Walk to Work Day This Thursday
Santa Clara County proclaims Walk to Work Day
Santa Clara County and Walk San Jose/California Walks invite you to celebrate an inaugural Santa Clara County Walk to Work Day on Thursday, April 5, 2018 at 12 starting at the James P. McEntee Plaza (front patio), 70 West Hedding in San Jose.
Supervisor Ken Yeager will begin the event by presenting a County proclamation to commemorate the day, then will lead employees on a short walk based on a Loop Card created by Cal Walks. The event will end back at James P. McEntee Plaza with a small celebration and information booths providing education on alternative transportation options and local places of Interest.
The inaugural walk is based on a Civic Center Loop Card which guides through the Guadalupe River Trail, Heritage Rose Garden, Historic Orchard, Vendome neighborhood, and the new outdoor fitness equipment at Santa Clara County Civic Center. Additional Loop Cards created by Cal Walks/Walk San Jose include Downtown, Mayfair-Arbuckle, Japantown and Willow Glen Areas.
Janes Walk San Jose
We’ve gotten lots of interest in San Jose Jane’s Walk (coming up on May 4-6). But we need more folks to plan walks! You don’t need to be a pro planner–just someone who loves your neighborhood and wants to help share its story with a small friendly informal group.
CLICK HERE and we’ll help you plan and promote a walk in your neighborhood!
Jane’s Walk is an annual festival of free, citizen-led walking conversations inspired by Jane Jacobs.
Jane’s Walks encourage people to share stories about their neighborhoods, discover unseen aspects of their communities, and use walking as a way to connect with their neighbors.
Walks take place in hundreds of cities around the world. Join the next global Jane’s Walk Festival on May 4- 6, 2018.
Station Area Advisory Group
In February, the City of San Jose convened the deliciously named Station Area Advisory Group (SAAG) for the first time. This group of 35 local leaders plus city staff and facilitators was established to lead a community dialog about the future of the Diridon Station area, where Google is planning a massive development project in conjunction with an overhaul and revitalization of the transit station.
This project and its ripple effect though downtown will transform San Jose on a vast scale. The project promises jobs and housing, while inspiring anxiety about displacement, traffic, cost of living and the integrity of existing neighborhoods. And of course as a transit hub, its a critical component of the ambitious mode shift goals laid out in San Jose’s 2040 Plan
At its second meeting, last week, the City unveiled a set of topic-specific working groups that will convene in the coming months to explore aspects of the Google/Diridon Station project. The “Transportation, Access and Traffic” group will report findings back to the group on June 27, 2018. Walk San Jose is attending all meetings and working to make sure walkability and accessibility are prioritized in every conversation about this important project. Walk San Jose wants to make sure that not only is pedestrian access considered, but that the the city and Google creating an accessible and inclusive urban village that is guided by community needs and values, and that we get it right the first time.
Bascom Avenue Complete Streets Open Houses this Month
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is hosting a pair of open houses in San Jose (Wednesday, April 18, 2018 at 6:00 PM at the Bascom Community Center, and Thursday, April 19, 2018 at 6:00 PM at Farnham Elementary School) to connect with community members to better address street safety needs and concerns in the Bascom Corridor area (see map).
Using the Complete Streets framework, the VTA is seeking community guidance on plans for improving mobility, safety, environmental impact and economic vibrancy along the corridor. This guidance will inform the study and final plan and will help make walking and biking safer and more convenient on Bascom. Learn more here.