San Jose Mineta International Airport, in conjunction with the city, has deferred the planned October 1 closure of Ewert Road, a key route for cyclists and pedestrians. The decision came after pushback from San Jose residents and bicycle advocates who warned the closure would eliminate an essential connection between San Jose, Santa Clara, and Sunnyvale, which provides access to Airport Boulevard and the Guadalupe River Trail.
Airport spokesperson Julie Jarratt confirmed the deferral, stating the initial closure was postponed due to projected rainfall associated with El Niño this winter. This delay is intended to "give the city additional time to evaluate appropriate options for maintaining a safe route for people biking and walking." Jarratt added that the city continues to work on bike safety around the airport and will share a new closure date and route information for riders.
San Jose Councilmember Michael Mulcahy, whose District 6 includes the airport, views the pause as an opportunity. He stated it allows for identifying "the safest and most durable path forward" regarding the concerns surrounding Ewert Road and looks forward to working with the airport, Department of Transportation, and community members to deliver a thoughtful, long-term solution.
Recreational cyclists and bike commuters, who rely on Ewert Road, have voiced significant concerns. San Jose resident Mikhail Haurylau, who bicycles to work in Santa Clara, called the road "critical for me to get to work safely." He fears that losing Ewert Road would force him onto detours that are less safe, especially when the Guadalupe River Trail floods in winter. These alternative routes would direct him onto busy thoroughfares, including the intersection of First Street and Trimble Road, which he finds concerning even with extensive bike commuting experience.
Safety concerns for cyclists on these alternate routes are underscored by a recent incident. On September 4, a bicyclist was fatally struck by a motorist at the intersection of Trimble Road and North First Street, marking the 33rd traffic-related death in the city for the year.
Haojun Li, co-lead of Bike San Jose, highlighted the dangers of detours in the winter, especially after daylight savings. He noted that it becomes "extremely dangerous" due to darkness and rain, with alternative options crossing busy Highway 101 on-ramps and off-ramps where motorists may struggle to see cyclists. He described significant "mental anguish" associated with these detours.
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC), an advisory body to the city’s Department of Transportation, has formally opposed the closure. In a recent 20-page report submitted to the San Jose Transportation and Environment Committee, as part of the Vision Zero Action Plan Update, preventing the closure of Ewert Road was listed as a priority. Vision Zero is a city program created to reduce traffic fatalities. BPAC urges the City Council, transportation department, and SJC to keep Ewert Road open to cyclists permanently, noting the closure would reverse efforts made 11 years ago as part of the Vision Zero plan.
The BPAC report emphasizes that "Ewert Road isn’t a shortcut, and it isn’t redundant with any other infrastructure. It’s a flat, direct east-west link off the Guadalupe River Trail to get around the airport between San Jose and Santa Clara." The report also stated that Ewert Road has functioned as a public bike path for all 30 years of its existence.
The airport’s rationale for the closure stems from safety and security concerns. Airport spokesperson Julie Jarratt clarified that Ewert Road was originally built as an internal airport access road, not intended as a public multimodal corridor. She stated that "collisions and security incidents involving vehicles and bicyclists on the road, resulting in injuries and law enforcement calls" have occurred over time. The airport reviewed the area against federal airport safety and security requirements and determined that removing public access was the appropriate step to reduce the risk of future incidents.
However, advocates have challenged the airport's reasoning. Jordan Moldow, chair of San Jose’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and co-lead of Bike San Jose, argued that the city’s commitment to Vision Zero requires structural changes to accommodate bicyclists safely on Ewert Road. He suggested that forcing cyclists onto other routes would "almost certainly be more dangerous." Moldow also noted that airport officials offered "vague safety-related reasons, which were unconvincing" during public meetings, particularly given that a tall fence with barbed wire already separates Ewert Road from the airfield.
The road's importance extends regionally. Betsy Megas, speaking for herself as chair of the Santa Clara Bicycle and Pedestrian and VTA Bicycle and Pedestrian advisory committees, highlighted Ewert Road as a regional connector for residents from San Jose, Santa Clara, Mountain View, Palo Alto, and Menlo Park. She stated that "The airport is a barrier in a major way to transportation, and there are not good alternatives around the north end. Ewert is it," adding that current San Jose and Santa Clara bike projects rely on the road’s continued existence.
Brent Pearse, VTA principal transportation planner, affirmed Ewert Road’s significance, noting it is identified in VTA’s 2018 Countywide Bike Plan as part of a cross-county, long-distance bicycle corridor. He added that Ewert Road "has historically provided an alternate route that avoids those seasonal flooding issues" which often impact segments of the Guadalupe River Trail during the wet season, causing lengthy detours for travelers between San Jose, Santa Clara, and North County employment areas.
