Mary Avenue Overcrossing

Update:

The city council selected Alt 3 (HOV/transit + bike + ped) on April 20th as the "preferred alternative." The Sunnyvale city staff is now investigating the environmental impacts of all 5 alternatives. In late 2022, the report will be finished and the city council will select which alternative will be constructed.

Map of conceptual alignment of the Mary Avenue Overcrossing

What is the Mary Avenue Overcrossing?

The city is considering a project to build a new bridge over highways 101 and 237 connecting the north end of Mary Avenue into Moffett Park. There are five alternative concepts for the project. On April 20, 2021, the City Council will be selecting one alternative as the “project alternative” and kicking off the Environmental Impact Review process.

What alternatives are being considered?

  1. A four-lane road for motor vehicles + bike + ped

  2. A two-lane road for motor vehicles + bike + ped

  3. A two-lane road for HOV and transit + bike + ped

  4. A bicycle and pedestrian-only bridge + bike + ped

  5. Build nothing

Cross-section of alternative 4

Alternative 4 is the best for Sunnyvale’s future

  • Building more roads for cars (alt. 1 and 2) will encourage more people to drive, resulting in more congestion in Sunnyvale in the long run. (This is a well-documented phenomenon known as "Induced Demand," and it is the reason why building more roadway capacity makes traffic worse).

  • Alternative 3 is okay: We support transit, but we are concerned about the cost. This is the second-best alternative.

  • A bicycle/pedestrian-only bridge is best. It would provide a stress-free space away from vehicles for bikers and pedestrians to travel and it would not increase congestion on Mary Ave. The bridge would also be narrower and cheaper, which would make it easier for the architects to make this bridge into a Sunnyvale icon, similar to Cupertino's Don Burnett Bicycle-Pedestrian Bridge.

This effort is lead by the Bike Sunnyvale Team. Join us. We love new members!