CC Resolution No. 25-080 conditionally accepting the Stevens Creek Boulevard Corridor Vision StudyRESOLUTION NO. 25-080
A RESOLUTION OF THE CUPERTINO CITY COUNCIL
REGARDING THE STEVENS CREEK BOULEVARD CORRIDOR VISION
STUDY
WHEREAS, Cupertino staff and Councilmembers have participated in
discussions with neighboring communities since a multijurisdictional group was
established by the San Jose City Council on August 8, 2017, comprised of the cities
of Cupertino, Santa Clara, San Jose, as well as Santa Clara County and the Santa
Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) to discuss key regional issues
affecting the Stevens Creek Boulevard Corridor with a focus on transportation and
circulation; and
WHEREAS, as part of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s 2018
Horizon Initiative, San Jose, Santa Clara, Cupertino, and VTA jointly proposed a
high-capacity transit line from Diridon Station in San Jose to De Anza College in
Cupertino, securing inclusion in Plan Bay Area 2040; and
WHEREAS, on July 26, 2019, the Cupertino City Council adopted
Resolution 19-089 supporting the study of transit efficiency and streetscape
improvements for the Stevens Creek Boulevard Corridor in partnership with the
City of San Jose, City of Santa Clara, the County of Santa Clara, and VTA; and
WHEREAS, the Mobility Element of the City of Cupertino General Plan
(Community Vision 2015-2040) supports the participation in regional
transportation planning processes and working with neighboring cities to develop
programs consistent with the goals and policies of Cupertino's General Plan, to
minimize adverse impacts on the City's circulation system, and to address regional
transportation and land use issues of mutual interest through Policy M-1.1,
Regional Transportation Planning; and
WHEREAS, the 2016 Bicycle Transportation Plan identifies separated
bikeways along Stevens Creek Boulevard as a top priority, and the City of
Cupertino has advanced safety improvements along the corridor through the
annual Capital Improvement Program; and
WHEREAS, the City of Cupertino demonstrated its commitment to
roadway safety through the adoption of the 2023 Local Road Safety Plan and the
2024 Vision Zero Action Plan, both of which identified recommended safety
Resolution No. 25-080
Page 2
improvement projects and the latter identified Stevens Creek Boulevard as the
City's top corridor of concern in the High Injury Network; and
WHEREAS, the process of completing the Stevens Creek Boulevard
Corridor Vision Study (Vision Study) was launched in January 2023 and guided
by the Stevens Creek Boulevard Corridor Steering Committee, comprised of
elected officials from the participating jurisdictions, and with input from a
working group of participating agency staff and a community advisory group; and
WHEREAS, the Vision Study was completed in December 2024 and
presented to the governing body of each jurisdiction for acceptance; and
WHEREAS, California Government Code Section 65088 establishes the
framework for Congestion Management Programs and emphasizes the need for
VTA to develop and implement transportation investment priorities based on
regional needs; and
WHEREAS, the City of Cupertino desires to work collaboratively with the
corridor agencies to further evaluate and potentially advance the Vision Study's
recommendations by making data-driven and fiscally responsible decisions; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council does hereby
conditionally accept the Vision Study, but would not further invest any City
funding, resources, or staff time towards the project until the following conditions
are met:
A.Prepare a comprehensive regional travel demand and needs
analysis.
B. Complete a cost-benefit analysis, including local fiscal impacts for
any high-capacity transit proposal.
C.Assess future transportation technologies and their compatibility
with proposed improvements along the corridor (e.g., autonomous
vehicles and microtransit)
D. Preserve, to the maximum extent feasible, Cupertino's existing
investments along the corridor.
E.City Council review and approval of any implementation steps
involving infrastructure or land use changes within Cupertino City
limits
Resolution No. 25-080
Page 3
2.BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, the City wishes to ensure the
following:
A.The City reaffirms its commitment to the provisions contained
within Resolution 19-089, specifically that “high-capacity transit
service along the corridor on City surface streets would not use
general purpose travel lanes or adversely impact vehicular
capacity,” and that it should “be grade separated, and time-
competitive with auto travel.”
B.The City continues to advocate for a study, as stated in Resolution
19-089, of “an alternate alignment in Cupertino along I-280,
continuing to DeAnza College at the junction of SR85 and Stevens
Creek Boulevard, ensuring service to areas of high employment
density and De Anza College, while connecting the Cities of San Jose,
Santa Clara, and Cupertino, supported by, and developed in
collaboration with, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation
Authority.”
C.The City maintains final decision-making authority regarding any
projects or recommendations located within the City of Cupertino.
D.All projects within the City of Cupertino, including any intersection
modifications, will conform to the City’s standard processes, plans,
and procedures for public outreach and approval.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT, the City remains committed to:
A.Improving safety along Stevens Creek Boulevard and other
corridors throughout the City by implementing the Vision Zero
Action Plan, the Local Roadway Safety Plan, and the Bicycle and
Pedestrian Master Plans.
B.Prioritizing investments in safety, with a focus on, but not limited to,
technology and innovation such as adaptive traffic signalization and
active pedestrian detection.
C.Considering cost-effective options to maintain prudent fiscal
management and responsible allocation of public resources.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the City does not support immediate funding
or implementation of costly high-capacity transit in the 9-mile Stevens Creek
Corridor without clear regional need and VTA prioritization under Government
Code Section 65088. Cupertino's support for future implementation efforts will be
conditioned as specified above. The City urges VTA and MTC to develop a
regionally prioritized transportation investment plan that allocates funding based
Resolution No. 25-080
Page 4
on demonstrated need, and to evaluate the costs and benefits of any Stevens Creek
high-capacity transit proposal. The City directs staff to collaborate with VTA,
MTC, and other agencies to advocate for a data-driven, needs-based approach to
transportation planning, ensuring taxpayer funds are allocated responsibly and
with clear benefit.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this Resolution is not a project under the
requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act, together with related
State CEQA Guidelines (collectively, “CEQA”) because it has no potential for
resulting in physical change in the environment. In the event that this Resolution
is found to be a project under CEQA, it is subject to the CEQA exemption
contained in CEQA Guidelines section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with
certainty to have no possibility that the action approved may have a significant
effect on the environment. CEQA applies only to actions which have the potential
for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with
certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a
significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. In this
circumstance, the proposed action to accept the Vision Study would have no or
only a de minimis effect on the environment because the action involves only the
acceptance of a document and does not approve or implement any specific project,
policy, or physical improvements. The foregoing determination is made by the
City Council in its independent judgment.
PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of
Cupertino this 16th day of September, 2025, by the following vote:
Members of the City Council
AYES: Chao, Moore, Wang
NOES: Fruen, Mohan
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
Resolution No. 25-080
Page 5
SIGNED:
________
Liang Chao, Mayor
City of Cupertino
_10/14/2025_____________
Date
ATTEST/25:
________
Kirsten Squarcia, City Clerk
__10/14/2025______________
Date
MAYOR LIANG CHAO
lchao@cupertino.gov
CITY HALL
10300 TORRE AVENUE • CUPERTINO, CA 95014-3255
TELEPHONE: (408) 777-3192 • FAX: (408) 777-3366
CUPERTINO.GOV
October 14, 2025
Stevens Creek Corridor Steering Committee
City Councilmember Rosemary Kamei
c/o City of San Jose
200 E. Santa Clara Street
San Jose, CA 95113
Re: City of Cupertino Concerns Regarding Stevens Creek Boulevard Vision Study
Dear Members of the Steering Committee,
On behalf of the Cupertino City Council, I am writing to share the City’s position
regarding the Stevens Creek Boulevard Vision Study and to outline the requirements
for Cupertino’s continued participation. As reflected in Resolution # 25-080 (see
attachment), the City’s future involvement is contingent upon the Steering Committee
addressing the conditions described in the Resolution. Once these items have been
completed, the City Council will be in a position to reconsider Cupertino’s role and
potentially reengage as a project partner.
The City Council has also noted that the Steering Committee bylaws were not formally
reviewed or approved by the governing bodies of the participating agencies. Cupertino
believes that, if this were accomplished, local approval of the bylaws would strengthen
transparency, accountability, and public trust in the Committee’s work.
In addition, the September 12 Steering Committee meeting raised concerns regarding
Brown Act compliance. Specifically, the agenda materials were not consistently
prepared or distributed in advance, which may have limited public access and
understanding. Cupertino encourages the Committee to adopt practices that ensure all
meetings are conducted in a manner that is fully accessible to the public.
Cupertino also recommends that all partner agencies revisit the Study and evaluate the
reasonableness of its recommendations. Through this process, agencies may find areas
where community sentiment has evolved since the Study’s development. Cupertino is
glad to share the findings of its own review process and welcomes the opportunity to
exchange lessons learned with other jurisdictions.
At this time, Cupertino will not commit additional City funding, resources, or staff time
to the Steering Committee or staff working group until the conditions outlined in
Resolution # 25-080 are met. These conditions include the following:
• The preparation of a comprehensive regional travel demand and needs analysis.
• The completion of a cost-benefit analysis, including local fiscal impacts for any
high-capacity transit proposal.
• The assessment of future transportation technologies and their compatibility
with proposed improvements along the corridor (e.g., autonomous vehicles and
microtransit).
• Preservation, to the maximum extent feasible, of Cupertino’s existing
investments along the corridor.
• Obtain Cupertino City Council review and approval of any implementation steps
involving infrastructure or land use changes within Cupertino city limits.
Cupertino remains committed to regional collaboration and values its partnership with
neighboring agencies. Should the conditions in Resolution # 25-080 be addressed,
Cupertino is prepared to reconsider the Study and work toward advancing projects that
are data-driven, fiscally responsible, and responsive to community needs.
Sincerely,
Liang Chao
Mayor, City of Cupertino
cc: Cupertino City Council
Attachment – Resolution # 25-080
MAYOR LIANG CHAO
lchao@cupertino.gov
CITY HALL
10300 TORRE AVENUE • CUPERTINO, CA 95014-3255
TELEPHONE: (408) 777-3192 • FAX: (408) 777-3366
CUPERTINO.GOV
October 14, 2025
Valley Transportation Authority
Rahul Sighamony, Multimodal Planning Manager
Planning Department
Valley Transportation Authority
3331 North First Street
San Jose, CA 95134
Re: Cupertino Concerns Regarding Governance and City Participation
Dear Valley Transportation Authority,
On behalf of the City of Cupertino, I am writing to share the City’s concern with the
Valley Transportation Authority’s (VTA) decision to advance the Stevens Creek
Boulevard Vision Study to the Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) without first
receiving direction from all participating jurisdictions. Since the Cupertino City Council
had not yet reviewed the Study prior to the PAC meeting, the City’s representative to
the PAC abstained from voting. Now that each project agency has completed a review
of the Study, Cupertino encourages VTA to reconsider its acceptance of the Vision
Study so that VTA’s process reflects input from all participating jurisdictions.
Cupertino believes that for regional planning efforts, it is essential that every
jurisdiction has the opportunity to review and provide input before any decisions are
made by a County representative body. This practice strengthens the credibility of these
projects as multijurisdictional efforts and ensures proper coordination across all partner
agencies.
As reflected in Resolution #25-080 (see attachment), the City’s future involvement is
contingent upon the Steering Committee addressing the conditions described in the
Resolution. Once these items have been completed, the City Council will be in a
position to reconsider Cupertino’s role and potentially reengage as a project partner.
Therefore, Cupertino will not commit additional City funding, resources, or staff time
to the Steering Committee or staff working group until the conditions outlined in
Resolution # 25-080 are met. These conditions include the following:
• The preparation of a comprehensive regional travel demand and needs analysis.
• The completion of a cost-benefit analysis, including local fiscal impacts for any
high-capacity transit proposal.
• The assessment of future transportation technologies and their compatibility
with proposed improvements along the corridor (e.g., autonomous vehicles and
microtransit).
• Preservation, to the maximum extent feasible, of Cupertino’s existing
investments along the corridor.
• Obtain Cupertino City Council review and approval of any implementation steps
involving infrastructure or land use changes within Cupertino city limits.
Following completion of these conditions, Cupertino looks forward to working with
our regional partners in a coordinated manner on this effort.
Sincerely,
Liang Chao
Mayor, City of Cupertino
cc: Cupertino City Council
Attachment – Resolution # 25-080