The Parks and Recreation Commission heard a project overview Sept. 10 for the East Channel Trail Study, which examines potential multiuse trail routing along the East Channel maintenance road and identifies barriers and next steps.

Esther Jung, a traffic engineer with the city’s transportation and traffic division, told the commission, “The East Channel is a major flood control channel managed by Valley Water.” Jung said the channel runs about 5 1/2 miles along Sunnyvale’s eastern side and that a trail alongside the maintenance road could connect Caltrain and VTA stations, multiple schools, parks and employment centers while preserving Valley Water access for operations.

The study — which Jung said officially kicked off in late 2024 — is a planning and engagement phase. “City does not have identified funding for design or construction at this time,” she said. Jung described the current phase as one of information gathering and technical analysis; if the City Council decides to pursue project funding later, the study will recommend phasing, permitting needs and cost estimates for each segment.

Why this matters: a continuous trail along the East Channel could provide a direct, low‑cost active-transportation connection across Sunnyvale, but major crossings and right-of-way issues mean design and implementation will require coordination with multiple outside agencies and new funding.

Key findings and constraints

Jung described corridor conditions and outreach to date. The maintenance road varies in width but includes stretches she said are “sometimes as wide as 12 to 16 feet,” wide enough in many places for a shared-use path. The corridor provides direct access to four parks, the John W. Christian Greenbelt, eight schools within a half-mile and employment areas such as Moffett Park.

Major barriers the study must address include pedestrian and bicycle crossings of El Camino Real, the Caltrain rail corridor, Central Expressway, U.S. 101, Tasman Drive/BART‑area light rail and State Route 237. Jung also cited right-of-way conflicts where the channel runs underground on private property, erosion and vertical clearance issues near PG&E transmission towers.

Public outreach and preferences

Jung summarized the Phase 1 engagement that ran through spring 2025 and said the team connected with the community at pop-ups (reported as roughly 323 attendees across events), three community meetings (about 52 attendees total), three walking workshops (68 participants) and an online survey that drew roughly 1,142 responses. From that input she reported: 63% of survey respondents live within three blocks of the corridor; 85% said they would use the trail more than once a month and 40% of adjacent residents said they would use it daily.

Community priorities emerging from outreach included connectivity and ADA access, environmental protections, privacy and fencing for adjacent residents, separation from vehicles and clear signage for safety, and commitments on long‑term maintenance and flood management.

Next steps and coordination

Jung said Phase 2 began in spring 2025 and is scheduled to continue through the end of 2026. Phase 2 will develop short‑term on‑street connections and longer‑term crossing solutions such as bridges, and will analyze crossing treatments grouped as Tier 1 (lower-speed streets with treatments like high‑visibility crosswalks), Tier 2 (medium-speed streets with treatments such as rectangular rapid flashing beacons) and Tier 3 (high-speed, high-traffic streets that may require signalization).

She listed agencies on the study’s technical advisory committee, including Valley Water, VTA, Caltrans, Caltrain, Santa Clara County roads, PG&E and neighboring jurisdictions.

Questions from commissioners and public comment

Commissioners asked about phasing and how the city would prioritize segments; Jung said phasing would reflect available funding, engineering feasibility and potential impact. A caller identified as Donna asked how the city would “make it safe for the residents who live along the trail” given the historical absence of public access; Jung said safety concerns were captured in the FAQ for Phase 1 and would be carried forward for Phase 2 conversations and design options.

Staff emphasized multiple outreach channels planned for Phase 2, including volunteer “trail ambassadors,” pop-ups at markets and school events, another community survey and Spanish‑language engagement through local schools and PTAs.

Ending

The presentation closed with instructions on how to stay informed: sign up on the East Channel Trail project webpage and follow the city on social platforms for event notices. No formal action or vote was taken by the commission on the trail study at the Sept. 10 meeting.