The city of Sunnyvale is choosing not to support a dedicated, bus-only lane for a Bus Rapid Transit project down El Camino Real for the second time in nearly three years.
Instead, the Sunnyvale City Council voted 4-3 on Feb. 24 to support an option that would see VTA buses share travel lanes with other vehicles.
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority redefined its BRT dedicated bus lane project in 2012 after the Sunnyvale City Council voted against it the first time. But two years later, the Valley Transportation Authority transit agency is still advocating for bus-only lanes and stations that would traverse the median of El Camino Real, stretching from San Jose to Palo Alto.
The dedicated lanes proposal would repurpose the two center lanes on El Camino to be for buses only. BRT stations in Sunnyvale would be located at Wolfe Road, Remington Drive, Hollenbeck Avenue and Bernardo Avenue. While bus travel times are projected to be cut nearly in half for the entire 17-mile corridor, it would mean drivers could make only right turns at six Sunnyvale intersections. Some on-street parking would also be eliminated in order to make room for the new stations.
Some Sunnyvale City Council members argued that moving forward with the dedicated lanes would follow the city’s General Plan policies that address traffic concerns along the corridor, while others on the council said alternatives to BRT should be explored.
“We talked a lot about options and the dedicated lane option, and there is no doubt in my mind that the bus would move faster,” Councilman Glenn Hendricks said. “What I have a challenge with is overall the broader impacts for the city to other roadways away from El Camino and the impact to El Camino itself. I can’t get past that.”
The Feb. 24 decision to support mixed-use lanes was made after two hours of public testimony and about three additional hours of council discussion. Residents of all ages spoke both in favor and against the proposal. A group of college students held up signs that read “I [heart] BRT with dedicated lanes.”
Representatives from Sunnyvale’s auto dealerships argued during the meeting that removing a lane and reducing on-street parking would greatly harm their businesses. A newly formed group called the El Camino Business Coalition also shared concerns about the anticipated diversion of traffic onto side streets.
The dedicated lane project is estimated to cost $230 million whereas the mixed-use lanes is estimated to cost around $90 million.
Sunnyvale’s Feb. 24 vote was merely advisory. VTA’s board of directors will have final say on which version of the project they want to pursue, or whether they want to pursue the project at all. VTA staff said the board’s decision will be influenced by the cities along the corridor and Caltrans, the agency that owns El Camino Real north of Interstate 880. As the owner of the street, Caltrans must approve any changes made by the BRT Project.
The VTA will continue to gather the preferred alternatives of surrounding cities before presenting the information to its board of directors in April. A final environmental impact report is expected to be complete in the fall.
The funding for the selected alternative for El Camino Real BRT will come from the Measure A Transit Improvement Program and Federal Transit Administration’s Small Starts Program.
For more information about the project, visit vta.org
