Parth Bharwad’s Response to Bike/Pedestrian Forum Questions
by Larry Dean | Sep 14, 2016 | Local News
- What do you think of the 2016 Cupertino Bike Plan? Having been riding my bike since the age of 5, I am very glad to see Cupertino taking steps in the direction of making the community more bike friendly and increasing accessibility for avid bikers. We live in a community that is unlike many around the country where we NEED a car to survive and go about our lives.In many other cities, people can be 100% reliant on bikes and public transportation. I am a firm supporter of the Cupertino bike plan and will support efforts which are effective in increasing bike safety and route accessibility.
- The Plan’s Tier I projects total $15M. Do you support funding these projects over the next 5 years? Yes, I do support funding projects that can improve bike and pedestrian routs and help ensure their safety.
- How do you rate Bike/Ped improvements versus street improvements/maintenance? I think that both are necessary in the upkeep of a cities appearance and health. The decision on rating them by importance lies on individual cases, and we can determine the hierarchy depending on necessities and the deterioration of the existing infrastructure. For example, on Byrne road and Orange road in the Monta Vista neighborhood, I am glad and excited to see the improvements being made to accommodate for youth bikers and pedestrians on their route to school. I am a firm supporter in ensuring that the areas surrounding parks and schools are bike and pedestrian friendly to make it more appealing to leave your car at home.
- If residents oppose specific plan enhancements in their neighborhood, will you still support the bike plan’s features and intents? I believe that residents are the best judges of their individual neighborhoods and we should work with them in finding a solution that can benefit the community. I think there are valid safety concerns that residents are more aware of than many city officials and they should always be taken into consideration. After all, the enhancements in a particular neighborhood are supposed to be for the residents and we should not impose our plan without giving serious consideration to their concerns.
- As a council member, what would you do to increase bike use for recreation and the community? A large part of increasing bike usage in Cupertino is tied in with the safety that people feel while riding and parking their bikes. I think Cupertino should work on alleviating the risk of bike theft by having city sponsored locks which can be unlocked and locked by different individuals for their time of usage. This would prevent the need for bikers to have to carry around a chain/lock and then having to find an appropriate place to lock it. I also want to look into having sets of bikes outside some community parks and high traffic areas to increase bike usage. This allows for people who might not own a bike to actually ride a bike around as opposed to having to drive everywhere.
- Would you be willing to advocate for a trail along the UPRR tracks and/or on water district lands? I am a supporter of increasing bike trails in Cupertino, but I think that we need to look at each trail and ask ourselves whether it is safe or not. I have read about the UPRR tracks and it seems like a trail that would be very useful and a fun ride, I would support it once I have a better understanding of the safety measures that will be taken and the specific route.
- Would you be willing to budget funds to acquire right-of-ways for more trails in Cupertino? Yes, I would. Of course, it depends on the individual case and its
feasibility/affordability.
- Your closing comments. I believe that Cupertino is in need of a millennial voice who can help bring a new way of thinking to the decision making table. Having been a product of this community, I have an understanding of how we can make small changes for everyone, including bikers and pedestrians, to make Cupertino a better community. With the lack of adequate public transportation, biking and/or walking is one of the only alternatives to driving your car and I think we should be working on making Cupertino more bike friendly and accessible for the residents.
