Title
Presentation on East Bay Greenway Phase I
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Alameda CTC Staff will present to the Committee updates to the East Bay Greenway Phase I.
This item is for information only.
BACKGROUND
The Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) is the project sponsor and implementing agency for the East 14th Street/Mission Boulevard and Fremont Boulevard Multimodal Corridor Project (E14th Project) located in the cities of San Leandro, Hayward, Union City, and Fremont as well as unincorporated Alameda County. Work began in 2018 as one of the agency’s high priority multimodal corridor projects. The goals established for the project were:
• Improve multimodal mobility, efficiency, and safety that sustainably meet current and future transportation needs, and support planned growth and economic development; and
• Improve connectivity between transportation modes; and
• Provide flexibility for future changes in transportation technology
Since 2018, Alameda CTC has worked closely with local, regional, and state partners on a long-term vision for the corridor. Work on the E14th Project culminated in a long-term vision approved by Alameda CTC in July 2020 that includes Class IV bicycle facilities and bus transit improvements. Recognizing the need to implement improvements quickly, in May 2021 Alameda CTC approved a near-term implementation for the E14th Project to develop a preferred alternative that constructs Class IV bicycle facilities from San Leandro to Hayward, implements rapid bus components, and incorporates economic development elements, such as pedestrian, transit, and bicycle wayfinding, gateway/monuments, seating, pedestrian lighting etc., that could be incorporated with the transportation infrastructure.
Alameda CTC has been working on developing the East Bay Greenway (EBGW), a 16-mile long active transportation facility along current railroad right of ways. The EBGW was delayed due to a significant increase in the acquisition costs of the needed land from Union Pacific Railroad. In December 2021, Alameda CTC approved a near-term implementation referred to as the EBGW Multimodal Project (EBGW Phase 1) which includes the near-term implementation of the E14th Project. The EBGW Phase 1 would implement Class I and Class IV bicycle facilities to the extent feasible from the Lake Merritt BART station in Oakland to the South Hayward BART station in Hayward along major streets, extending to the same terminal points for the EBGW. It would also include multimodal improvements on connecting roadways to BART stations along the corridor, including E.14th Street, San Leandro Boulevard, Fairmont Drive, A Street and Tennyson Road. The near-term implementation would still provide a continuous, high quality bicycle facility suitable for all ages and abilities and add multimodal safety, transit, and placemaking elements. EBGW Phase 1 will be constructed in 3-5 years, depending on availability of funding for the construction phase.
The new combined project, EBGW Phase 1, focuses on the following components:
• High-quality pedestrian and bicycle facilities for all ages and abilities: The project proposes implementation of Class I, buffered Class II and Class IV bicycle facilities along major streets. The improvements specific to San Leandro are along San Leandro Boulevard and East 14th Street, as well as streets connecting to the BART stations such as Fairmont Drive. Intersection crossings will also be improved with shorter and safer crosswalks. Whenever feasible major intersection designs will include protected intersection or dedicated intersection elements for bicyclists consistent with National Association City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Urban Bikeway Design guidance.
• Transit reliability and access: The project evaluates targeted rapid bus infrastructure that will improve access to transit, reliability, and reduce delays at bus stops. These potentially include transit islands, installation of Transit Signal Priority (TSP), and queue jumps where buses enter/leave the corridor to access BART stations.
• Placemaking to support economic development: The Project proposes to support economic development opportunities and enhance existing neighborhoods through complementary design elements that would expand pedestrian space, install landscaping and other urban greening elements, increase public use of the street, increase visual identity, and create opportunities for activating adjacent properties, such as those currently used for surface parking and vacant lots. The Project also evaluates available parking and curb management to support multimodal treatments and business activity. The project placemaking element goal is to create a cohesive, visual identity for the corridor while also highlighting the unique character of specific districts.
Since board approval of EBGW Phase 1 in December 2021, Alameda CTC staff has been engaging with local and state agencies along the project corridor to develop a single concept that supports subsequent environmental and design phases that build upon previous planning efforts. Alameda CTC previously performed significant stakeholder and community engagement for the EBGW project and the East 14th Project. Alameda CTC is continuing with similar levels of engagement for EBGW Phase 1.
Currently, Alameda CTC is preparing to conduct business and community outreach and is coordinating the outreach events with City staff to maximize engagement of the multimodal projects in the City, such as the Bancroft and Williams Bikeway projects. The coordinated outreach effort will help unify the message to the community that regional and local planning efforts share the same goals of improving safety in multimodal projects as well as closing gaps in the bicycle network and complementing east-west and north-south connections across the City.
Alameda CTC’s planned outreach for San Leandro is a set of coordinated popup events with the City of San Leandro at the Boys and Girls Club and at San Leandro High School. In addition, Alameda CTC will conduct a door-to-door business outreach along the corridor to identify parking and loading needs. Alameda CTC staff is working with City of San Leandro staff in getting contact information and in reviewing the survey questions for the outreach. This door-to-door outreach is planned to take place by the end of March.
Alameda CTC plans to work with the community to develop a preferred alternative by Summer 2022 with the Final Design phase beginning end of 2022 to place the EBGW Phase1 project in a competitive and shovel-ready position to fund the Construction phase through state and federal grant opportunities later this year.
ATTACHMENT
Attachment to Staff Report
• Alameda CTC Presentation
PREPARED BY: Sheila Marquises, Acting Director, Engineering and Transportation Department