Find a car-lite bike route to work in Stanford Research Park

Often the biggest hurdle to biking is just to start doing it. That can be daunting, especially if you don’t know what lies beyond. Luckily for us in the Bay Area, scenic paths, bike-friendly roads, and miles of bike lanes await! Check out our in-house bike map or read on for ways to ride to work that will take you off car-clogged streets and allow you to enjoy the ride more.

From the North

• Alameda de las Pulgas: This road, literally translated as “avenue of the fleas,” begins in San Carlos and runs into Junipero Serra, which can be taken almost directly to Stanford Research Park. The roughly seven mile stretch has rolling hills at points, but is fairly wide and marked with sharrows to remind drivers that cyclists frequent this route.
• The Bay Trail: If you’re biking from cities along the peninsula, the Bay Trail is a good bet for a car-free and pleasant ride. The entire trail is a 350-mile network of paths that circumnavigate the Bay, from the North Bay and down through San Francisco, the Peninsula, and the East Bay, through San Jose and beyond. Aside from having a relaxing ride without the nuisance of cars and the stop and go of traffic lights, you’re also more likely to see wildlife on your way to work. Although you can hop on the Bay Trail at almost any point, a group of cyclists that have been traveling from SF to Silicon Valley regularly for more than a decade created a special route called “The Bayway” that follows portions of the Bay Trail. Perhaps consider joining a First Friday Friendly Frolic ride?

From the South

• Foothill Expressway: Yes, this is a heavily-trafficked road, but most cyclists will tell you that it’s one of the fastest and most convenient ways to get from Cupertino or Los Altos to Palo Alto. Its wide shoulders and (in some spots) bike lanes make it easy to maintain distance from cars. Foothill also lives up to its designation: “Expressway.” The lack of traffic lights make it easy to maintain momentum and get to work in record time.
• Alternative to Foothill: If you don’t have a 9 AM meeting to make, there’s a snaking route that covers the same commute-shed as Foothill without the fast-moving car traffic. Check out “the yellow line” on our Bike Route Map, a collection of routes to Stanford Research Park used by regular bike commuters.

From the East

• Over the Dumbarton Bridge: If you make your home in the East Bay, chances are you’ll be taking the Dumbarton Bridge, a 5-mile expanse that will drop you off in Menlo Park near Facebook HQ. Bikes are completely separated from cars on the bridge, and although some riders complain of the noise and wind, riding over the water is safe and pretty easy. Once you arrive on the other side, check out Stanford Research Park Bike Champion James Tarver’s turn-by-turn directions from the bridge to Stanford Research Park.

Near Stanford Research Park

• North-South Corridor: If you’d like to avoid Page Mill Road, hop on California Avenue (shown in orange on our Bike Route Map).
• Southeast-Northwest Corridor: A little north of the Research Park is Bryant Street, a quiet residential route perfect for biking. See the “dark blue line” on the Bike Route Map. Bryant Street intersects with California Avenue, another bike-friendly street, and the best way into Stanford Research Park by bike.
• Biking around Stanford Research Park: If you need to get around the Research Park during the day, try Bol Park Bike Path, which runs along the eastern edge of the Research Park. It’s a lovely recreational path that takes you past a donkey corral and through Barron Park. 
  Don't have your bike? No problem! Check out an e-bike and loaner helmet for day use at Mike's Bikes at The Hub.

Have other questions? Email us at SRPGObikes@stanford.edu.