Create A Bicycle Friendly Silicon Valley

Thanks to our members and supporters we are able to create a healthy community, environment, and economy through bicycling for people who live, work, or play in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. Here is a glimpse at what we have recently accomplished in San Mateo and Foster City.

This school year, we reached more than 340 students in San Mateo and Foster City through our outdoor education program. Students are given the chance to practice bicycle skills that will help them safely navigate city streets, paths, and their route to school. We teach the rules of the road, hand signals, shoulder checks, and work on balancing skills. Most of all, we make biking fun. By the end of the school year, more than 500 students in these two cities will have participated in one of our education or encouragement activities.

On February 27th, we participated in the 3^rd Annual Tour de San Mateo Foster City Schools where school board members, city employees, school staff, the superintendent, district employees, bike advocates, and SVBC biked 33 miles to visit all 20 schools. At each school we spread the word about the importance of wearing a helmet, the benefits of riding a bike, and the different places the students could bike with their family. It is events like this that create a sense of community where citizens recognize the need for more biking and work together to promote a more active lifestyle. 

Giving these students the knowledge and skills they need to succeed on a bike is key. Having a city that not only supports youth bicycle education but also sustainable streets is even better. These two cities are separated by Highway 101 and have the major State Route 92 running through the middle. This presents many challenges in connecting the communities and SVBC has been a big supporter of their efforts to improve access for bicycles.  

In February, San Mateo’s City Council passed the city’s Sustainable Streets Plan that includes many visionary components, including: the goal to increase bicycle and pedestrian mode share to 30% by 2020, a focus on Complete Streets, which aims to provide safe mobility for all road users: pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit users of all ages and abilities, and several other plans that will make San Mateo a better biking city.

An important SVBC initiative is Safe and Comfortable Freeway Crossings.  In the past year, our efforts have helped San Mateo approve an Interchange Improvement Project of the El Camino Real and State Route 92 interchange where pedestrian and bicycle improvements would be included in the project.

SVBC is also currently working with the City of San Mateo to ensure a great new bike and pedestrian bridge adjacent to Hillsdale Boulevard over Highway 101. The Highway is a major barrier to east-west connectivity and the existing Hillsdale Boulevard overcrossing is the only one in the area. The bridge would provide a Class I overcrossing for people who want to bike and walk away from vehicle traffic, yet will still connect to existing bike facilities.

We not only serve San Mateo, but San Mateo County and Santa Clara County so stay tuned for an update on our programs and advocacy efforts in your area.