Residents press Santa Clara on Lafayette reversible lane, lane widths and enforcement during Vision Zero workshop

Residents attending the City of Santa Clara's Vision Zero webinar pressed staff on several corridor-specific concerns, focusing on the reversible lane on Lafayette Street, lane width policy and enforcement of traffic laws.

During the webinar, several participants asked that the reversible center lane on Lafayette Street be removed. Nicole He, the traffic engineering project lead for the city, said Lafayette is one of the priority corridors on the high-injury network and staff have received “similar comments from the online surveys and past events.” She said the lane configuration was implemented many years ago to accommodate peak‑hour flow and that the city will analyze current traffic patterns before proposing a change.

Steve Chan, the city's transportation manager, said the reversible lane operation between Lewis and Homestead is a system that will require study if the city is to consider removal or other changes. He said: “That's a project in itself. We will need to study the need of the reversible lane if it's still needed or not.”

Lane widths and bike facilities: several attendees urged narrower motor vehicle lane widths to create room for bike lanes and curb extensions. A workshop participant identified as Kathy, who said she is on the city Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and the Vision Zero working group, suggested that 14 feet is an approximate width that allows a vehicle and a bicyclist to travel side by side; she encouraged wider public discussion of lane‑width standards. City staff said many local residential streets are already 10–12 feet wide and that lane width decisions depend on context, vehicle types and transit routes. Nicole He noted that bus operations and truck routes affect minimum lane widths; staff referenced an 11‑foot width commonly used for routes with buses.

Parking tradeoffs and process: staff said removing on‑street parking to install bike lanes is a neighborhood‑level decision that requires community engagement before changes are implemented. Nicole He said the city will not remove parking without study and public outreach and that recent bike studies (for example Monroe Street and Benton Street road‑diet studies) provide detailed analyses and public materials.

Enforcement and police role: multiple attendees said they saw little recent enforcement for speeding and unsafe behavior. Nicole He said the police department participates in the Vision Zero working group and in Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee briefings. She said staff will share comments from the webinar with police contacts. Presenters also described targeted high‑visibility enforcement as an evidence‑based tool to reduce speeding and impaired driving.

Next steps and staff response: staff committed to include Lafayette reversible‑lane study materials in future outreach and to provide more detail at the next workshop. Nicole He and Steve Chan said they will relay lane‑width and parking concerns to planning, transit and fire department staff and continue coordinating with county and state agencies for corridors not owned by the city.

Ending: Residents were encouraged to submit further questions via the project website, the mailing list or the project voicemail (408‑915‑6566) and to attend the June workshop to review recommended corridor improvements.