REPORT TO BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Recommend to City Council to approve the Design Alternative 1 to remove one southbound travel lane and install a Class IIB Buffered Bicycle Lane on southbound Mathilda Avenue between Ahwanee Avenue/Almanor Avenue and Maude Avenue, Find that the action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guideline Section 15301(c), and Direct staff to include the proposed improvements as a future unfunded project
Report
BACKGROUND
Mathilda Avenue is a major north-south arterial and is designated as a Regional Significant Roadway, with a posted speed limit of 45 mph, connecting the Moffett Park Area to the north with Downtown Sunnyvale and the El Camino and residential areas to the south. The roadway also carries a significant amount of traffic from outside of Sunnyvale to job centers located throughout the City. Currently, between Ahwanee Avenue/Almanor Avenue and Maude Avenue, the corridor features three northbound travel lanes and a Class IIB buffered bicycle lane, while the southbound direction has four travel lanes and no bicycle facility. The City's 2020 Active Transportation Plan (ATP) proposes a Class IIB buffered bicycle lane in the southbound direction. Implementing this improvement would require a roadway reallocation to remove one southbound travel lane to provide the necessary space. To assess the potential operational effects, a traffic study was completed to evaluate how the lane reduction would affect roadway operations. The study area, which begins at the southbound US 101 off-ramp, lies within the Peery Park Specific Plan Area and is primarily composed of commercial and retail land uses.
The City Council is scheduled to consider this item on August 26, 2025.
EXISTING POLICY
General Plan, Chapter 3, Land Use and Transportation Element Policies:
* LT-3 - An Effective Multimodal Transportation System: Offer the community a variety of transportation modes for local travel that are also integrated with t...
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