Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutScene May 2017 - 05.01.2017A_IqTC E RID Fay is Na itit onal Bike Month. As such, this issue of the Scene is focused on the health benefits of bike riding, how the City is making Cupertino a nore bike -friendly community, and the future of bicycle transportation in Cupertino. 017 C%CST lwarct& l What can get overshadowed, however, is the hard and mostly un- heralded work of the City's Public Works Department. These are the women and men of Cupertino who work day in and day out to ensure that the City con- tinues to have a strong and healthy public infrastructure. project to alleviate flooding in the May is National Bike Month, For example, take the City's Pave- area of Foothill Boulevard and Cu- and for a city like Cupertino that : ment Condition Index (PCI) rating, pertino Road by adding addition - has put a lot of time, effort, and : which is rapidly approaching 80. al capacity to the storm drain sys- funds toward creating a safer and : That is an exceptional number that : tem. The City will be constructing a connected bicycle infrastructure, many cities cannot match. What it : supplemental main in the area to it would be a shame not to cele- means is that the vast majority of increase the flow of water and re- brate. the City's roads are in "good" con- Iieve the neighborhood of flooding dition, which is the highest catego- during wet seasons. The City has made huge strides over the last few years in building a bicycle infrastructure that allows for safer routes for Cupertino's youth to bike to school, for residents to trav- el around town, or families to take a weekend ride together. (Read more about this on the next page.) This couldn't have happened with- out a supportive community and a City Council willing to put money and focus toward these projects. FEATURES ry the PCI offers. Having such a high PCI rating means that, in the end, the City will be able to save money because it will only have to maintain these roadways instead of having to completely rehabilitate them. Over the last several years, and continuing this year, the City has also alleviated major flooding is- sues in various neighborhoods. Elm Court was one of those streets in 2015. The City upgraded the storm drain system by redirecting some of the existing pipeline and adding additional pipeline in the area. This helped provide drainage relief to Elm Court, Shannon Court, and Bubb Road. This year the City will take on a Lastly, the City will be constructing Class IV bike lanes on Stevens Creek Boulevard and McClellan Road. These protected bike lanes adds a physical separation between bike riders and motorist, adding a level of safety for everyone. David Brandt City Manager Rhyme and Reason The Scene Answers There are plenty of reasons to jump on Want host a Block Party in your a bike as the weather improves. 121 neighborhood? Find out how. ........................................................................................................................ W I Culture Change 4Q Cupertino continues to make the _ City a more bike -friendly community. V) Z 51 A Passion for Peddling One Community Coordinator takes her work to heart... and to the streets. 8 I In A Word Learn bicycling lingo with these crossword and word search games. 10 I Community Calendar Find out what's happening in Cupertino during the month of May. Questions or comments about The Scene? Contact staff at scene@cupertino.org. Page 3 The City held a community meet- ing with over 200 people of all ages, and gained over 400 ideas for improvements. Afterward, the City embarked on an effort to quickly improve the safety of cyclists and pedestrians. The program immediately received funding and Council support for engineering improvements, as well With National Public Works Week occurring the week of May 21, just after Bike to Work Week, it's a good time to reflect on how building modern bicycle infrastruc- ture is a critical step in getting a community comfortable in getting out of their cars and on their bikes. The City's Public Works staff touch- es on many aspects of daily life in Cupertino, including caring for our parks, trees, streets, and public buildings, as well as managing our trash and recycling programs. But changing our streets to modify our transportation culture is something that the department has focused on for the past several years. In late 2014, the City suffered the tragic loss of a high school fresh- Hiring a full-time Safe Routes 2 man who was in a collision with a School Coordinator to develop truck while riding his bike to school. a structure for City/School Dis- trict/Community partnerships in order to find ways to make bicycling and walking more comfortable and to develop programs to educate and en- courage students to bike and walk to school more often. as new programs and local laws Many engineering improvements took advantage of the City's larg- est street repaving effort in its history by replacing striping with narrower vehicular lanes, green bike lanes, bike lane buffers, and sharrows. Engineering solutions that quickly came into place included instal- lation of green bike lanes at doz- ens of potential vehicle -bicycle conflict areas, seven miles of buff- ered bike lanes, including portions of Stevens Creek Boulevard, and sharrows along many of our bike routes, concentrating on areas in the vicinity of schools. Other actions included • Amending the City's Munici- pal Code to prohibit trucks in school zones during morning and afternoon commute times. • Revising the Municipal Code to allow children up to the age of 12, and accompanying adults, to ride bicycles on the sidewalk. Completing the 2016 Bicycle Transportation Plan. This be- came a great community ef- fort and a solid platform for a cohesive and engaged Bicycle Pedestrian Commission. A new community advocacy group was formed, Walk Bike Cuper- tino, which also helped shape the plan. As the plan was ap- proved, the City Council bud- geted $2 million to begin iden- tifying high -priority projects. Following up on recommendations within the 2016 Bicycle Transporta- tion Plan, a study of conceptual designs is underway for separated bike lanes on Stevens Creek Boule- vard and McClellan Road, as well as for a network of bicycle boule- vards on local streets throughout the City. Implementation of the im- provements is anticipated to begin this summer. Learn more about the Public Works Department and what they do at www.cupertino.org/publicworks. Public Works Director Timm Borden contributed to this article. Page 4 Chelsea Biklen Safe Routes to School Community Coordinator chelseab@cupertino.org TALES from A COMMUNITY COORDINATOR WHY I DO / WHAT I DO As Cupertino's "Safe Routes 2 School" Community Coordinator I get to explore the nexus between public health, transportation planning, and sustainability on a daily basis. Safe Routes 2 School programs are a national effort to unite commu- nity members, empower young learners, and improve community safety through the mechanism of reducing vehicular travel to and from school. I was drawn to the job initially from a sustainability perspective, having studied it in college, but what I've grown to understand about this work is how much deeper and more powerful it is than trying to reduce car trips. What I'm beginning to un- derstand is how this program is a microcosmic example of how challenging it is to solve large human problems in fragmented communities. Traffic issues here in Silicon Valley are imminent and schools in Cupertino, like most other growing cities, simply were not built to fit the amount of kids and cars now on the road. With more people comes more vehicle traffic, which means more 3,000- plus pound metal machines trying to move up and down confined neighborhood streets en route to and from school each day. It creates an unsafe situation for those in and those outside of cars. Our program aims to improve this situation through a multi -pronged, grassroots community approach that utilizes tactics of education, engineering, and encour- agement toward active transportation. We recognize that there's no one solution to excess traffic and that it takes a variety of approaches — and some time — to create change. I consider myself and the Safe Routes 2 School program a com- munity builder, uniting previously isolated organizations around the health and well-being of our children and this Earth. Though leading a program focused on shifting behavior away from driving can be challenging, I really enjoy the work, particularly because of the people. The folks in Cupertino and the surrounding region have immense passion and care for the safety of the children of this community. Together we are constantly coming up with creative and innovative ideas and implement them to make our City safer and our kids more active. The whole process is inspiring and makes my job feel worth it on those particularly rough days. I have deep gratitude for the community members I work with and the encouragement and positive feedback I get from being around them. Though this program was started by the City, it has always relied on close partner- ships with local school districts, individual schools, bicycle/pedestrian advocates, and parents because without this cohesion the program would cease to function. Our community, like many others, is at a turning point where we need to consider different approaches to improving traffic safety. Safe Routes 2 School programs pioneer in this arena and explore other methods to shift and sustain behavior change toward active transportation while increasing community collaboration at the same time. My hope moving forward is that this program continues to grow in its participation and success and that surrounding communities adopt similar approaches. To learn more about Cupertino Safe Routes 2 School, or to join the program, visit www.cupertino.org/saferoutes. Page 5 lu Man a ZR . 07 1 + 1 ne Bicycling Offers a Wealth of Benefits Ii RIDE BIKE? Y Y e hear it all the time from our doctors, nutritionists, friends, and blogs. We need to exercise more. And one great way of getting that exercise is by jumping on a bike and taking a ride around the neighborhood. But why ride a bike? There are numerous reasons, includ- ing that it boosts brainpower, increases happiness, and builds healthy communities. In celebration of National Bike Month, and the myriad of delightful biking benefits, we've written this brief list about why riding bicycles is good for everyone. Safe Routes 2 School Community Coordinator Chelsea Biklen contributed to this article. YOU NEED REASONS ................................................................................ . WE HAVE FOUR OF THEM Let's start with kids and the strong correlation that exists between bicycling and concentra- tion levels. Many of us are aware that exercise (e.g. walking or riding a bicycle) has a positive effect on our health, but are we aware of the positive effects on our brains? This correlation does exist! Spurts of exercise throughout the day are shown to improve long-term memory, reasoning, attention, problem -solving and fluid intelligence levels, especially in adolescents. Bicycling lowers risk for all kinds of health ail- ments including but not limited to cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, insomnia, and obesity. Bicycling rap2 - idly burns calories and exercise experts prefer cycling over running because it's less traumat- ic on the joints. Additionally, cycling can im- prove your quality of sleep. This was shown by a Stanford Research Study that asked a group of insomnia sufferers to bike for 20-30 minutes every other day and found that these insomni- acs were able to fall asleep twice as fast and increase their sleep time. Biking also has the ability to make us and our 3 neighbors happy! From a neurobiological per- spective, riding a bike releases endorphins, serotonin, and cannabinoids - a.k.a. the "feel good" chemicals in our brains. Riding regularly also balances our body's adrenaline and cor- tisol levels, the hormones responsible for creat- ing stress. The science of positive psychology also points us towards he sensations of grati- tude, flow, and accomplishment that comes from riding a bike. Last but not least, biking builds community. In what other form of transportation are we able to simultaneously enjoy the fresh air, observe novel landmarks around us, and warmly wave 4 at a neighbor as we pedal by? Bicycling pro- vides us an opportunity to engage more with this beautiful City around us, and this engage- ment is nearly impossible to experience when sitting behind the wheel of a car, stuck in traffic. Page 7 WHAT'S THE WORD? KNEWMAM, ilil .W YOOIUR BI,CYCLIN�G LIN.G.00 ACROSS 3. Name for the newest kind of bikeway design that features a physical barrier between the bike lane & vehicle lane (Hint: 10 Across) 4. Always wear one of these on your head when riding a bike 5. In a 2012 study, kids that walked or biked to school scored higher on a test that measured abilities than kids who were driven (Hint: Page 7) 6. Symbol painted on the ground that means "Share the Road" (Hint: Rhymes with Arrow) 10. One of the main streets in Cupertino that will include Class Four separated bikeways S A F E T Y B T H G D E S G E A R S H E S E K R N S Q L S G A C R A I S I U E T I D A A R D X S A E V L L D I B I F M M H S L I E L S N S L S W C I G N L Y G E R I T S A H C E S H R O U T E T T E U H A N D S I G N A L R DOWN 1. The name of Cuperti- no's program that works with schools to make walking and biking to school safer for students (Hint: Page 5) 2. Riding your bike as transportation helps reduce this locally and globally (Hint: Air) 7. As a cyclist, you must always maintain this with drivers when cross- ing an intersection 8. The oldest kids can be to legally ride bikes on the sidewalk in Cupertino (Hint: XII) 9. The color that Cupertino paints many of its bike lanes to make them more visible (Hint: Rhymes with Scene) WORDSEARCH Brakes Helmet Cadence Riding Chains Route Derailleur Safety Gears Tail Light Hand Signal Tire Head Light Wheel uaaaO (6 'anIaMJ (8 'j0ojuoZ),qAg (L 'uo4nllod (Z 'Ioo4oS of sa}noN a}oS ([ :uM04 :�aaa3 suana�S (0 [ 'MO.uoyS (9 'u0404 -ua0u03 (S ' EWPH (q '1no� ssojo (E :ssojz) :S12MSuV piomssoJc) ,age 8 GET IN THE CUPERTI- know What's going on around town? CAMP CUPERTINO! CHILDREN 6 - 13 YEARS OLD Enjoy 44 days of summer with this interactive camp Learn more at http://bit.ly/campcupertino Teen Study Day ' Sat., May 27, noon to 5:30 p.m. Cupertino Community Hall 10350 Torre Avenue Study, work on projects, get ready for the end of school www.sccl.org/cupertino CUPERTI i916 CREST A Id Pee' 0% Bicycle Boulevard Open House Sat., May 6 from 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 10300 N. Blaney Avenue Give your input on proposed bicycle boulevard routes http://bit.ly/2odedOV CREST AWARDS Celebrate those who gave their time to the community May 31 @ 6:30 p.m. Cupertino Community Hall www.cupertino.org/crest CHILDREN English/Mandarin Bilingual Storytime Monday, May 1, 1 1:15 a.m. Cupertino Library Story Room Join the Cupertino Library for stories, songs, fingerplays and a craft for chil- dren ages 2 - 5. Storytime will be con- ducted in English and Mandarin. Cupertino Library Children's Garden Tuesdays, May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 From 3:30 - 4:30 pm Cupertino Library Courtyard Children are invited to visit the Cuper- tino Library Children's Garden! Explore the garden and engage in hands-on activities. Teen Study Day Saturday, May 27, 12:00 - 5:30 p.m. Cupertino Community Hall Join the Cupertino Library at Commu- nity Hall to study, work on projects, and get ready for the end of the school se- mester. Open work spaces and seat- ing will be available. Free refreshments will be served throughout the day. Ages 13 - 18. Brought to you by the Friends of the Cupertino Library. Bicycle Boulevard Open House Saturday, May 6 9:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Guided Learning Center at Collins Ele- mentary School 10300 N. Blaney Ave- nue. This will be the first open house for this project to solicit public input on the several proposed bicycle boulevard routes. The open house will feature a series of presentations. Safe Routes 2 School Working Group Monday, May 15 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. Join fellow Cupertino residents inter- ested in creating safer streets and sidewalks at the Safe Routes 2 School Working Group meeting. National River Clean Up Day Saturday, May 20 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. The City's semiannual community creek cleanup is on Saturday, May 20th, 9:OOam-12:OOpm at Creekside Park, 10455 Miller Avenue. Volunteers and City staff will clean segments of Calabazas and Regnart Creeks. Reg- ister at www.cleanacreek.org Graywater Workshop Thursday, May 25 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Community Hall, 10350 Torre Avenue The City of Cupertino and the Santa Clara Valley Water District will be host- ing a series of workshops in order to help residents learn about graywater and how to use a "Laundry to Land- scape" (L2L) system to conserve wa- ter and potentially qualify for the $200 Graywater L2L Rebate Program. CREST Awards Wed., May 31 6:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Community Hall, 10350 Torre Avenue The Cupertino Recognizes Extra Steps Taken (CREST) Awards honor individu- als or organizations making major con- tributions to the quality of life in Cuper- tino during 2016. Join the City Council in awarding them for their dedication to their community. Building a Strong Financial Future Monday, May 15, 7:00 p.m. Cupertino Library Story Room Learn strategies for building a strong financial future from age 45 to retire- ment with a certified financial planner. Master Gardeners: Attracting More Pollinators to your Garden Year Round Wednesday, May 24, 7 p.m. Cupertino Community Hall Master Gardener Nella Henninger will show the best plant choices for provid- ing pollen and nectar for honeybees, native bees, butterflies, and other pol- linators in your garden all year. Live Free of Pain - Self Help Pain Relief Saturday, May 6, 1:30 p.m. (Mandarin) Saturday, May 13, 1:30 p.m. (English) Cupertino Library Story Room Li Yang, a licensed acupuncturist, de- veloped a set of self-help methods for pain treatment. She will show how pain can be treated by your own hands, or family members helping each other, right at the moment pain occurs. Building a Strong Financial Future Monday, May 15, 7:00 p.m. Cupertino Library Story Room Learn strategies for building a strong financial future from age 45 to retire- ment with a certified financial planner. Friends of the Cupertino Library Book Sale Saturday, May 20, 9:00 - 3:00 p.m. Sunday, May 21, 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. Cupertino Community Hall Come on in and browse the gently read books for sale! Page 10 For more info on the Senior Center, or to sign up for classes or events, visit www.cuperHno.org/seniors or stop by 21251 Stevens Creek Boulevard. EVENTS & SOCIALS May Birthday Bash Wednesday, May 10, 12 p.m. Join the Senior Center for a delicious ' lunch and entertainment. Members �► with May birthdays will be honored. Pre -registration is required and a veg- etarian option is available when reg- istering. Members $10, senior guests add $5 day pass. Lunch with Friends Thursday, May 24, 1 1:45 a.m. Join us for lunch! Pre -registration is re- against common scams aimed to- : Case Manager is also available by quired, and a vegetarian option is ward Medicare subscribers. Open to : appointment. Cantonese/Mandarin available when registering. Member : the public. Please sign up at the lobby : available. fee is $6, senior guests add $5 day table. @ pass. @ Caregiver Support Group @ Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise Thursday, May 11, 3 - 4:30 p.m. Harmonikatz & Ukulele Concert Monday, May15, 10 a.m. Provides a safe place for family care - Wednesday, May 24, 1:30-3 p.m. Learn about the types, epidemiolo- : givers to share their experiences and Members are free, senior guests pay gy, causes and exposures, symptoms, challenges. Join the circle of support. $5 day pass. treatments and therapies, and triggers : @ @ of the disease. Lecture series present- : Senior Adult Legal Aid (SALA) Monthly Movie ed by Breathe California of the Bay : Friday, Mays, 12, 19, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 31, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Area CPOD. Provides free assistance to elders for "The Book Thief" - (2013) @ basic legal matters in public benefits, Popcorn and lemonade will be served. Eat Smart, Be Well long-term care, elder abuse, housing, Members are free, senior guests add Monday, May 22, 10 a.m. consumer issues, incapacity planning, $5 day pass. Sign up at the lobby ta- : Specific foods can improve chronic probate alternative, and simple wills. ble. diseases and other illnesses. Learn the : Must be 60 or older and live in Santa benefits of eating the right foods. Clara County. Please call 408.777.3150 CLASSES & PRESENTATIONS to make an appointment. Dream Stories: Learn, Share, Enjoy SOCIAL SERVICES @ Monday, May 1, 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Volunteer Nurse- Blood Pressure Checks Health Insurance Counseling (HICAP) Learn techniques to help you remem- Tuesday, May 2, 16, 30, 12:15-1:15 p.m. Monday, May 8, 22, 1-3 p.m. ber your dreams as well as a way to Monday, May 8, 22, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Consultation on Medicare and health integrate your dream life with your : @ insurance. Please call 408.777.3150 to waking life. Free for members. Senior : Housing make an appointment. guests add a $5 day pass. Sign up at Monday, May 1, 15, - 1:30-3:30 p.m. the lobby table. A list of housing resources and con- @ tact information are provided to help Cribbage you independently search for housing. Wed., May 3, 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Please call 408.777.3150 to make an Have an item for the A cribbage master will be available to appointment. Community Calendar? show tips and tricks for the art of play- @ ing this popular game. Free for mem- : Drop -in Consultation with Case Man- Email: bers, senior guests add $5 day pass. ager scene@cupertino.org © Wednesdays 10 am - 12 pm Medicare Fraud Protect A case manager is available to discuss Monday, May 8, 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. community resources, benefits, and Discover how to protect yourself care options during the drop -in hours. PRSRT-STD U.S. Postage PAID Cupertino, CA Permit No. 239 *******ECRWSSEDDM******* POSTAL CUSTOMER Q$�a)THE SCENE ANSWER-S......................................................................................................................................... Have questions for staff? Send them to scene@cupertino.org or call (408) 777-3212. Question: I'm thinking about hosting a block party in my neighborhood. How do I make it happen? Answer: The City is excited to hear that you want to host a block party for you and your neighbors. Block parties help neighbors get to know each other, renew friendships, and work together on com- mon neighborhood interests. Several neighborhoods throughout the City hold annual block parties. It's their one day a year when the street is closed for fun and games. To host a block party, residents must apply for a permit at a minimum of 30 days prior to the event. The permit grants the applicant permission to close a public street at a specific date and time. Block Party Permits are generally issued to close residential streets during daylight hours. Happily, there is no fee for the permit and the City insures the event at no cost to the applicant. Prior to approval of the Block Party Permit, applicants must submit a petition to close the street. As you go door-to- door to introduce yourself to neighbors and gather signatures — ask for help. Are you planning a potluck? Be specific with what you need. Neighbors will participate if they know what is needed. Once you've established contact, send a reminder closer to the party date. The City will provide the necessary equipment to close the street safely. Street closure barricades are delivered to the applicants address on the last business day prior to the event. The applicant must physically place barricades at each end of the street closure prior to the event and remove barricades prior to dusk. In the end, the City hopes you have a wonderful and safe event. For more information, or to apply for a Block Party Permit, visit www.cupertino.org/blockparty. Jo Anne Johnson is a Senior Engineering Technician in Public Works. She is responsible for issuing permits for events and/or construction activity within the public right-of-way. The Cupertino Scene is printed on 40% post -consumer waste recycled paper with soy ink. .� The newsletter is produced by a certified Bay Area Green Business and is recyclable. . For information on becoming a certified Green Business, visit www.cupertino.org/GreenBiz. M CUPERTINO GREEN