A region dominated by automobile-friendly infrastructure has released a Draft EIR for a bus rapid transit project connecting central San Jose to Palo Alto via El Camino Real.
El Camino Real was the road originally used by Spanish missionaries as they founded missions throughout California. Now, that road is the focus of the latest BRT project in the Silicon Valley, destined to connect central San Jose and Palo Alto. El Camino Real runs through or nearby many downtowns on the peninsula, including San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, and Palo Alto.
According to Jarrett Walker of the Human Transit blog, "[in] land use terms, the project corridor is ideal territory for transit—lots of employment and commercial destinations, with strong anchoring institutions at each end... the modern street was designed with a singular focus on auto travel time, as a six-lane divided boulevard. Auto and transit travel times continue to increase substantially as more people come to live and work in the corridor, and even more population and employment growth is forecast for the coming decades."
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and the Federal Transit Administration released the Draft Environmental Impact Report, evaluating a number of alternatives varying in dedicated lane extent and various street configurations.
FULL STORY: silicon valley: bus rapid transit that's faster than driving?
Bus Rapid Transit Hitting Speed Bumps in the Silicon Valley
A proposed BRT route between Palo Alto and San Jose is the latest to hit a setback.
Tech Giants Bank on Growth, Acquire More Space
To provide room for long-term expansion, companies like Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn are buying up even more Bay Area real estate. Their flush cash reserves have them nudging out the traditional development and investment crowd.
Google Seeks New Direction for Massive Housing Proposal
The company parted ways with its development partner, signaling a shift in strategy for a proposed 15,000-unit housing and office space project on Google-owned land in Silicon Valley.
What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities
How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.
‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.
The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.
Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research