REPORT TO BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE
SUBJECT
Title
Action to Recommend City Council Adoption of the Benton Street Bikeway Planning Study and Approval of a Preferred Concept (He)
Report
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Clara's Bicycle Plan Update, 2018 identified the Benton Street segment from Dunford Way to Lincoln Street as a priority project. The City and project consultant, Alta Planning + Design, began work on the Benton Street Bicycle Planning Study ("Project") in January 2023.
The project team identified feasible design options to reallocate roadway space to provide 2.7 miles of bike facilities along Benton Street from Dunford Way to Lincoln Street. The goal of the Project is to identify improvements to close bicycle network gaps, increase mobility, and encourage the public to choose more sustainable modes of transportation and includes reviewing potential options for parking or lane removal. The result of the Project will be a final Project Report that will contain a traffic and parking analysis, street design concepts, a discussion on opportunities and constraints of the potential design options, and a preferred design concept. It should be noted that this Project is only a planning-level effort and does not include design, environmental review, or construction of any alternative.
The Benton Street corridor is primarily fronted by residential uses and schools, including Santa Clara High School. There are also many important community destinations along or just off the corridor, including Earl R. Carmichael Park, Central Park, Carli Park, and the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail.
The project has been presented to the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) at three previous meetings:
* In March 2023 staff provided a project overview, schedule, and vision.
* In August 2023 staff shared a summary of input gathered from the first round of community outreach, presented existing conditions analysis and the first draft of design concepts, ...
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