REPORT TO BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ADVISARY COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Recommend to Council an Alternative for Hollenbeck Bike Lane Study
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
As part of Study Issue DPW 21-01, City staff studied the feasibility of installing Class II bicycle facilities along Hollenbeck Avenue from Danforth Drive to Alberta Avenue. After initial public outreach, three (3) options were identified, and an additional option was proposed by City Council during the May 20, 2025 Study Session. Option 1 would remove on-street parking on both sides of Hollenbeck Avenue and install Class IIB buffered bike lanes. Option 2A would alternate removal of on-street parking from one side of Hollenbeck Avenue to the other, and install Class II bicycle lanes on both sides of the street. Option 2B would remove on-street parking along the east side of Hollenbeck Avenue from Danforth Drive to Alberta Avenue to install Class II bicycle lanes on both sides of the street. Option 3 would align with the recommendations in the Active Transportation Plan (ATP) to maintain the existing on-street parking conditions and would not install bicycle lanes. This study included an existing conditions review, traffic and bicycle count data collection, parking utilization analysis, collision analysis, and community outreach, which are all summarized in this report.
BACKGROUND
Hollenbeck Avenue is a north-south residential collector street which spans from El Camino Real to Homestead Road. The roadway becomes Pastoria Avenue north of El Camino Real and Stelling Road south of Homestead Road. Currently, there are Class II bicycle lanes on Hollenbeck Avenue between El Camino Real and Danforth Drive and between Alberta Avenue and Homestead Road. Between Danforth Drive and Alberta Avenue, Hollenbeck Avenue mostly consists of a two-lane road with on-street parking with no bicycle facility.
The Active Transportation Plan (ATP) was adopted by City Council on August 25, 2020. The ATP identified numerous bicycle, pedestrian, and safe routes to school improvements needed throughout the City based on an extensive outreach and data evaluation process. It does not include bicycle facilities on this segment of Hollenbeck Avenue, with the exception of the recommendation of a Class II bike lane between Alberta Avenue and The Dalles Avenue.
At the 2023 Study Issues and Budget Issues Workshop, City Council considered the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission proposed Study Issue DPW 21-01 (RTC No. 23-0127) Bike Lanes on Hollenbeck Avenue between El Camino Real and Homestead Road. The study issue called for determining the feasibility of installing Class II bicycle facilities along Hollenbeck Avenue between Danforth Drive and Alberta Avenue. The study issue scope of work included a review of existing conditions, collision analysis, parking occupancy analysis, data collection, developing design options, and public outreach.
The City Council is scheduled to consider this item on December 2, 2025.
EXISTING POLICY
General Plan, Chapter 3, Land Use and Transportation Element Policies:
• LT-3.8: Prioritize safe accommodation for all transportation users over non-transport uses. As City streets are public spaces dedicated to the movement of vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians, facilities that meet minimum appropriate safety standards for transport uses shall be considered before non-transport uses are considered.
• LT-3.9: As parking is the temporary storage of transportation vehicles, do not consider parking a transport use of public streets.
• LT-3.10: Prioritize street space allocated for transportation uses over parking when determining the appropriate future use of street space.
• LT-3.22: Provide safe access to City streets for all modes of transportation. Safety considerations of all transport modes shall take priority over capacity considerations of any one transport mode.
Complete Streets Policy (No. 793-16)
• Resolution No. 896-18 (amending Resolution No. 793-16): The City wishes to improve its commitment to Complete Streets and desires that its streets form a comprehensive and integrated transportation network promoting safe, equitable, and convenient travel for all users while preserving flexibility, recognizing community context, and using the latest and best design guidelines and standards.
Climate Action Playbook
• Move 3.I: Establish and implement a plan to convert vehicle roadways to bicycle and pedestrian space to increase opportunities for active transportation in the community. Structural change to the vehicle roadways will encourage alternative transportation use. City staff will refer to the Active Transportation Plan to determine priority roadways to convert to bicycle and pedestrian space. Conversion options may include buffer lanes, protected bikeways, trails, partial road closures and paths that connect to active transportation routes.
Active Transportation Plan
• The purpose of the ATP is to assist the City in creating a safe, connected, and efficient citywide walking and bicycling network.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The creation of bicycle and pedestrian facilities on existing rights-of-way is exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(c). CEQA also contains a statutory exemption under Public Resources Code Section 21080.25(b)(1) for pedestrian and bicycle facilities that improve safety, access or mobility within the public right-of-way.
DISCUSSION
This study consisted of an evaluation of existing conditions (e.g., parking restrictions, roadway width), traffic and bicycle counts, parking utilization, collision data, and community outreach with residents and interested parties like churches and schools along the corridor.
Existing Conditions
Hollenbeck Avenue is a residential collector and most of the properties fronting it are single family homes. The study corridor is approximately 1.63 miles long. Other land uses along the corridor include schools, churches, a park, a swim and racquet club, and some commercial uses. Hollenbeck Avenue is generally 40 feet wide from curb to curb, with one (1) travel lane in each direction and on-street parking on both sides of the roadway. At some intersections, left turn lanes exist, and on-street parking is prohibited. With the limited roadway width, installing bicycle lanes would require the removal of some or all on-street parking along Hollenbeck Avenue.
Schools along the study corridor include Presbyterian Early Learning Center (PELC) and Challenger School. School representatives report short-term traffic build-up during pick-up and drop-off, which dissipates quickly. Removal of on-street parking in these areas could cause brief vehicle queues in travel lanes but is not expected to significantly affect traffic operations. Currently, cars queue along the parking lane as they wait for drop-off and pick-up, allowing vehicles to pass beside them on the travel lane.
There are two recreation areas located along the study corridor: (1) Serra Park and (2) the athletic field located on the southern portion of Challenger School. On-street parking is already prohibited along Serra Park’s frontage on Hollenbeck Avenue, while the athletic field’s frontage on Hollenbeck Avenue at Challenger allows parking after 4 p.m. until 8 a.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends. If on-street parking is removed near Challenger School, visitors could park on Torrington Avenue, which has 37 on-street parking spaces within 500 feet. These spaces are in high demand during school hours but become more available after school.
Traffic and Bicycle Counts
Traffic and bicycle counts were collected in October 2024. For three typical weekdays and two typical weekend days, 24-hour directional vehicular Average Daily Traffic (ADT) volumes, speeds, and bicycle counts were collected while school was in session. Hollenbeck Avenue carries an average ADT volume of 7,900 to 13,500 vehicles on weekdays and 5,720 to 9,730 vehicles on weekends. The average 85th percentile speed along the study corridor is approximately 40 mph, which is slightly higher than the posted speed limit of 35 mph.
Bicycle counts were also collected in October 2024 for three typical weekdays and two typical weekend days while school was in session. Bicycle counts include bicyclists on the street as well as any bicyclist riding on the sidewalk. On weekdays, the counts were collected from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. to capture the morning commute, and from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to capture afternoon school pick-up time as well as the evening commute period. Weekday bicycle counts ranged from 50-87 bicyclists during the 6-hour period. On the weekend, bicycle counts were collected from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. to capture midday and evening recreational biking. Weekend bicycle counts ranged from 26-77 bicyclists during the 6-hour period. Based on input received at the first community meeting, there was a desire to forecast the number of bikes that want to use the corridor but currently do not. Accordingly, 14-hour weekday bike counts were conducted along Hollenbeck Avenue, south of Conway Road and on two parallel roadways: along Mary Avenue north of Helena Drive, and along Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road north of Fremont Avenue. All counts were gathered from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Bicycle counts for the three parallel corridors are summarized below:
|
Street Name |
14-Hour Weekday Bike Volume |
|
Mary Avenue |
374 |
|
Hollenbeck Avenue |
105 |
|
Sunnyvale-Saratoga Road |
162 |
Collisions
In the past five years from 2019 through 2023, a total of 70 collisions were reported along Hollenbeck Avenue from Danforth Drive and Alberta Avenue, five (5) of which were bicyclist-related collisions. The primary collision factors for the bicycle-related collisions include:
• Bicycle colliding with a parked vehicle - 2 (one due to dooring)
• Auto right-of-way Violation - 1
• Broadside - 1
• Sideswipe - 1
For comparison, during the same five year period for the entire length of Hollenbeck Avenue between El Camino Real and Homestead, which includes the existing bicycle lanes, is shown in the table below as “Total Occurrences”.
Collision Data Breakdown (2019-2023)
|
Involved with |
Total Occurrences |
Occurrences within Study Corridor |
|
Motor Vehicles Only |
83 |
62 |
|
Pedestrian |
5 |
3 |
|
Bicycle |
10 |
5 |
|
Total |
98 |
70 |
To understand the safety performance of the study corridor and intersections, collision data is compared against the Caltrans statewide average of crash rates for similar roadway facilities as published by Caltrans in the 2023 Crash Data on California State Highway. This is discussed in the project’s Draft Final Report (see Attachment 2). A corridor collision is one occurring just outside the intersection crosswalk lines. Intersection collisions are defined as those occurring within the limits of the intersection, bounded by the crosswalk lines.
For corridor collisions, the calculated crash rate for the project segment of Hollenbeck Avenue, excluding the intersections, is approximately 1.08 collisions per million vehicle miles traveled (MVMT). This is slightly lower than the Caltrans Statewide average crash rate of 1.11 collisions per MVMT. Most of the collisions are due to factors such as unsafe speeds, traffic signals and signs, auto right-of-way violation, and improper turning.
The intersection crash rates were also calculated for the intersections within the study corridor. Intersections include Hollenbeck Avenue at Danforth Drive, Harvard Avenue, Remington Avenue, Sheraton Drive, Torrington Drive, Fremont Avenue, Bend Drive, Cascade Drive, Cheyenne Drive, The Dalles Avenue, and Alberta Avenue. The crash rates are summarized in the table below. The intersection calculated crash rates are all lower than the Caltrans Statewide average.
|
Intersection at Hollenbeck Ave |
Collisions |
Intersection Calculated Crash Rate |
2023 Statewide Average Crash Rate |
|
Danforth Drive |
6 |
0.29 |
0.55 |
|
Harvard Avenue |
2 |
0.14 |
0.36 |
|
Remington Drive |
6 |
0.21 |
0.50 |
|
Sheraton Drive |
3 |
0.20 |
0.36 |
|
Torrington Drive |
1 |
0.05 |
0.55 |
|
Fremont Avenue |
12 |
0.23 |
0.55 |
|
Bend Drive |
1 |
0.05 |
0.22 |
|
Cascade Drive |
3 |
0.12 |
0.55 |
|
Cheyenne Drive |
1 |
0.05 |
0.22 |
|
The Dalles Avenue |
1 |
0.04 |
0.22 |
|
Alberta Avenue |
3 |
0.13 |
0.43 |
Parking Utilization
Parking data was collected to determine the occupancy of on-street parking along Hollenbeck Avenue, parking in the driveways of homes along Hollenbeck Avenue (off-street parking), and parking on side streets within 500 feet of Hollenbeck Avenue. The number of parked vehicles in driveways was counted to measure the potential of on-street parking utilization to shift to parking on driveways; however, it is nearly impossible to determine the source of vehicles parked on-street. Therefore, a conservative approach was taken and driveway parking utilization was not considered when determining parking spill over locations.
Parking occupancy data was collected on three weekdays and two weekend days when parking demand is typically the highest. On weekdays, parking counts were collected in the afternoon from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. to capture school pick-up times and after school events based on input received from residents and institutions along the segment. Parking data was also collected at nighttime from 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. because parking demand in residential areas is typically the highest during this time. On weekends, parking data was collected from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. to capture parking demand due to church events and events at the park and athletic field along the segment. On-street parking data was also collected from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Hollenbeck Avenue, Alberta Avenue, and The Dalles Avenue in the immediate vicinity of Serra Park to capture weekend afternoon parking demand based on input received during the community meeting. During the weekends, parking counts were also collected at nighttime from 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Based on the parking data collected as summarized in the Draft Final Report (Attachment 2), it was determined that Hollenbeck Avenue has a total of 340 on-street parking spaces. Of which, 177 parking spaces are on the west side of the segment, and the remaining 163 spaces are on the east side of the segment. Out of the 177 parking spaces on the west side, a maximum of 58 parked vehicles were observed, resulting in a peak parking utilization of 33%. Of the 163 parking spaces on the east side of the segment, a maximum of 38 parked vehicles were observed, resulting in a peak parking utilization of 23%.
On the east side of the study corridor, heavy peak parking utilization percentage was observed between Vanderbilt Drive and Torrington Drive (over 80%) and moderate on-street peak parking utilization was observed between Conway Road and Vanderbilt Drive (over 60%).
On the west side of the study corridor, moderate peak parking utilization was observed between Fremont Avenue and Conway Road (over 60%), Vanderbilt Drive and Torrington Drive (at 60%), Harvard Avenue and Danforth Drive (over 40%) and Cheyenne Drive and Cascade Drive (over 40%).
Proposed Options
Option 1 (see Attachment 3):
This option would remove on-street parking from both sides of Hollenbeck Avenue between Danforth Drive and Alberta Avenue to install Class IIB buffered bicycle lanes on both sides of the street, providing the greatest separation between bicycles and vehicles. The proposed design includes six-foot bicycle lanes with three-foot buffers and eleven-foot travel lanes, eliminating a total of 340 on-street parking spaces.
Peak parking utilization along Hollenbeck Avenue was observed at 96 vehicles. If all on-street parking is removed, these parked vehicles are expected to shift to nearby side streets. Within 500 feet of Hollenbeck Avenue, there are 472 on-street parking spaces on side streets, with peak parking utilization ranging from less than 20% to over 80%. Streets with utilization above 80% were not considered suitable for absorbing the parking overflow. This assumes the least ideal scenario for walking distance, as only a few vehicles would be able to park in areas with parking utilization above 80%.
Parking relocation would increase walking distances from parked vehicles to residences where there is no vacant driveway space available. Walking distance is calculated as the mid-block length plus 250 feet to the closest side-street with available parking. Using an assumed walking speed of 3.5 feet/second and block lengths ranging from 400 feet to 1,300 feet, the typical walk time would be:
• Approximately 2 to 5 minutes (130 to 285 seconds) for most locations
• Over 5 minutes for four segments:
o Harvard Avenue to Danforth Drive
o Knickerbocker Drive to Harvard Avenue
o Fremont Avenue to Winstead Court/Conway Road
o Alberta Avenue and The Dalles Avenue.
It is important to note that the above analysis is a conservative analysis because it is based on the observed maximum parking occupancy for each segment of Hollenbeck Avenue to present the least ideal scenario for walking. Furthermore, the residential homes along the study corridor have driveways that can accommodate two cars and some even a third car. Since it is unknown who is parking on-street, and whether those residents’ homes have driveways that can accommodate additional vehicles, this analysis did not account for off-street parking utilization. Therefore, the actual parking spillover to the side-streets may be lower and actual walk times and distances may be shorter.
Installing Class II buffered bicycle lanes requires the removal of all four pork-chop islands at the intersection of Hollenbeck Avenue and Fremont Avenue, and removal of left-turn lanes at the intersection of Hollenbeck Avenue and Torrington Drive.
The removal of the pork-chop islands and the left turn lanes would have minimal operational effects at the two intersections.
The Downtown Specific Plan also proposes adding future northbound and southbound left-turn lanes at the intersection of Hollenbeck Avenue and Remington Drive to accommodate anticipated traffic growth. Hollenbeck Avenue has a curb-to-curb width of 40 feet. To fit a left turn lane, both the northbound and southbound through lanes, as well as the left-turn lane, would need to be 10 feet wide, with 5-foot-wide bicycle lanes. However, Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) currently operates a bus route along northbound Hollenbeck Avenue that turns right onto Remington Drive. Because buses measure 10.5 feet wide from mirror-to-mirror, an 11-foot-wide travel lane is required along this segment. Given the lane-width requirement and the existing roadway width, providing a northbound bicycle lane on Hollenbeck Avenue approaching Remington Drive would not be feasible.
With Option 1, if residents were to park on nearby side streets, additional crossing improvements might be necessary. These could include high visibility crosswalks, curb ramps, enhanced lighting, extended crossing times at traffic signals, stop bars, and curb radius reductions. However, the evaluation of crossing improvements was outside the study issue scope, and therefore their costs are not included in the Option 1 cost estimate. The removal of pork-chop islands at all four corners at Fremont Avenue would be required to implement the proposed bicycle facility, and those removal costs are included in the project cost estimates.
Crossing improvements at two intersections - at Danforth Drive and at Harvard Avenue - have already been completed through a Capital Improvement Project. The ATP also identifies intersection improvements at most of the intersections along the corridor, except between Conway Road and Vanderbilt Drive, where pedestrian demand is expected to be low and two signalized crossings are located within 500 feet.
This option received positive feedback from the bicycle community and some residents along the study corridor. However, many residents along Hollenbeck Avenue are opposed to this option.
Option 2A (see Attachment 3):
This option would remove on-street parking on alternating sides of Hollenbeck Avenue between Danforth Drive and Alberta Avenue to install a Class II bicycle lane. The typical configuration would include an eight-foot parking lane, two (2) ten-foot vehicular travel lanes, and two (2) six-foot bicycle lanes. On segments with a bus route, the travel lane would be widened to eleven feet and the bicycle lane would be narrowed to five feet to accommodate bus widths.
Determining which side retains on-street parking required balancing several factors: maximizing the total number of parking spaces, minimizing spillover parking on side streets, and creating a “chicane” effect by alternating parking locations. Under this option, on-street parking would shift from one side to the other 10 times along the corridor. Each shift would create a short transition zone with no parking on either side, resulting in the loss of up to six on-street parking spaces per transition. The alternating parking layout would produce a “chicane” effect, which is a lateral shift in the travel path, and has been shown to reduce vehicle speeds. This design approach maximizes the number of parking spaces retained in front of residential properties while incorporating lateral shifts for potentially slow down traffic. In addition, the alternating parking locations are intended to limit the number of pedestrians having to cross Hollenbeck Avenue after parking on a nearby side street, thus increasing the number of shifts along the corridor.
This option would remove 197 on-street parking spaces, 75 from the east side of the street and 122 from the west side of Hollenbeck Avenue, while retaining 136 spaces (86 on the east side and 50 on the west side). It would also add eight (8) new spaces: two (2) on the east side and six (6) on the west side. These parking spaces would be added with the removal of the pork-chop islands and the associated merging lane at Fremont Avenue. In total, the on-street parking count for this option would be 144 on-street parking spaces, with 88 on the east side and 56 on the west side. For most of the corridor, the typical walking time to on-street parking would be under five (5) minutes; however, the segment between Harvard Drive and Danforth Drive would exceed seven (7) minutes. As discussed under Option 1, this analysis is considered conservative because it is based on the observed parking demand for each segment. Therefore, the actual parking spillover to the side streets may be lower.
Because this option alternates which side of the street retains parking, no additional pedestrian improvements are anticipated. It is anticipated that drivers would predominately park on the same side of the street as their destination, avoiding the need to cross Hollenbeck Avenue. Queueing conditions at schools during pick-up and drop-off would be similar to those under Option 1, as would parking impacts at the recreation area along the corridor.
Similar to Option 1, this option would require several modifications along Hollenbeck Avenue to accommodate the bicycle lanes, including the ones at the intersection of Hollenbeck Avenue and Fremont Avenue and at the intersection of Hollenbeck Avenue and Torrington Drive. The planned improvements at the intersection of Hollenbeck Avenue and Remington Drive discussed under Option 1 are the same.
This option received minimal support from both residents and the bicycling community, with concerns centered on vehicles potentially parking illegally in chicane transition zones, bicycle lanes planned within the “door zone” (the area where car doors swing open), and the loss of on-street parking.
Option 2B (see Attachment 3):
At the May 20, 2025 Council Study Session, Council directed staff to evaluate Option 2B, which would remove on-street parking on one side of the street as opposed to shifting between sides, to implement Class II bicycle lanes. Based on the parking data collected, there is a higher parking supply and a higher parking demand along the west side of Hollenbeck Avenue. As such, staff proposes to remove on-street parking on the east side of Hollenbeck Avenue between Danforth Drive and The Dalles Avenue. Since parking is currently prohibited on the west side of Hollenbeck Avenue between The Dalles Avenue and Alberta Avenue in front of Serra Park, there is already enough space to implement a Class II bicycle lane on both sides of the street.
This option would provide an eight-foot parking lane along the west side of Hollenbeck Avenue north of The Dalles Avenue, two (2) ten-foot vehicle travel lanes that would be increased to eleven-foot travel lanes when a bus route is present, and six-foot bicycle lanes on both sides of the street that would be reduced to five feet when a bus route is present.
A total of 185 on-street parking spaces would be removed with this option, 156 from the east side of the street and 29 from the west side. This option would retain 155 on-street parking spaces, seven (7) on the east side and 148 on the west side, and add eight (8) parking spaces, two (2) on the east side and six (6) on the west side. Similar to Option 1, parking spaces are added with the removal of the pork-chop islands and merge lane at Fremont Avenue. On-street parking count for this option would total 163 on-street parking spaces, nine (9) on the east side and 154 on the west side. The typical walking time to available on-street parking for this option is less than five (5) minutes. However, there are four (4) segments with a walk time greater than five (5) minutes (up to 7 minutes):
• Between Harvard Avenue and Danforth Drive
• Between Knickerbocker Drive and Harvard Avenue
• Between Conway Road and Vanderbilt Drive
• Between Fremont Avenue and Conway Road.
As discussed under Option 1, this analysis is considered conservative because it is based on the observed maximum parking demand for each segment. Therefore, the actual parking spillover to the side streets may be lower and actual walk times and distances may be shorter.
Since this option maintains parking on one side of the street only, some pedestrian crossing improvements may be beneficial. If this option is selected, the final design phase would consider pedestrian crossing improvements.
Queueing concerns at schools during pick-up and drop-off are expected to be minimal since parking would be retained along the west side, where the schools are located. Parking concerns are not expected near Serra Park, as on-street parking is already prohibited along its frontage. Similarly, the athletic field south of Challenger School is not expected to be affected, as no changes are proposed to the existing on-street parking restrictions along its frontage.
Similar to Option 1 and Option 2A, this option would require several modifications along Hollenbeck Avenue to accommodate the bicycle lanes, including the ones at the intersection of Hollenbeck Avenue and Fremont Avenue and at the intersection of Hollenbeck Avenue and Torrington Drive. The planned improvements at the intersection of Hollenbeck Avenue and Remington Drive discussed under Option 1 are the same.
Since direction from Council to add this option was provided after both community meetings, we are presenting to the community for feedback at this BPAC meeting.
Option 3 (see attachment 3):
This option would uphold the current ATP recommendations, where no bicycle lanes would be installed and on-street parking would maintain as existing conditions.
This option has received a lot of positive feedback from residents along Hollenbeck Avenue.
Below are some options previously suggested by Council or the public with comments from staff, but were not pursued further in this this study. Before any of these options could be selected, the Council would need to direct staff to conduct further traffic studies and analysis.
• Part-time bike lane with on-street parking allowed during certain times of day
o Bicycle counts showed that bicyclists travel along the study corridor throughout the day on both weekdays and weekends. Part-time bike lanes would not provide bicycle facilities at all times of the day, and the alternating use of space as bike lane or parking lane could create confusion for both drivers and bicyclists.
• Parking Protected Bike Lane
o The study corridor is not sufficiently wide to accommodate a three-foot-wide buffer along with a six-foot-wide bike lane and parking in one direction, a bike lane in the other direction, and travel lane in each direction.
• Bidirectional cycle track on one side and parking on the other side
o NACTO recommends that a two-way cycle track be 13 feet wide to accommodate all types of bicycles, side-by-side bicycle riding, platooning, and passing. With a 13-foot-wide facility, Hollenbeck Avenue would not have sufficient roadway width to accommodate parking on one side of the street. Furthermore, bidirectional protected bike lanes would introduce additional conflict points at intersections and driveways. Hollenbeck Avenue is almost entirely fronted by single family homes, which have frequent driveways.
• Two-way cycle track in the middle of the road
o Similar to a bidirectional cycle track on one side of the roadway, a two-way cycle track in the middle of the road needs to be sufficiently wide to accommodate all types of bicycles, side-by-side bicycle riding, platooning, and passing. Additionally, these facilities pose significant challenges for intersection design, including a higher crash risk if conflicts are not well separated.
• Turning Hollenbeck Avenue into a one-way street
o Hollenbeck Avenue is a residential collector street, which collects traffic from local streets and carries it to arterial streets. Turning the study corridor, which is only a portion of Hollenbeck Avenue into a one-way street would cause traffic diversions to other streets and would require a larger study area to understand the effects on vehicular operations along the study corridor and parallel streets.
Public Outreach Summary
Extensive outreach was conducted with residents and members of the public through two community meetings, an online survey, two interested parties meetings, and two BPAC meetings. Additionally, staff met with smaller groups of community members who reached out to have separate meetings. Through the outreach, options 1, 2A and 3 were developed and feedback incorporated. Option 2B was developed as a result of the feedback from the outreach and direction from Council.
Staff held two virtual interested parties meetings, the first on September 4, 2024 and the second meeting on March 5, 2025, where they met with representatives from PELC Preschool and Challenger School. Businesses and the church along the project segment were also invited but did not participate. Representatives from PELC Preschool expressed concerns regarding the removal of parking along their Hollenbeck Avenue frontage. Specifically, they highlighted the need for parking to accommodate parents during pick-up and drop-off periods and the importance of maintaining clear travel lanes due to queueing that typically occurs before pick-up time. In addition, Challenger school noted that they have a bicycling program at their school, but that only a handful of students are enrolled as most of their students come from outside the area.
Staff presented the project to BPAC on September 19, 2024 (RTC No. 24-0975), to introduce the study and collect feedback. Subsequently, staff hosted the first public meeting on September 26, 2024, in a hybrid format, with 38 participants (18 in person and 17 virtually). Community feedback included general support for bicycle lanes, opposition to removing on-street parking from residents along Hollenbeck Avenue, and requests for expanded data collection efforts by the City. Input from these meetings was used to adjust the data collection efforts and develop the potential options.
On March 4, 2025, staff hosted a second hybrid public meeting. During the second public meeting, staff received feedback regarding the draft design options. The main concerns from the community about Option 1 were the lack of space for service workers to park in front of residences, loading situation for delivery vehicles, potential queueing along Hollenbeck due to not being able to overtake bicycles, needs for pedestrian improvements as removal of parking would increase walking times to residences and potential crossing improvements. Support for Option 1 mentioned a strong desire to have dedicated bicycle facilities along this corridor and to connect the existing bicycle facilities to the north and south. Others also mentioned that a buffered bicycle lane would prevent vehicles from having to wait behind slower moving bicycles.
Feedback for Option 2A included the concerns for bicyclists due to the lateral on-street parking shifts, the potential for bicycles getting hit by vehicle doors by having a bicycle lane next to a parking lane, and the concern that the bicycle lane would not be wide enough as a two-foot gutter would allow only three feet of pavement for bicycles with the bicycle lane. Most comments did not support Option 2A.
Concerns for Option 3 were that bicyclists feel unsafe when biking along Hollenbeck and they feel that buffered bicycle lanes would provide a more comfortable experience. Students expressed their desire for a bicycle lane to travel to and from Homestead High School. Residents of the project segment expressed a strong preference for Option 3 to preserve on-street parking for their guests, service providers, and delivery vehicles. Some residents were concerned that those with mobility issues cannot walk from side streets to get to and from their vehicles.
In addition, some residents expressed concerns with vehicular speeding along Hollenbeck and were interested in traffic calming elements being added. Staff explained that traffic calming is a separate process and not included in the scope of this study. The traffic calming request is being processed separately from this study as part of the City’s Traffic Calming Program.
On March 4, 2025, staff launched an online survey, which received 703 responses. Of these survey responses, 248 (35%) were from residents who live on Hollenbeck Avenue, 240 (34%) from residents who live one to four blocks from Hollenbeck Avenue, 125 (18%) from residents who live somewhere else in Sunnyvale, and the remaining (13%) from residents outside of Sunnyvale. Survey results showed that approximately 80% of the survey respondents who live on Hollenbeck Avenue (199 respondents) support Option 3 and oppose adding bicycle lanes, while 53% of the respondents who do not live on Hollenbeck Avenue (240 respondents) support Option 1. Five hundred forty-two (542) respondents answered that they primarily drive on Hollenbeck Avenue, and 40 of them responded that they do not bike now but would start biking on Hollenbeck Avenue if bike lanes were installed. One hundred forty (140) respondents answered that they primarily bike on Hollenbeck Avenue. One hundred eight (108) responded that they would bike more on Hollenbeck or that they currently bike on a different street and would switch to biking on Hollenbeck Avenue if bike lanes were installed.
On March 20, 2025, staff presented the design options to BPAC (RTC No. 25-0495) for feedback. BPAC expressed their support for Option 1, and provided suggestion changes to Option 2A, including adding a new option that only removes parking on one side.
The study was introduced to City Council during a study session on May 20, 2025 (RTC No. 25-0075), where Council provided comments, which included keeping the project separate from traffic calming requests, considering potential pedestrian improvements that may be needed if bicycle lanes are installed, reaching out to nearby schools outside of the project segment to get the word out to students and parents about the project and directing staff to add Option 2B to the study scope.
Throughout the project, staff received 98 emails from the public - 49 in support of bike lanes and 49 in opposition. Two community led petitions were also submitted: one supporting buffered bicycle lanes (see Attachment 4), with 162 signatures (140 from local residents and the remainder from nearby cities), and one opposing any bicycle lanes (see Attachment 5) to be implemented on Hollenbeck Avenue, with 163 signatures from residents near and along Hollenbeck Avenue. In addition, the City received a letter of support for Option 1 (see Attachment 6), co-signed by 15 advocacy groups.
Cost Estimates
The cost estimate for each option is broken down in the table below:
|
Option |
Total Cost |
|
1 |
$5 million |
|
2A |
$5 million |
|
2B |
$5 million |
|
3 |
$0 |
This cost includes final design as well as construction. The cost estimates do not include potential pedestrian crossing improvement costs. The majority of the cost for Options 1, 2A and 2B is for the removal of the pork-chop islands and traffic signal modification at Hollenbeck Avenue and Fremont Avenue. While there are some striping differences between Options 1, 2A, and 2B, they are insignificant to the total cost of the project due to the relatively low cost of striping improvements compared to pork-chop island removals and traffic signal modification.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total project costs for Options 1, 2A and 2B are approximately $5 million each. There is currently no funding for further final design or construction. After the selection of the alternative, if a build option is selected staff will look for grant opportunities for the design and construction phases for the project and work through a future budget process to create a Capital Improvement Project for City Council consideration. Staff will also look for opportunities to implement this project in combination with other projects to help reduce the cost.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the meeting agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board at City Hall. In addition, the agenda and this report are available at the City Hall reception desk located on the first floor of City Hall at 456 W. Olive Avenue (during normal business hours), and on the City's website.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Recommend to City Council to implement Option 1: Remove on-street parking on both sides of the street on Hollenbeck Avenue between Danforth Drive and Alberta Avenue to implement Class IIB buffered bicycle lanes, find that the action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(c) and Public Resources Code Section 21080.25(b)(1), and recommend that the City Council direct staff to include the concept plan as an unfunded project in the FY 2025/26 Budget pending future identification of funding.
2. Recommend to City Council to implement Option 2A: Remove on-street parking from one side of the street on Hollenbeck Avenue between Danforth Drive and Alberta Avenue, alternating between the east and west sides, implement Class II bicycle lanes, find that the action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(c) and Public Resources Code Section 21080.25(b)(1), and recommend that the City Council direct staff to include the concept plan as an unfunded project in the FY 2025/26 Budget pending future identification of funding.
3. Recommend to City Council to implement Option 2B: Remove on-street parking on the east side of the street on Hollenbeck Avenue between Danforth Drive and The Dalles, and implement Class II bicycle lanes between Danforth Drive and Alberta Avenue, find that the action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(c) and Public Resources Code Section 21080.25(b)(1), and recommend that the City Council direct staff to include the concept plan as an unfunded project in the FY 2025/26 Budget pending future identification of funding.
4. Recommend to City Council to implement Option 3: Maintain the existing on-street parking conditions with no addition of bicycle lanes, which is consistent with the ATP.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Alternative 3: Recommend to City Council to approve Option 2B, to remove on-street parking on the east side of the street on Hollenbeck Avenue between Danforth Drive and The Dalles Avenue, and implement Class II bicycle lanes between Danforth Drive and Alberta Avenue, find that the action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(c) and Public Resources Code Section 21080.25(b)(1). Recommend that the City Council direct staff to include the concept plan as an unfunded project in the FY 2025/26 Budget pending future identification of funding
Justification of Recommendation
This option would create a continuous Class II bicycle lane along Hollenbeck Avenue from El Camino Real to Homestead Road, improving bicycle connectivity between key destinations such as Downtown Sunnyvale and DeAnza College. By removing on-street parking only on the east side, most parking on the west side would remain available for residents, balancing the needs of both cyclists and local residents. Additionally, consolidating parking to one side of the street may reduce the need for pedestrians to cross the street to access their vehicles, potentially improving pedestrian safety.
Levine Act
LEVINE ACT
The Levine Act (Gov. Code Section 84308) prohibits city officials from participating in certain decisions regarding licenses, permits, and other entitlements for use if the official has received a campaign contribution of more than $500 from a party, participant, or agent of a party or participant in the previous 12 months. The Levine Act is intended to prevent financial influence on decisions that affect specific, identifiable persons or participants. For more information see the Fair Political Practices Commission website: www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/pay-to-play-limits-and-prohibitions.html
An “X” in the checklist below indicates that the action being considered falls under a Levine Act category or exemption:
SUBJECT TO THE LEVINE ACT
___ Land development entitlements
___ Other permit, license, or entitlement for use
___ Contract or franchise
EXEMPT FROM THE LEVINE ACT
___ Competitively bid contract*
___ Labor or personal employment contract
___ Contract under $50,000 or non-fiscal
___ Contract between public agencies
_X_ General policy and legislative actions
* "Competitively bid" means a contract that must be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.
Staff
Prepared by: Erik Trujillo, Traffic Engineer
Reviewed by: Angela Obeso, Traffic and Transportation Manager
Reviewed by: Chip Taylor, Director, Department of Public Works
Reviewed by: Sarah Johnson-Rios, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Tim Kirby, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Reserved for Report to Council
2. Draft Final Report
3. Conceptual Design of the Options
4. Petition in Support of Option 1
5. Petition in Support of Option 3
6. Letter of support from Advocacy Groups