nVidia making push for cycling commuters

My company, nVidia, has an initiative called "Visualize Green" going and solicits ideas from employees for green ideas - especially those that can save money. I just got an email with several suggestions for employees to this effect. It includes things like a "WattStopper" plug that you plug into your powerstrip and plug anything that isn't "fulltime on" - lamps, monitors, etc... into that and it will turn off if there is no sensor. I got an "A" grade for carrying around my own cup for the water fountain, I'm giving myself an "F" for not always taking a break and eating in the cafeteria, thus taking a compostable (which degrade, but nVidia is still trying to develop a program where we divert this stuff to compost) container instead of using a reusable ceramic plate. Good for my mind, environment, and the company's bottom line (of course we can then get into the endless debate on water use, but I digress). I get an "A+" in that I have never driven to work.


Anyway, I then wandered over to our "Visualize Green" website to check out the "In Action" intiatives started from employee ideas, and found this one...

Develop SAFE bike route from CalTrain station to Santa Clara offices
CalTrain goes right by our Santa Clara office, but getting from the train to the office (about a 2.2-mile ride) on a bike is a death-defying experience. The shuttle service is too infrequent to be practical, such as when working late. The bike route up Kifer Rd and up Walsh, is totally un-safe. There is no bike lane, despte the fact that Kifer /Walsh is very wide (5 lanes with raised sidewalks on both sides -- see google street view), and there is plenty of room for an ample bike path. Nvidia should petition the Santa Clara government, and offer to sponsor creation of a bike lane on Kifer / Walsh. Perhaps Intel could be persuaded to contribute, since it also has offices along the route.

Jenga! Corporate push for better cycling infrastructure! Very nice. While I don't really consider this chunk of road as "death-defying" (it definitely is not "Where I will get run over") there is no legitimate need for two lanes in each direction plus a middle turn lane. Sunnyvale modified a similar stretch of road on Evelyn, surely Santa Clara can do the same here.

Pretty cool. nVidia has a lot of bike commuters, and is fairly supportive (bike lockers, showers/etc...), for a company in a location that is regarded as somewhat bike scary (about half the time my entire commute route from work to train station is on roads with 55 MPH speed limits, San Tomas and Central expressways. I like those roads but it's not for everyone).