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Council backs raised multi‑use path for Tasman Drive segment; keeps temporary closure in place
Summary
After months of outreach and safety analysis, Sunnyvale council approved a raised multi‑use path (design alternative 1) for Tasman Drive between Fair Oaks and Vienna and directed staff to preserve the current temporary closure while staff studies next steps for the remainder of the corridor.
The City Council approved a plan July 29 to install a raised, two‑way multi‑use path for pedestrians and cyclists along Tasman Drive between Fair Oaks Avenue and Vienna Drive, while preserving the existing temporary lane closure and asking staff to return with options for long‑term measures on the rest of the corridor.
Staff presented the findings of study DPW‑21‑03, which evaluated removal of a vehicular lane in each direction to create continuous pedestrian and bicycle facilities along the stretch of Tasman that includes a VTA light‑rail median and several mobile home parks. Interim transportation manager Angela Obezo summarized two engineering design approaches: design alternative 1, a raised 12‑foot multi‑use path separated from traffic by a curb, and design alternative 2, continuous sidewalks with buffered bike lanes.
Obezo told council the temporary eastbound lane closure installed during the pandemic had been used for years but was never designed to ADA or permanent standards. "This was intended to be a temporary condition," she said, noting the devices now in place were intended for short‑term use.
Public‑safety officials and residents raised competing concerns. Deputy Chief Heng Soo of the Department of Public Safety told council vertical separations such as raised paths "would cause motorists not to cross those barriers and stop in the lane that they're in, causing delays to emergency response." Residents from adjacent mobile home parks warned of limited egress and deliveries of oversized mobile‑home segments that require larger turning radii.
Council debated phasing the project. Staff and a citizen advisory board recommended a phased approach: implement the safer, lower‑traffic Fair Oaks–Vienna segment first and study Vienna–Lawrence separately because modeling and observations showed AM‑peak queues and congestion on the Vienna–Lawrence section.
Two council motions were approved: - Implement a raised, vertical multi‑use path (design alternative 1) on the Fair Oaks to Vienna segment (phase 1) and defer decisions about the Vienna‑to‑Lawrence segment for further analysis. The motion passed 6–1; Council Member Srinivasan voted no, citing public‑safety concerns and the need for more data. - Preserve the existing temporary lane closure on the south side and direct staff to return with options to maintain that interim pedestrian/pedestrian facility while long‑term plans are developed; the motion passed unanimously, 7–0.
City Manager Tim Kirby urged caution about costs, noting the corridor’s constraints (rail, tight right‑of‑way, and complex drainage) and warning that building the improvements will compete with other major capital needs. Obezo estimated that bringing the temporary closure up to ADA and permanent standards would require new survey and design work and could run into the low millions when construction is included.
Public comment was extensive: residents urged both for safer separated facilities and for protecting emergency access and local vehicle access. Supporters of the raised path emphasized pedestrian and cycling safety on a high‑speed corridor, while opponents — including mobile‑home park residents and the Sunnyvale Public Officers Association — argued lane removals could prolong emergency response times and complicate large deliveries.
Outcome and next steps: Council approved the raised multi‑use path for the Fair Oaks–Vienna segment and retained the temporary closure while staff refines designs, pursues funding (including grants), and studies the Vienna–Lawrence segment. Staff said construction, if funded, would follow detailed final design and permitting and that phasing would allow additional outreach and safety analysis for the east segment.
Ending: The council’s split votes — unanimous on maintaining interim access but 6–1 on the raised path — reflect competing city priorities (pedestrian safety, emergency response, cost, and access for mobile‑home residents) as staff prepares engineering, cost, and funding plans.
