Protected bike lanes for 17th Avenue

Survey results showing concerns over safety and support for protected bike lanes
Surveys of local residents highlight strong support for the demonstration project

A “pop-up” protected bicycle lane is planned for 17th Avenue, as a pilot program led by Bike Santa Cruz County. The pop-up will help to demonstrate the feasibility of protected bike lanes on county streets.

This report, by Jessica Ngo, Lydia Jenkins-Sleczkowski, Christina Eldredge, and Christopher Tom, shows how to expand the pilot to a longer stretch of 17th Avenue, connecting the future Rail Trail and Simpkins Swim Center with Live Oak Elementary School. The report also shows the depth of community support for the pop-up lanes, and how protected bike lanes would reduce traffic concerns, particularly for parents whose children attend one of the schools on the corridor.

Read the full report. Thanks for the UCSC Carbon Fund for financial support.

 

 

Redesigning the Bay Corridor

Narrow bike lane on Bay Dr
Bay Drive currently has narrow bike lanes next to fast-moving traffic

The Bay Street corridor connects the new Rail Trail with the UCSC campus. It is one of the main commuting routes for bicycle riders, but the combination of high traffic speeds, narrow or non-existent bike lanes, and lack of physical protection put users at risk and deter others from riding at all. Less than 10% of surveyed people feel comfortable riding along the corridor.

This report, by Alissa Guther, Allison Westerman, Solomon Biers-Ariel, & Maximillian Pérez, provides a vision to redesign the corridor. The proposal shows how to implement wide, protected bike lanes using excess space left over from a six-lane highway plan that never came to fruition. It also shows that, even though parking would be removed, there is ample capacity on adjacent streets.

Read the full report, which will be presented to the Santa Cruz Transportation and Public Works Commission on May 18, 2020. Thanks to the UCSC Carbon Fund for financial support.

Rethinking UCSC’s main entrance

Annotated aerial showing bidirectional bike path alongside Coolidge
A bidirectional path would connect the Great Meadow bike path to the main entrance

The gateway to UC Santa Cruz is a racetrack for cars. Bicycle lanes provide no physical protection from motor vehicles. Pedestrian provision is non-existent, with people forced to walk in the roadway or through parking lots.

This report, by Gordon Huang, Theodore Overway, Riley Eunhee, and Sara Ford Oades, shows how to redesign the main entrance to safely accommodate all road users, and provide a welcoming gateway to campus. A bidirectional path would link the main entrance to the Great Meadow bike path, and accommodate pedestrians as well as bicyclists.

Read the full report, which will be presented to the Santa Cruz Transportation and Public Works Commission on May 18, 2020. Thanks to the UCSC Carbon Fund for financial support.

Connecting the Coastal Science Campus

Cross-section of Western Dr, showing 6' bicycle lanes and a single 16' directional motor vehicle lane
Where the street narrows, advisory bicycle lanes can provide protection to cyclists

The UC Santa Cruz Coastal Science Campus is poorly connected to the main campus for those who bike. The most direct route, Western Dr, suffers from a lack of bicycle lanes, speeding vehicles, and “dooring” risk from parked cars. Not surprisingly, nearly 60% of current cyclists feel unsafe using this route.

This report, by Skye McIntyre Blomdal, Lucas Lee, Blake Pfister and Nadia Woodmansee, provides a detailed design to improve safety and encourage more people to travel by bicycle. Despite the physical constraints of a narrow right-of-way, the design would allow for continuous bicycle lanes on almost the entire corridor. To accomplish this, the report proposes innovative advisory bicycle lanes, which feature one shared driving lane for vehicles traveling in both directions, bordered by bicycle lanes on each side. Where the route widens out, parking-protected bicycle lanes are also recommended. A minimal number of parking spaces would need to be removed, and spaces are available on adjacent streets.

Read the full report, which was presented to the Santa Cruz Transportation and Public Works Commission on March 18, 2019.

Protected bicycle lanes on Water St

Woman with flowers cycling in protected lane
Parking-protected bicycle lane.
Image: Adam Coppola Photography / PeopleforBikes

Protected bicycle lanes represent the next generation of bicycle infrastructure in the US. By providing physical separation from cars, they improve safety and encourage more people to bicycle.

This report, by Jesus Contreras and Shirley Chun, analyzes several potential corridors to implement the first protected bicycle lanes in Santa Cruz. It identifies Water St as a top priority, due to high numbers of collisions, high connectivity, and traffic volumes and speeds. The report then provides a detailed design proposal for Water St, and shows that protected bicycle lanes are feasible within the existing street width, and with the loss of only two parking spaces.

Read the full report, which was presented to the Santa Cruz Transportation and Public Works Commission on March 18, 2019.

Electric buses at UCSC

An electric bus boards passengers at UCLA
Electric bus at the UCLA campus

Hilly terrain and a spread-out campus make UCSC’s shuttle buses an indispensable service for students, staff and faculty. However, the existing bus fleet consists of aging diesel vehicles, which are cost-effective but emit more than 50 tons of carbon dioxide per year.

This report analyzes the potential for electric buses to serve the UCSC campus, considering both the cost and practical issues such as vehicle range, charging locations and the ability of the buses to navigate steep hills. Although electric buses have a higher upfront cost, the report concludes that they are a better choice than a new diesel fleet to reach carbon neutrality, and would be more cost effective in the long run.

Read the report (access to UCSC affiliates only).

Managing Uber and Lyft on campus

chart-showing-TNCs-divert-individuals-from-transit

Transportation Network Companies such as Uber and Lyft are growing rapidly on the UC Santa Cruz campus. They provide an option for students and other campus affiliates to forgo owning a car, but may also increase congestion and vehicle travel, and pose safety concerns through  entering restricted areas and loading and unloading in bus stops, bike lanes and crosswalks. Lyndel Fusello’s report quantifies the extent of Uber and Lyft usage, and finds that nearly 40% of trips are substituting from buses, walking and cycling. Her recommendations are to improve transit service to better compete, geofence pick-up locations on campus, and promote shared rides through Uber Pool and Lyft Line. Read her report. 

More housing, less parking

car_ownership_map
Car ownership for rental housing, 2011-16. Up to one-third of households in many part of Santa Cruz are car-free

The City of Santa Cruz typically requires at least one parking space, and often more, for every new housing unit. However, the analysis by Rylee Hawkins and Alex Garber found that many renters and homeowners own fewer cars than these parking requirements imply. Thus, parking requirements can increase the cost of housing and encourage car ownership. Read their report, and check out their website that highlights how students at UC Santa Cruz can get around without a car. (Dec 2017)

Improving UCSC bike parking

bike parking problelms
Poor bicycle rack placement, Merrill College

Nearly one-fifth of students, staff and faculty commute by bicycle, but parking facilities on the UCSC campus are often limited. Lyndel Fusello and Kate DoVale inventoried bicycle parking conditions on campus, and identified specific opportunities for improvement. Read their report. (Dec 2017)

Electric vehicle charging

EV charger in Core West

In its 2017 Campus Sustainability Plan, UCSC aims to increase the proportion of electric vehicles on campus, moving closer to its sustainability goal of a 4.5% share of zero-emission vehicles for personal commute by 2025. In this report, Jesus Contreras analyzes current and future demand for new charging stations, in order to help accommodate this growth. Read his report. (Apr 2018)