Transit connectivity will play a crucial role in determining whether Sunnyvale governing bodies will get on board with the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s proposal for a Bus Rapid Transit program along El Camino Real.

During a joint study session with the Sunnyvale City Council, Planning Commission and Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission Nov. 11, the VTA discussed the recent release of the project’s environmental impact report, street design options and transportation projections.

In 2012, the Sunnyvale City Council voted against supporting a dedicated lane for Bus Rapid Transit that would run through Sunnyvale via El Camino.

Since then, the VTA has met monthly with city staff, business owners and residents to discuss other options for the line that would span across 17 miles of El Camino, beginning at the SAP Center in San Jose and ending at the Palo Alto Transit Center.

The group discussed the possibility of doing nothing, having mixed-use lanes or going for the full dedicated lanes along the stretch of road. The VTA is still advocating for bus-only lanes that would be located in the median of El Camino, as it was two years ago.

“To us, it’s pretty clear: if we’re going to make a big investment into this corridor for really a complete street makeover, we will want to see the best project and the best project that we see is really the dedicated lane,” said John Ristow, VTA director of planning and program development.

Proposed Sunnyvale BRT stations would be located at Wolfe Road, Remington Drive, Hollenbeck Avenue and Bernardo Avenue. While bus travel times are projected to be cut nearly in half for the entire 17-mile corridor, it would mean drivers could make only right turns at Sunnyvale six intersections.

The VTA is proposing to make El Camino right turn only between Mary and Hollenbeck, at Taaffe, at Murphy, between Cezanne and Fair Oaks, west of Maria, and between Maria and Wolfe. New signals would be installed between Sunnyvale and Cezanne, Fair Oaks and Maria, and at Helen.

Some on-street parking would also be eliminated in order to make room for the new stations.

Representatives from Sunnyvale’s auto dealerships argued that removing a lane and reducing on-street parking would greatly harm their businesses. A newly formed group called the El Camino Business Coalition also shared concerns about the anticipated diversion of traffic onto side streets.

The VTA studied the possible traffic impact on more than 240 intersections both on and off El Camino. Because there are about 42 off-corridor intersections in Sunnyvale, the impact of traffic diversion would be small, as it would be widely dispersed, according to Ristow.

“The goal or objective of this project was to actually improve the transit option there, and the best way to improve it is speed, frequency and reliability and with that comes ridership,” Ristow said. “So, it’s all about trying to use transit as a much more effective transportation choice for all those residents and jobs in that corridor.”

The average weekday boardings in Sunnyvale in 2013 were 2,681. With a dedicated bus lane, that is projected to increase to 3,789 by 2018 and 4,910 by 2040.

The Sunnyvale City Council expressed the importance of connecting the BRT with a north-south service, which council members agreed Sunnyvale has been lacking for years.

While the VTA is studying a Mathilda Avenue Rapid Bus system called the 354 Concept, Mayor Jim Griffith stated there needs to be a larger, more comprehensive plan.

“Sunnyvale has specific needs, and it is a bit of a problem for me that 354 seems to have been tossed in as an after thought rather than as part of an integrated, comprehensive plan,” Griffith said during the meeting. “I can support this as an additional backbone if it is part of a larger plan.”

Additional details on the BRT project, including upcoming VTA community meetings and a copy of the EIR, can be found at vta.org/el-camino-brt.