Project of the Decade: East Channel Trail
- Sharlene Liu
- Mar 3
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 5
The East Channel Trail will be Sunnyvale's Transportation Project of the Decade. Dedicated to walking, biking, and other non-motorized modes, the Trail will run 5.5 miles from the Bay to the southern border with Cupertino. It will serve many schools, parks, employment centers, and residential neighborhoods, and it will connect to many existing and planned bike routes. Being car-free, the Trail will be safe and comfortable for all ages and abilities to travel on. Segments of this trail may be open soon, although full build-out is years away.
There are 7 major crossings that the East Channel Trail traverses. From north to south, these crossings are: Highway 237, Tasman Drive, Highway 101, Central Expressway, Caltrain tracks, El Camino Real, and Homestead Road. Most of these crossings will be bridges or tunnels. Because bridges and tunnels are expensive and will take time to build, short-term routes will be provided in the meantime. Many of these short-term routes are on Fair Oaks Ave. and Wolfe Rd., which will be improved for safety before they are open for use.
Other than the 7 major crossings, there will be a number of quiet neighborhood street crossings. Safety infrastructure like raised crosswalks and traffic signals will be installed to alert drivers of trail users crossing the street.
The community has been enthusiastic about the East Channel Trail. Although trail design and operation are yet to be finalized, the community has provided the following input. Pave the trail, to avoid rain puddles and to make biking smooth and dust-free. Do not install entry barriers like bollards, which are hazardous for cyclists. Install bike sensors to automatically detect cyclists at street crossings. If crosswalk push buttons are necessary, locate them within arms' reach of the trail so that cyclists don't have to dismount. Since the Trail will be built one segment at a time, prioritize the segments that are routes to school. Open trail segments as soon as possible. Use quick-build elements to hasten opening the Trail. For commuters and other transportation uses of the Trail, do not close the Trail at sunset; indeed, keep it open all the time, for the same reason that roadways are open all the time.
The City is now in Phase 3 of the project, which is to finish the concept design and identify an implementation strategy. The public will have a chance to provide more input during this phase. See the City's East Channel Trail project page for details and to subscribe for updates.
About the Author
Sharlene Liu is Founder and Chair of Sunnyvale Safe Streets. She is dedicated to making Sunnyvale's streets safe for walking and biking.
