Santa Clara Countywide Bike Plan

VTA's Role in Bicycle Planning

We provide funding to cities for building bicycle paths and bicycle lanes, we work with cities to build new bicycle bridges and better freeway interchanges, and we bring city staff together so bikeways are consistent across city boundaries. VTA also provides space for bikes on our buses and light rail vehicles, and bike parking at our light rail stations.

About the Santa Clara Countywide Bicycle Plan

The Santa Clara Countywide Bicycle Plan’s primary goal is to make it easier and safer for people to bike when traveling from one city to the next in Santa Clara County. The plan establishes a network of Cross County Bikeway Corridors that will provide continuous, complete bike connections across the county. The plan also identifies locations where new and improved bike connections are needed across freeways, rail lines and creeks. Last, the plan identifies ways to make it easier for people to use their bike with transit, including bike access to major transit stops, bike parking at stops, and bicycle accommodations on board.

Why Update The Countywide Bike Plan Now?

VTA has had a Countywide Bicycle Plan since 2000. The plan was most recently updated in 2008. Since then, we have seen advances in bicycle infrastructure design, advances in planning for bicyclists, and a cultural shift toward bicycling. More people, and a greater diversity of people, are interested in bicycling, and they want bikeways that are physically separated from cars. VTA now has the capacity to model how building new bikeways will affect travel patterns, congestion, and greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the local jurisdictions in Santa Clara County have built many new miles of bike lanes and trails. It’s time to update the Countywide Bicycle Plan to reflect these changes.

Get Involved

VTA is updating the Countywide Bicycle Plan, and would like to hear from you.

NEW! Put Your Vision on the Map - Use our online mapping tool to tell us where better bicycle facilities are needed in Santa Clara County
NEW! Take our Textizen Survey - Text "Yes" to 408-916-5799 Mande "Si" a 408-831-6442
NEW! Download our 2016 Bikeways Map
Come See Us - Attend the Silicon Valley Bikes! Festival and Bicycle Show – Sunday, May 15, 2016 at History Park, San Jose – Visit the VTA booth and climb aboard our big blue articulated bus with interior bike racks.
Listen to KKUP's Bike Life Radio Hour with Diane Solomon, an interview with VTA staff about bike planning '
Learn More
- Visit our Bicycle Program pages, read the 2008 Countywide Bicycle Plan and other documents
- View the PowerPoint presentation from three public workshops that were held in March, 2016 in Gilroy, San Jose, and Cupertino.

Project Schedule

January 2016 – Public Outreach Begins
March 2016 – Public Meetings
May 2016 – July 2016 – Outreach at Community Events
Summer/Fall 2016 – Draft Project List Released
Fall 2016 – Development of Implementation Strategies
Winter 2016/17 – Draft Plan Released for Public Comment
Spring 2017 – Plan Adopted