BILL ANALYSIS Ó
SENATE TRANSPORTATION & HOUSING COMMITTEE BILL NO: scr 35
SENATOR MARK DESAULNIER, CHAIRMAN AUTHOR: simitian
VERSION: 4/5/11
Analysis by: Jennifer Gress FISCAL: yes
Hearing date: May 10, 2011
SUBJECT:
Don Burnett Bicycle-Pedestrian Bridge
DESCRIPTION:
This resolution designates the bicycle and pedestrian bridge
that crosses State Highway Route 280 in Santa Clara County as
the "Don Burnett Bicycle-Pedestrian Bridge."
ANALYSIS:
The committee has adopted a policy regarding the naming of state
highways or structures. Under the policy, the committee will
consider only those resolutions that meet all of the following
criteria:
The person being honored must have provided extraordinary
public service or some exemplary contribution to the public
good and have a connection to the community where the highway
is located;
The person being honored must be deceased;
The naming must be done without cost to the state. Costs for
signs and plaques must be paid by local or private sources;
The author or co-author of the measure must represent the
district in which the facility is located, and the measure
must identify the specific highway segment or structure being
named;
If the segment of highway is being named for a specific
individual or individuals, it must not exceed five miles in
length;
The proposed designation must reflect a community consensus
and be without local opposition; and
The proposed designation may not supersede an existing
designation unless the sponsor can document that a good faith
effort has uncovered no opposition to rescinding the prior
designation.
SCR 35 (Simitian) Page 2
This resolution :
Designates the bicycle and pedestrian bridge that crosses
State Highway Route 280 at Mary Avenue between the cities of
Cupertino and Sunnyvale in Santa Clara County as the "Don
Burnett Bicycle-Pedestrian Bridge."
Requests the California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans) to determine the cost of erecting appropriate
signs, consistent with the signing requirements for the state
highway system, and, upon receiving donations from nonstate
sources sufficient to cover that cost, to erect those signs.
COMMENTS:
1.Purpose . According to the author, the concept for the
bicycle-pedestrian bridge was originated in the early 1990s by
bicycle advocate Don Burnett. As a Cupertino city councilman,
Mr. Burnett played a major role in galvanizing support for the
bicycle-pedestrian bridge, currently referred to as the Mary
Avenue Bridge. When the steel suspension bridge opened on
April 30, 2009, Mr. Burnett was one of four honorary residents
to take the maiden bicycle ride across the bridge. On
September 11, 2010, Mr. Burnett lost his battle with cancer.
The purpose of the resolution is to recognize Don Burnett for
his numerous achievements and contributions, especially to the
cycling community, by re-dedicating the Mary Avenue Bridge as
the "Don Burnett Bicycle-Pedestrian Bridge."
2.Background on Don Burnett . Mr. Burnett was born in Kansas
City, Kansas in 1931 and grew up in the suburbs of Chicago.
He received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the
University of Illinois in 1953 and a Master's Degree from the
University of California, Berkeley in 1958.
Mr. Burnett worked for 30 years with Lockheed Martin, holding
a patent on a device to measure vehicle temperatures during
reentry. Before joining Lockheed Martin, Mr. Burnett spent
time in the U.S. Navy, including a year-long position as
commander of the Wilkes scientific station in Antarctica
during the International Geophysical Year 1957-58.
Mr. Burnett's love of pedaling a bike began in the 1960s. He
attracted attention on the road in the early 1970s with his
Bell helmet, cycling shorts, and jerseys, according to his
wife, Nancy, of 50 years. His bike had large warning lights
SCR 35 (Simitian) Page 3
to aid his commute in the dark to and from his job at Lockheed
Martin.
During his city council years from 1993 to 2001, he
experienced his first battle with breast cancer, but rarely
missed a council meeting. Also during that period, he served
six years as the local representative on the executive board
of the Association of Bay Area Governments, and later
volunteered for county-level advisory groups.
Mr. Burnett was also a part-time advocate for breast cancer
awareness, educating men that they, too, can be stricken by
breast cancer and encouraging them to have lumps in the chest
area examined early.
For recreation, Mr. Burnett was active in leading and
supporting bicycle rides for the Western Wheelers Bicycle
Club, Almaden Cycle Touring Club, and Skyline Cycling Club,
and was the recipient of many awards from those organizations.
He also served on the board of the Silicon Valley Bicycle
Coalition and, in 2005, received the "Advocate of the Decade
Award."
From 2004 until 2008, Mr. Burnett served the Valley
Transportation Authority as a volunteer on the Citizens
Advisory Committee and Citizens Watchdog Committee.
3.Consistent with committee's policy . This resolution is
consistent with all of the provisions of the committee's
policy on highway designations.
POSITIONS: (Communicated to the Committee before noon on
Wednesday,
May 4, 2011)
SUPPORT: None received.
OPPOSED: None received.
SCR 35 (Simitian) Page 4