Title
Staff Report for Presentation of the Draft San Leandro Creek Trail Master Plan Study
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Staff requests that the City Council provide feedback on the Draft San Leandro Creek Trail Master Plan Study.
BACKGROUND
The San Leandro Creek Trail Master Plan Study (a feasibility study) is an effort to develop a plan, design concepts, and an implementation strategy for a multi-use trail and path along segments of the San Leandro Creek in the cities of San Leandro and Oakland. This project builds on several years of preliminary outreach and analysis of the corridor in Oakland; over a decade’s worth of effort by the Friends of San Leandro Creek to restore a thriving riparian corridor within Oakland and San Leandro; and many other efforts by a diverse group of stakeholders. The multi-use trail was initially envisioned in 2012 and soon after the San Leandro Creek Alliance began serving as the forum for ongoing meetings of project partners, including the cities of San Leandro and Oakland, BART, Alameda County Flood Control & Water Conservation District, East Bay Municipal Utility District, East Bay Regional Parks District, Friends of San Leandro Creek, National Park Service, Merritt College, and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
In November 2013, State of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) announced the availability of transportation planning grant programs to support the multi-modal transportation of the future, one that would improve mobility and accessibility for all people, with a focus on sustainability. In February 2014, a grant application was submitted to Caltrans for the San Leandro Creek Trail Master Plan. Following the grant submittal, in July 2014, the City of San Leandro was awarded $201,510 from the Caltrans State Highway Account - Partnership Planning for Sustainable Transportation grant program. The grant allowed for the development of the San Leandro Creek Trail Master Plan Study (a feasibility study), design concepts, and implementation strategy for a multi-use trail along San Leandro Creek through the cities of San Leandro and Oakland. For context, approximately 2.1 miles of the creek are located in the City of San Leandro, 2.1 miles in the City of Oakland, and 1.8 miles runs along the border of the two cities.
The multi-use trail is intended to bring more awareness to the creek and to be similar to the Iron Horse Regional Trail that connects the cities of Concord and Pleasanton, a successful multi-use whole-access trail. The approximately 2.1 miles of the San Leandro Creek that is located entirely within the City of San Leandro limits, including the three-quarter mile stretch of the creek from Root Park to the Southern Pacific Railroad, was studied. The study has similar goals to the Urban Greenway and Creek Walk (that the City Council supported in 2013) by promoting healthy living, restoring the creek, and restoring access to the creek by reconnecting the community with waterways.
Analysis
The San Leandro Creek offers one of the longest open stretches of creeks in the East Bay. The study area evaluated for a potential trail in the feasibility report is approximately six miles long between the Lake Chabot Dam and the San Leandro Bay. The draft study provides a plan, preliminary design concepts, and an implementation strategy for a multi-use path along the Creek where possible. The proposed San Leandro Creek Trail offers an opportunity to provide a multi-user amenity for area residents, employees, and visitors.
For the purpose of the study the entire length of the Creek and study area is divided into eight segments of which four segments are in the City of Oakland and four in the City of San Leandro. The final recommended route includes Class I, Class II, Class III, and Class IV facilities and a railroad underpass. A long-term solution/alternative route is also provided. The goal is to provide the neighboring communities of Oakland and San Leandro with a feasibility study to understand a route for active transportation, recreation, access to open space, and opportunities for environmental education.
The opinion of probable cost for the entire final alternative is approximately $21 million of which the City of Oakland’s portion is approximately $8.5 million and that of San Leandro is $12.5 million. Potential funding sources for the development of the trail are discussed in Chapter 9 of the draft study. It is anticipated that majority of the funding opportunities would be from the Active Transportation Program (ATP) and Alameda County Measure BB.
Once the San Leandro Creek Trail Master Plan Study is completed, the next steps would involve securing funding and more public outreach. Additional work/study would be needed at various locations, as mentioned in Chapter 6 and 7 of the draft study, where physical feasibility of construction needs to be determined. Additional study will also be needed in the segments where there was no consensus established.
The following chapters are included in the attached Draft San Leandro Creek Trail Master Plan:
• Chapter 1 Project Overview: This chapter provides a description of the study area. It introduces the groups that have collaborated to make the trail possible and the benefits that the trail would bring to the surrounding communities.
• Chapter 2 Public Outreach: This chapter outlines the public outreach process used to engage the community, and summarizes the input collected through this process. A summary of each meeting that was held for the public are included in this section.
• Chapter 3 Existing Conditions: This chapter reviews the characteristics of the community in the project vicinity, including population density, household income, poverty levels, school age population, senior population, recreational areas, property ownership, and land use. This section also describes how the San Leandro Creek Trail would connect to other bicycle facilities.
• Chapter 4 Segment Analysis: This chapter gives a description of each segment of the proposed trail and analyzes each one to break down their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and concerns.
• Chapter 5 Best Practices: This chapter provides a guide for potential facility designs that could be incorporated into the proposed San Leandro Creek Trail. Included are different facility types for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well safety measures and potential amenities.
• Chapter 6 Route Alternatives: This chapter explains the alternative routes that were drafted for each segment and lists their pros and cons.
• Chapter 7 Final Recommended Alignment: This chapter focuses on the final recommended alignment and provides selected alternative routes that could be considered. This chapter also discusses the environmental impact. A cost estimate is also provided.
• Chapter 8 Wayfinding: This chapter explains the benefits of providing a wayfinding system consisting of maps, markers, and signs, and provides standards for each sign.
• Chapter 9 Plan Execution: This chapter outlines methodology once the project is ready for development and construction and provides a recommendation on the order in which the segments should be constructed. This chapter also provides information on funding resources that are available.
The release of the Draft San Leandro Creek Trail Master Plan Study for public review was announced on January 30, 2017. The Draft Study is available for download at the project website, www.sanleandro.org/slcreek <http://www.sanleandro.org/slcreek> and is available for review at the San Leandro Main Library (300 Estudillo Ave), the San Leandro Community Development Department (835 E. 14th St), City of Oakland Office of Economic and Development (250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza 5th Floor), and City of Oakland’s City Clerk’s Office (1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza 1st Floor).
The public was invited to provide written comments by February 17, 2017 and were also encouraged to attend San Leandro City Council’s Work Session on March 13, 2017 and the Oakland City Council’s Public Works Committee on March 14, 2017 (11:30 a.m. at Oakland City Hall Sgt. Mark Dunakin Room 1st floor - 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, CA 94612) to provide input on the Draft San Leandro Creek Trail Master Plan Study. Input and comments will be incorporated into a final study that will be completed by March 31, 2017.
Previous Actions
• The City Council approved Resolution 2014-096 authorizing the City Manager to execute agreements that accept federal and/or state funding and obligates the City to provide matching funds for the San Leandro Creek Trail Master Plan project
• The City Council approved Resolution 2015-179 approving a contractual services agreement with Stantec Consulting Services, Inc. for the preparation of the San Leandro Creek Trail Master Plan
Applicable General Plan Policies
• This action is consistent with San Leandro Creek Goal No. OSC-5 of the General Plan and Policy OSC-5.1 Creek Stewardship
Environmental Review
Draft San Leandro Creek Trail Master Plan Study is a feasibility study; per Caltrans, no environmental review is required.
Summary of Public Outreach Efforts
Chapter 2 Public Outreach of the Draft San Leandro Creek Trail Master Plan lists and summarizes the public outreach efforts which included Citizen Advisory Committee meetings, Technical Advisory Committee meetings, workshops, community survey, and additional meetings.
Attachment to Staff Report
• Draft San Leandro Creek Trail Master Plan
PREPARED BY: Anjana Mepani, Senior Planner, Community Development Department