In case you were buried under a rock, the San Francisco 49ers are in the midst of building a new football stadium in Santa Clara. The stadium will be known for plenty of things, but two of the biggest noteworthy features will be the technological and environmental factors. The environmental side now gets a further boost as the 49ers will join Santa Clara and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority to install bicycle lanes on Tasman Drive heading toward the stadium.
This news is a week old, but it is still worth noting. Last week, the Santa Clara City Council approved and authorized city officials (PDF) to work with Kimley-Horn and Associates for a study on this project. The study will be done for the low, low cost of $56,500. The San Jose Mercury News broke down some of the cost details. The agreement includes fees for contract managers and clerical workers, and even includes a budget of up to $8,305 for office expenses.
According to the Merc, "[f]ans who ride bikes to the 49ers games and big events will have bike racks and lockers to use, and even valet bike parking, which officials are pushing as a way to reduce congestion before and after events ...."
The City Council also approved a purchase order (PDF) for up to $2,988,000 to purchase radio equipment for police and other emergency services. The purchase as a whole is part of Santa Clara's previous efforts to improve emergency communications. They are getting a discount on the project, so the stadium is getting in on the action. The stadium will provide $560,000 toward the cost. You can click on the PDF above if you're looking for a little more on the down and dirty of this purchase order.
I realize this is relatively dry information for a lot of people, but it's one more part of the 49ers stadium building process. I am curious though how many people will take advantage of this bike lane. The entire transportation aspect of this will be interesting to consider. I definitely plan on looking into the transportation aspect of the stadium a bit more. With a lot of people coming from San Francisco, the Peninsula and the East Bay, public transportation will be a pretty big deal.