Sunnyvale Driving School

Driving in Sunnyvale: What New Drivers Should Know

The city has two street-level Caltrain crossings, at Mary Avenue and on Sunnyvale Avenue downtown. The downtown crossing has heavy foot and bike traffic. Light rail runs on Java Drive and down the middle of Tasman Drive. Central Expressway looks like a freeway, with short entrance ramps. Mathilda Avenue has interchanges with US 101 and Highway 237. Exits from US 101 onto Mathilda end at traffic lights.

• Mary Avenue Caltrain crossing at Evelyn Avenue

  Mary Avenue crosses two Caltrain main tracks at street level, right beside its intersection with Evelyn Avenue. The eight-lane crossing has flashing lights and gate arms. City staff report more traffic and congestion here than at the downtown crossing.

• Sunnyvale Avenue Caltrain crossing

  This street-level crossing sits beside the downtown Caltrain station. City staff note heavy foot and bike traffic here. The street has traffic signals at Evelyn Avenue, at the tracks, and at Hendy Avenue. The 100 block of South Murphy Avenue is closed to cars.

• Mathilda Avenue at US 101 and Highway 237

  VTA rebuilt this stretch with new US 101 ramps and traffic signals. Mathilda has a third lane in each direction here. Exits from US 101 end at a traffic light with left and right turns. Highway 237 express lanes start here and run east.

• Central Expressway between Mathilda Avenue and Lawrence Expressway

  Here Central looks like a freeway, with a wide guardrailed divider and no driveways. Drivers get on and off only at interchanges, such as Fair Oaks Avenue and Wolfe Road. Entrance ramps are short. Bicyclists may legally ride on its shoulders.

• Tasman Drive and Java Drive light rail

  VTA's Orange Line follows Mathilda Avenue to Java Drive, then crosses Highway 237 and turns east on Tasman Drive. On Tasman, the tracks run down the middle of the street, between the eastbound and westbound lanes. Light rail can interrupt traffic lights.

Mary Avenue and the downtown crossing are good practice for railroad crossings. Start across only when you have room to clear the tracks. Central Expressway's short ramps suit merging. The Mathilda interchanges suit lane changes. On Tasman Drive, check for light rail before you turn across the tracks.