By Robert Haugh
Congressman Ro Khanna says he has secured $13.5 million in federal funding for 13 community projects across his district, including two that directly affect Santa Clara.
For Santa Clara, the biggest local item is $1 million for the Pruneridge Avenue Complete Streets Project.
The money is slated to help remove portions of existing travel lanes, build out a key bicycle connection, and add pedestrian improvements such as curb extensions, ADA ramps, and signal upgrades.
According to Khanna’s office, the corridor connects to 14 schools and major job centers.
Santa Clara is also part of a $1.2 million award for the Silicon Valley Hopper, the low-cost on-demand microtransit shuttle shared with Cupertino. The funding is intended to extend and expand the service.
The rest of the money spreads across the district.
Sunnyvale received $2 million for safer walking and biking routes near schools and a park, plus another $1.092 million for upgrades at its Water Pollution Control Plant.
Milpitas picked up $250,000 for Main Street improvements and $500,000 for a workforce development center in a low-income neighborhood.
Newark got $850,000 for the Cedar Boulevard Complete Streets Project, and Fremont got another $850,000 for center median work on Auto Mall Parkway.
Santa Clara County was awarded $3.15 million to restore emergency shelter and transitional housing for homeless veterans, and another $175,000 for the SAFE+ program serving survivors of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and gender-based violence.
Other allocations include $250,000 for the Berryessa Youth Center, $1.092 million for a San Jose water restoration project, and $1.092 million for a regional purified water facility led by Valley Water.
Khanna’s office said all 13 projects were funded through the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills and have been signed into law.
Key bicycle connection? The bike lane from Pomeroy to Lawrence on Pruneridge is underutilized now and at peak traffic times it backs up from Lawrence to Pomeroy and in the opposite direction in the afternoon due to only one lane for cars. I have sat in traffic and I can count the number of bikes that pass me on one hand using just one of 5 fingers. With 2 lanes between Kiely and San Tomas it’s not uncommon for long back ups in the afternoon on Pruneridge.
Choking off another lane will only make this worse.
I’m all for bike lanes but if they are not being used fully, what’s the point. Drivers will simply be forced into neighborhoods to avoid traffic, thus creating bigger issues on residential side streets.
A daily drive before and after the Hedding Street abomination that funneled taxpayers trying to get to work between Pruneridge (4 lanes) and Hedding (2 lanes) showed me that many more Squirrels used the Bike Lanes than “so-called” cyclists.
Are there no “after studies? It’s all a Boondoggle.
Has there a Massive INCREASE in cyclists? Nope.
But of course, the tail wags the dog:
https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1007&context=svpsfp