Restore Access & Honor Measure W Intent

Save the West Valley College Track

For over 50 years, the track at West Valley College has served as a unique neighborhood connection point for walkers and runners of all ages and abilities, as well as Saratoga's only flat, cushioned, 400m open-access exercise terrain.In August 2026, the track was abruptly gated and padlocked as leadership moves to destroy this historic local asset. In doing so, West Valley College is leaving our community with zero comparable facilities while ignoring the potentially toxic environmental hazards of demolition. Their response is to offer an inferior 200m rectangular path as a replacement many years in the future - all while falsely claiming Measure W voters authorized this outcome.Your support and voice are needed.

UPDATE: SAVE WEST VALLEY TRACK has filed a court action against the District and Board, detail below.

West valley college is moving full steam ahead

Take action today to hold West Valley College leadership accountable to preserve the 50-year legacy of Saratoga's only taxpayer-funded 400m open-access track:

COMING SOON:

Send a one-click email directly to local decision-makers:

SAVE WEST VALLEY TRACK has taken legal action against the District and Board to:

  • Ensure Legal Compliance: Ask the court to review whether the project properly complied with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requirements.

  • Evaluate Alternatives: Determine whether viable alternate locations on campus for the Wellness Center / Athletic Complex were fully considered to save the track.

  • Halt Demolition: Pause irreversible track demolition until the court completes its review.

Our goal is simple: ensure our environment and community assets are protected and pursue a win-win solution that serves student health while preserving a vital community track.

No Short or Long Term Replacement

Community Health Void

  • Unnecessary Multi-Year Disruption: WVC closed the track to prioritize an entirely separate construction project. Blocking access to a taxpayer-funded community asset years in advance of any actual track replacement work imposes an unaddressed multi-year blackout on local residents.

  • Zero Interim or Long Term Alternatives: WVC uniquely housed Saratoga's only flat, cushioned, open-access 400m exercise terrain. Closing it with no interim alternative or long term like for like replacement creates an immediate public health void.

  • No Consideration for Downstream Impacts: WVC publicly suggested displaced users go to a local high school track, in direct conflict with K-12 closed campus safety requirements (Cal. Penal Code § 626.8), exposing a complete lack of coordination or planning.

Hazardous demolition

Environmental Impact

  • The Claim vs. Reality: WVC claims the site is safe for immediate demolition, but legacy 1970s synthetic tracks often contain dangerous toxins including mercury, lead, and asbestos.

  • Bypassed Public CEQA Oversight: WVC avoided standard public environmental impact reviews and community scrutiny by self-issuing a CEQA Notice of Exemption.

  • Potential Uncontained Excavation Risks: Dry excavation near residential neighborhoods and local waterways can create immediate dust, air quality, and runoff concerns for surrounding families.

Civic Responsibility

Measure W Voter Accountability

  • Egregious Claims: WVC claims voters authorized destroying the track, but Measure W was approved to fund STEM upgrades, classroom modernizations, and campus enhancements - not to erase Saratoga’s only 400m regulation track.

  • No "Like-for-Like" Replacement: WVC claims they will provide an "even better" replacement track to the community years in the future, but their actual rendering & plan replace the existing regulation 400m athletic oval with what they themselves label an "auxiliary track," a non-standard 200m rectangular path.

  • Distortion of Ballot Intent: Claiming a general modernization bond grants explicit permission to eliminate a vital public asset breaches taxpayer trust.

Join the Movement

#SaveWVCTrack

We are a non-partisan grass-roots coalition of residents, taxpayers, seniors, student-athletes, parents, and public health advocates.We are united by a common commitment: preserving accessible public health resources, protecting our local historic legacy, ensuring environmental responsibility, and holding elected decision-makers accountable to the voter-approved mandates of Measure W.We welcome all community members who believe public assets funded by public dollars should serve the public interest.

Brought to you by the Save West Valley College Track Movement#SaveWVCTrackGeneral Contact: [email protected]
Media Requests: [email protected]cc us on your advocacy emails so we can amplify your message: [email protected]Historic photos of West Valley College track courtesy of Kiwanis Club of Los Gatos