Lawson Bikeway Study & Project
Project Overview
The Lawson Middle School Bikeway is now complete, just in time for school to start! This new two-way separated bike path provides Lawson students with a safe and convenient way to access the campus bike cages without having to cross vehicle lanes. This project is designed exclusively for bicycles. Do not drive or park in the bikeway.
Project Background
The Lawson Middle School Bikeway project was initiated as result of the School Walk Audit project. The purpose of the School Walk Audit project was to enhance the safety of students walking or biking to Cupertino's public schools by identifying various improvement projects to enhance roadway safety for all school-age children. Through this audit, the City identified a range of recommended improvements to enhance bicycle and pedestrian safety around school campuses.
One of the improvements identified was the installation of a two-way separated bike path at Lawson Middle School, to provide a safe and convenient way for students to access the campus bike cages. This facility would offer students a safer route to the campus bike cages, which is particularly important given the heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up times. The dedicated bike path would help reduce conflicts by separating cyclists from both vehicles on the street and pedestrians on the sidewalk.
The City Council included the Lawson Middle School Bikeway project in the Fiscal Year (FY) 22-23 Work Plan, approving funding to study design alternatives for a bike path to access the bike racks from the neighboring streets. Transportation Division staff retained Hexagon Transportation Consultants, Inc. to assist with this effort.
Community Meetings
November 10, 2022
Attendees from Lawson Middle School, Cupertino Union School District, the Lawson neighborhood, and community members had the opportunity to hear a brief presentation about the feasibility study and provide feedback to City staff and the project team.
March 16, 2023
Hexagon Consultants presented project background, data collected, and initial conceptual designs being considered for the bikeway. Design alternatives include a multi-use path, two-way separated bikeway, and bike boulevard. See presentation below for schematics.
The study team used feedback received to develop alternatives which they presented at Community Meeting #3.
April 26, 2023
The City's project team presented a summary of feedback gathered during Community Meeting #2, revised conceptual drawings and cost estimates of the two designs being considered, the process moving forward, and gathered feedback about attendees' preferences, which will be valuable for the next steps of the study process.
Bicycle Pedestrian Commission Meeting
May 17, 2023
The Bicycle Pedestrian Commission heard a presentation regarding two alternatives being considered for this study. The Commission is recommending that Council direct staff to move forward with an on-street, two-way separated bikeway. For details on the design, see the slideshow presented to the Commission:
City Council Meeting
July 09, 2024
The City Council considered a recommendation to install on-street, two-way protected bikeway along the west side of Vista Drive and the north side of Forest Avenue along the Lawson Middle School frontages, in line with community and Bicycle Pedestrian Commission support for this alternative. The City Council unanimously recommended that staff proceed with implementing the on-street protected two-way bikeway.
Final Report
See the link below for the Feasibility Study.
Project Manager
David Stillman
Transportation Manager
Email: davids@cupertino.gov
Phone: 408.777.3249