As of this 2025-2026 school year, there has been a new bike lane in front of Woodside that goes down Woodside Road.
This bike lane has been in the works since 2023, according to administrative vice principal Charles Velschow, who was in communications with Caltrans. According to Caltrans, the main motivation for the new bike lane was to improve safety, not only for cyclists but for everyone.
“The Department views all transportation improvements as opportunities to improve safety, access, and mobility for all travelers and recognizes bicycle, pedestrian, and transit modes as integral elements of the transportation system,” Pedro Quintana said, branch chief of Bay Area Caltrans.
However, the bike lane has caused issues in parking for parents and students, especially during back-to-school night, when parents had to park on the sidewalk of Woodside, but it has brought up concerns over student parking as well.
“[For] students who didn’t have a parking permit, we actually preferred that they would park on Woodside Road as opposed to parking in the neighborhood,” Velchow said. “Our neighbors get a little upset when they have a lot of extra traffic out there, so it kind of puts us in a bad spot.”
While the issue of parking is a concern, frequent biker and English teacher Elias Mooring argues that bike safety is more important than parking.
“I don’t think Woodside should have more parking,” Mooring said. “I think there should be other better ways to get to school that don’t involve cars. I think the more cars there are coming in and out and the more crowded it gets, [the more] dangerous [it is for] pedestrians and people on bikes.”
Caltrans and teachers such as Mooring chose to focus on the positive benefits of the new bike lane rather than the lack of parking.
“Bikeways improve safety and connectivity, particularly those with origins or destinations on Woodside Road or who prefer a more direct route along the corridor,” Quintana said. “Bikeways also help encourage people to ride their bikes and, as a result, help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to State climate goals.”
