Cupertino cyclists will have an easier time getting to Rancho San Antonio Preserve and other spots along Cristo Rey Drive now that new bike lanes are complete.
The project is a partnership between the Cupertino Public Works Department and the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, familiarly known as MidPen. The bike lanes were completed last month to provide residents and visitors with improved access to Rancho San Antonio, the Forum and properties in the Oak Valley neighborhood.
The Cristo Rey bike lane improvements were identified in Cupertino’s 2016 Bicycle Transportation Plan and recommended in MidPen’s Multimodal Access Plan for Rancho San Antonio. The agencies are sharing project costs.
Construction of the bike lanes was among six strategies approved by Midpen’s board of directors to encourage more sustainable transportation to the preserve and reduce parking demand. To that end, three bike racks accommodating 21 bikes were installed at the Mora Trail entrance, the Deer Meadow Trail off Stovehaven Drive and the Open Air Barn. A bicycle repair station has also been installed in the main parking area.
Other strategies that have been implemented include providing a designated rideshare drop-off and pick-up area is in front of the restrooms in the main parking lot, and partnering with the city of Cupertino on Silicon Valley Hopper, an on-demand shuttle service providing transportation to and from Rancho San Antonio from anywhere in Cupertino and from the Sunnyvale Caltrain station.
Beginning in August 2022, the preserve’s lower equestrian lot was reserved for carpools of three or more individuals on weekends and holidays. This pilot program was completed in November 2023, and Midpen’s board requested that staff begin a new project for Rancho San Antonio to evaluate long-term carpool options for Rancho San Antonio. That project is set to begin in mid-2024.
Per Midpen’s plan, electronic signage was installed in August 2022 to display current parking availability at the preserve entrance. This information is also available on Midpen’s website so that visitors can check before they leave home.
For more information about MidPen’s Multimodal Access Plan for Rancho San Antonio, visit https://www.openspace.org/what-we-do/projects/rsa-multimodal-access-project.