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Google Plan Aims to Improve Bicycle Safety, Access in Silicon Valley

Google has made riding bicycles to work more attractive to its employees by providing bikes and lockers.

Now the tech giant wants the Silicon Valley to follow their lead by pushing for the region to be more bike-friendly.

"It could spread," said Colin Heyne of the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition. "It could change the way things are done throughout the state and country."

Heyne helped work on Google's bike vision plan, which identifies problem areas and crossings for riders. The plan also points out roads that make for stressful commutes.

"It's doing what we do in Silicon Valley," Heyne said. "It's a pilot. It's a vision. It's disruptive."

Google is offering up a matching $5 million grant to South Bay cities that change their roads.

"If it's more bike-friendly I'm definitely for it," Palo Alto-resident Parth Vyas said.

About 10 percent of Google's workers commute on bicycle.

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