REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Action on a Resolution Accepting the Stevens Creek Boulevard Vision Study
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Deliver and Enhance High Quality Efficient Services and Infrastructure
BACKGROUND
The City of Santa Clara, City of San José, City of Cupertino, County of Santa Clara, and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) are finalizing the Stevens Creek Boulevard Corridor Vision Study (Study), which is a two-year, community-based, multi-jurisdictional transportation study for the Stevens Creek Boulevard/West San Carlos corridor. The goal is to create a vision for this corridor focusing on complete streets, multi-modal transportation improvements, and possible high-capacity transit options to connect Diridon Station in San José through Santa Clara and to the De Anza College/Highway 85 area in Cupertino.
The Stevens Creek Boulevard corridor (Attachment 1), beginning at Foothill Boulevard and extending east to Diridon Station, is a major roadway that connects regional job centers focusing on health, education, and tech to housing and commercial areas. Prominent sites along the corridor include De Anza College, Main Street Cupertino, former Vallco mall (currently under development), Apple headquarters, Agilent Technologies headquarters, various commercial sites in Santa Clara, and five San José Urban Villages, one of which includes the Santana Row/Valley Fair shopping district, and the new West San José Innovation Zone. Additionally, the Stevens Creek Boulevard area is identified as a "Future Focus Area" in the City of Santa Clara's General Plan.
The corridor has experienced growth in commercial and residential land uses, and it is anticipated that this trend will continue. In 2019, the cities of Cupertino, Santa Clara, San José, and the County of Santa Clara adopted resolutions in support of initiating a “vision study” of the Stevens Creek Corridor (Attachment 2). Adopting these resolutions formalized interest in creating a common vision for improved mobility along Stevens Creek Boulevard, including potential improvements to pedestrian, bicycle, and transit infrastructure to enhance quality of life for all community members residing in and using the corridor. It should be noted that this is a planning study only and does not include design, environmental review, or construction of any improvements. At the completion of the work effort, if the jurisdictions decide to move forward with specific plans or improvements, then additional funds would be required for study, design, and construction.
In August 2022, the City Council authorized staff to move forward with the Study. On behalf of the participating agencies, the City of San José procured transportation consultant services (Iteris Inc. and Winter Consulting) for the Study and entered into funding reimbursement agreements with all participating jurisdictions. The Study consulting team began initial engagement in early 2023, with various community groups and stakeholders along the Stevens Creek Boulevard corridor. Additionally, a Steering Committee and Community Advisory Group were formed to provide guidance and feedback on the Study.
Stevens Creek Corridor Steering Committee: A Stevens Creek Corridor Steering Committee (Steering Committee) was formed and includes elected officials from the Cities of Santa Clara, Cupertino, San José, and the County of Santa Clara. Former Councilmember Teresa O’Neill, former Councilmember Anthony Becker, and Mayor Gillmor have served on this committee. On January 14, 2025, the Council approved Vice Mayor Kelly Cox to serve on the Steering Committee. Since 2020, the Steering Committee has met seven times (five times since start of the Vision Study).
Community Advisory Group: To enhance community involvement and advise the Steering Committee, the Study includes a Community Advisory Group (CAG) that provides public input on corridor needs and potential improvements. The CAG is comprised of 12 community members representing various community interests such as bicycle and pedestrian advocates, business owners, neighborhood associations, and students. Santa Clara Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) member Perry Penvenne is part of the CAG. The Study has been coordinated with the City’s BPAC, the Steering Committee, CAG, various stakeholders, and the public. It was a regular item on the Santa Clara BPAC Agenda, with the BPAC providing input and feedback. On January 27, 2025, the BPAC reviewed the final draft and voted to recommend that City Council consider adopting the Study.
The Study provides an overall vision and implementation recommendations plan for multimodal transportation improvements on the corridor. These improvements are consistent with the goals of the City’s Climate Action Plan, Santa Clara Bicycle Plan, Santa Clara Pedestrian Masterplan, and the City’s Complete Streets Policy, which has a goal of creating and maintaining streets that provide safe, comfortable, and convenient travel. Accepting this Study will provide all participating agencies with a potential roadmap to improve transportation along this important and vital corridor in Santa Clara County.
DISCUSSION
This planning level document focuses on the nine-mile Stevens Creek Boulevard/West San Carlos Street corridor from Foothill Boulevard (Cupertino) and extending east to Diridon Station (San José). The Study (Attachment 3) provides a high-level vision of potential multi-modal transportation improvements along the corridor. As part of the plan, a corridor Vision Statement and Values/Guiding Principles were established, as well as an implementation recommendations plan.
The Study is divided into three chapters:
1. Corridor Vision
2. Implementation Planning Process/Engagement
3. Implementation Recommendations Plan
Each chapter is summarized below.
Corridor Vision
A major component of the Study was creating a shared vision for potential long-term transportation goals for the corridor. To facilitate this, a Vision Statement and Values/Guiding Principles were created to reflect the variety of community goals for the corridor.
Vision Statement: The Vision Statement establishes high-level transportation priorities for the corridor and includes the following three overall goals:
1. Create a high-capacity transit system to connect the affected cities along the corridor for reliable travel to local and regional destinations
2. Improve pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure to connect neighborhoods and provide a stress-free and enjoyable environment
3. Facilitate safe and efficient travel along the corridor for connections to neighborhoods, businesses, and expressways/freeway
Values/Guiding Principles: To facilitate future implementation of the Vision Statement, shared Values/Guiding Principles were established and include the following five themes:
1. Ongoing Collaboration
2. Safety of All Corridor Users
3. Create a Sustainable Environment to Prioritize People
4. A Transit Corridor
5. Convenience and Connectivity
The full text of the Vision Statement and Values/Guiding Principles are provided in Attachment 4.
Implementation Planning Process/Engagement
Community engagement was a major component of advancing the Study and a variety of outreach strategies were used to seek input from stakeholders. The following outreach methods were implemented:
• Stakeholder interviews
• Focus Groups (4)
• Pop-ups (4)
• Corridor tours (2)
• Online webinars (4)
• Community Advisory Group meetings (4)
• Steering Committee meetings (6)
• Project website/City communications (social media, emails)
• Online survey
• Meeting with BPACs and other committees at the various agencies
A summary of the overall feedback themes that were gathered over of course of the Study is provided in Attachment 5.
It is important to note that the Vision Statement, Values/Guiding Principles, and Implementation Recommendations Plan were developed and refined based on the feedback received during engagement activities and through the work of the Community Advisory Group and Steering Committee.
Implementation Recommendations Plan
The Implementation Recommendations Plan includes a variety of projects, improvements, and programs that should be further evaluated in order to improve transportation options along the corridor. The recommendations are grouped in six themes and a general completion timeline goal is included for each recommendation. It is important to note that there is no available funding to study, develop, design, or construct/implement these recommendations. Staff from the partner agencies will collaborate on potential outside funding sources (such as grant funding and/or state/federal funding) to help advance these recommendations.
Near-Term (Completion Goal - Approximately 5 Years): These recommendations can be implemented in shorter timeframes with near-term benefits.
1. Corridor Identity and Maintenance
• Convene businesses and business groups for joint advertising and branding opportunities, marketing and special events, public safety and hospitality, and small business grants/loan opportunities
• Coordinate street cleaning and maintenance activities
• Community business resources
• Coordinate speed enforcement and speed reduction efforts
• Develop a process for ongoing community input and engagement for corridor issues through the Stevens Creek Boulevard Corridor Steering Committee
2. Transit Speed, Reliability and Experience
• Develop an administrative policy for the four agencies operating signals in the Corridor (the Cities of Cupertino, Santa Clara, and San José and the County of Santa Clara) to collaborate with the VTA to implement a corridor-wide transit signal priority through a centralized system
• VTA to develop a speed and reliability improvement plan for the frequent network routes of 23, 51, and 523 with a Working Group of Corridor Agencies to determine priorities, funding and phased implementation
3. Corridor Pedestrian and Bicycling Infrastructure
• Physically protect/separate/buffer bicycle lanes on Stevens Creek Boulevard and West San Carlos Street to provide separation of bicyclists from vehicles while maintaining access to driveways
• Widen sidewalk widths consistent with City standards through dedications by new land use development
• Plant shade trees on the sides of the Stevens Creek Boulevard and West San Carlos Street Corridor. This would be developed within an urban forestry framework with sustainable funding for tree maintenance
• Review locations for installation of median refuge islands
• Review the potential for leading pedestrian intervals at signalized intersections (LPIs)
• Implement pedestrian-oriented lighting when street lighting is installed or replaced in the corridor
4. Walking and Bicycling Network Connections
• Agencies to prioritize pedestrian and bicycle improvement projects adjacent to the corridor to provide network connections with a focus on the following projects:
o Pruneridge Avenue Complete Streets Project (City of Santa Clara)
o Moorpark Avenue Traffic Safety Project (City of San José)
o De Anza Blvd Buffered Bike Lanes (City of Cupertino)
o Lawrence Mitty Park Trail (City of Cupertino)
Mid-Term (Completion Goal - Approximately 10 Years): These recommendations require more development time due to their complexity and costs.
5. Intersection and Crossing Improvements
• Initiate priority intersections and crossings projects to minimize inconvenience and maximize safety for all users. These include:
o Implement enhanced, high-visibility crossings for pedestrians and bicyclists
o Implement curb extensions and protected intersections
o Prioritize crossings of barriers for pedestrians and bicycles
o Review key hot spots for crossing improvements such as Monroe Street and Stevens Creek Boulevard at I-880 for potential reconfiguration to accommodate clearer travel patterns for all modes of transportation
Long-Term (Completion Goal - Approximately 20+ Years): The recommendation for a separated, high-capacity transit service on the corridor will require considerable time, effort, and resources from each corridor partner agency. These types of improvements will involve state and federal funding and typically have a long duration from concept to completion.
6. Separated High-Capacity Transit
• Scope and pursue funding for a preliminary engineering and alternatives analysis for options for separated high-capacity transit improvements along the corridor. This is the first step of evaluating the feasibility, costs, and impacts of implementing a separated high-capacity transit system to serve the corridor
Dec 18, 2024 Steering Committee Meeting: At the December 18, 2024 Steering Committee Meeting, the Steering Committee determined that it would continue to meet moving forward to provide guidance, direction, and oversight of the Implementation Recommendations Plan. In this meeting, a recommendation was made for agencies to:
• Approve the Study
• Change the name of the Implementation Plan to Recommendation Plan
• Conduct Study Sessions at each Board/Council if necessary
While there has been overall community support for the Study effort, there are opposing community member opinions about the potential removal of parking and/or travel lanes to accommodate the recommended improvements. It is important to note that approval of the Study does not approve the removal of parking and/or travel lanes along the corridor. Any further discussion of removal of parking and/or travel lanes will involve more community and property owner discussion with final decisions resting with the appropriate authorities within the various agencies.
March 4, 2025 Santa Clara City Council Study Session: On March 4, 2025, the Santa Clara City Council held a study session for the Study. Staff provided a presentation on the overall effort including information related to following Study components: Community outreach/feedback, Vision Statement, Implementation Recommendations Plan, Community Advisory Group meetings, Steering Committee, and Next steps. Council supported the efforts to date and had feedback related to future potential parking/travel lane removals, bus speed and reliability, future public/private partnerships, next steps, and desire to have this Study effort be a model of other joint agencies collaboration efforts. Community members provided overall support for the Study effort with recommendations to continue the progress made and to move to implementation as soon as possible.
Next Steps: If approved by all participating agencies, the next steps for the Study include reconvening the Stevens Creek Vision Steering Committee to lay out near, mid, and long-term plans, which include looking for joint funding opportunities.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered to adopt the Study does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to California Code of Regulations Section 15378(a) as it has no potential for resulting in either direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Study is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15262 of CEQA Guidelines as the Study is a planning document for future possible actions which the City has not yet approved, adopted, or
funded. Future environmental review will take place should the Study move forward to design and construction.
FISCAL IMPACT
The City entered into a Funding Agreement with the City of San José to provide Santa Clara’s share of funding to support the Study.
There is no immediate fiscal impact resulting from the adoption of the Study. However, by accepting this Study and directing staff to work collaboratively through the intra-jurisdictional working group to continue to study, develop, find funding, and implement the recommendations included in the Vision Study, costs related to City staff time to support the effort will be incurred. It is also important to note that there will be future costs associated with studying, developing and implementing any of the recommendations in the implementation plan. The Study includes high-level estimates of potential costs to implement some of the recommended project improvements in the Study. This information is included to provide an overall indication of funding needed for certain improvements and will be refined and updated as part of the next steps for the joint agency effort.
COORDINATION
This item was coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office and the City Manager’s Office. The preparation of the Study included involvement from the City of Cupertino, City of San José, County of Santa Clara, Valley Transportation Authority, community members, the Stevens Creek Boulevard Vision Study Steering Committee, and the Santa Clara Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall Council Chambers. A complete agenda packet is available on the City’s website and in the City Clerk’s Office at least 72 hours prior to a Regular Meeting and 24 hours prior to a Special Meeting. A hard copy of any agenda report may be requested by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (408) 615-2220, email clerk@santaclaraca.gov or at the public information desk at any City of Santa Clara public library.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Adopt a resolution accepting the Stevens Creek Boulevard Vision Study and directing staff to work collaboratively through the intra-jurisdictional working group to continue to study, develop, find funding, and implement the recommendations included in the Vision Study as directed by the City Council.
Staff
Reviewed by: Craig Mobeck, Director of Public Works
Approved by: Jovan Grogan, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Location Map
2. 2019 Santa Clara Resolution
3. Stevens Creek Boulevard Vision Study
4. Vision Statement and Values/Guiding Principles
5. Summary of Overall Feedback Themes
6. Resolution