Key Facts About the Carmen Bridge Project
Cost of Construction: $1M – $1.8M, cost is TBD.
Project: Bridge to cross Stevens Creek Boulevard, connecting the two Carmen Roads
Type of Project: Pedestrian Path and Class I Bike Facilities (Trail)
Click here for information from the City of Cupertino’s website
Current Status (July 2024): The Carmen Road Bridge has a completed and approved (on 11/3/19) Feasibility Study. The next step for the project is for Council to authorize staff to proceed with design.
This project would need to be a part of a future Capital Improvements Plan budget, To have the design funding, staff must recommend it as a high priority and Council must authorize it. Currently it is slated as a plan to ask for funding in two years, but it can be considered on hold. Likely grant funding would be available for this project.
Why does Walk-Bike Cupertino support this project?
Safer connector
It will be a safer, off-road route connector over Stevens Creek Boulevard. Over 100 Stevens Creek Elementary and over 400 Kennedy and Monta Vista students are driven to school each day because of the difficulty crossing Stevens Creek while walking or biking.
Reducing traffic congestion on local roads
The additional cars that are on the road each morning driving students to school are a likely contributor to congestion and reduced safety around our schools and in local neighborhoods. Stevens Creek Boulevard is backed up each day in this area.
Less traffic at schools
If kids are able to walk or bike to school safely, parents may let them! The bridge can reduce the gridlock at dropoff times by allowing hundreds of kids from local schools to walk or bike to school more safely. All our local schools have extremely high traffic congestion during school pickup and dropoff times. Every child that walks or bikes to school means one fewer car on the road.
Enhanced access to parks and neighborhoods
Neighborhoods south and north of Stevens Creek are largely cut off from one another, with walkable crossings of Stevens Creek almost a mile apart. Neighborhoods north of Stevens Creek can enjoy easier walking and biking access to Stevens Creek Trail, Blackberry Farm and McClellan Ranch; those south of Stevens Creek will be more easily able to use the tennis courts in Varian Park and the playground at Stevens Creek Elementary.
A greener Cupertino
Using alternative transportation and reducing pollution is great for everyone. By encouraging biking and walking, this bridge will result in fewer cars, less traffic, and cleaner air. Encouraging walking or biking to school will allow for less idling of vehicles as they wait for children to leave school each day or be dropped off.
Location of Project
(click map for larger view)
How Walk-Bike Cupertino has actively supported this project
Walk-Bike Cupertino has:
Provided information, maps and data to residents, City Council and Staff regarding number and location of local school children, usefulness of this bridge to connect neighborhoods, and to connect neighborhoods to parks;
Created a petition in support, and encouraged residents to sign it;
Kept supporters up to date on upcoming events and milestones for the project via email newsletters;
Sent emails of support to City Council and ecouraged others to do the same;
Coordinated vocal support at City Council meetings when this topic was to be discussed;
Met with City Staff, Bicycle Pedestrian Commission, and Cupertino City Councilmembers to discuss details of project and to encourage progress and adequate staffing.
Latest Carmen Bridge Project News
Carmen Bridge Update
Carmen Bridge Update (reprint from June 2017) Thank you for supporting this project – it promises to be a great and useful feature in your neighborhood. The Carmen Bridge Task Force of 15 of your neighbors presented the evaluation petition to the Cupertino City...
Carmen Bridge Update
At last Tuesday's evening meeting, the Cupertino City council unanimously approved funding the study for the Carmen Bridge project! This is all good news for moving the project to the next step and thank you for writing the council with your...