Image courtesy of Google
The intersection of De Anza at McClellan and Pacifica has been slated for a much needed overhaul for a few years now, as part of the McClellan Road Separated Bikeways Project. Other sections of McClellan were improved with protected bike lanes in 2019 and 2020, with this intersection remaining as one of the last pieces of the project.
It’s a long diagonal intersection which can be difficult to cross for pedestrians and less confident cyclists. It has also been identified in the city’s Vision Zero Plan as one of the more dangerous intersections in our city.
The project is finally moving forward. In a rare unanimous vote, the city council members voted on October 10, 2023 to move forward to construction. Several residents spoke in favor of beginning construction, including six Walk-Bike Cupertino board members. Construction will start in November 2023 and is expected to be completed around February 2024.
The planned changes include many much needed improvements to make the intersection safer for pedestrians and cyclists. However, the changes also create two new areas of concern that could make the intersection less safe for cyclists.
Planned Improvements
The planned improvements include:- Add a new pedestrian crossing on the South side of the intersection to give pedestrians another option to cross De Anza.
- Add sidewalk and ADA improvements on Northwest and Southeast corners of the intersection.
- Upgrade signal poles on Northwest and Southeast corners of the intersection.
- Add signal time to the crossing to give bicyclists and pedestrians more time to clear the intersection.
- Change the Northeast corner of the intersection to remove the vehicle right-turn lane, and replace it with a bicycle path right turn to make it safer for cyclists turning right on De Anza from Pacifica.
- Add precast concrete buffers on De Anza Blvd approaching the intersection for cyclists traveling North and South.
- Add green striping on De Anza Blvd through the intersection to make it safer for cyclists going North and South.
- Improve bike markings and bike boxes for cyclists turning left on to De Anza, both going North and South
- Improve bike lane markings on the South side of De Anza approaching the intersection.
- Improve bike markings on the Southeast corner of De Anza and Pacifica to make it safer for cyclists turning right onto Pacifica or going straight through the intersection.
The planned changes include many much needed improvements to make the intersection safer for pedestrians and cyclists. However, the changes also create two new areas of concern that could make the intersection less safe for cyclists.
A Couple of Concerns
The updated intersection will add some potential dangers for cyclists:
- The large concrete median on the Southwest side of the intersection will be reduced in size significantly, leaving cyclists more exposed to cars turning right to go South on De Anza.
- Cars turning right from Pacifica to go North on De Anza will now cross the bike lane for cyclists going straight west from Pacifica. This is concerning because the infamous “right hook” is one of the most common and dangerous causes of cars hitting cyclists. City staff has acknowledged this concern and said that they will explore additional signage for potential right-turns conflicts to yield to cyclists and pedestrians.
Funding the Project
The project is estimated to cost approximately $1,896,394 plus $375,859 in city current encumbrances for a total cost of $2,272,253. Most of this cost will be covered through a variety of grants and the Apple donation.
