The function of the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission is to review, monitor and make recommendations regarding City transportation matters including but not limited to bicycle and pedestrian traffic, parking, education and recreation within Cupertino (also see Municipal Code 2.92.080 Powers and Functions). In July 2015 the Commission voted unanimously to establish a mission statement including measurable objectives to be achieved by the end of 2025. This will guide the Commission’s priorities and will be central to defining the upcoming 2016 Bicycle plan.  

The objectives are as follows:  

• Be one of the top 5 cities in California for biking and walking and achieve Gold status from the League of American Bicyclists.     
• Expand middle and high school student bicycle and pedestrian trips to 40% of total school commutes.     
• Expand intra-city trips for errands and leisure by adults and seniors via bicycle/walking to 20% of trips.
• Expand resident bicycle/pedestrian commuting to major Cupertino employers and De Anza College to 15% of total trips.

Pedestrians and Bicyclists Made Up a Fifth of All Highway Fatalities. According to Caltrans, pedestrians and bicyclists made up 21 percent of all fatalities on the SHS between 2008 and 2017. Across all highways and roads in California, pedestrians and bicyclists made up approximately 29 percent of the fatalities in 2018. Moreover, the number of pedestrians and bicyclists fatalities on highways and roads has grown significantly in recent years. As show in Figure 8, between 2004 and 2018, pedestrian fatalities grew by 31 percent and bicyclist fatalities grew by 41 percent. (At the time of this writing, Caltrans had not provided annual historic information regarding the number of fatalities specifically on the SHS.)

Caltrans’ Traffic Operations Program Addresses Safety Concerns on State Highways. To improve traffic safety on the SHS, Caltrans currently has five traffic safety programs that investigate high‑collision areas, develop safety measures, and implement proposed improvements. These programs focus on different types of collisions, such as wrong way collisions and collisions where vehicles run onto the shoulder. In recent years, Caltrans—in collaboration with UC Berkeley—implemented two pilot programs to improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. These pilot programs identified locations on the highway with high concentrations of pedestrian and bicyclist deaths and injuries based on historical data, investigated these locations to determine probable cause of the deaths and injuries, and recommended capital and maintenance projects to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety.

The budget includes $2.2 million on a two‑year, limited‑term basis from the SHA to establish the Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Investigation Program. The proposal would fund 12 transportation engineers who are expected to perform a total of 400 investigations of collisions involving pedestrians and bicyclists. Each investigation is expected to require 54 hours to complete. In addition, district staff would receive training on appropriate investigation techniques and development of countermeasures for pedestrian and bicyclist collisions.

Proposal to Expand Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Investigations Is Reasonable. In total, the pilots identified almost 400 locations of pedestrian or bicyclist collisions on the SHS warranting investigation. Given the number of pedestrians and bicyclists fatalities on the SHS, as well as the trend of rising fatalities statewide, it is reasonable to dedicate additional resources to address pedestrian and bicyclist safety on the SHS. In addition, given that this is a new program, we find the request for limited‑term positions to be reasonable.

Uncertainty About Underlying Trends. While the request for expanding pedestrian and bicyclist safety investigations is reasonable, there is uncertainty about the underlying factors leading to the rising number of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities. Caltrans reports that the department’s increasing use of pedestrian and bicyclist friendly design in their planning and construction might have led to increased use of the SHS by pedestrians and bicyclists, resulting in an accompanying increase of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities. However, more pedestrian and bicyclists might be involved in fatal collisions for many reasons. For example, there may be more pedestrians on the SHS as a result of the growing number of homeless camps near highways. 

Approve Proposal and Require Report. We recommend that the Legislature approve Caltrans’ request for two‑year limited term funding of $2.2 million from SHA. We find that providing additional resources to concentrate efforts on investigating pedestrian and bicycle collisions is reasonable given what appears to be a growing problem. In addition, we recommend the Legislature adopt supplemental reporting language requiring the department to provide a report by January 10, 2022, related to its efforts to investigate and reduce pedestrian and bicycle fatalities. Specifically, the report should include information on (1) the number of pedestrian and bicyclist traffic safety collisions, fatalities, and investigations conducted; (2) key findings or trends resulting from these investigations, including insights into the causes of the higher number of fatalities in recent years; (3) the traffic safety improvements made to the SHS as a result of these investigations; and (4) the implementation of the proposed training for district staff on appropriate pedestrian and bicyclist collision investigation techniques and development of countermeasures. This information would better allow the Legislature to review the effectiveness of the Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Investigation Program, which could then inform decisions regarding the appropriate level of ongoing resources for the safety programs, as well as other actions the state might take to reduce the number of collisions and fatalities.

https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/gov/depts/trn/safe_routes_to_school/walk_and_roll_maps.asp

These handy pocket maps are designed to help parents and students explore healthy, active commute routes to and from school.

Palo Alto is home to one of the nation’s leading Safe Routes to School programs. An impressive average of 44% of high school students commute to school on bicycle in part due to the past efforts to provide bicycle-friendly infrastructure within the community. Check out our Safe Routes to School website to learn more or get involved.

Teen Workshops:  Interested in teaching or leading a workshop for youth/teens? Submit your Teen Workshop Proposal Here.

Projects we've worked on and are working on:

• Bobatino
• <hack> Cupertino 2017, 2018, 2019
• Social Host Ordinance
• Addressing Teen Stress and improving mental health
• Pizza & Politics - view video here.
• Giving Tree, partnering with West Valley Community Services
• YAC Attack   
• Attending YES Conference in San Francisco

Meet your 2019-2020 Cupertino Teen Commissioners

Here’s what parents need to know to keep kids safe as they walk or bike to school. 

Children usually aren’t ready to start walking to school without an adult until about fifth grade, or around age 10. Younger children are more impulsive and less cautious around traffic, and they often don’t fully understand other potential dangers they could come across.

By walking with your children to and from school, you can familiarize them with the neighborhood, teach them about traffic signs, street signs and directions, and model correct behaviors when crossing streets. It’s also a great opportunity for some chat time with your kids.

Keep these tips in mind when walking with your child to and from school:

• When crossing streets, hold your child’s hand and always observe the traffic safety laws.
• Observe all traffic signals and let the school crossing guard help you.
• Be sure to look all ways before crossing the street, and continue to watch for vehicles. Remind children drivers may not always see them.
• Consider starting a           walking school bus by inviting families in your neighborhood to walk children to school together as a group. Adults may take turns walking with the group, so make sure each child knows the adults in their walking group.

Children are each different, so consider their individual developmental and maturity level when deciding if it is safe for them to walk to school without an adult. Some children may not have the skills to focus on safe pedestrian behavior until they are 10 or older.

For students walking to school without an adult, some points to consider:

• Make sure they stick to a safe route to school, one with well-trained adult crossing guards at every intersection.
  
• If they need to cross any streets on the way to school, practice safe street crossing with them before the start of school. 
• Ideally, they should walk with at least one neighbor child or older sibling. 
• Make sure they know how to say “no” if someone they don’t know offers a ride, and that they yell and run for help if needed. 
• Explain to them that it is not safe to use a cell phone or text while walking, which makes them less aware of traffic. 
• Choose brightly colored backpacks, jackets and other accessories, ideally with reflective materials for days when it begins to get dark earlier.

Bike riding is also a great way to get to and from school, when children are ready. Remember kids need to learn to be safe pedestrians before they can be safe bicyclists. 

• Rules of the Road. All bicycle riders should follow the basic rules of the road, which also apply to skateboards, scooters and other non-motorized vehicles:
  - Ride on the right, in the same direction as traffic using bike lanes when available.
  - Stop and look both ways before entering the street.- Stop at all intersections, whether marked or unmarked.- Respect traffic lights and stop signs.- Before turning, use hand signals and look in every direction.
  
• Use Your Head. Always wear a bicycle helmet, no matter how short or long the ride. The helmet should be approved by the           Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• Riding Ready? Ride with younger children, and don’t let them ride on the street.  Use your judgment about letting older children ride in traffic. Consider how heavy road traffic is where they’ll be riding, how mature they are, and how well they can stay focused on traffic and follow rules of the road.
• Practice Ahead of Time. Practice the bike route to school before the first day of school to make sure your child can manage it.
• See the Light. Children should only ride a bike when there is plenty of daylight. Wear white or bright-colored clothing to increase visibility.
• Distracted Riders. Remind bike riders not to talk on the cell phone or text while riding and avoid other distractions like eating.
• Bike Maintenance. Show children how to check tire air pressure,  brakes, and seat and handlebar height, and do these things at least once a year.

Walking and biking to school helps keep children, and their communities, happy and healthy. Parents can support and encourage community programs with resources offered through organizations such as     Safe Routes to School.  These include walkability checklists to score your community, for example, and national events such as Bike to School Day each spring and Walk to School Day in fall.

• Bicycle Helmets: What Every Parent Should Know
  
• Bicycle Safety: Myths and Facts
  
• Pedestrian Safety (AAP Policy Statement)
  

Phyllis Agran, MD, FAAP, serves on the executive committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention. A recipient of the council’s Fellow Achievement Award in recognition of her commitment to youth violence prevention and pedestrian safety, including her work with the National Safe Routes to School Task Force, Dr. Agran has testified at local, state and national hearings to promote child health and safety policies. She is past president of AAP California Chapter 4 and a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine. 

Last Updated 4/4/2018   Source American Academy of Pediatrics (Copyright © 2018)   The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.       AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to FacebookShare to TwitterShare to PinterestShare to LinkedInShare to PrintShare to Email                         Follow Us      

Ladies and Gentlemen

My name is Jeff Gallagher and I am the Commander of Albert E. Schwab, The American Legion Post 555,

located in Midway City.The purpose of this letter is to express support for the establishment of a dog park

and war dog memorial along the former Pacific Electric right of way through the city of Garden Grove.

On January January 13, 2020, Mr. Craig Durfey spoke at our regular membership meeting concerning his

effort to have a full service dog park and war dog memorial in the vicinity of a bike/walking trail that is

currently under construction in Garden Grove. After his presentation, a vote was taken of the membership

to fully support Mr. Durfey's efforts and the project.

Military K-9's, often called “war dogs”, have a long history with our military services of all branches. They

were in the trenches of World War I, the mine fields of World War II, and on the front lines in Korea. Over

4,000 military dogs were used in Vietnam on search-and-destroy missions, for sentry duty and for mine and

explosive detection. It is estimated that each dog saved more than 150 lives.

Most did not return home.

These dogs deserve to be remembered for their courage before enemy fire, their versatility in the field and

their sheer tenacity. Today, every branch of service uses military working dogs for a variety of tasks. They

are more valuable than ever as bomb and IED detectors. Surely, the war on terror would not be as effective

without them.

To my knowledge, there are only two war dog memorials in Southern California and none in Orange

County.

For these reasons, the entire membership of Albert E. Schwab The American Legion Post 555, endorses

and supports the efforts to establish a dog park and war memorial in the City of Garden Grove, California.

For God and Country,

Jeff “Hollywood” Gallagher

Post Commander

LETS SUPPORT BY EXPRESSING BY WRITING TO MAYOR STEVE JONES stevej@ggcity.org  1-714-741-5104 AS TO CREATE A RESOULTION DECLARING BIKE/WALKING TRAIL AS WAR DOG OF BRAVE HERO WITH HIS PARTNER.

AT SOME high schools, teens are learning the ins and outs of one very affordable mode of transportation: bicycles.

The programs, in which teens learn how to fix and maintain bikes, as well as explore career opportunities in the cycling industry, have popped up at schools nationwide.

"I like fixing bikes. I'm really interested in how to fix it," says Nicholas Henderson, 17, an 11th-grader at Digital Harbor High School in Baltimore. Henderson is a longtime member of the school's after-school bike club. 

He's learned how to put wheels back on a bike and can fix a bike's brakes as well, he says, along with other skills.

"A lot of students that maybe don't always shine in the classroom, really shine in the garage," says Melissa McDonald, a teacher at the school and a sponsor of the voluntary activity that got started four years ago. It got off the ground due to teachers and students gathering support from the community –  they wrote grants and letters, visited bike shops and more. 

After spending about an hour each Wednesday on bike mechanics, the club goes on a bike ride for about 45 minutes, she says.

And students can take a bike home if they dedicate enough hours to working in the garage. 

It's a positive activity for students in a city that doesn't have a lot of after-school programs, she says.

But bike tech programs aren't limited to after-school activities. Some districts are sponsoring high school bike tech classes for credit.

Emerson High School in Oklahoma City, for example, recently launched a bicycle repair class, the Oklahoma Gazette reported earlier this year.

"We are using a bicycle and the conversation through working on a bicycle to mentor these kids," Steven Charles, executive director of the organization overseeing the program, told the publication.

 Date: September 25, 2019   

Last week, in conjunction with Climate Week and student strikes on climate change across the globe, Governor Newsom issued a wide-ranging Executive Order, N-19-19, directing several state agencies to take actions to facilitate and accelerate greenhouse gas emissions reductions. The Executive Order seeks to scale up California's actions to address climate change in light of its goal to reduce emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, particularly in the context of federal inaction on climate change.

Among other provisions, the Executive Order directs the State Transportation Agency to leverage its more than $5 billion in annual transportation spending on road construction, operation, and maintenance to reduce transportation GHG emissions and fuel consumption, including facilitating the creation of housing near jobs and increasing mobility options available to Californians. This Executive Order underscores the need for state transit agencies to re-direct certain funds from business-as-usual activities to forward-looking projects that build resiliency in our transportation infrastructure and facilitate the reduction of vehicle miles traveled (VMT).

Read Executive Order N-19-19 here.

    Related: Climate Change, Gavin Newsom

He also asked that OCTA support legislation to boost education of traffic engineers on modern bicycle and pedestrian safety standards as well as legislation to require that new bicycles be sold with flashing LED lights on the front and back.

“I’m here because I lost a youth on my corner two years ago,” said Durfey. “I can’t allow myself to see [another] neighbor pass away because of lack of attention to the issue.”

OCTA Chairman Greg Winterbottom scheduled a discussion for the next Bicycle-Pedestrian Subcommittee meeting.

That meeting is planned for Dec. 17.

As far as educational campaigns, Durfey pointed to several existing models, including “Every Lane is a Bike Lane”, Let’s Go NC!, BeStreetSmart.net and the Florida Traffic and Bicycle Safety Education Program.

“None of us should be not able to get where we want to go,” he said.

The event brought together Santa Ana officials from the library, public works and planning departments and representatives of Orange County Bicycle Coalition, Latino Health Access and Santiago Creek Greenway Alliance, among others.

Miller encouraged local advocates to focus on putting policies and funding in place to create a long-term plan for making Santa Ana more bicycle and pedestrian friendly.

He also encouraged people to look first at making bike routes between public schools and neighborhoods safe for children, then work on downtown areas and other employment centers.

But you might not want to mention how much a cyclist’s life is worth.  

For drivers who violate the three-feet law, the penalty is a $35 fine. If a driver injures a cyclist, the fine is $220.  

That’s right, $220 – less than driving solo in the carpool lane.  

Motorcyclists’ slogan is: “Kill a biker, go to jail.” Sadly, California takes an, um, blasé approach when it comes to cyclists.  

Sure, the new bill carries the usual extra charges which bring the basic fine to $154. And – OMG! – if a driver actually maims a cyclist, they driver pays a whopping $959.