Mobility: Walking and Biking

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Why is this a Climate Smart indicator?

Transportation creates almost half of our city's greenhouse gas emissions. If more people commuted by walking or biking, this would reduce our emissions. It would also reduce traffic, air and stormwater pollution and crashes.
People who live in walkable and bike-friendly neighborhoods tend to be healthier.
Walking and biking can reduce transportation costs for households.
One of our Bold Goals is to reduce the number of drive-alone commute trips to only 40 percent of all commute trips by 2040. This is only achievable if other ways of commuting, such as walking and biking, become more common.

What is the City doing to make progress on this indicator?

Completed

San José Complete Streets Design Standards & Guidelines, describing a vision and best available practices for designing streets that are comfortable, safe and welcoming for all modes of travel (adopted 2018)
Transportation Analysis Policy to shift the focus of developments’ transportation improvements to pedestrian, bicycle and transit facilities (adopted in 2018, updated in 2022)
Ordinance and permit system to address safety and operational issues of e-scooters while facilitating their growth; 1,000 scooters currently permitted

Sustainable Commute Incentive Pilot program to test the effectiveness of various incentive strategies for reducing drive-alone automobile trips
Vision Zero Action Plan (adopted 2020) and Quick Build team
Better Bike Plan 2025 (adopted 10/6/20)
East San José Multimodal Transportation Improvement Plan (En Movimiento; adopted 2021)
Emerging Mobility Action Plan (adopted 4/5/22)

Complete public bike share system with 83 stations and 1,100 bikes, including 100 dockless electric-assist bikes
Move San José, a new transportation strategy for San José (adopted 8/9/22)
Downtown Transportation Plan, which includes 17 transportation strategies to assist the city in designing, securing funding, and delivering key downtown improvements (adopted 11/15/22)
West San José Multimodal Transportation Improvement Plan (adopted 12/6/22)
Parking and Transportation Demand Management Ordinance update (adopted 12/6/22, effective 4/10/23)
Hire the City’s first Transportation Demand Management coordinator to manage the City’s existing employee commute programs
Walk Safe San José Plan (completed 2024)

In Progress / Ongoing

Implement the Vision Zero Action Plan
Implement En Movimiento projects
Implement Emerging Mobility Action Plan
Implement the Downtown Better BikewaySJ Network

Promote Transit Oriented Developments (TOD) through implementation of the Envision San José 2040 General Plan and urban village plans

Partner with regional agencies on cross-jurisdictional active transportation projects
Develop the Diridon Integrated Station Concept plan with regional partners
Climate Smart Challenge and GoGreen Teams programs for San José residents, which encourage walking and biking
LED Streetlight Conversion Program to make streets feel safer for pedestrians (2009-present)
Walk n’ Roll program to increase the number of kids walking and biking to school
Bikeshare Subsidy Program for City employees
North San Jose Multimodal Transportation Improvement Plan (expected completion by 2026)
East San Jose Bikeway Expansion: Working with Lyft, MTC, and Clean Air Resource Board to expand bikeshare network to East San Jose by deploying 500 new e-bikes and 32 new stations
Bikeway Network Expansion: Since 2020, the City of San José has installed 100 miles of new on-street bikeways and upgraded 82.1 miles of existing bikeways—totaling 182.1 miles of bikeway improvements across the City.
US 101/Trimble Road/De La Cruz Boulevard Interchange improvement upgrades, in partnership with regional agencies, including a separated bike/pedestrian path crossing, connecting the Guadalupe River Trails System to De La Cruz Boulevard and Central Expressway (estimated 2026 completion)
Transit-priority complete streets projects, along the Story Road – Keyes Street corridor and Monterey Road, as part of the implementation of the City’s Transit First Policy
East San Jose Mobility Equity Project: Launched in 2025 to support various programs, including a $1.3M Mobility Wallet Pilot for 350 low-income families, school-based bike programs, Viva Calle and Viva Escuela events, workforce development (Promotoras) and electric microtransit planning.

Planned

Mobility hubs along East San Fernando Street, making it easier for people to walk, bike, scoot, or ride transit (expected 2028)
Transit-priority complete streets plan(s) for Stevens Creek-San Carlos corridor, Santa Clara Street, and King Road.

Evaluating

Consider increasing maximum acceptable densities so that land resources are not locked into low-density patterns of development
Prioritize active transportation projects to leverage local and regional funding opportunities
Introduce more e-bikes and e-bike infrastructure

About the data

Sources

The percentage of commute journeys by walking and cycling is obtained from the American Community Survey, a yearly survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau that provides detailed population and housing information including commuting data. The data shown here are 5-year estimates from the Commuting Characteristics by Sex table.

Last updated

July 2025