Week 6: Fremont's Biking Plan

Wow! Welcome back from Spring Break! It didn’t really feel like much of a break for me because I am already on a break, well more like I am finished because I am not going to come back to high school!

This week I am attending my Key Club retirement from Thursday to Sunday! So although I do not have much work to recap, I will continue with information on the Fremont Transport Plans. 

Last time I gave background on the general plans that are published on Fremont’s website. Now, I will go more into a summary of the Bicycle Master Plan. The plan outlines the hotspots for traffic and biking in Fremont. The plan then outlines the existing infrastructure in Fremont which includes 159 miles of bikeways. The plan also shows the visuals for Class 1, 2, and 3 bike lanes. Class 1 bike lanes are completely separate and are the most safe bike lanes. Class 2 bike lanes have a separate lane for bikes while Class 3 bike lanes have bikes share the lane with cars. 

The priority development areas are around American, Washington, and Irvington High School, as well as around the Warm Springs BART station. 

The plan goes more in depth about different signage, connecting cities, maintenance and more. There is also a section for youth education which includes information about a local nonprofit organization called Safe Moves/Smart Moves that hosts community ride events. The education seems to rely on outside work and volunteering from schools and nonprofits. 

The plan then goes into specific policies in each location, including in the city and general county rules and policies.

The plan goes a little more into public engagement and the needs of bikers. However, this plan is over ten years old. How concerning? The recent Mobility Action Plan has more updated information, but it is not focused on biking. 

Anyway, beyond the plans, you can physically see the bike lane changes being implemented in Fremont. The right turns are under construction on Grimmer Boulevard and on Fremont Boulevard, two hot points for traffic. Has cycling increased, though? I am not sure. 

Anyway, see me next week when I talk to Aaryan Mishra and Rishi Janga, two bikers!