At the March 17, 2022 BPAC meeting, Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC or Alameda CTC) planner Colin Dentel-Post presented on the San Pablo Avenue Corridor Project. The project has completed a long-term visioning phase and has now embarked on a near-term implementation phase aiming to improve safety, transit efficiency, and placemaking along the corridor within 3-5 years.

The proposed project concept in Oakland, Emeryville, and South Berkeley includes pedestrian safety enhancements, conversion of one traffic lane in each direction to a dedicated bus lane, and conversion of each curbside parking lane to a protected bike lane. The project concept will go to the Oakland Public Works Committee and City Council later this spring for action.

An excerpt from the presentation is below, followed by the full presentation.

• Bike lanes: 16th Street to Heinz Ave
• Bus lanes: 20th Street to Ashby Ave

Near-Term Design Parameters

Goal: Expedite delivery to address safety, efficiency and placemaking in near-term (deliver in 3-5 years)

• Utilize a streamlined Caltrans review and approvals process
• Minimize curb, median and landscaping modifications
• Balance demands on right-of-way
  • Design the most protected bus and bicycle facilities possible on San Pablo
  • Accommodate storefront/residence access, including ADA accessibility
  • Meet corridor circulation needs, incl. truck circulation & minimizing diversions to other streets
• Evaluate project to inform future treatments

Parking and Loading

• 571 spaces, occupancy fairly low (54% occupancy*), few loading spaces; most trucks double-park
• Vast majority of parcels front side-street and/or have off-street lot
• Conducted door-to-door outreach Dec-Jan; almost all locations surveyed (80+%) appear to have viable loading solution off SPA
• Large share of storefronts still have concerns, key challenges:  Distance/convenience for deliveries, likelihood that deliveries happen on SPA anyway
  • Safety, security, encampments, and residential parking on side streets
  • Potentially workable solutions have significant caveats, need to work out case-by-case

Near-Term Loading Zone Design Concept — For Consideration

• Small segment shared bus/bike lane
• Working with active transportation stakeholders, AC Transit and Caltrans on alternative designs, but options are limited
• Will explore other potential improvements, e.g. side-street lighting and improvements, parking/loading management, off-street parking facilities

Racial Equity Analysis Underway

• AC Transit ridership is 75% people of color and 71% low income
• Diverse, low-income corridor, compared to rest of Oakland and Emeryville:
  • Residents use transit, walking, and biking more
  • Population is lower income and more transit reliant
• Proposed project improvements were developed in response to clear desire from community for safety and transit improvements
  • Extensive community engagement included diverse stakeholders with racial equity, transit rider, and disability-focused outreach

Next Steps: Project Roadmap

• March 2022: Recommend project to advance to ensure eligibility for funding opportunities
• Spring/Summer 2022: Apply for construction funding
• Summer 2022: Advance preliminary engineering including targeted outreach on design issues
• 2022-23: Caltrans approvals, environmental review, final design
• Goal: Deliver project in 3-5 years (pending full funding)

Presentation