Advocates for protected bike lanes and neighborhood residents traded sharply different views about Hollenbeck Avenue during public comment at the Nov. 4 Sunnyvale City Council meeting.

Representatives of Sunnyvale Safe Streets proposed the city implement option 1 from the Active Transportation Plan as a six‑month pilot that would install buffered bike lanes and remove on‑street parking, with the city collecting data on bicycle ridership, side‑street parking utilization and vehicle speeds during the pilot. Charlene Loo, speaking for Sunnyvale Safe Streets, suggested an automated speed‑monitoring trigger: if the 85th‑percentile speeds rise above pre‑build levels, the city would add delineators (plastic posts) to the buffer to slow drivers and convert the lanes into a class‑4 protected facility. Advocates pointed to a past pilot on Mott Avenue (begun as a six‑month test) as a precedent and said a trial would make the effect of the change measurable before any permanent decision.

Opponents—residents who live on Hollenbeck and nearby—urged the city not to remove parking. A resident noted heavy nighttime on‑street parking used by visitors, parents attending school activities, service workers and seniors. She said removing on‑street parking would force people to park farther away and could make walking at night less safe for those returning to cars, especially in bad weather.

Other public speakers and a remote commenter urged the council to pursue a mode shift away from single‑occupancy vehicles to reduce long‑term congestion, arguing that protected bicycle infrastructure is necessary to shift travel behavior. Supporters urged the council to adopt a trial approach so the city can collect data and respond to problems by adding physical delineation where necessary.

What council did: the comments occurred during oral communications; the council did not vote on Hollenbeck during this meeting. Several council members and staff said they would consider the pilot idea and work with staff on street‑level analysis and safety tradeoffs before any design or removal of parking is authorized.

Ending: the debate highlights the tradeoffs between creating protected space for bicyclists and preserving limited curb parking in a residential corridor; council members asked staff to analyze the data and community impacts before taking permanent action.