# PSA - Santa Clara and San Jose trails flooded



## 4Crawler

*PSA - Santa Clara and San Jose trails flooded - STAC trail now open*

The San Tomas Aquino Creek trail is flooded and all the gates are locked, this next to the new 49er's stadium:








Lots of mud on some of the under crossings that were just above the waterline. Probably will take the city crews a day or two to clean off the trails and get the gates opened up once the water levels drop.

At least the northern parts of the Guadalupe River Trail (GRT) are flooded (this is the 237 undercrossing)::








Went as far as Tasman and it too was under a few feet of water.

Did notice that the contractor on the GRT has at least one layer of fresh asphalt all the way up to the 237 Bikeway on the trail paving project and grading equipment is all the way up at Gold St. so that project is progressing well. Looks like the east side trail will be the paved one and the west side will remain gravel at least as far south as 101. I've heard that the GRT is open up to Hwy. 101 on the south side:
- San Jose, CA - Official Website - Construction Updates


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## ukbloke

Thanks for the pictures! The waterflow at the confluence of the San Tomas Aquino and Saratoga Creeks looked pretty impressive over the weekend. I wonder how much mud, sludge and other random debris accumulates on the cycle path under those bridges during storms?


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## 4Crawler

It gets a few inches deep, especially when the water is that muddy with the high flow. I saw one underpass that was nearly out of the water (level had fallen several feet when I took those photos) and there was a good coating of mud visible, lots of bird tracks all over in it.

At the peak, Saratoga Creek (behind my house) was flowing at 1500cfs:









Imagine San Tomas Aquino Creek was at least the same flow, pretty good mist coming up at the confluence, not quite enough for a rainbow:









Didn't get over to the STAC trail head today to see if it is open or not.


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## 4Crawler

I expect all the trails are again flooded after today's rain, I think the water levels were a bit higher than the last big storm. And did walk part way down the trail and found the gates open, but there was creek water splashing over on a few of the southern under crossings and the one at Scott Blvd. was underwater a few feet. Did not go any farther north, but all the under crossings farther down stream are even lower.

Update (12/24): Rode the STAC trail today and everything is open but most of the under crossings are really muddy, so you need to take care coming around the blind corners as a touch of the brakes or a sudden turn and you'll be on the deck. 

On a side note, San Jose has pavement on the Guadalupe River Trail all the way north to Hwy. 237 now and should be working on paving the rest of the way to Gold St. in Alviso shortly. Pavement on the east side of the river, still gravel on the west side:
- San Jose, CA - Official Website - Construction Updates

Unfortunately they are going to wait until after the paving project is finished before they tackle the Tasman under crossing. That one floods way to frequently, so they are planning to raise the trail level about 3 ft. and re-pave the horrible grooved ramps there. Looks like the northern GRT under crossings from Tasman north are under water.


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## 4Crawler

Managed to ride most of the newly paved Guadalupe River Trail in San Jose yesterday (on 4 wheels instead of 2):
- Long Distance Skateboarding - Guadalupe River Trail

Trail is officially open past the airport up to the Green Island (parking lot along 101):



















North of Montague Expressway:










And Tasman is still flooded, you either need to hike-a-bike the rock bank or cross over 4 lanes of traffic and 2 light rail lanes above or ride down to the nearest intersection and back:










Update: I did notice that the Tasman under crossing was dried out around the 2nd or 3rd of January, but more rain expected this weekend. Can't wait for that one to get raised.

Haven't seen any update on the construction status page since mid-December. I did see a few workers out on the trail around Tasman last week, but seemed to be mostly shuttling equipment around. I wasn't chased off the trail when I passed one guy driving a tractor up from Tasman. All the signs say the trail is closed through 10/2012 but it is obviously past that date. Not officially open but does not seem like they are enforcing that.

1/12/13: Noticed that Tasman under crossing is flooded again and 237 looks to have been under water and is just drying out again. Saw lots of form work in place at Tasman street level crossing, so they must be getting set to pour some concrete there.

1/19/2013: Noticed the Tasman and 237 under crossings are clear and dry again. Decorative concrete was poured at Tasman, looks like the plain fill concrete will get poured this week. Really nice in-pavement artwork at all the street level ramps, there is a partial compass rose and the street name inset in brass letters in the concrete. Will have to take a camera next time I get down that way.


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## patrickkonsor

There are signs on the San Tomas Aquino Creek trail saying it is closed. Does anyone know what's going on and when it will be re-opened?


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## 4Crawler

patrickkonsor said:


> There are signs on the San Tomas Aquino Creek trail saying it is closed. Does anyone know what's going on and when it will be re-opened?


I've been trying to find out what is going on, nothing official I can find posted anywhere. But I think the "closure" is only on the last segment from Monroe to Cabrillo. Funny thing is the signs say 11/12 - 5/13 but the signs were not put up until 1/13. All the signs seem to be fancy shop-made, not the generic From:___ To:___ with felt pen lettering for the dates. I do think the signs are misleading as they give the impression the entire trail is closed, not just the quarter mile from Monroe to Cabrillo. And since the signs were put up 2 months "late", does that mean the end date has shifted by 2 months as well?

What I have dug up so far is that there seems to be a few projects all getting done at once. Seems the box culvert under the pavement through which San Tomas Aquino Creek flows is falling apart from El Camino up to about Williams Ave. So that is getting torn up and repaired before it collapses and the expressway turns into a giant sink hole. Then there is some state or federal money to widen San Tomas south of El Camino from 6 to 8 lanes to cut down on the traffic bottle neck there. Then there has been a project that was supposed to be finished last year to extend the bike trail to El Camino. So I think that is all going on at the same time, perhaps the trail work was postponed to coincide with the road work.

Interesting mix of project owners as well. San Tomas Expressway is a county road, so a VTA project. I suspect the creek channel/culvert is a Valley Water affair and then the bike path is Santa Clara city. So no wonder the lack of project information, misleading dates, etc. But some kudos should be given for them to coordinate everything, since the typical thing would be to widen/repave the road, then dig it up to fix the culverts, then close it down again to add the bike lane and have things messed up for 2 years! But since it now seems that only the bike lane work is on-going at this time, it'll probably be a perpetual mess on San Tomas until all 3 projects are done in serial fashion.

I walk that "closed" section of the trail every day and aside from the signs, there is nothing going on with that trail as far as I can tell. I think the closure and detour has to do with the commuter and right turn lane at Cabrillo being blocked off. So if one were to ride up the creek trail and want to cross San Tomas or continue up San Tomas, you can't get there without turning right and then making a u-turn due to the blocked lanes. I see a few cyclists and pedestrians on the closed part of the trail and also see bikes riding the side of San Tomas behind the cones which would work as long as you want to turn right on Cabrillo.

My guess is that they'll need to re-do the crosswalk and traffic islands at Cabrillo for the new trail segment plus do the construction for that new bike trail. Likely they need the blocked commuter lane for working on the bike lane that will run next to the road. 

So until I hear otherwise, I would say if you ride the creek trail and normally turn right on Cabrillo then it is still good to go, in fact is is safer now as you don't have to deal with the idiots barreling off of San Tomas making a right turn. But if you continue up San Tomas or turn left on Cabrillo, follow the detour signs (they take all the bikes right past my house). 

I also found out the city got some outside money to fix up the on-street portions of the San Tomas Aquino Creek trail through the city. Supposed to get better crosswalks, even with in-pavement lighted markers. Really nice they are doing that, but they are not doing squat to make the existing trail crosswalks safer, like the one at Monroe where I was hit by a car. So I guess it all comes down to money, if they can get someone to pay for upgrading things on a new project, they'll do that, but to go back to existing trail and get them to do the same there is not happening. 

I have been reporting any traffic incidents I see in both Santa Clara:
- City of Santa Clara : Report Traffic Issues
and San Jose:
- https://www.sjpd.org/_forms/TEU_Request_Form.asp
With the location, time, date and infraction for the last 6 months. For San Jose, their page is brain damaged as the only let city residents report problems, so I put in my out-of-city street address then select a San Jose zip code. 

The other dangerous crosswalk I have been reporting is at Great America/Gold Street Connector at 237. Cars turning right onto the 237 on-ramp are not stopping for red lights and I have nearly been hit several times there. Since the San Jose city boundary is the north side of 237, that falls under SJPD jurisdiction. But I think the more traffic incidents that get reported to the various cities, the safer the crossings will be for us riders and pedestrians. In fact I saw one likely crosswalk violator get pulled over on Monroe by SCPD about a week ago. I have reported probably a dozen incidents at that one crosswalk since last summer.


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## ukbloke

Great information, thanks!


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## 4Crawler

patrickkonsor said:


> There are signs on the San Tomas Aquino Creek trail saying it is closed. Does anyone know what's going on and when it will be re-opened?


Appears that they have totally blocked off the trail section from Monroe to Cabrillo. Chain link fence and that green diffuser netting all around the end of the trail I checked out tonight. Not sure what is going on with that section of trail, the only thing I can think of is that they are using that as an access point for the north end of the box culvert, if indeed that is what they are working on. Only think that does not make sense for the timing of working on that culvert is the sign work dates pretty much match the rainy season (Nov-May) so not the best time to be working on an underground drainage channel  So perhaps they are just working to change the crosswalk and islands at that side of the intersection.

Also peeked over the fencing along San Tomas south of Cabrillo and there seem to be some marker flags of some sort which might be marking the path of the bike lane there or perhaps where a k-wall will be set between the road and ultimate bike path. 

But still have yet to hear anything definitive on what sort of work is going on. Have sent in a query to the Santa Clara weekly paper to see if they have any articles on that project. Judging by the dates on the signs, the project is already 2+ months behind schedule, so will likely run past the posted 5/13 end date.

Someone equally as puzzled:
- Reach 4 of San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail moving ahead? « Silicon Valley Cyclist

Ideally they should build pedestrian bridges over the Cabrillo (and El Camino) intersections to get the bike and foot traffic up out of the crap shoot right turn lanes off of San Tomas.


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## patrickkonsor

I always get onto the trail at Cabrillo on my way to/from work. They seem to have totally blocked off the section from Cabrillo to Monroe, so now I'm taking the detour to Monroe.

I'm hoping that they change the trail access a bit at Cabrillo. There seems to be no safe legal way to actually get onto the trail from the road. Most people just ride on the left side of the road, but they're at risk of the fast cars getting off San Tomas. I personally get onto the sidewalk a bit before the intersection, but I'm not sure that's strictly legal.


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## 4Crawler

patrickkonsor said:


> I always get onto the trail at Cabrillo on my way to/from work. They seem to have totally blocked off the section from Cabrillo to Monroe, so now I'm taking the detour to Monroe.
> 
> I'm hoping that they change the trail access a bit at Cabrillo. There seems to be no safe legal way to actually get onto the trail from the road. Most people just ride on the left side of the road, but they're at risk of the fast cars getting off San Tomas. I personally get onto the sidewalk a bit before the intersection, but I'm not sure that's strictly legal.


Yes, I think they just fenced it off today, it seemed to be just signs as of Sunday. Agreed on the San Tomas right turn lane, that is sheer suicide to attempt that when there is any traffic. Yes, I usually hop over onto the sidewalk but they do have a "no bikes this direction" sign over there. One time when there was a cop sitting and watching the intersection, I took the likely "official" route of riding up to the right side island, pressing the walk button and waited for the walk sign, then walked the bike across the two crosswalks and remounted on the bike path. That is one heck of a long light to sit and wait for during rush hour and doing so does not guarantee safe passage across the right turn lane as that is almost a blind corner for cars coming off San Tomas.

If indeed they are going to extend that bike lane up to El Camino, I sudder to imagine the carnage if the same arrangement is made there. Bike lane suddenly dumping out into the middle of commute lane w/ right turn traffic intermixed! No thank you! The crossing at Monroe is dangerous enough, Cabrillo is bad enough but El Camino would be a death trap.


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## 4Crawler

Well it now appears to be just the bike path extension up to El Camino and some crosswalk changes at Cabrillo that is being worked on. Looks like some more trees have been cut down along the baseball field and skate park. A second chain link fence has been run inside the one along the expressway at least part way up towards ECR. It looks like they may be moving the bicycle crossing back away from San Tomas a ways, at least judging by where they have some paint marks on the sidewalk and pavement. Will have to see what that looks like as the construction gets underway.

Still can't find anything official on the project on-line other than these City of Santa Clara Bicycle Advisory Committee minutes from 6/27/2012:
- http://santaclaraca.gov/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=7895



> Spur Trail Update
> PWD/CE Rajeev updated members about the current status and schedule for planned San Tomas Aquino Creek Spur Trail along the west side of San Tomas Expressway from Cabrillo Avenue to El Camino Real.


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## 4Crawler

Answer from Neal Lozano at the City of Santa Clara:

"The project located on San Tomas Expressway and Cabrillo Avenue is the City of Santa Clara's San Tomas Aquino Creek Spur Trail Project. This project will be an extension to the existing San Tomas Aquino/Saratoga Creek Trail, adding approximately 2,000 feet of trail southerly from Cabrillo Avenue to El Camino Real along the westerly side of San Tomas Expressway. The project includes construction of the trail, 10 foot high sound wall, barrier, landscaping, and modification of the traffic signal at Cabrillo Avenue/San Tomas Expressway intersection. Construction started on 1/7/13 and will be completed Summer 2013."

So I guessed about right on that part of the project.


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## ukbloke

Good to know, thanks.


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## patrickkonsor

Here's some more info from the Roadshow column:

Q Oh Sultan of the Streets, Raja of the Roadways: On the west side of San Tomas Expressway, between El Camino Real and Cabrillo, trees have been coming down for months. What's going on? I know that you know all, see all. Please enlighten me.
Douglas Herrick
Santa Clara

A Santa Clara and the county are building the first segment of the San Tomas Aquino Creek spur trail along the west side of the expressway. Tree removal is completed now, and work on the trail will be done this summer. The next segment will run from El Camino to Homestead Road and will be under construction in 2014.

Roadshow: Building another Bay Area bridge would cost billions - San Jose Mercury News


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## 4Crawler

4Crawler said:


> And Tasman is still flooded, you either need to hike-a-bike the rock bank or cross over 4 lanes of traffic and 2 light rail lanes above or ride down to the nearest intersection and back:


Noticed Tasman has been flooded again the last week or so. Pavement has been extended up to Gold St. in Alviso on the Guadalupe River Trial, although the transition to the pavement is still being worked on. But it is pretty much all paved from Gold Street in Alviso down to Virginia St. in San Jose. One "Trail Closed" sign that was still up had a March 2013 completion date for the current trail work. 

One thing I noticed is the center striping on the newer pavement, they have the traditional dashed yellow line on most of the trail, but in some of the curvier sections, it is a solid yellow line. Guess that must be a "no passing zone" or something. You have excellent visibility in those sections, but maybe they have some road striping guy laying out the lines.


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## ukbloke

Anyone have any idea where the southern extension of the San Tomas trail is headed to? I know they are pushing it down to El Camino though I guess it just feeds back into the Expressway to cross over the lights. I read that the next section continues along San Tomas to Homestead but what then? Does it turn westward and join up to Central Park and try to get back to the creek, or continue down San Tomas towards Campbell?

There's a meeting tonight that might be related:

*Central Park Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Study*
Posted Date: 1/29/2013 4:00 PM

The City of Santa Clara invites the public to comment on the Central Park Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Study. 

Those interested should attend the meeting at 6:00pm on Monday, February 11, 2013 6pm at the Central Park Library in the Redwood Room. 

The Central Park Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Study will consider accessibility to the park and its facilities, signage improvement, and other changes to facilitate walking or bicycling, and the connection to Homeridge Park via Saratoga Creek. 

Design concepts will be presented and users will be asked to provide comments, ideas, changes and other suggestions before the final design concept is presented. 

The City encourages attendance of all residents, members of the public, and member organizations who have an interest in the Park. 

For additional information, please contact Blossom Dulos with the Department of Public Works, Traffic Engineering Division at (408) 615-3007 or at [email protected].


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## ukbloke

I'd completely forgotten that the Tasman underpass was never completed on the Guadalupe trail. It was partly flooded at the weekend and the ridged trail surface was a big surprise to my skinny road tires. A contract has been awarded this year to fix it. They have funding and all the permits in place. The allowed window for the construction work ends in October so they had better get started soon if they are going to fix it this year.


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## 4Crawler

ukbloke said:


> I'd completely forgotten that the Tasman underpass was never completed on the Guadalupe trail. It was partly flooded at the weekend and the ridged trail surface was a big surprise to my skinny road tires. A contract has been awarded this year to fix it. They have funding and all the permits in place. The allowed window for the construction work ends in October so they had better get started soon if they are going to fix it this year.


Thanks for the update. Had not seen the contract award notice. Hopefully they will get it wrapped up before the rains start.


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## jmpsmash

4Crawler said:


> Thanks for the update. Had not seen the contract award notice. Hopefully they will get it wrapped up before the rains start.


GRT/Tasman was ankle deep flooded 2 weeks ago. I wonder where the water came from given there hasn't been significant rain for months.


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## 4Crawler

jmpsmash said:


> GRT/Tasman was ankle deep flooded 2 weeks ago. I wonder where the water came from given there hasn't been significant rain for months.


That underpass is below the high tide line, so floods with high tides. Also, the Guadalupe River level varies with the assorting pumping stations (like at the Airport):
- USGS Current Conditions for USGS 11169025 GUADALUPE R ABV HWY 101 A SAN JOSE CA

So if one of those drainage pumps kicks on when the tide is coming in, the level can jump a foot or more in a few minutes. Or as I like to joke, if more than two people in SJ flush toilets at the same time that under crossing will flood 

The construction is supposed to raise the trail level about 3 feet and cover the corrugated concrete roadway. Will reduce the flooding due to the tides, but if the river level rises high enough, the trail will still flood.


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## 4Crawler

The SVBC posted this note today:



> Trail Time-Out: If your plans for the next few months involve riding on the Guadalupe River Trail from Tasman northward, you're going to need to adjust them. A trail closure is required as PG&E works on a pipeline beneath the levee. Substantial excavation will require removal of a portion of the levee so there will be absolutely no public access along the east bank trail. Options are limited and not very pleasant, including using the unpaved gravel maintenance road along the west bank of the river. The good news? A parallel project of the City of San José will reconstruct and elevate the Tasman Drive under-crossing. Elevating the under-crossing by 3' will prevent recurring tidal flood closures.


So it sounds like this project is about to get underway. At least they are doing the projects together.


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## jmpsmash

I rode the GRT / Tasman underpass yesterday and there were already pallets of building material present. looks like the start of construction will happen soon.


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## 4Crawler

Rode down this afternoon (Sat) and the trail is officially gated at both sides of the Tasman underpass. The bypass at Tasman is not very convenient as I think you need to ride the sidewalk down to the crosswalk at the bottom of either side of the bridge then back up to the trail. Better route is to cross the foot bridge down by River Oaks and take the gravel service road up the west back to 237 or Gold St. if going that far.


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## 4Crawler

Last Sunday, I rode by the Tasman under pass and it looks like they have the new concrete roadway all finished, probably just working on finishing touches. The gates were still closed and there were piles of dirt blocking the way.


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## jmpsmash

They reopened the GRT Tasman underpass. They did a good job.


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## 4Crawler

That's good news, at least they beat the rains and flooding. I was down there earlier in the month and saw the concrete work was mostly finished and it did look good, great improvement over the old wash board.


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