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC).<\/p>\n<p>The topic came up as part of a study issue to explore buffered bike lanes between Hollenbeck Avenue and Danforth Drive. The item went through several rounds of public outreach and two BPAC meetings.<\/p>\n<p>SPONSORED<\/p>\n<p><a data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/link.brainsharecoach.com\/widget\/booking\/pLDqpi3yz3lPKW58suv7\" rel=\"noopener sponsored nofollow\" class=\"a2t-link\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"brainShare Ad_AD-8A_Nov 11\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"brainShare Ad_AD-8A_Nov 11\" data-lazy- data-lazy- width=\"728\" height=\"90\" style=\" max-width: 100%; height: auto;\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/brainSHARE-Advert-AD-8-Updated_000.jpg\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/brainSHARE-Advert-AD-8-Updated_000.jpg\" alt=\"brainShare Ad_AD-8A_Nov 11\"   width=\"728\" height=\"90\" style=\" max-width: 100%; height: auto;\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>SPONSORED<\/p>\n<p><a data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sutterhealth.org\/find-provider-results?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22acceptingNewPatients%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5Btrue%5D%7D%2C%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_affiliate.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Palo%20Alto%20Foundation%20Medical%20Group%22%5D%7D%5D&amp;limit=10&amp;sortBys=%5B%7B%22type%22%3A%22ENTITY_DISTANCE%22%7D%5D&amp;staticFilters=%5B%7B%22displayName%22%3A%22Sutter%20Medical%20Group%22%2C%22selected%22%3Atrue%2C%22filter%22%3A%7B%22kind%22%3A%22fieldValue%22%2C%22fieldId%22%3A%22c_isSutterMedicalGroup%22%2C%22matcher%22%3A%22%24eq%22%2C%22value%22%3Atrue%7D%7D%2C%7B%22displayName%22%3A%22Within%2050%20miles%3A%202441%20Mission%20College%20Boulevard%2C%20Santa%20Clara%2C%20CA%2095054%22%2C%22selected%22%3Atrue%2C%22filter%22%3A%7B%22kind%22%3A%22fieldValue%22%2C%22fieldId%22%3A%22c_offices.officeOrFacility.builtin.location%22%2C%22matcher%22%3A%22%24near%22%2C%22value%22%3A%7B%22lat%22%3A37.3914953%2C%22lng%22%3A-121.9718613%2C%22radius%22%3A80467.2%7D%7D%7D%5D&amp;verticalKey=healthcare_professionals\" rel=\"noopener sponsored nofollow\" class=\"a2t-link\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"Sutter health_1 Nov\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Sutter health_1 Nov\" data-lazy- data-lazy- width=\"728\" height=\"90\" style=\" max-width: 100%; height: auto;\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/25-PAMF-007203_MKTG_East_Santa_Clara_2441_Now_Open_SV_Voice_NOV_DAD_FINAL.jpg\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/25-PAMF-007203_MKTG_East_Santa_Clara_2441_Now_Open_SV_Voice_NOV_DAD_FINAL.jpg\" alt=\"Sutter health_1 Nov\"   width=\"728\" height=\"90\" style=\" max-width: 100%; height: auto;\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Angela Obeso, transportation and traffic manager, told the council that city employees are exploring traffic calming measures in light of resident input. Many said safety along Hollenbeck Avenue would be better served by traffic calming than by eliminating parking.<\/p>\n<p>The city was only focused on feasibility, she added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere wasn\u2019t discussion of an existing safety concern or safety condition, and so there was no extra scope included in here to look into any specific safety concern,\u201d Obeso said.<\/p>\n<p>The council considered two options: one that eliminated parking with two buffered bike lanes and another that eliminated parking on the east side of the street with unbuffered bike lanes.<\/p>\n<p>A tide of public comments supported eliminating parking, but many also urged the council to maintain the status quo.<\/p>\n<p>Ari Feinsmith, a transportation engineer and planner, said eliminating parking was the safer option, adding that it is the best way to achieve traffic calming measures.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Angela Rausch, former BPAC chair, said the city needs to encourage the use of public transit more. She supported eliminating parking.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we are being true to our strategies and want safe streets, this is the only option we should choose,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>But<a href=\"https:\/\/www.svvoice.com\/sunnyvales-proposed-elimination-of-street-parking-chaffs-neighbors\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> many pushed back with opponents pointing to long walks for the disabled and elderly, issues surrounding pick-up and drop-off for the neighborhood\u2019s schools and church, as well as construction workers, delivery people, and rideshare drivers<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Sandhya Panicker, a Hollenbeck Avenue resident, implored the council to consider everyone\u2019s safety, not just cyclists.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have heard my fellow cyclists mention \u2018oh this is a minor inconvenience,\u2019 but if I ask my fellow cyclists to bike two or three minutes extra to access the bike lanes on the parallel streets, then it becomes a life-threatening inconvenience,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Several council members characterized the decision as difficult.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The stretch of Hollenbeck Avenue runs through the districts of Vice Mayor Linda Sell and Council Member Murali Srinivasan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a tough, tough decision. There is no easy way we can satisfy everybody,\u201d Srinivasan said. \u201cAny design should be safe for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Srinivasan called the street parking option the \u201cright decision,\u201d but only Mayor Larry Klein joined him in support of it.<\/p>\n<p>During her opposing comments, Sell said she wanted the closest option to protected bike lanes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will be increasing population in Sunnyvale the next few years. Everybody that bikes is one more car off the road, less congestion,\u201d Sell said.<\/p>\n<p>Klein said he went back and forth between the two options.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you are somewhat pissing off two groups equally, you are probably doing the best thing for the city,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Council Member Alysa Cisneros said the option that offered parking on one side of the street \u201csatisfies very few people\u201d but \u201ccreates challenges for the majority.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Klein said he felt the strong support for bike lanes was likely, at least in part, a byproduct of a highly mobilized bicycling community, not necessarily reflective of the community at large.<\/p>\n<p>However, Klein still supported the motion to eliminate parking. Only Srinivasan dissented.<\/p>\n<p>City employees estimate the project will cost $5 million, but have yet to identify a funding source.<\/p>\n<p>Obeso told the council that the city has budgeted for the first phase of exploring traffic calming, but city employees will return to the council for money should it become necessary to progress further. That effort would see completion prior to alterations to the street.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Consent Calendar Spending<\/p>\n<p>The council approved the following spending via the consent calendar:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A $300,000 increase to a purchase agreement with Chemtrade Chemicals for aluminum sulfate. The total amount is now $545,000.<\/p>\n<p>The council meets again at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave. in Sunnyvale.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>To <a href=\"http:\/\/Sunnyvale.ca.gov\/PublicComments\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">submit public comments<\/a> ahead of the meeting, visit http:\/\/Sunnyvale.ca.gov\/PublicComments; <a href=\"https:\/\/sunnyvale-ca-gov.zoom.us\/j\/96111580540\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Meeting online<\/a> link: https:\/\/sunnyvale-ca-gov.zoom.us\/j\/96111580540; meeting call-in telephone number: 833-548-0276, meeting ID: 961 1158 0540\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Contact David Alexander at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.svvoice.com\/sunnyvale-bicycling-advocates-score-victory-over-disgruntled-neighbors\/mailto:d.todd.alexander@gmail.com\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">d.todd.alexander@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>SPONSORED<\/p>\n<p><a data-no-instant=\"1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.svvoice.com\/sunnyvale-bicycling-advocates-score-victory-over-disgruntled-neighbors\/mailto:info@SvVoice.com\" rel=\"noopener sponsored nofollow\" class=\"a2t-link\" target=\"_blank\" aria-label=\"SiliconValleyVoice_Ad2\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"SiliconValleyVoice_Ad2\" data-lazy- data-lazy- width=\"1517\" height=\"263\" style=\" max-width: 100%; height: auto;\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Advertise_SVV_5_1-1.jpg\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Advertise_SVV_5_1-1.jpg\" alt=\"SiliconValleyVoice_Ad2\"   width=\"1517\" height=\"263\" style=\" max-width: 100%; height: auto;\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Despite much resident uproar, Sunnyvale will eliminate parking along Hollenbeck Avenue. At its most recent meeting, Dec. 2,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":81397,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[6036,46495,88,90,89,2922,203,46496],"class_list":["post-81396","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-jose","tag-bay-area-news","tag-bpac","tag-san-jose","tag-san-jose-headlines","tag-san-jose-news","tag-silicon-valley-voice","tag-sunnyvale","tag-sunnyvale-city-council"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81396","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81396"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81396\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81397"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81396"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81396"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81396"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}