Sunnyvale · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Sunnyvale public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Homestead Road bike lane defects
Cyclists told the council the new Homestead Road bike lanes are dangerously narrow in spots, with potholes and two-inch gutter seams. Staff said the slurry seal project will fix the defects and will investigate how the striping went wrong.
Traffic Calming Study Backlog
A resident described a two-year struggle to get a traffic calming study on Kennewick Drive near Homestead High; the city manager acknowledged a backlog and offered to follow up personally.
Bike Safety at Mary Avenue and Cascade Drive
A resident warned that new turn-lane striping at Mary/Cascade and Cascade/The Dalles forces cyclists into dangerous merging conflicts on school routes, and asked the city to change its street design process.
Sunnyvale bicycle network
Sunnyvale Safe Streets asked the council to dedicate permanent funding for bike and pedestrian projects — matching funds for grants, quick-build safety fixes, and small items that grants don't cover.
Charles Street preferential parking
Washington Park neighbors thanked the council for the permit parking zone after years of construction and commuter overflow; it passed on consent.
Preferential parking ordinance modernization
The council updated 40-year-old residential permit parking rules so new zones can be created by resolution instead of a slower ordinance process, with permit details tailored to each neighborhood.
East Channel Trail Study
A proposed 5.5-mile north-south bike and pedestrian trail along the East Channel would connect the Bay Trail to Homestead Road, linking parks and eight schools. Council favors paving, quick-build segments, and prioritizing the 101-to-El Camino stretch; construction funding isn't identified yet.
Microtransit service contract
A $8.36 million service order with Via for Sunnyvale's on-demand microtransit was continued to February 24 after the meeting ran late. The service's future operations hang on this decision.
Caltrain station pedestrian and bicycle access
Council approved concept plans for safer walking and biking access to the Sunnyvale Caltrain station, though the projects are unfunded for now and await a budget slot and County approval for one corridor.
North Sunnyvale parking and walkability
Residents said street parking near Stewart Drive is already tight and worried 28 new households with only five guest spaces will make it worse. The project does close a sidewalk gap on Stuart Drive, which commissioners welcomed.