Berkeley City Council
November 6, 2025

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Figure 5.2 Section graphic of the typical right-of-way configuration Transportation
Multimodal Mobility , Safety and Comfort
According to the Vision Zero Policy and Plan (see page 13) San Pablo Avenue is classified as a High-Injury Street, one of the City’s streets with the highest number of severe injury and fatality traffic crashes. Risk and discomfort associated with crossing the street is driven by the absence of dedicated bicycle crossing infrastructure, limited pedestrian visibility, and high vehicle speeds and related traffic noise. These conditions create an environment that is less safe for non-motorized users.

As mentioned previously, many cyclists avoid riding directly on San Pablo Avenue and instead rely on parallel bicycle routes. However, crossing San Pablo Avenue remains difficult. The 2017 Berkeley Bicycle Plan (see page 3-9) identified all intersections at key east-west bicycle routes designated as class III bicycle boulevards— specifically Virginia Street, Channing Way, and the Russell Street and Heinz Avenue connection— as high-stress locations for cyclists and present significant barriers to safe and comfortable bicycle travel.

Several safety improvement projects are underway to address some of these conditions. For project details, see Appendix D: Street Improvements. The Specific Plan establishes policies and standards for further improving mobility, safety, and comfort for all users. Appendix D also outlines recommended projects that may be implemented with future development.

Transit Network
Transit service within the Plan Area is provided by the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit), which operates local bus routes, a limited stop bus line along San Pablo Avenue, and transbay service connecting the area to the Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco. AC Transit routes 72, 72L, 72M, 52, 51B, 36, 12, J, G, FS, and San Pablo All Nighters (800 & 802) connect the Plan Area to North Berkeley, Downtown Berkeley, or Ashby BART Stations, and San Francisco.

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Objectives

San Pablo Avenue does not need to look the same from end to end; in fact, the distinct character of different places along San Pablo Avenue is one of its valued assets. However, many of these areas can benefit from stronger visual and physical connections. By establishing guidance for shared elements like trees, lighting, and street furnishings, the Plan seeks to create a sense of continuity while allowing for places along San Pablo Avenue to develop their own unique identity.

Transportation
Improve San Pablo Avenue’s function as a multimodal
street that safely and efficiently serves pedestrians,
cyclists, transit riders, drivers, deliveries, freight, emergency response and evacuation, and
maintenance access. Enhance access to transit and
reduce traffic collisions. Improve the balance between
regional mobility and local access. Better manage on-
street parking and loading to support diverse uses
along San Pablo Avenue.

Figure 5.3 Daytime traffic on San Pablo Avenue close to Blake Street Intersection

Public Realm
Transform San Pablo Avenue into a more welcoming
and vibrant public realm, public spaces that enhance
the distinct character of places along the street and
neighborhoods they connect to. Expand and improve
sidewalks and streetscape elements and encourage
public art, and cultural activities to support a more
active street life. Expand and improve sidewalks and
streetscape elements and encourage public art, and
cultural activities to support a more active street life.

Figure 5.4 San Pablo Avenue Sidewalk south of
Dwight Way

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Transportation Policies, Standards and Projects
The Specific Plan Area needs improved local and citywide multimodal access to support anticipated growth in population, employment, and business activity in the corridor and adjacent neig hborhoods in West and South Berkeley . Meeting the transportation needs of this growth will require reducing dependence on personal vehicles and expanding access to safer and more equitable travel options . This approach aligns with regional and City goals for climate action, economic vitality and equity. The following sectio n outlines strategies to support this transition, including safer street crossings for all users , enhanced transit access and reliability, parking and curb management to support businesses, and measures to reduc e collisions while improv ing overall mobility.

Existing Policies and Standards
City of Berkeley
Vision Zero Policy and Plan
In 2020, the City of Berkeley adopted its Vision Zero Action Plan with the goal to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries by 2028. The plan focuses on engineering and design strategies that improve safety for everyone travelling in Berkeley. Between 2011 and 2020, multiple collisions along San Pablo Avenue resulted in severe injuries to people walking, biking, and driving, including one fatality. According to the City’s 2022 Annual Report2, 42 percent of Berkeley’s severe and fatal traffic collisions during that same timeframe occurred within Metropolitan Transportation Commission designated Equity Priority Communities 3, which includes most of the Specific Plan Area.

To help meet Vision Zero goals, several safety improvements are already planned or in progress, and many are part of Alameda CTC’s San Pablo Corridor Safety Enhancements Project. This Specific Plan also includes transportation safety related policies, improvements, and an implementation strategy that support Vision Zero goals.

Berkeley Bicycle Plan
The Berkeley Bicycle Plan4 was adopted by the City Council on May 2, 2017. In 2025, the City began the process of updating the Bicycle Plan. The Plan seeks to encourage more residents and visitors to use bicycles as a day -to-day mode of transportation. San Pablo Avenue, as one of the C ity’s and AC Transit’s Primary Transit Routes, was identified for further study to evaluate options for improved bicycle access. San Pablo Avenue is designated as a Tier 1 Priority Project in the Bicycle Plan due to a combination of safety concerns and equity -related needs and includes San Pablo Avenue as a Primary Transit Route to be studied for separated bike lanes. The Bicycle Plan Update further states “separated bikeways that might impact transit operations, emergency response traffic, commercial/business district parking, or roadway capacity will review and address impacts through a Complete Streets Corridor Study, which includes a public engagement process and coordination with the Police and Fire Departments and all affected state, county, and local transit agencies.” 5
Since the adoption of the 2017 plan, the City has partnered with Alameda CTC through its San Pablo Avenue Safety Enhancements Project and Parallel Bike Improvements Project to implement crossing upgrades at several designated bicycle boulevards and to establish new and improve existing parallel bicycle boulevard routes .

Additional information about planned safety and mobility improvements along San Pablo Avenue is provided in the following section, which discusses the Alameda CTC San Pablo Corridor Projects.

2 City of Berkeley. Vision Zero Annual Report 2021–2022. June 2022. Accessed 6 May 2025. 3 See Chapter 1 Introduction for definition of Equity Priority Communities. 4 City of Berkeley. Berkeley Bicycle Plan. May 2017. Accessed 16 June 2025. 5 City of Berkeley. Berkeley Bicycle Plan update, Public Review Draft, July 2025. Accessed 4 September 2025.

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Berkeley Pedestrian Plan
The 2020 Pedestrian Plan6 outlines strategies to improve pedestrian travel along Berkeley’s high-injury streets and enhance overall pedestrian safety consistent with the Vision Zero Action Plan. The plan identifies San Pablo Avenue— from University Avenue to Dwight Way— as a priority corridor, ranking it among the top 10 locations for capital projects focused on pedestrian safety.

The Plan’s proposed improvements at key intersections along San Pablo Avenue align closely with the Alameda CTC San Pablo Avenue Safety Enhancements Project and include curb extensions, raised medians, high- visibility crosswalk markings, and pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHBs)/rapid-reflective flashing beacons (RRFBs).

Additional recommendations go beyond the current scope of the Safety Enhancements Project. These include evaluating the feasibility of lowering speed limits to 25 mph and introducing separate pedestrian signal phases that do not conflict with turning vehicles.

Transportation Demand Management Policies
The City of Berkeley Municipal Code establishes a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program 7 that supports the goals of the City’s Transportation Element and Climate Action Plan by reducing automobile travel, encouraging transit ridership, and promoting bicycle and pedestrian safety. This program requires new residential developments of ten or more units to:
• Provide unbundled parking that is sold or leased separately from units to incentivize reduced automobile ownership
• Offer monthly transit passes at no cost to residents to encourage transit use • Provide real-time transportation information on displays in common areas to facilitate transit use Before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued, site inspection is required to confirm that all required physical improvements have been installed. Following occupancy, property owners are responsible for ongoing compliance and reporting to ensure that required TDM measures remain in place and effectively achieve the objectives of the program.

Additionally, the City of Berkeley requires employers with ten or more employees to provide a Commuter Benefit Program
8 that encourages the use of transit, vanpools, or bicycles by providing pre- tax payroll deductions, direct payment of expenses, or a company-funded shuttle service. goBerkeley On-Street Parking Meter Policy
In 2022, the City of Berkeley launched the goBerkeley SmartSpace pilot, funded by MTC and FHWA, to explore ways to reduce the need for residents to move their vehicles every two hours due to on- street parking restrictions in neighborhoods near the Elmwood and Southside/Telegraph commercial districts. As a result of the pilot, the City adopted an on-street parking meter pricing policy
9 for single-space meters and pay stations within the goBerkeley meter zones that allows for parking fee adjustments based on published parking occupancy data. The goal is to maintain 65–85% occupancy, or roughly 1–2 open spaces per block, to minimize circling and improve parking availability.

On-Street Accessible Parking and Passenger Loading Requirements Accessible parking in the public right-of-way is required and must comply with the U.S. Access Board’s Public Right- of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG), federally adopted in 2024. 10 Where on-street parking is metered or designated by signage or pavement markings, the required number of accessible spaces and their design must follow

6 City of Berkeley. Berkeley 2020 Pedestrian Plan. 2020. Accessed 17 June 2025. 7 City of Berkeley. Berkeley Municipal Code § 23.334 - Transportation Demand Management. Accessed 16 June 16 2025.
8 City of Berkeley. Berkeley Municipal Code § 9.88 – Commuter Benefit Program. Accessed 2 July 2025. 9 City of Berkeley. Berkeley Municipal Code § 14.52.120 – Parking Meter and Pay Station Fees. Accessed 23 June 2025. 10 U.S. Access Board. Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG), 36 CFR Part 1190, Final Rule published in the Federal Register, 88 FR 54336. August 2023. Effective 7 September 2024. Accessed 23 June 2025.

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PROWAG standards for dimensions, clearances, and connection to the pedestrian access route. If individual spaces are not marked, each 20 feet of designated curb space is counted as one parking space.

The following exceptions apply to implementation of on-street accessible parking:
• Spaces reserved exclusively for residential, commercial, or law enforcement use are exempt and not counted toward required totals.
• If on-street spaces are altered, requirements apply only to the modified spaces until the minimum required number is reached.

Accessible passenger loading zones in the public right-of-way are also required. At least one accessible loading zone must be provided per 100 feet (or fraction thereof) of designated loading area, excluding transit stops.

Off-Street Parking Maximums in Transit- Rich Areas
In 2021, the City of Berkeley adopted parking reforms that established off-street parking maximums for new residential developments well-served by transit, limiting vehicle parking to a maximum of 0.5 spaces per dwelling unit.11 This policy is intended to support TDM measures by discouraging car dependency and encouraging transit- oriented, sustainable growth in areas with good transit service. The cap applies within a quarter mile of rail stations and bus transit corridors with peak period frequency of 15 minutes or better, which includes the entirety of the Plan Area.

Bicycle Parking Policies
Bicycle parking facilities that are secure, accessible, and weather-protected support TDM measures by encouraging bicycle use. Bicycle parking is also included in the Pre-Occupancy TDM Program and Bicycle Parking Ongoing Monitoring and Reporting Statement, which new developments are required to complete.

Building on the goals of the 2017 Berkeley Bicycle Plan, the City of Berkeley Municipal Code requires long- and short- term bicycle parking for new commercial construction, development that expands floor area, and new residential projects, including residential portions of mixed-use developments.12 Bicycle parking spaces are required on a per square-foot basis for commercial development and per bedroom basis for residential development.

Detailed siting and design standards for bicycle parking are outlined in the Bicycle Facility Design Toolbox, provided as Appendix F of the 2017 Bicycle Plan.13 This guidance accounts for a range of bicycle types and sizes and recommends long-term parking strategies based on lot coverage. Projects on parcels with high lot coverage (over 85%) are encouraged to provide indoor long-term bike parking, such as a secure room or cage. Sites with lower lot coverage may use outdoor solutions like bike lockers or covered , secure enclosures.

Bike corrals are a form of on-street bicycle parking that provide high-capacity, short-term parking by consolidating racks within the paved right-of-way, typically in areas with high demand and limited sidewalk space. In Berkeley, corrals may replace a vehicle parking space or be installed adjacent to a red curb. Merchants or property owners may request a bike corral in front of their business.14 Requests are reviewed based on safety, demand, and feasibility, and installations must follow design standards outlined in the City’s Bicycle Facility Design Toolbox. The City may also create bike corrals in locations with high bike parking demand and limited sidewalk space, such as in multimodal Mobility Hubs.

Transit -First Policy Implementation Plan
The Transit-First Policy Implementation Plan (2023) provides policies and guidelines for implementing the City’s Transit-First Policy (Berkeley General Plan Policy T-4) and for future planning for the City’s existing transit priority corridors. It is a standalone document but planned to be implemented into a future update of the Berkeley Strategic Transportation (BeST) Plan.

11 City of Berkeley. Berkeley Municipal Code § 23.322.070 – Off-Street Parking Maximums for Residential Development. Accessed 16 June 2025.
12 City of Berkeley. Berkeley Municipal Code § 23.322.090 – Bicycle Parking. Accessed 2 July 2025. 13 City of Berkeley. Berkeley Bicycle Facility Design Toolbox. May 2017. Accessed 16 June 2025. 14 City of Berkeley. Bicycle Parking Program. 2025. Accessed 26 June 2025.

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The plan designates San Pablo Avenue as a Primary Transit Route and a priority corridor for further study of transit infrastructure needs, building on the findings of AC Transit’s Major Corridors Study (2016). Together with Telegraph and University Avenues, San Pablo Avenue is identified as a potential Bus Rapid Transit corridor in AC Transit’s Long- Term Improvements Plan (targeted for implementation by 2040). Further, the plan highlights Alameda CTC’s San Pablo Corridor Project as the lead effort for shaping future transit improvements and recommend s ongoing coordination with Alameda CTC, Caltrans, and neighboring cities to develop a long -term implementation strategy.

Council Referral for BRT in Berkeley
In September 2023, the Berkeley City Council directed the City Manager to explore a feasibility analysis of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) options along AC Transit’s 51B route, including University Avenue. University Avenue bus service provides a key east-west connection between San Pablo Avenue and Downtown Berkeley and is designated a Primary Transit Route in AC Transit’s Major Corridors Study.

Future BRT service on University Avenue could enhance transit access between the Plan Area and major destinations such as Downtown Berkeley, UC Berkeley, BART, and the Berkeley Amtrak Capitol Corridor Station. Completed improvements in the Southside area include bus-only lanes on Durant Avenue and Bancroft Way that are used by the 51B and 6 routes. The referral proposes future budget allocations for corridor studies and ADA improvements.

San Pablo Avenue Public Improvement Plan
The San Pablo Avenue Public Improvements Plan, adopted on December 7, 2004, was developed to support pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and transit users, while also revitalizing the area along and surrounding San Pablo Avenue. While many improvements have been completed, the plan itself is now outdated. The Improvement Plan’s recommendations served as a foundation for the Specific Plan's public realm framework, informing its policies, programs and design standards.

Caltrans
As described in Chapter 1 Introduction, San Pablo Avenue is a California state highway (State Route 123). A ny improvements within the street right-of-way must be approved by Caltrans, while the City of Berkeley is responsible for maintaining sidewalks, roadway surface and medians, street trees, landscaping, and electrical work. Any modifications to the roadway itself, such as lane configurations, signal equipment and timing, speed limits, curb changes, or median design, must comply with Caltrans design standards and receive their approval.

Because San Pablo Avenue functions as a freeway reliever route for I -80, it is prioritized for regional vehicle movement. This limits the feasibility of changes that could reduce vehicular capacity.

AC Transit
AC Transit provides bus service across Alameda and Contra Costa counties, operating 12 routes that serve the S tudy Area and connect directly to San Pablo Avenue.

Realign Plan
In response to evolving travel patterns, AC Transit developed the Realign Plan, a redesigned bus network , which launched in August 2025. Under the new network, bus service frequency along San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley is expected to remain the same consistent with previous levels, while overall schedule reliability is anticipated to improve.

AC Transit first introduced the RAPID bus, Line 72R, service in 2003, a service that continues under 72L today. The agency further upgraded transit efficiency with the San Pablo Avenue Rapid Corridors Project, completed in 2023.

This effort improved traffic signals, installed GPS-enabled Transit Signal Priority (TSP) technology, and enhanced overall operations from downtown Oakland to the City of San Pablo.

Major Corridors Study
AC Transit’s 2016 Major Corridors Study laid out both short- and long-term strategies for improving service along San Pablo Avenue. The long-term vision calls for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) to boost capacity and reliability. In the short- and

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mid-terms, the Rapid Corridors project and on-going planning and design led by Alameda CTC are improving transit infrastructure along San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley and adjacent communities. For more details on their current work, see Appendix D.

Existing Transportation Projects
At the time of writing the Plan, several transportation and streetscape improvements are anticipated to take place over the next several years. The improvements proposed in the Plan build upon these ongoing and planned efforts, treating them as baseline conditions. For a comprehensive list and description of these projects, refer to Appendix D.

City of Berkeley Projects
The City moved forward with the implementation of several projects identified in the 2017 Bike Plan and 2020 Pedestrian Plan, including several projects that cross or parallel San Pablo Avenue. These efforts were coordinated with Alameda CTC’s San Pablo Avenue Corridor Projects to support broader multimodal safety goals. For a map of current connections and a full list of projects, see Appendix D and see Figure 5.8 Connections Map.

Alameda CTC Projects
The Plan does not focus on transportation improvements to San Pablo Avenue, because the Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) has completed a multimodal planning study for San Pablo Avenue throughout Alameda County. The study led to three improvement projects (see Figure 5.5 San Pablo Avenue Multimodal Corridor Overview Map). These projects will result in construction of safety improvements for all users, bus stop improvements, and parallel bicycle facility improvements, as well as a short segment of bicycle and bus lanes on the southern end of San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley . For detailed project descriptions and timelines, refer to Appendix D.

Figure 5.5 Alameda CTC. San Pablo Avenue Multimodal Corridor Overview Map Alameda Countywide Bikeways Network
San Pablo Avenue is designated as a major bus and bikeway corridor within the Alameda Countywide Bikeways Network15; it is subject to regional All Ages and Abilities (AAA) bikeway design expectations. For additional detail s, see Appendix D.

15 Alameda CTC. Alameda Countywide Bikeways Network Executive Report. December 2022, p.3. Viewed August, 2025.

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Transportation Policies and Standards
Multimodal Mobility and Access
Ongoing and planned improvements to transportation infrastructure along San Pablo Avenue establish a foundation for improving mobility and access for all users. Future efforts will build on this momentum to provide infrastructure and operation systems that best serve the community’s vision for the Plan Area as a vibrant mixed-use district.

T-P.1 Improve mobility, access, and safety for all people Improve conditions for people walking, biking, taking transit, driving, deliveries, freight, emergency response and evacuation and maintenance access along San Pablo Avenue and throughout the Plan Area. Consider particular needs of vulnerable users, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities.

Implement the goals for the City’s Complete Streets Policy by designing all street and transportation improvements within the Plan Area to enhance mobility, access and safety for people who are walking, biking, taking transit, and driving while providing for deliveries, freight, emergency response, evacuation and maintenance access. Ensure that design and implementation consider the needs of vulnerable users, including children, seniors, and people of all abilities.

T-P.2 Future Transportation Study Needs for San Pablo Avenue The Alameda CTC Bus and Bike Lanes Project currently ends at Heinz Street and San Pablo Avenue. Through previous planning and engagement efforts, the community expressed concerns regarding feasibility and the significant roadway changes that would be required to extend dedicated bus or bicycle facilities through Berkeley along San Pablo Avenue. These challenges include removal of all or some portions of the medians which hold mature street trees. With a growing population and reduced off-street parking requirements for mixed-use developments, the demand for alternative transportation options is likely to increase. This suggests that the City may need to revisit the design of San Pablo Avenue in the future.

This Specific Plan recommends that the City, in partnership with Alameda CTC and Caltrans, explore a potential follow-up planning and design process to evaluate multimodal conceptual design options for San Pablo Avenue. This study would serve as a follow-on to, and performance evaluation of the investments already planned as part of the Alameda CTC San Pablo Avenue corridor projects and would make additional recommendations based on that analysis. This potential future process could study a range of potential bike and bus improvements, including bus rapid transit, bus only lanes, and separated bike lanes. Depending on development activity in Berkeley and other San Pablo Avenue communities there may also be some future interest in studying the potential for streetcar service.

T-P.3 Maintain and improve bus service in collaboration wi th Alameda C TC and AC Transit
Maintain existing transit service levels along San Pablo Avenue and preserve key east-west “secondary route” connections identified in the City of Berkeley’s General Plan. In alignment with Berkeley’s Transit First Policy (Policy T- 2), the City will continue to coordinate with AC Transit to improve service on San Pablo Avenue as needed to enhance east-west service and improve infrastructure. This includes continuing to explore the implementation of AC Transit’s recommendations for primary transit routes and the need for improved connections to the Ashby and North Berkeley BART stations, which is further discussed in BART’s station and access plan.16 A key element of this approach will be identifying the appropriate lead agency for such studies and project development, as well as adequate funding.

Efforts should be guided by the Transit First Policy Implementation Plan to ensure a coordinated and effective approach.

16 BART, Berkeley-El Cerrito Corridor Access Plan, February 2023, page 66. Viewed 4 September 2025.

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T-P.4 Implement signal timing and transit signal priority (TSP) In collaboration with Caltrans and AC Transit, identify and implement additional TSP improvements at signalized intersections and signal timing that favors transit operations to increase transit reliability and encourage ridership.

This effort will build upon improvements made by AC Transit.

Parking and Curb Management
Many businesses along San Pablo Avenue depend on on-street parking for customer access and loading, particularly those without private parking lots or off-street loading.

With new residential developments, community members have raised concerns about parking availability to support the growing population. Business owners have also noted issues such as reduced storefront visibility due to parked cars and lack of parking enforcement leading to vehicles blocking parking spaces throughout the day.

Curb space in the Plan Area, both on San Pablo Avenue and crossing streets, should be managed to support the needs of both businesses and residents, with a shared goal of maintaining available on-street parking access even during periods of peak demand. This Plan recommends a strategy to ensure that on-street parking remains available for customers and other visitors arriving by car.

Provision of parking along San Pablo Avenue needs to be balanced with multimodal needs of all people that use San Pablo Avenue. See T-P.2 regarding the need to study and implement multimodal improvements along San Pablo Avenue.

T-P.5 Create an active parking and loading management program for the Specific Plan Area
The program should include strategies such as adjusting parking meter rates and time limits, similar to the City’s goBerkeley Parking Program. It should also consider expanding metered parking locations to side-streets with commercial frontages to maintain the City’s target occupancy rate of 65 to 85 percent on metered blocks. Increased enforcement should accompany these measures to ensure compliance and support consistent parking turnover.

Currently, Berk eley’s policy does not allow additional Re sidential Parking Permit (RPP) areas, primarily due to cost considerations. As the effectiveness of pipeline and potential future multimodal improvements are assessed , the City will have an opportunity to reassess parking and loading needs along San Pablo Avenue and surrounding neighborhoods. Based on these assessments, the City Council may consider whether to establish new residential parking permit area(s) in adjacent neighborhoods and whether to allow merchants to purchase permits to park in those areas.

Implement Mobility Hubs
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) defines a Mobility Hub as an access point for “[…] travelers of all backgrounds to access multiple transportation options and supportive amenities. Built on the backbone of frequent and high-capacity transit, Mobility Hubs offer a safe, comfortable, convenient, and accessible space to seamlessly transfer across different travel modes.”17 Identifying a Mobility Hub can strengthen eligibility for the Transit-Oriented Communities (TOC) program, improve transit access, and potentially improve eligibility for some funding sources. In 2020, MTC identified the University Avenue Node as a potential Mobility Hub.18 T-P.6 Implement Mobility Hub features in the University Avenue Node In collaboration with MTC and AC Transit, the City should explore implementation of Mobility Hub strategies and features outlined in the Mobility Hub Implementation Playbook. P otential mobility hub features in the Uni versity Node
may include improvements to bus stops and transit wayfinding, bike share and shared micromobility stations, bike

17 Metropolitan Transportation Commission. MTC Mobility Hub Implementation Playbook . 30 Apr. 2021, p. 5.

Accessed June 4, 2025
18 Metropolitan Transportation Commission. San Francisco Bay Region Mobility Hubs . ArcGIS Online Map Viewer.

Accessed June 4, 2025

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corrals in parking lanes, and designated loading areas for ride-hail services, urban freight and delivery.

T-P.7 Evaluate other locations for some Mobility Hub features Evaluate the potential for Mobility Hub features at other Nodes or on a corridor-wide basis, especially when transit service levels change. Even in locations that may not fully meet MTC’s criteria for a designated Mobility Hub, the City should consider incorporating select hub features.

Multimodal Safety
Collision data identifies San Pablo Avenue as one of Berkeley’s most high-injury corridors, indicated the need for targeted safety interventions that reduce vehicle speeds, enhance visibility, and improve safety for all travel modes.

Improving sidewalk safety must also include interventions to support personal security and comfort. Measures such as pedestrian-scale lighting, wider sidewalks and Universal Design are further discussed in the Public Realm section of this chapter (see PR-P.13 Design for People of All Ages and Abilities).

Manage Vehicle Speeds and Lowering Speed Limit
Reducing vehicle speeds along San Pablo Avenue can help create a safer, quieter, and more welcoming environment that supports the transformation of the Specific Plan Area into a vibrant mixed-use district.

Speeding and safety
Collision data for San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley indicates that from 2018 to 2022 unsafe speed was the primary
collision factor in 26% of collisions that resulted in an injury or fatality, more than any other collision factor.1

T-P .8 Lower Speed Limit on San Pablo Avenue
San Pablo Avenue currently has a posted speed limit of 30 mph. In California, speed limits are primarily established based on rounding the 85th percentile speed19 observed in an Engineering and Traffic Study (E&TS) to the nearest 5 mph. However, Assembly Bill 43 (2022) allows for greater flexibility in setting speed limits that better reflect safe road conditions for all users through the following mechanisms:
• Agencies may round the 85th percentile speed observed in an E&TS down to the nearest 5 mph, even when the 85th percentile speed would ordinarily be rounded up. • For roadways where the 85th percentile speed would ordinarily be rounded down, agencies may reduce the speed limit by an additional 5 mph if the reasons for the lower limit are documented in an E&TS. • Local agencies may reduce the speed limits calculated in an E&TS by an additional 5 mph on designated Safety Corridors or corridors adjacent to land generating high bicycle and pedestrian volumes. • Regardless of the findings of the E&TS, local agencies may retain the existing speed limit or, if the immediately-prior speed limit was lower than the existing speed limit, reduce the speed limit by 5 mph. • Local agencies may reduce speed limits from 30 mph to 25 mph (or from 25 mph to 20 mph) in Business Activity Districts without needing an E&TS.

19 The 85th percentile speed is the speed at or below which 85% of vehicles are observed to travel under free-flowing conditions.

Figure 5.5a Dwight and San Pablo Avenue
intersection

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Because San Pablo Avenue is operated by Caltrans, only the first two listed provisions would apply.20 The City should coordinate with Caltrans and AC Transit to conduct an E&TS, with the goal of reducing the posted speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph. A lower speed limit would complement other proposed traffic calming measures and pedestrian and bicycle safety enhancements along San Pablo Avenue. S ignal timing adjustments at the intersections may also be needed to support this change. Ultimately, Caltrans has the authority to set the speed limit on San Pablo Avenue, because the full length of the street in Berkeley is a State Highway. The E&TS should include a supplementary assessment of how lowering the speed limit would affect transit performance in terms of speed and reliability.

If the E&TS process results in the speed limit remaining at 30 mph, but the E&TS shows that a high proportion of drivers are exceeding the speed limit. This information could be used for the City to continue advocating to expand the AB 645 speed safety pilot program to include Berkeley and potentially San Pablo Avenue as a pilot urban state highway high-injury corridor pilot.
21 Continue to Improve Intersections
Completed and ongoing intersection improvement projects along San Pablo Avenue ( see Appendix D) demonstrate a broad commitment to improve safety and multimodal connectivity. While these efforts addressed important locations, they represent only a portion of a comprehensive, long -term commitment to improving intersections throughout the street. Opportunities remain to expand existing improvement s – for example, by adding pedestrian lighting – and to apply consistent safety enhancements across all intersectio ns. The following policies will inform the design and upgrades to San Pablo Avenue and other streets throughout the Plan Area .

Note that improvements to San Pablo Avenue and its intersections with other streets are required to be approved by Caltrans.

T-S.1 Pedestrian Crossing Frequency
In an urban mixed-use area, frequent and safe pedestrian marked crossings are desired. According to the Berkeley Pedestrian Plan (2020), the average distance between marked crosswalks along San Pablo Avenue is 380 feet , with the longest gap reaching 625 feet between Gilman Street and Harrison Street. To improve pedestrian convenience and reduce unsafe crossings at unmarked locations, the City should consider adding mid-block marked crosswalks at locations where crossing distances exceed 600 feet.22 • With the expansion of multiple multifamily residential developments between Gilman Street and Harrison Street, the long distance between these intersections makes it a strong candidate for installation of a mid- block crossing to support increased pedestrian activity. • Other locations to consider new mid-block marked crosswalks include the blocks between Gilman Street and Camelia Street (~600 feet), Cedar Street and Virginia Street (~615 feet), Allston Way and Bancroft Way (~615 feet), and Channing Way and Dwight Way (~590 feet). • Safe crossing features should align with Policy T-P. 10 Intersection Improvements.

T-P .9 Pedestrian Crossing Design
Pedestrian crossing design in Berkeley is guided by the Berkeley Pedestrian Plan (2020), Appendix B: Engineering & Design Guidance. Improvements to pedestrian crossings along San Pablo Avenue must also comply with the requirements of the Caltrans Highway Design Manual or receive approval for an exception from Caltrans. The following improvements should be prioritized along San Pablo Avenue:
• Curb e xtensions – Generally, curb extensions into San Pablo Avenue are not appropriate given the potential for future multimodal improvements to us
e the full roadway width between existing curbs (see T-P.2 for discussion of future multimodal study). For side-street curb extensions, see T-P.11 Minor Side-Street Intersection Improvements.

20 California Department of Transportation. California Manual for Setting Speed Limits . Revised March 2025, pp. 19, 31-24
21 This is consistent with the Berkeley City Council’s April 29, 2025 adoption a resolution asking the State Legislature to add the city to the existing program or similar program. (See Resolution No. 17,744-N.S. 22 City of Berkeley. Pedestrian Plan Appendix B: Toolbox of Pedestrian Improvements . Adopted 2020, p. 10

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• Crossing islands as integral part of medians and crosswalks to shorten the crossing distance. • Pedestrian-scale lighting, where needed per standards PR-P.3.

A map with the crossing locations and improvements is provided in Figure 5.6 Locations with need for Intersection Improvements.

T-P .10 Intersection Improvements
San Pablo Avenue has undergone several intersection
improvements and continues to be the focus of additional planned improvements led by both Caltrans and Alameda CTC. A follow-up safety study should be explored after the completion of these projects to identify additional locations where improvements are needed and to assess whether any additional elements could enhance the effectiveness of previously implemented upgrades. The following are the types of intersection improvements to consider (Intersection specific lists of potential improvements are in Appendix D):

Signalized Intersections – Thes
e locations should be
evaluated for potential improvements such as curb
extensions on side-streets, median refuge islands where they do not currently exist, and improved roadway lighting and pedestrian-scale lighting to enhance visibility of people entering and crossing the street. Improvements for bicycles should be considered pursuant to the toolbox
recommendations of the Bike Plan, where they do not exist.

The need and benefit of adding protected left turns at
intersections that lack them should be assessed, along with consideration of right- turn-on-red prohibitions.

Un-Signalized Intersections – These intersections should be evaluated for physical and lighting improvements similar to those listed for signalized intersections. The need for additional or upgraded traffic flashers or signals should be evaluated, such as rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFB), pedestrian hybrid beacons (PHB), or full traffic signals.

In the long term, as population, pedestrian and bicycle activity increase within the Plan Area, particularly in the Nodes, intersections should be evaluated for the potential addition of full pedestrian signal phases. A full pedestrian phase stops all vehicle traffic while pedestrians cross in all directions, including diagonal crossings, also known as pedestrian scrambles. These signal phases improve pedestrian safety at intersections with high pedestrian volumes and complex turning movements. Detailed guidance on all-way pedestrian crossings is provided in the Berkeley Pedestrian Plan (2020), Appendix B: All-Way Pedestrian Crossings, p. B-18.

A list of proposed potential intersection
improvements is provided in Appendix D.

The Plan’s potential improvements are
scoped to build upon those of the San
Pablo Avenue Safety Enhancement project
which have not been constructed at the
time of this Specific Plan’s adoption. Other
intersection improvements were recently
completed. The combination of these
changes define the baseline for future
transportation design and investment. The
list of improvements in Appendix D is a
compilation of improvements defined by
the 2020 Pedestrian Plan and additional
potential improvements. This list may be
further refined as part of a planned update
to the Pedestrian Plan.

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San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft 67

Figure 5.6 Locations with need for Intersection Improvements. For detailed list, see Appendix D

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San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft 68
T-P .11 Minor Side-Street Intersection Improvements
The City should review collision data and monitor driver behavior at minor side- street intersections and make improvements as needed. Improvement may include:
• Raised crosswalks on side-s treets – Elevating the crosswalk bet ween minor side-streets will slow drivers
as they enter the minor street. Raising crosswalks should be considered in the context of service and emergency vehicle turn movements. Detailed guidance is provided in the Berkley Pedestrian Plan Appendix B: Toolbox of Pedestrian Improvements, p. B-19.
• Side-street curb extensions – When space is available on side-streets provide a curb extension to shorten pedestrian crossing distance. Curb extensions narrow the opening for vehicles and allow for reduced curb radii, which will slow drivers entering the minor street and provide more space for directional curb ramps.

Detailed guidance is provided in the Berkley Pedestrian Plan Appendix B: Toolbox of Pedestrian Improvements, p. B-13. (see PR-S.12 Design and Use of Curb Extensions on Side-Streets for design and use of curb extensions for public space).
• Encourage more perpendicular (right-angle) turning movement at intersections to improve driver visibility of pedestrians in crosswalks. This can be done by extending medians to the crosswalk and providing a median nose to protect the crosswalk where turn movements allow. Intersection legs without medians should have hardened centerlines (see Figure 5.7).

Figure 5.7 Before and after hardened centerline improvement. Source: Chicago.gov

T-P.12 Make Safety Improvements at Driveways
Some driveways in the Specific Plan Area have poor visibility for drivers accessing the street from the parking lot, such as the southern driveway at REI/Chipotle/Walgreens center. Driveways should be assessed for adequate sightlines and red curbs should be provided where sightlines need to be improved. Priority should be given to driveways with more activity and in locations that have a record of collisions.

T-P.13 Prioritizing Multimodal Safety Improvements
The following factors should be used in determining priorities for multimodal safety improvements in the Specific Plan Area.
• San Pablo Avenue int ersections with Gilman Street, Cedar Street, University Avenue, Addison Street, and Ashby Avenue whi
ch are high-injury streets, as defined in the Vision Zero Plan, 2020, and segments of these streets within the Plan Area (see Figure 5.6). Prioritization of improvements to segments of these streets is discussed in Policy T-P.17: Prioritize connections.
• Intersection improvements at Russell Street and Heinz Street are part of Alameda CTC’s Bus and Bike Lane Project (Appendix D). Improvements for bicycle and pedestrian safety and access are identified in the 2025

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San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft 69
Bicycle Plan Update in this area. 23 If the Alameda CTC project is delayed, the City should coordinate with Alameda CTC to pursue more immediate upgrades at these intersection crossings and potential bicycle connection on San Pablo Avenue between the intersections . • Continuously review transportation collision data and the Annual Vision Zero Report to identify safety “hot spots” for targeted assessment and improvements.
• Prioritize improvements at intersections that serve key connections, in alignment with Policy T-P.17: Prioritize connections.

Improve Connections Outside of the Plan Area
Community members consistently described San Pablo Avenue as a barrier separating West Berkeley from the rest of the city. This perception is driven not only by the lack of safe crossings for people walking and biking, but also by the limited number of multimodal, east-west connections to places outside of the Specific Plan Area.

Although several parks are located within a few blocks of San Pablo Avenue, access to these is often hindered by unsafe or indirect pedestrian and bicycle routes. Side -streets that connect current and future residents along San Pablo Avenue to nearby parks and facilities require targeted multimodal improvements. Strengthening these connections will improve equitable access to help overcome the street’s physical divide.

Connections Network
Strengthening east-west connections across San Pablo Avenue is essential to linking adjacent neighborhoods with citywide destinations such as schools, parks and transit stations. Figure 5.8 Connections Map illustrates the network of planned and completed projects aimed at enhancing these connections. The map identifies potential priority pedestrian and bicycle connections currently missing within the Plan Area and consolidates information from several sources, including the Alameda CTC San Pablo Avenue Corridor Project, City of Berkeley and BART planned B icycle Improvements, and the proposed facilities from the Bike Plan Update (2025). A subsequent gap analysis highlights areas where east-west connectivity remains limited and where additional infrastructure investments are needed to support safe and continuous bicycle and transit travel.

Figure 5.9 Street Network Map complements this analysis by providing an overview of existing road designations and emergency access and evacuation routes. Comparing the two maps reveals that many major roadways continue to lack complete multimodal facilities.

23 City of Berkeley. Berkeley Bicycle Plan update, Public Review Draft, July 2025. Accessed 4 September 2025; page 114 and 115.

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Figure 5.8 Connections Map: Existing and planned Projects. Source: Alameda CTC, AC Transit, City of Berkeley. 2025.

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San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft 71
Modal and Functional Policies and Standards

Figure 5.9 Existing Street Network Map. Source: Alameda CTC, City of Berkeley . 2025.

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San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft 72
T-P.14 Transit Improvements
The following efforts should be undertaken by the City with partner agencies to improve reliability and efficiency of transit service connecting the Plan Area to BART, UC Berkeley, Downtown Berkeley, and other major destinations:
• In alignment with Transit First Policy 18, explore further study of additional improvements along University Avenue and the Southside area to enhance transit service on Line 51B, strengthening connections between San Pablo Avenue, the Berkeley Amtrak Capitol Corridor Station, Downtown Berkeley, and UC Berkeley . • Coordinate with AC Transit, BART, and Capitol Corridor to improve connections, reduce transfer wait times, and support future frequency enhancements for east-west bus service that crosses San Pablo Avenue. • For other transit improvement policies, see section Multimodal Mobility and Access.

T-P.15 Bicycle Improvements
In alignment with the Berkeley Bicycle Plan (2017), Bicycle Plan Policy D-1, and consistent with the City’s 2025 Bicycle Plan Update, the City should continue to expand and improve a connected, low-stress bikeway network, with emphasis on comfort and safety:
• Improve i nfrastructure at the intersections a
t Gilman and Heinz Street, consistent with the City’s 2025 Bicycle Plan Update. These intersections are critical for enhancing east-west connectivity and safety.

Recommended improvements include studying an extension to the existing cycletrack on Gilman Street from 4th Street to San Pablo Avenue and establishing an offset cycletrack crossing at Heinz Street to connect with Russell or Oregon Street and the larger bicycle boulevard network. • Improve bicycle access for elementary and middle school students traveling to schools located east and west of San Pablo Avenue. Prioritize infrastructure improvements that create continuous, low -stress routes between neighborhoods and school campuses.
• Enhance bicycle connectivity to regional transit, including a safer and direct link to the Amtrak Capitol Corridor rail station to support multimodal travel options for students, commuters, and residents. • As bicycle improvements are made, provide bicycle wayfinding and directional signage consistent with standards and guidance in the Berkeley Bike Plan (2020) , Appendix F and the 2025 Bicycle Plan Update to help navigate bicycle riders through intersections, and guide them to local and regional destinations. If bike lanes are not established on San Pablo Avenue, bicycle signage on the street should direct cyclists to the nearest bicycle boulevards and parallel routes to provide safe alternatives .

T-P.16 Pedestrian Improvements
In alignment with the Pedestrian Plan (2020), additional improvements in the Specific Plan Area should prioritize comfort, safety, and accessibility for pedestrians:
• Provide crosswalk improvements, traffic calming, and
sidewalk upgrades
• Along key walking corridors for elementary and
middle school students, such as Cedar Street,
Viginia Street, and Allston Way. Coordinate
with any Alameda County Transportation
Commission Safe Routes to School Safety
Assessment plans.
• Along key walking routes that are within
proximity to transit stops and commercial
destinations.
• Provide safe, direct, and accessible pedestrian
connections to major employers in West Berkeley,
North Berkeley and Ashby BART stations, and the Capitol Corridor rail station. • For sidewalk standards, see PR-S.1 Sidewalk Zone Standards and other policies and standards in the Sidewalk Space section.

Pedestrian improvements resulting from
analysis of an intersection that is already
signalized, such as Allston Way, could include
extending the San Pablo Avenue median noses
towards crosswalks, hardening centerlines on
the side-street, and/or installing pedestrian
lighting at the corners. These changes would
encourage drivers to make safe turning
movements to and from San Pablo Avenue and
improve visibility of people walking across the
streets at night. Other intersections along
Allston Way between San Pablo Avenue, Rosa
Parks Elementary School and Strawberry Creek
Park could also be assessed and improved as
needed to enhance connections between these
public uses and the Plan Area.

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San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft 73
• For pedestrian crossing safety and improvements, see policies and standards in the Continue to Improve Intersections section.
• For streetscape improvements to provide lighting, shading, and other amenities for pedestrians, see the Public Realm policies and standards in the Streetscape section.

Prioritize Multimodal Connection Improvements and monitor performance T-P.17 Prioritize Connections with Surrounding Neighborhoods and Districts As development occurs in the Plan Area, new residents will need safe and comfortable multimodal connection to parks, schools, grocery stores, and other uses in the surrounding community .

These connections should be designed to accommodate users of all ages and abilities. The following priorities are based on public comment received during the Specific Plan planning process and expected needs of future residents. Future updates to the citywide Pedestrian Plan and Bicycle Plan can verify future residents’ needs:
• Prioritize pedestrian and bicycle improvements on st
reets that provide access to schools and par
ks, as well
as other routes that typically serve students in the Plan Area and adjacent neighborhoods to the east and west of San Pablo Avenue.
• Longfellow Middle School at its temporary location just east of San Pablo Avenue, between Virginia Street and Francisco Street (The School is currently scheduled to return to original location to the east of Sacramento Street between Derby and Ward Streets in Summer 2027) • Consider improvements that can serve the Berkeley Adult School and Berkeley Unified School District housing in the longer term.
• Bike boulevards that cross San Pablo Avenue and provide parallel access in adjacent neighborhoods. • Streets within ¼ or ½ mile of housing for elderly people. • Prioritize efforts in alignment with San Pablo Avenue improvement priorities discussed in Policy T-P.13 Prioritizing Multimodal Safety Improvements.

T-P.18 Monitor Changing Multimodal Needs and Conditions As multimodal activity and development increase within the Plan Area and surrounding Study Area, the City should coordinate with local, county, regional, and state transportation agency partners to monitor travel patterns and evaluate the need for additional improvements to the connection network, including as needed:
• Regional traffic – Coordinate with Caltrans to monitor regional traffic, trips that pass through Berkeley on Plan Area streets and intersections with streets that have interchanges on I-80 to understand its impacts on multimodal safety and mobility.
• Transit service and use – Work with AC Transit to monitor travel time and reliability of bus service on streets and routes within the Plan Area that provide connections from the Plan Area to the surrounding communities and region. Periodically survey existing and potential transit riders as the population in the Plan Area grows, to identify their travel needs. Use the results to modify bus service as appropriate to better align with changing demand.
• Vulnerable user needs – Monitor changes in land use, demographics, and traffic safety with a focus on vulnerable users, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities. For example, if new senior housing or services are developed, evaluate the surrounding streets for needed improvements and consider reprioritizing planned improvements so they are implemented sooner.

This monitoring and assessment should be coordinated with updates to the City’s modal plans and will also address multimodal intersections and priority improvement lists that relate to T-P.9, T-P.10, T-P.11 and T-P.13.

During a public open house, parents with a
young child said that they appreciated the
proximity of San Pablo Park to their home, a
mixed-use apartment on San Pablo Avenue
near Ashby Avenue. However, they had
decided to move because of the poor quality
of the pedestrian connection from their
apartment to the park.

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San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft 74
Public Realm Policies, Standards, and Projects
The public realm in the Specific Plan Area must satisfy a broad range of transportation, social, and economic needs. The policies, standards, and projects identified in this section, are intended to create an inviting, safe, comfortable, and functional environment along San Pablo Avenue and throughout the Plan Area. The public realm should enable people to move easily and safely along the corridor, whether access ing businesses, transit, home s, parked vehicles or bicycles , and also provi de welcoming spaces t o meet a friend, exercise, and socialize .

Sidewalk Space
The sidewalk along San Pablo Avenue is typically 13 feet wide with variations in the use and condition of the sidewalk space. In many areas, private landscaping and other encroachments reduce usable space, especially where pavement is damaged around tree wells. These constraints, combined with fast -moving traffic, were frequently raised by community members as safety and comfort concerns.

Several mixed-use developments constructed after 2010 include setbacks that expand the sidewalk with additional landscaping or pavement. Encouraging similar setbacks in future development presents one of the few opportunities to increase public space along San Pablo Avenue.

Figure 5.10 Sidewalk Space on San Pablo Avenue in front of 1808 San Pablo Avenue.

A well-designed sidewalk needs to provide enough space for safe, comfortable, and active use by all. The following policies and standards are intended to ensure that new development supports accessibility, safety, and vibrant pedestrian activity. The following policies and standards apply specifically to San Pablo Avenue and immediate side- streets, where noted. For guidance on other streets, refer to the Berkeley Pedestrian Plan (2020), Appendix B Engineering & Design Guidance.

PR-P.1 Sidewalk Zone s
To serve the range of uses and infrastructure located within sidewalks, design standards define three zones across the sidewalk width: the Pedestrian Zone, the Amenity Zone, and the Frontage Zone ( see Figures 5.11 and 5.12 Sidewalk Zone examples). San Pablo Avenue is a state highway, so Caltrans has jurisdiction over the entire right -of- way, including sidewalks. The City, however, is responsible for ongoing sidewalk maintenance and may implement improvements in coordination with Caltrans.

The Berkeley Pedestrian Plan (2020) defines preferred widths for these zones for a Mixed -Us e Residential Boulevard
like San Pablo Avenue as follows:
• Fro
ntage Zone: 2 feet
• Pedestrian Zone: 8 to 12 feet
• Amenity Zone: 6 to 10 feet
• Total Sidewalk: 16 to 24 feet
The existing sidewalks along San Pablo Avenue, typically 13 feet wide, are 3 feet narrower than the desired minimum width defined in the Pedestrian Plan. There is no ability to significantly widen the sidewalk area within the existing public right of way.

To address this constraint, the Plan standards define a flexible approach to best meet the intentions of the Pedestrian Plan guidance. There are some limited segments of sidewalk that are 12 feet wide at the narrowest. In these locations there will be a need to balance the zones of the sidewalk to best meet the standards and land use, depending on the specific location. Policy PR-S.1 Sidewalk Zone Standards provides minimum widths for sidewalk zones along San

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San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft 75
Pablo Avenue. Policy PR-P.2 Sidewalk Easements and standard LU-S.1 Sidewalk Expansion Incentive define a way to achieve additional sidewalk width adjacent to new development.

Figure 5.11 Left: Section A - Sidewalk at tree well. Right: Section B – Sidewalk with public seating

Figure 5.12 Left: Section C – Outdoor seating in the right-of way. Right: Section D – Sidewalk expansion

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PR-S.1 Sidewalk Zone Standards
Pedestrian Zone: This is the unobstructed portion of the sidewalk designated for pedestrian movement.
• In Nodes on San Pablo and University Avenues, the
minimum width is 7 feet to allow for higher levels of
pedestrian activity.
• Outside of Nodes, 7 feet is preferred in active locations, with a minimum of 6 feet. Due to the existing right-of- way constraints, the Pedestrian Zone may be offset along the street to accommodate different sidewalk space needs in the Amenity and Frontage Zones.

Amenity Zone: This is the zone between the street and the Pedestrian Zone that provides space for street tree wells, public seating, bicycle parking, bus shelters, streetlights and signal poles, utility boxes and panels, trash/recycling containers, and other streetscape elements. This zone includes the six-inch curb at the edge of the sidewalk. The width may vary as needed while ensuring the adjacent Pedestrian Zone meets minimum pedestrian clearance requirements.
• The Amenity Zone should be at least 4.5 feet wide to accommodate a minimum 4-foot wide tree well. A width of 5.5 feet allows space for benches or other sidewalk seating for social interaction (see Figure 5.11 Section B).
• The width may be reduced to a minimum of 3.5 feet where the adjacent Frontage Zone in the public right of way is 3 feet wide, see Frontage Zone below.

Frontage Zone: This is the zone between the Pedestrian Zone and adjacent property. Its width may vary depending on site conditions and may be extended where a frontage setback or easement on private property provides additional space. This zone can accommodate features such as outdoor seating, additional landscaping, or expanded general sidewalk space.
• The Frontage Zone shall be a minimum of 6 inches wide to provide a buffer between people walking in the Pedestrian Zone and adjacent buildings on private property. • If an adjacent business applies for and receives an encroachment permit, the zone may extend up to 3 feet into the sidewalk, provided this does not conflict with the required Pedestrian Zone width (see Figure 5.12.

Section C).
• The Frontage Zone may extend beyond the right-of-way when the adjacent property grants a public access easement within the setback area (see Policy PR-P.2 Sidewalk Easements and Figure 5.12 Section D). It may also be widened into an adjacent Privately Owned Publicly Accessible Open Space (POPOS) ( see Policy PR- P.18 Privately Owned Public Open Spaces).
• A maximum of 20% of the frontage width may be permanent in the ground or raised landscaped areas. Pots and other above-ground planters that can be easily removed and have sidewalk below them are preferred for flexibility of use over time, and may result in a maximum of 30% of the frontage width being landscaped areas.

PR-P.2 Sidewalk Easements
Widening sidewalks is a key strategy to improve pedestrian comfort. Increasing the distance between the walkway and roadway allows more space for trees, landscaping and other amenities in the Amenity Zone, while also creating more space for social activity within the public realm. In some locations, recent mixed-use residential developments have incorporated frontage setbacks that effectively widen the sidewalk, enhancing the pedestrian experience and contributing to more attractive streetscape (see Figure 5.14 example images). Widening of the sidewalk with an easement is encouraged and supported by LU-S.1 Sidewalk Expansion Incentive.

Figure 5.13 Example of the sidewalk zones.

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Figure 5.14 Examples of mixed-use residential developments with easement setbacks.

Left: “Bloom Berkeley” 2747 San Pablo Avenue. Right: “The Jones” 2748 San Pablo Avenue.

Where developments provide an easement widening the sidewalk, the additional space can be allocated to any of the sidewalk zones. For example, the Amenity Zone could be widened to allow for additional landscap ing and seating, or the Frontage Zone could be widened to accommodate public seating, outdoor dining, or amenities for an adjacent bus stop (see Figure 5.15 Frontage zone). Improvements within the frontage zone must be installed and maintained by the property owner or adjacent business.

Figure 5.15 Frontage zone includes decorative elements, outdoor seating, and a bus bench. “Aquatic at Ashby”, 3000 San Pablo Avenue.

PR-S.2 Reestablish Sidewalk Width
In several locations along San Pablo Avenue, sidewalks are less than 13 feet wide between the face of curb and landscape along adjacent property frontages. There are a limited number of locations where older buildings are less than 13 feet from face of curb, and these conditions will likely remain. If these locations lack an approved encroachment permit, the full sidewalk width should be reestablished over time as public improvements are made, and as adjacent properties are redeveloped or building permit applications are filed.

Streetscape
The Specific Plan updates streetscape standards to improve San Pablo Avenue’s quality and identity of the public realm, and to support the economic and social vitality of the Plan Area. These streetscape standards build upon and update the San Pablo Avenue Public Improvement Plan (2003) and include revised standards on pedestrian-scale lighting, street furnishing, bus stop improvements, medians, trees, and landscaping. Elements of the streetscape standards apply to side-streets within the Specific Plan Area, particularly to University Avenue.

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Lighting
Improving pedestrian lighting along San Pablo Avenue was the most consistent need expressed by community members during the Plan process. Existing streetlights are mostly designed to light the roadway and intersections , leaving sidewalks dimly lit, unless there is light spilling from storefronts, nearby buildings, or the occasional pedestrian fixture at a bus stop. This issue was raised in the 2004 San Pablo Avenue Public Improvement s Plan, which proposed new lighting standards. While some private developments have added pedestrian-scale lighting, no comprehensive public investment has yet been made. There are similar existing lighting conditions on other streets within the Specific Plan Area. The City has been preparing a citywide streetlighting standards document but it has not been fully drafted to date. The following recommendations should be considered as the standards are finalized.

PR-P.3 Improve Street L ighting for the Safety and Comfort of All Users The following policies and design recommendations build upon those of the 2004 San Pablo Avenue Public Improvement Plan.

Roadway and Pedestrian-Realm Lighting
To cost-effectively improve lighting within the Plan Area, the City should implement the design approach defined in the Public Improvement Plan, which calls for the maintenance and incremental improvement of existing roadway lighting. This approach includes attaching pedestrian pendent lights to the existing roadway poles and painting the roadway poles and fixtures the color defined below (see Figure 5.16). Depending on roadway pole spacing, one or two 12-foot poles with pedestrian pendant lights should be added between roadway poles . The pendant lights should extend over the sidewalk, positioned below the mature tree canopy to maximize the illumination of the public realm.

Pedestrian-scale Light Fixture: Selux, Beta Pendant LED with pole mount fitter or single arm as appropriate (see Figure 5.16).

Color: RAL 5008 dark slate blue
Lighting Analysis: Scoping, funding, and implementation of street improvement projects should include a lighting analysis of existing lighting conditions within the project area so that lighting improvements can be implemented as part of the project where feasible.

Lighting Levels: The following recommended light levels are informed by lighting standards from other Bay Area cities and can be revised through technical analysis and future development of citywide standards.

Figure 5.17 Example of Pedestrian scale lighting. “Aquatic at Ashby”, 3000 San Pablo Avenue.

Figure 5.16 Pedestrian Light.

Source: San Pablo Avenue
Public Improvement Plan, 2004

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Minimum Optimum1
Location
Illuminance
(footcandles)
Uniformity
Ratio
(avg. to min.)
Illuminance
(footcandles)
Uniformity
Ratio
(avg. to min.)
San Pablo Avenue, Gilman Street,
University Avenue, and Ashby Avenue 1.5 3:1 2.5 2: 1
Hopkins Street, Cedar Street, and
Dwight Way with C-SP frontage 1.1 4:1 1.8 3:1
Other streets in Plan Area 0.8 6:1 1.2 4:1
Transit Areas2 2.0 3:1 3.0 2:1
Notes:

1. When installed or until end of maximum lighting with smart lighting systems.

2. On both sides of the street within one block of bus stops on San Pablo Avenue, Gilman Street, University Avenue, and Ashby Avenue, and within one-half block on both sides of the street for bus stops on other Plan Area streets.

Smart Lighting Systems
The City should pursue grants and other funding to implement a smart lighting system on San Pablo Avenue and throughout the Plan Area to maximize the utility and efficiency of the street and public realm lighting. Smart lighting systems allow for centralized control and management of lighting. Lighting levels can be programmed and automatically adjusted based on time of day, season, ambient light level sensors, motion detectors, and other relevant factors. These systems also monitor the condition and performance of lighting equipment, improving lighting management, energy efficiency, and maintenance.

Landscaping
The street tree canopy, mature street tree canopy and landscaped medians of San Pablo and University Avenues are defining features of their visual identity. The community views these as valued assets giving the streets their unique character (see Figure 5.18). However, the tree canopy is inconsistent, with noticeable gaps and maintenance issues affecting both trees and tree wells. Beyond the medians, public landscaping is limited. In some locations, adjacent property owners and tenants maintain landscape along their frontages, which sometimes narrows the available sidewalk width.

Figure 5.18 Left: Mature street trees grew to the same height as this four -story mixed-use building. Right: Tree canopy cover

Many of the existing gaps and maintenance issues were identified previously in the 2004 San Pablo Avenue Public Improvement Plan. Since then, some improvements have been advanced through private initiative or targeted city investments, but funding constraints have limited the extent of implementation. The Plan builds on these earlier recommendations to guide future public realm improvements.

Since 2004, landscape standards and requirements have evolved to reflect new priorities. These include new irrigation standards, and requirements for landscaping that captures and treats stormwater runoff from development

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and street projects. Current best practices emphasize water-efficient plant selection and species that can thrive under global climate change impacts, such as changes to local rainfall, higher average temperatures, and other factors. The Plan updates those outlined in the 2004 Improvement Plan to reflect these practices.

Additional policies, standards, and implementation strategies address the issues of capital, maintenance cost and responsibilities for landscaping within the Specific Plan Area.

Street Trees
PR-P .4 Enhance Tree Health and Expand Tree Canopy
Existing street trees should be well maintained, and their positive impact on the public realm should be enhanced by planting additional trees and other landscaping. Establishing a consistent and continuous tree canopy along sidewalks and medians will strengthen the Plan Area’s character, improve pedestrian comfort, help to reduce urban heat island effect, and address the community’s desire for a greener environment.

The tree canopy sh ould be as continuous as possible with mature tree canopies touching those of adjacent trees.

Breaks may occur at roa
dway street light locations. Pedestrian-scale lighting is to be installed below the mature tree canopy to minimize conflicts.

Street tree planting shall follow the City of Berkeley standard details, including tree well modifications described below, which define additions and some exceptions to citywide standards as they apply to specific street sidewalks and median conditions in the Plan Area.

Tree wells should be as large as feasible and meet the minimum standards for specific streets described in the standards below.

Maximizing tree well size supports the long-term tree health and offer opportunities for additional plantings.
• In Nodes, along University Avenue within the Specific Plan Area, and within proximity to bus stops and other
high pedestrian activity areas, tree well should be “filled” with flexible porous pavement. This material allows water and oxygen to reach the soil and roots to maintain tree health, while the pavement surface provides a level,
walkable and ADA compliant surface (see Figure 5.19).
• In areas with less pedestrian activity, gravel mulch and other plantings can enhance visual interest.
• See PR-S.6 Landscaping in Tree Wells and Planters,
below for further discussion.

Figure 5.19 Flexible porous pavement in
downtown Berkeley tree well

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PR-S.3 San Pablo Avenue Tree Standards
Some of the most comfortable and engaging blocks along San Pablo Avenue feature large mature trees in the sidewalks and medians that form a full tree canopy across the street. This canopy creates a human scaled streetscape (see Figure 5.20). As taller mixed-use buildings are built along San Pablo Avenue, expanding the street tree canopy will soften the perceived scale of these structures and enhance the character of the public realm and provide meaningful urban greening.

Tree species. The p
redominant tree s
pecies along San Pablo Avenue are
London Plane (Platanus x acerifolia), Western Sycamore (Platanus racemosa), American Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua), and Red Sunset Red Maple (Acer rubrum ‘Franksred’). Other trees and smaller tree species are also present. However, several trees, particularly the American Sweet Gums, are in decline or poor condition. While Ginkgo biloba trees have also been planted, they tend to grow slowly and do not achieve the desired large and rounded form.
• London Plane trees should be prioritized for new plantings and when existing trees are replaced, continuing the standards of the San Pablo Avenue Public Improvement Plan (2003) which this Specific Plan replaces.
• To avoid a monoculture of tree species, different cultivars such as ‘Exclamation’ and ‘Columbia’, which can grow wide and up to 50’ tall can be planted. Western Sycamore is another alternative to support more diversity of tree species. • In locations where these species are not suitable, as determined by the City forestry staff, a deciduous tree similar to the London Plane in height and canopy width should be selected. Red Maple trees are one example with appropriate cultivars and some Red Sunset Maples are already planted along San Pablo Avenue. • If tree size is the limiting factor, a tree that will reach the largest possible size given the specific location conditions should be selected, and tree spacing should be adjusted to maintain a more continuous tree canopy.

Trees in Medians. The size and placement of trees in San Pablo Avenue’s medians are governed by the Caltrans Highway Design Manual and other Caltrans Standards. The full-width medians along San Pablo Avenue are typically 13 feet wide. Caltrans Standards require a minimum clearance of 5 feet from median curb face to the tree trunk of a mature tree. The trees recommended above satisfy this requirement.

Tree Trimming Maintenance. Branches of existing mature trees in sidewalk locations should not reach lower than 14 feet above the adjacent roadway or sidewalk level . This provides the vertical clearance required by Caltrans for street traffic, provides visibility to storefronts and signs, and reduces shadowing of pedestrian-scaled and storefront lighting.

Figure 5.20 Trees in San Pablo
Avenue sidewalk south of University
Avenue

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Tree Wells. The predominant size of existing tree wells along San Pablo Avenue is 3 x 3 feet and undersized for large canopy trees (see Figure

5.21).
• A minimum size of 4 x 6 feet is required for new wells, with the longer dimension oriented parallel to the curb.
• Where possible, a 4 x 8 foot tree well is desirable.
• The 4 foot dimension can also be wider in many cases given other standards defined for sidewalk use (see Policy PR-S.1 Sidewalk Zone Standards).
• See Policy PR-P.4 Enhance Tree Health and Expand Tree Canopy for more details about tree well materials and PR-S.6
Landscaping in Tree Wells and Planters for landscaping.

PR-S.4 University Avenue Tree Standards
On University Avenue between 9th and Curtis Streets is within the Specific Plan Area, sidewalks are 10 feet wide, narrower than those along San Pablo Avenue. The median between 10th Street and San Pablo Avenue contains an extended left-turn lane and only one tree.

Tree Species and Spacing. Ex isting trees al
ong this section of University Avenue are of various species. Chinese Elm trees (Ulmus parvifolia, Ulmnus ‘Frontier’ and other varieties) are most common, accompanied by Tulip trees (Liriodendron tulipifera) and Honey Locusts (Gleditsia triacanthos). Many trees are in poor health. Elm trees with a large mature vase-shaped form, such as Allee Elm (Ulmus parvifolia ‘Emer ll’), should be prioritized for replacement and new plantings. As tree health is evaluated, new trees should be added to create a continuous tree canopy with a spacing that allows mature tree canopies to touch those of adjacent trees.

Trees in Medians. The medians are planted with various California natives. Coast Live Oaks ( Quercus agrifolia) have performed the best, while California Buckeye (Aesculus californica) and Blue Blossom Ceanothus (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus) are in poorer condition. Narrow, medium-sized, drought-tolerant deciduous oaks, such as Chisos Red Oak (Quercus gravesii) or Spanish Oak (Quercus cerrioides) should be used as replacement species.

Tree Trimming Maintenance. Branches of existing mature trees in sidewalk locations should not reach lower than 14 feet above the adjacent roadway or sidewalk level . This provides the vertical clearance needed, given bus and truck traffic on this street, provides visibility to storefronts and signage, and reduces shadowing of pedestrian-scaled and storefront lighting.

Tree Wells. The predominant size of existing tree wells along this part of University Avenue is 3 x 3 feet and undersized for large canopy trees.
• The minimum size of 4 x 6 feet is required for new wells, with the longer dimension oriented parallel to the curb.
• Where possible, a 4 x 8 foot tree well is desirable.
• Given the narrower typically 10 foot sidewalk width along University Avenue the tree wells should use flexible porous pavement in order to provide the desired 6 foot minimum width for the sidewalk’s Pedestrian Zone that meets universal access design considerations.
• See Policy PR-P.4 Enhance Tree Health and Expand Tree Canopy for more details about tree well materials and PR-S.6 Landscaping in tree wells and planters for landscaping.

PR-S.5 Other Side-Street Trees
A wide variety of tree species are planted on streets intersecting San Pablo Avenue. The following design standards apply to those portions of the intersecting streets, except for University Avenue, which fall within the Plan Area. For University Avenue, see PR S.4 University Avenue Tree Standards above.

Figure 5.21 Tree on San Pablo Avenue
overgrowing a 3 foot by 3 foot tree well

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Tree Species and Spacing
• Outside of Nodes, side-street trees adjacent to properties that front or side onto San Pablo Avenue should match the species planted on the adjoining block face of San Pablo Avenue, unless sidewalk widths, utility lines, or other site conditions make this infeasible.
• In Nodes, street trees should match the adjacent San Pablo Avenue species for the length of the sidewalk that is within the Plan Area.
• If San Pablo Avenue tree species are infeasible, trees should match the predominant species already established along the side-street.

Tree Wells. Sidewalk widths vary along side-streets, resulting in different tree well sizes. • A minimum tree well size of 4 x 6 foot, as defined for San Pablo Avenue, is preferred. • Where sidewalks widths are too narrow to provide both a 5-foot-wide Pedestrian Zone with a 4-foot-wide tree well, the size of the tree wells may be reduced in size or filled with flexible porous pavement. This pavement allows the Pedestrian Zone to overlap into the tree well. • PR-P.4 Enhance Tree Health and Expand Tree Canopy for more details about tree well materials and PR-S.6 Landscaping in tree wells and planters for landscaping.

PR-P.5 Enhance and Expand Other Landscaping
Beyond street trees, the landscape character of the Plan Area is defined by other plantings in the medians and some street tree wells, and other small areas of plantings along the sidewalk. As the Plan is implemented, additional opportunities for landscaping may arise in new curb extensions, partial and full side-street plazas (see Policy PR-P.14 Side-Street Plazas), planters in the sidewalk Amenities and Frontage Zones, and in Privately -owned public open spaces (see Policy PR-P.18 Privately Owned Public Open Spaces).

In the future, should a Community Benefit or Business Improvement District form within a portion of the Specific Plan Area this organization could negotiate an agreement with the City to improve and maintain landscaping within the sidewalk, median, and other landscaped areas within the public right -of-way. See Policy ED-P.4 Study Feasibility of Forming a Business Improvement District (BID).

PR-S.6 Landscaping in tree wells and planters
Where tree wells do not need to be filled with flexible porous pavement, tree wells can be planted to create a distinct identity for locations along San Pablo Avenue (see Figure 5.22).
• Plantings in tree wells, except for the tree itself, will not be maintained by the City. Tree wells with landscape planting need to be maintained by adjacent property owners, residents, businesses, tenants, or a future Community Benefit or Business Improvement District.
• Planting of a tree well shall comply with Specific Plan standards and the requirements of the Berkeley Municipal Code Chapter 12.44 Trees and Shrubs.
• Plantings shall not impede public use of other sidewalk areas, such as adjacent Pedestrian and Amenity Zones.

Figure 5.22 Additional landscape in
large tree well on San Pablo Avenue.

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San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft 84
Landscaping in medians
Full-width and narrow width landscaped medians are generally planted with grass and not irrigated along San Pablo Avenue. Narrow medians next to left turn lanes vary in conditions with some narrow medians having hedges, which were once a dominant treatment, but these have not been consistently replaced as they die or become damaged. Where narrow medians next to left-turn lanes have been modified, they have typically been paved with concrete.

Although the grass and tree treatment in the medians positively impact the character of San Pablo Avenue, during dryer times of the year the appearance of the grass deteriorates. Maintaining green grass would require regular irrigation which is not environmentally appropriate, and existing irrigation systems are not currently in use.

In addition, the grass requires regular mowing and other maintenance. A more sustainable and climate-resilient approach would involve replacing grass over time with a low- water drought-tolerant landscape treatment that can adapt to climate change and not require irrigation after the plants are established.

PR-P.6 Near-term Opportunities for Re-landscaping medians Significant investment in median relandscaping is not advisable in the near-term given the potential for future multimodal transportation projects along San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley. However, when opportunities arise through smaller transportation improvement projects, the City should replant sections of medians using landscape design treatments that reflect the long-term landscaped median design vision. These demonstration segments can help build support and establish precedent.

PR-P.7 Long-term landscaped median design
In the long-term, landscape medians along San Pablo Avenue should be aesthetically pleasing, low- maintenance, and free of irrigation. The design should include a ground cover of crushed rock or wood mulch, with trees and low- water, drought-tolerant, low growing shrubs, grasses, succulents, and other plantings. Suitable species may include mat rush (Lomandra species), California yarrow (Achillea millefolium), aloe (Aloe species), finger aloe (Cotyledon orbiculata var. oblonga ‘Flavida’), and Majorcan germander (teucrium cosonii). Berkeley’s Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Department will take a lead role in determining which plant species are most appropriate for long -term landscaping in medians.

Green Infrastructure
Transportation improvements and other construction within Specific Plan Area that meet specific criteria must include green infrastructure consistent with the Caltrans NPDES Order 2022-0033-DWQ Stormwater Permit when within the Caltrans right of way of San Pablo Avenue and the Municipal R egional Stormwater NPDES Permit Order No.

R2-2022-0018 (MRP 3.0) when in city right of way or private property . Green infrastructure is a sustainable landscape and civil engineering improvement that captures, slows, and treats stormwater runoff with a primary goal of reducing pollutants entering the San Francisco Bay.24 Green infrastructure systems support Berkeley’s climate change and sustainability goals. The City’s Green Infrastructure Plan (2019) includes guidelines for implementation of green infrastructure in Berkeley and should be referred to during the planning and design phases of both streetscape improvement and private development projects in the Specific Plan Area.

24 San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, Stormwater webpage , accessed June 30, 2025.

Figure 5.23 Median
landscape on San Pablo
Avenue

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PR-P .8 Green Infrastructure in Public Projects
All publicly funded projects must meet the requirements of the current MRP and/or the Caltrans NPDES permit as applicable. In addition to fulfilling the Specific Plan’s public realm policies and standards, green infrastructure should contribute positively to pedestrian comfort and safety. • Design a pproaches may include perm
eable or porous pavement materials to maintain required sidewalk widths, and use of tree wells, and can be integrated into side-street curb extensions and side-street plazas if Caltrans and the City reach a maintenance agreement for specific improvements. • See T-P.11 Minor Side-Street Intersection Improvements, and PR-P.14 Side-Street Plazas for design related policies and standards.

PR-P .9 Green Infrastructure in Private Development
Private development projects are also required to meet the requirements of the current MRP. The Plan supports and provides flexibility for private development to fund and integrate public spaces that serve dual purposes for stormwater management and the community.
• Green infrastructure that serves to treat private property stormwater can be integrated into the public realm and may be included in side-street curb extensions, see T-P.11 Minor Side-Street Intersection Improvements, or within PR-P.2 Sidewalk Easements, PR-P.18 Privately Owned Public Open Spaces, PR-P.14 Side-Street Plazas for design related policies and standards
• When a development constructs green infrastructure in the public right of way the property owner mus t enter into a maintenance agreement with the City. Then the improvement may be used towards the project’s stormwater compliance requirements with the concurrence of the Regional Water Quality Control Board .

Street Furniture
PR-S.7 Public Seating
Public seating may be installed within
the Furniture Zone of the sidewalk or
integrated into curb extensions on side-
streets (see T-P.11) and PR-P.14 Side-
Street Plazas. Seating must not
encroach into the Pedestrian Zone,
which shall remain clear as required in
PR-S.1 Sidewalk Zone Standards.

Public seating must provide
wheelchair-accessible space per the
requirements of Public Rights-of-Way
Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG).

These standards are in addition to, not
a replacement of, Berkeley Municipal
Code 14.48.150 Sidewalk seating,
benches and planters.

Placement. Benches in the Furniture
Zone should face away from the street.

Alternatively, there may be pairs of
short benches placed perpendicular to
the street and face each other to allow
for a small group gatherings.

Developments along San Pablo Avenue have introduced public-facing elements such as benches or seating areas within the ground floor setbacks. While located on private property, these spaces are accessible to the public.

Figure 5.24 Left: Seating Wall at 3000 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley.

Right: Bench variations of LandscapeForms Scarborough bench in Downtown Berkeley.

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San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft 86
Style.
• Benches provided and maintained by the City shall be “Landscape Forms Scarborough” bench in black. This bench model is available in four standard lengths in both back or backless versions. These benches have been used in the Shattuck Avenue reconstruction project in Downtown Berkeley and other improvements in Berkeley. Using the same model on San Pablo Avenue will streamline city maintenance. • Benches or other public seating installed and maintained by adjacent property owner or businesses may be custom design or an alternative style. All seating and street furniture must be approved by the City through their sidewalk seating application process.25 The applicant is responsible for installation and ongoing maintenance. Privately installed public seating shall satisfy the requirements and guidance of PROWAG and other ADA requirements.
• Seating in curb extensions and side-street plazas can be integrated into planter walls that are part of green infrastructure systems, or consist of movable tables and chairs or other context-sensitive design.

PR-S.8 Trash and Recycling Receptacles
City-standard trash and recycling receptacles shall be placed in the sidewalk Furniture Zone or integrated into curb extensions on side-streets and side-street Plazas.

Style. The color and design of public must follow the citywide standard and be Forms + Surfaces “Modified Urban Renaissance” model with upper integrated recycler module in dark green color or approved equal. [Picture of type.]
• Privately Owned Public Open Spaces, shall have adequate receptacles and may be of a different manufacture and model as they will be maintained by the property owner.

Placement.
• In designated Nodes, where foot traffic and stores are more frequent, two (2) city- standard receptacles should be installed per intersection, on opposite sides of the street.
• Between designated Nodes, one city-standard receptable should be installed per block face. Consider placement at bus stops or locations where trash may otherwise accumulate. • Businesses, property owners, and future Community Benefit or Business Improvement Districts may place and maintain refuse cans in the public right of way if they have a maintance agreement with the City .

PR-S.9 Bicycle Racks
Bicycle racks along streets in the Specific Plan Area shall be placed in the Furniture Zone and meet the clearance and space standards outlined in the Berkeley Bicycle Plan, Appendix F.26
Style. All racks in the right-of-way must be a city-approved design. The color may be black or galvanized as in other parts of the city.

Placement.
• The City of Berkeley offers a bike rack installation program to improve bicycle access to local businesses and destinations. Through this program, the City installs bike racks on sidewalks in commercial areas at no cost to property or business owners. Business owners and community members can request new

25 City of Berkeley. Outdoor Commerce, Sidewalk Seating, and Parklets . 26 City of Berkeley. Berkeley Bicycle Plan, Appendix F Facility Design Toolbox . Adopted 2017, p. F-106 Figure 5.24a Trash
Receptacle
Figure 5.24b Bicycle
Rack

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bike racks in areas where demand exists, or existing bicycle parking is insufficient. The application procedures are available on the City’s website.
• Private development projects may install bike racks in the public right of way adjacent to their developments with approval of the Public Works Department

PR-S.10 Raised Planters
Raised planters can enhance the streetscape by adding greenery and visual interest, providing a buffer from the roadway, and expressing community care for public space. • Raised planters may be used in the Frontage Zone, curb extensions, plazas, side-street plazas, and privately owned public open spaces, with planters edges offering opportunities for informal seating. • Freestanding planter pots allow for flexible placement as single installations or groupings. • All planters must be stable and secure to prevent tipping or shifting . • Planters shall not encroach into the Pedestrian Zone maintain the sidewalk clearance specified in PR-S.1 Sidewalk Zone Standards.
• Planters shall maintain required clearances from face of curb . • Planters and low walls should not exceed 30 inches in height from sidewalk grade, and the combined height of planter and landscaping shall not exceed 36 inches above the sidewalk when within 20 feet of an intersection or 10 feet of a driveway to provide line of sight between pedestrians and vehicle drivers .

PR-P.10 Other Street Furnishings
Additional public street furnishings, such as public restrooms or information kiosks, may be installed in the right-of- way where an identified need exists. These furnishings must be designed and located in accordance with the PR-P.1 Sidewalk Zones and all other applicable standards and policies in this document.

Bus Stop Improvements
To support use of bus transit along San Pablo Avenue and throughout Berkeley and its agency partners, AC Transit and Alameda CTC, have been planning and building bus stop improvements. Improvements include new shelters, benches, lighting, and other improvements to adjacent intersections and crosswalks. Within the Plan Area, bus stop improvements will be made as part of the San Pablo Avenue Safety Enhancement project. The improvements are focused on stops that are used by limited-stop bus routes. These efforts are achieving the goals of Berkeley’s Transit- First Policy Implementation Plan (2022) and AC Transit’s Bus Stop Furniture Guidelines (September 2022). In addition, it is the intent of the Specific Plan that improvements made in the Plan Area treat ADA requirements as the minimum standards for accessibility and strive for achieving universal design for users with a broad range of abilities.

Bus stop improvements should be designed in this way (see PR-P.13 Design for People of All Ages and Abilities).

PR-P .11 Continue to Improve Bus Stops
Berkeley and its agency partners should continue to identify funding for and implement stop improvements beyond those provided through the San Pablo Avenue Safety Enhancement project. This will include improvements to bus stops from Heinz Street to the south along San Pablo Avenue that are part of the Alameda CTC San Pablo Avenue Bus Lanes and Bike Lanes Project. Other bus stops in the Plan Area along San Pablo Avenue and those serving bus routes on crossing streets should also be assessed and improved as funding is identified.

Prioritization of bus stops to receive improvements should consider existing ridership and potential ridership growth based on nearby destinations and development that brings new residents to the area, as well as the current condition or absence of bus stop improvements.
• Potential improvements may include installation of shelters, benches, pedestrian lighting, maps, signage, emergency call systems, and street tree plantings for additional shade.

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• Other features and fixtures identified in Berkeley’s Transit-First Policy Implementation Plan (2022) and AC Transit’s Bus Stop Furniture Guidelines (September 2022) should also be considered.

Berkeley and AC Transit should collaborate to identify and determine bus shelter models that provide weather protection and a safe and comfortable environment for waiting transit riders at bus stops while being practical to maintain. They should also include maintenance agreements as needed.

Wayfinding, Placemaking and Public Art
PR-P.12 Facilitate Wayfinding and Placemaking Program s As development increases and pedestrian and business activity grows within Specific Plan Area , coordinated signage, banners, and public art can support navigat ing the area , reinforce local identities and highlight distinct places within the Plan Area .
• The Berkeley Of fice of Economic Development could work with existing business organizations or clusters, such as the B erkeley
International Marketplace to facilitate installation of signs, banners, public art, and similar elements to support placemaking efforts, see Policy ED-P.3. Support and Expand Existing Business Clusters.
• Identify wayfinding opportunities that reflect distinct character areas for business clusters or Nodes, and explore coordinated or branded approaches across San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley. • For instance, banners mounted on streetlight poles to highlight unique areas along the Plan Area. In the near- term, these could be funded by a combination of the City and local business groups.
• Incorporate public art into wayfinding design to reflect local character, history, and destinations. See PR-S.11 Public Art in Public Spaces.
• Should Community Benefit or Business Improvement District(s) form in the Specific Plan Area, these organizations may take on a larger role in managing and expanding wayfinding efforts. See Policy ED-P.4, Study the Feasibility of Forming a Business Improvement District (BID ).

Facilitate Installation of Public Art that Benefits the Public Realm San Pablo Avenue currently features a range of informal and formal public art that create or reflect historic, demographic or commercial identities for Plan Area segments. Community input expressed support for more public art to enrich the public realm and strengthen the street’s sense of place. For public art on private development, see ODS.79 and 80.

PR-S.11 Public Art in Public Spaces
Public art should be integrated into public spaces throughout the Specific Plan Area to enhance the pedestrian experience and reflect the community’s character and culture.

Figure 5.25 Wall art on the façade of
Ashkenaz, funded by the business.

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San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft 89
• The process for incorporating art in
public spaces is governed by
Berkeley Municipal Code Chapter

6.13 Visual Art in Public Places, and
is administered by the Civic Art
Commission and Civic Arts
Coordinator.
• Opportunities for public
installations include public
infrastructure projects (as funding
allows), existing medians and
sidewalks (with specific public art
funding), and within the public right
of way through partnerships with
adjacent property owners,
businesses, and community
development or business
improvement districts (see ED-X.4
Initiate a Study of the Feasibility and Scope of Forming a Business Improvement District). • Public art proposed within San Pablo Avenue’s right-of-way, which includes medians, street murals, or sidewalks, requires review and approval by Caltrans. This includes obtaining an encroachment permit, and a maintenance agreement between the City and Caltrans. This process adds time and cost of from concept to installation of the art.
• Future Community Benefit or Business Improvement District (s) are also encouraged to integrate art into their marketing and identity programs. This could include art installations in the public realm with maintenance agreements with the City.
• Promote cultural programming and community art events along the corridor by supporting flexible gathering and event spaces that can host a wide range of activities. Such events should complement existing programming, expand the diversity of event types, and attract both local residents and visitors. Cultural events can help activate the corridor, strengthen its identity, and foster a more vibrant and inclusive public realm.

Universal Design
PR-P .13 Design for People of All Ages and Abilities
The Specific Plan Area’s public realm shall be designed, implemented, maintained, and operated to serve people of all ages, sizes, and abilities. Universal design approaches should be applied to promote inclusive access to streets, sidewalks, open spaces, and transit.
• At a minimum, all improvements must comply with the Federal Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations. • Accessibility improvements should be prioritized proximate to senior housing and other uses frequently visited by individuals with a range of abilities
• When designing public realm improvements, the city, developer, and/or other project sponsors should consult with accessibility advocates and organizations serving people with access and functional needs to guide priorities and ensure inclusive design.
• Advanced Universal design strategies may include:
• Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS)
27, Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPIs) 28 and extended pedestrian signal phases to maximize crossing time.

27 City of Berkeley. Pedestrian Plan Appendix B: Toolbox of Pedestrian Improvements . Adopted 2020, p. 16 28 City of Berkeley. Pedestrian Plan Appendix B: Toolbox of Pedestrian Improvements . Adopted 2020, p. 17

Figure 5.26 Existing examples of public art installations in Berkeley. Image on the left is a temporary art installation on Heinz Street in the Specific Plan Area by Amrita Singhal through a program with the Berkeley Art Works Project (photo by CD+A).

Image on the rights is at Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Addison Street Intersection; Delivered, Mable’s Promissory Note; 2024 by Milred Howard (photo by Ethan Kaplan).

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San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft 90
• Use of tactile detectable warning surfaces, in addition to typical truncated dome panels at crosswalks.

These additional warning surfaces should be used when blind/low -vision people may experience non- typical circulation conditions in the public right-of-way. Use of these materials can be discussed in consultation with accessibility stakeholders during the design of public realm improvements in the public realm.
• Passenger loading zones and accessible parking near senior and mixed-use housing that meet and, where possible, exceed PROWAG and ADA regulations.

Public Realm Expansion and Improvements
As noted in Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions, San Pablo Avenue lacks public parks or plazas, and the streets and sidewalks are the only public space today. As new homes are built in the Plan Area, demand on the public realm will grow, since it functions as the primary social space for the people living, working and shopping in the area. During community outreach, residents and business owners expressed a strong desire for shared spaces that bring people together, support street-level business and community activity. In addition to opportunities for sidewalks widening (see PR-P.2 Sidewalk Easements), the Specific Plan encourages a variety of new public spaces , including:
• Corner plazas at University Avenue to highlight the intersection as a major entry point into Berkeley from the highway.
• Plazas in designated Nodes and near (rapid) transit stops. • Temporary or permanent conversion of parking lots to community-oriented uses. • Mini-plazas in the public right-of-way created through full or partial side-street closures. • Flexible spaces between sidewalks and adjacent buildings that can be used for seating, planting, and gathering.
• Side-street parklets and curb extensions used for public space and/or outdoor dining.

The following policies and standards offer strategies to expand the public realm and support the development of new public spaces. In the near term, improvements can be made through pavement -to-park initiatives like parking lot conversions, parklets and side-street entry closures. Over the long term, opportunities include curb extensions and side-street plazas, public open space and privately owned public open spaces (POPOS) at designated Nodes, mini- parks, and mid-block pedestrian pathways can provide lasting enhancements to the public realm.

San Pablo Avenue’s designation as a state highway limits opportunities for its closure for street festivals. For special events or any activity within the State highway right-of-way an Encroachment Permit 29 with an extensive approval
process is required. However, events and neighborhood gatherings have taken place on side- streets, see sidebar.

29 California Department of Transportation. Local Development Review and Encroachment Permit Process . 2025 Festival Street Closure: Until the end of 2024, the non-profit cultural organization Brasarte, which is dedicated to preserving Brazilian arts and culture in the Bay Area, was located on San Pablo Avenue at the Casa de la Cultura.

Each year, for their celebration of SF Bay Brazilian Day & Lavagem Festival, they organized a street closure adjacent to their building, closing a block of Hearst Street and activating an adjacent parking lot for festivities.

Figure 5.27 Photos of the Festival in September 2023.

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PR-P.14 Side-Street Plazas
The City should explore opportunities to convert minor streets into small side-street plazas by limiting or removing vehicle access between San Pablo Avenue and these streets. These closures would create room for public gathering spaces, urban greening and green infrastructure systems. Potential locations include side-streets that extend only a few blocks east or west from San Pablo Avenue, or streets that intersect San Pablo Avenue without a vehicular median break. See Figure 5.29 Map of potential side-street plaza closures to the right.

The plazas can be designed to close vehicle access entirely or only allow one-way entry or exit. Designs should allow emergency vehicle and refuse vehicle access, provide maneuvering space for private vehicles on the side-street to turn around, and maintain pedestrian and bicycle access to ensure neighborhood connectivity.

Site and use specific conditions would also be assessed, such as side -street commercial loading, and ability of adjacent parallel streets to provide for vehicle access. The design also must provide necessary property access along the side- streets.

In the near-term, the City can partner with non-profits, businesses- and neighborhood advocacy groups, and other community organizations to identify pilot locations for quick-build plaza projects. These should be prioritized where local community partners will use, program, or activate the plaza space. • Quick-build treatments can include barriers (e.g., jersey barriers, stone blocks or planters), markers for space and lanes with striping and paint, and table with seating of different types. Also, boulders, logs, or small structures can be installed to engage children.

Figure 5.28 Sunset Triangle Quick-Build Plaza (source: LADOT) In the long term, when funding is available and where community support in activating a side-street plaza is strong, permanent plaza improvements may be pursued. Several implementation and maintenance models are possible:
• City-Community Partnership: Local group of residents, businesses, and/or property owners may reach out to the City and work with the Office of Economic Development (OED) and the Transportation Division to identify funding. The community could take an active role in ongoing maintainance and programming.
• Future community benefit or business improvement District: They may take a leadership role and partner with the City and adjacent community, to Figure 5.29 Potential Side-
Street Plaza Locations

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San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft 92
manage and maintain the plaza, under a formal agreement with the City, similar to how the Downtown BART Plaza or the plaza space in Strawberry Creek Park (see ED-4. Study Feasibility of Forming a Business Improvement District).
• Adjacent Development: A developer or property owner of a new residential or mixed-use building adjacent to the plaza may design, build, activate, and maintain the public space under agreement with the City (see LU-S.3 Side-Street Plaza Implementation Incentive).

Figure 5.30 Street closed to vehicles and converted into a plaza with landscaped seating with bicycle and emergency vehicle pass-through at Vancouver Street and McClure Street, Victoria, BC. Google maps, November 2022.

Parklets and Curb Extension Common Spaces
Though smaller in scale than side-street plazas, parklets and curb extensions offer opportunities to create community gathering areas, business spaces and streetscape landscaping within the public right-of-way.

Opportunities for these types of spaces include smaller parklets along the commercial frontages on the southside of Dwight Way, on either side of San Pablo Avenue, as well as a larger potential gathering space on the east side of San Pablo Avenue at the Hopkins Street and Cedar Street merge, where intersection reconfiguration could a more usable and inviting public area.

PR-P .15 Support U se and Creation of Parklets
Parklets are allowed on San Pablo Avenue but must follow strict design criteria set by the Caltrans Encroachment Permits Manual. They must also be publicly accessible, be applied for and maintained by the City of Berkeley, and cannot serve as semi-private spaces, such as excusive outdoor seating for restaurants or cafés. Permits for parklets are limited to one year, and extensions are not guaranteed, adding to the uncertainty of long-term use.30 Side-streets including University Avenue, however, provide opportunities for parklets as another way to support outdoor seating and dining for nearby businesses. This approach can enhance corner locations, making them more appealing for restaurants and cafés, thereby boosting business activity and economic vitality while providing the

30 California Department of Transportation. Encroachment Permits Manual . Section 500.3I, "Parklets," July 2021, pp. 5-12

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public with valued common space. Preferred locations include designated Nodes and areas prioritized by pedestrian safety. These could also be part of “piloting” a side- street plaza. • Parklet location, design, use and other requirements include the BMC 14.48.190 Parklets and BMC 14.48.150 Sidewalk seating, benches, and planters.
• Incentive – To support business activity within the Specific Plan Area, the Outdoor Commerce Use Fee will be waived for businesses using free parking spaces and reduced by 75% for those using paid parking spaces.

Evaluate incentive after first 3 years of implementation and revise as appropriate.

PR-S.12 Design and Use of Curb Extensions on Side-Streets Curb extensions (also called bulb-outs) extend the sidewalk into the parking lane, to narrow the roadway, shorten pedestrian crossing distances and slow turning vehicles.

The Alameda CTC Safety Enhancements project is planning bus curb extensions at select locations on San Pablo Avenue. In these locations and further projects, the City should assess whether added space can accommodate outdoor seating or
other placemaking efforts.

New curb extensions should be located on side-street corners along San Pablo or University Avenues and extend only into the side-street parking lane. They must not extend into the San Pablo Avenue parking lane or shoulder. Potential curb extensions must be evaluated for feasibility in terms of private vehicle, truck, and emergency vehicle turn movements.

On side-streets, curb extensions can be used in the public realm for:
• Street Trees (see tree related policies and standards within the Streetscape section of this chapter)
• Landscaping opportunities such as Green Infrastructure (see other landscape related policies and standards within the Streetscape section of this chapter)
• Pedestrian-Realm Lighting (see PR-P.3)
• Outdoor seating or dining (aee PR-P.16 Commercial and Other Private Use of Sidewalk) • Public Art in Public Spaces (see PR-S.11)

Similar to Side-Street Plazas, see PR-P.14, a developer or property owner of a new mixed-use or residential building adjacent to a side-street may propose to design, construct and activate a curb extension. This space would be maintained through an agreement with the City. Implementation details include:
• The location and design of any curb extension shall be approved by the Public Works Department. • Requirements of BMC 14.48.150 Sidewalk seating, benches, and planters shall apply to these curb extensions with the exception of the Sidewalk Seating Permit fee waivers described below. • Incentive – To encourage construction of curb extensions and activation of the Common Space, the Sidewalk Seating Permit fees that would otherwise result from commercial use of the curb extension space shall be waived for up to 10 years for the first commercial seating use of the space.

Figure 5.31 Curb extensions with seating and
planters at University Avenue and Kala Bagai
Way

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Sidewalk and Other Public Realm Activation
PR-P .16 Commercial and Other Private Use of Sidewalks and the Public Realm While side-street plazas, parklets, and curb extensions focus on enhancing adjacent side-streets, the sidewalk frontage along San Pablo Avenue or other existing sidewalks offers opportunity for activation through seating, landscaping and small gathering spaces.
• The requ irements of BMC 14.48.150 Sid
ewalk seating, benches, and planters shall apply to commercial and other private use of the sidewalk.
• As discussed in PR-P.2 Sidewalk Easements, new developments may expand useable sidewalk space on San Pablo Avenue and other streets in the Plan Area through public easements. • Incentive – In these cases, permit fees for the commercial use of the sidewalk shall be waived for up to 10 years from the date of first commercial seating use.

Pocket Parks and Plazas Along San Pablo Avenue
There are no publicly owned park, plazas, or other community spaces located along San Pablo Avenue and only a few within the Specific Plan Area. One example is the small Kains Avenue Park at the north end of the Plan Area along Cordonices Creek, which has not yet open to the public. However, several parks, including George Florence Park, James Kenney Park, Strawberry Creek Park, and San Pablo Park are located within a few blocks (see Figure 5.9. Street Network Map).

Community feedback throughout the planning process emphasized a strong desire for accessible public open space along San Pablo Avenue. In the absence of dedicated public open space, a variety of semi-public spaces or “third places” have emerged organically.

These include outdoor seating at restaurants and cafes, and the use of gas stations or paved areas by food trucks and trailers with temporary seating.

PR-P .17 Purchase Underutilized Small Properties for Public Open Space Several small and underutilized properties along San Pablo Avenue could, over time, have the potential for public acquisition and could be developed as public parks or plazas. Currently, the Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Department’s does not have sufficient funding to purchase property for park development. If future funds become available, the Department should consider purchasing property along San Pablo Avenue to develop into public parks or plazas.

One potential funding mechanism is outlined in LU-S.5 Medium Development and Mid-rise Public Open Space Requirement, which requires that high-rise developments and larger developments to either create a privately-owned public open space (POPOS), pay an in-lieu fee, or provide a combination of other public open space.

PR-P .18 Privately Owned Public Open Spaces
An important strategy to create public open space within the Specific Plan Area is to encourage and incentivize the development of privately-owned public open spaces (POPOS). POPOS are publicly accessible open spaces that are built and maintained on private property. They can come in many forms, e.g., plazas, courtyards, recreational facilities, play areas, dog parks and usable green space. Key benefit of POPOS is that the construction and maintenance costs are typically the responsibility of the private developer, rather than the City . These spaces are encouraged in new commercial, multi-family, and mixed-use developments, and they also present an opportunity to transform existing parking lots or underutilized properties into open areas for the public.

Figure 5.32 Example of a food truck using a
parking lot.

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Figure 5.33 Left: Quick build POPOS plaza on former parking lot at Broadway and 21st Street in Oakland. Right: POPOS Plaza in front of mixed-use development, 2161 Allston Way, Berkeley
LU-S.2 Privately Owned Public Open Space within the Nodes , further encourages POPOS as part of new mixed-use residential development projects in the Nodes in the Plan Area. This land use policy defines minimum size requirements and a range of incentives and benefits when a development provides a POPOS.

LU-S.5 Medium Development and Mid-Rise Public Open Space Requirement defines a requirement for including a POPOS or contributing an in-lieu fee for large and/or high-rise developments.

Priority Locations
The intersections of major Nodes, including Gilman, University and Ashby, with San Pablo Avenue should be prioritized for implementation of POPOS. In addition to being designated as areas for increased development intensity , these locations are key gateways into Berkeley and points of entry from I-80.

Given their prominence and development potential, a public open space at these locations would significantly improve the character and functionality of the public realm.

Mid-Block Passages
Mid-block passages are a type of POPOS but are subject to Design Standards (see ODS.61) and Land Use Standards for eligibility to receive usable open space benefits (LU-S.8). They improve the walkability within the Plan Area by creating “shortcuts” through long block and through-lots, linking San Pablo Avenue, and possibly University Avenue, with parallel streets and improving accessibility between the avenues and surrounding neighborhoods. These connections are required for new developments that exceed a specified minimum site frontage as described in LU-S.8.

Figure 5.34 Student practices painting
in a POPOS provided by the adjacent
development. Hudson Yard, New
York City.

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Utilities
Utility services required to support the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Area include domestic water, wastewater, stormwater, telecommunications, electricity, natural gas, waste and recycling. According to the City of Berkeley 2023-2031 Housing Element Update (HEU) EIR--SCH #2022010331-- (HEU Final EIR), including the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Addendum to the Housing Element Update Final EIR (SCH #2022010331) (HEU EIR SPASP Addendum), existing utility systems for domestic water, wastewater, stormwater, telecommunications, electricity and natural gas facilities in Berkeley have sufficient capacity to serve the planned housing developments. x Water
Domestic Water
The City of Berkeley and East Bay Municipal Utility District ( EBMUD), the water supplier for the City of Berkeley, typically require individual developments to make any necessary upgrades. EBMUD’s water system is primarily sourced by the Mokelumne River Watershed west of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. There is currently sufficient water capacity for the City and the development anticipated by this Specific Plan. However, the long -term adequacy of the water supply has been susceptible to the effects of climate change. The development of water recycling and conservation programs have offset climate change concerns to date. California Green Building Standards Code (CalGreen) requirements include plumbing fixture maximum flow rates intended to reduce water consumption for all residential and commercial buildings. These standards would be implemented with the Specific Plan development.

Wastewater
There are two components to ensure the City of Berkeley’s wastewater is properly managed: (1) the treatment facility and (2) the collection and conveyance pipes. EBMUD operates the large diameter interceptor sewer and provides municipal wastewater treatment for Berkeley. The City of Berkeley owns and maintains its own sewage collection system. This system includes 254 miles of City-owned sanitary sewer pipe.

EBMUD is anticipated to have adequate dry weather capacity to accept wastewater flows from the planned buildout of this Specific Plan

31. Wet weather flows may also be accommodated with implementation of ongoing local and regional programs to reduce infiltration and inflow during wet weather event s (City of Berkeley, Housing Element Update EIR, 2022).

Future development under the proposed HEU will require new connections for wastewater conveyance. As described in the HEU Final EIR (see page 4.16-4 of the Draft EIR), Chapter 17.05 of the BMC requires that new development pay its fair share of improvements to the sewer system that would be necessary to accommodate increased flows. This policy and BMC requirements would ensure that new developments are not approved until it can be demonstrated that adequate wastewater collection capacity exists, or until a financial commitment to create such capacity has been made.

Stormwater
The Specific Plan Area is highly urbanized and the area is almost entirely covered with impervious surfaces except for landscaped areas. Future development will have to comply with existing programs and permits, including the BMC and the Municipal Regional Stormwater (MRP 3.0) NPDES Permit (No. CAS612008). All new development or redevelopment projects that create or replace 5,000 square feet of impervious surfaces are “regulated projects” and are required to implement Low Impact Design (LID) Measures and hydromodifications management measures required under the C.3 provisions of the Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit (MRP) . These features may include but not be limited to bioretention, permeable paving, detention basins, underground stormwater storage (see PR-P.8 Green Infrastructure in Public Projects and PR-P.9 Green Infrastructure in Private Development for Specific Plan

31 The City’s wastewater treatment capacity is 320 mgd. The existing average daily flow is 63 mgd and the HEU would add 0.77 mgd. Based on the HEU wastewater generation assumption of 40 gallons per day (gdp) for a multifamily unit, the SPASP buildout, which is 3,250 units above the HEU maximum buildout, would add 130,000 gdp, which is 0.13 mgd and well within the City’s treatment capacity.

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policies related to rainwater management). For example, on-site infiltration would improve the water quality of stormwater.

Implementation of rainwater measures can be especially challenging in a dense urban area. Measures such as rain barrels and cisterns, green roofs, and preserving undeveloped open space may also need to be considered. MRP 3.0 specifies methods to calculate the required size of treatment devices.

Improvements with Caltrans right-of-way are subject to requirements of Caltrans NPDES Permit Order No. 2 -2022- 0033-DWQ.

There is a minor possibility that underground creeks beneath San Pablo Avenue, due to deterioration, daylighting, or other creek crossings, could cause the need to reconstruct major storm drain infrastructure. H owever, the risk appears low given that the historic creek crossings have already been directed into a main storm drain within San Pablo Avenue through this area. The Specific Plan Area also falls outside of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Zone.

Electric, Gas, and Communications
Natural gas and electrical services for the City of Berkeley are provided by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E).

There is also telecom (cable and internet) service throughout the Plan Area, mainly provided by AT&T and Comcast.

Electrical systems within the Plan Area have mainly been undergrounded. Most overhead electrical lines are located within the cross streets.

Electricity, Natural Gas, and Communications upgrades will continue to be available from the providers. Typically , the utility companies will upgrade facilities as needed. It is expected that PG&E will accommodate the electrical and gas demands of the Specific Plan. A service application submitted to PG&E will be required to trigger a review of added electrical and natural gas demand for each new individual development. Likewise existing telecom infrastructure and providers are expected to be able to accommodate development that may be generated by the Plan. In addition, East Bay Community Energy (EBCE) is a local public agency tasked with supplying clean electricity at low rates to customers in Alameda County. EBCE procures electricity and provides local renewable resources, while PG&E continues to administer natural gas service as well as energy transmission, distribution, repair, customer service, and billing for EBCE customers.

Waste and Recycling
The City of Berkeley is one of the few cities in Northern California to operate its own refuse, dual stream recycling and green/food waste curbside collection system, as well as material recovery/drop-off and buyback facilities. The service provides curbside recycling, green/food waste, and refuse collection services. Some of the programs offered by the City’s Solid Waste Division include recycling collection programs for businesses as well as residential and commercial refuse and organic waste collection. Solid waste, recyclable, and compostable materials collected by the City and its contracted companies are transported from the Berkeley Transfer Station, located at 1201 Second Street, for sorting or disposal at off-site facilities.

One permitted landfill in Alameda County has the capacity to accommodate solid waste generated in Berkeley: the Altamont Landfill. The maximum permitted daily throughput at the Altamont Landfill is 11,150 cubic yards, and the maximum permitted capacity is 124.4 million cubic yards. The remaining capacity for solid waste at this landfill is approximately 52.3 million cubic yards (CalRecycle, Solid Waste Information System (SWIS), 202 5). The City of Berkeley has achieved a solid waste diversion rate of 69 percent of its solid waste.

Development facilitated by the Specific Plan would not generate solid waste in excess of State or local standards, or in excess of the capacity of local infrastructure. The Landfills that serve the City of Berkeley have adequate capacity to serve development under the proposed Specific Plan

32. The solid waste reduction goals would be in alignment with

32 Based on the HEU solid waste generation rate of 4/lbs/unit/day, and conversion factor of 1,000 pounds per cubic yard, the SPASP buildout would generate 13 cubic yards of solid waste per day. With Berkeley’s 69% diversion rate, the SPASP buildout would generate an additional 4.03 cubic yards of solid waste per day, which equates to 1471 cubic yards per year. This represents 0.00282% of the current total remaining landfill capacity of 52.3 million cubic yards.

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the development of projects within the Plan Area and would comply with federal, State, and local statutes and regulations related to solid waste (City of Berkeley, Housing Element Update EIR, 2022).

The City of Berkeley General Plan’s Environmental Management Element includes the following goals and policies applicable to solid waste:
• Policy EM-7: Reduced Wastes. Continue to reduce solid and hazardous waste. • Policy EM-8: Building Reuse and Construction Waste. Encourage rehabilitation and reuse of buildings whenever appropriate and feasible in order to reduce waste, conserve resources and energy, and reduce construction costs.
• Policy EM-9: Recycling and Waste Transfer Stations. Ensure convenient access for Berkeley citizens to transfer stations, recycling, composting, and collection of household hazardous waste products. • Policy EM-10: Materials Recovery and Remanufacturing. Support and encourage serial materials recovery and remanufacturing industries.

Development facilitated by the Plan would follow the City of Berkeley policies for waste reduction and recycling.

Internal
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Chapter 6
Implementation

- Public Review Draft -

Chapter 6: Implementation
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Project Administration
The San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan will be implemented through the adoption of its Land Use, Transportation, Public Realm, and Objective Development Standards and regulations, which are designed to align private investments with the Plan’s vision and goals. These will also be reflected in necessary General Plan and Zoning Ordinance updates. In addition, public improvements and programs will require the City and its partners to leverage existing resources, establish new funding mechanisms, and pursue partnerships to complete the implementation actions in this chapter. These include regular monitoring and updates to ensure responsiveness to changing conditions, evolving laws, funding opportunities, and community priorities.

The City maintains a dedicated webpage for the adopted Plan, implementation updates, and resources for property owners, developers, and community members.

Environmental (CEQA) Review
The San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan is accompanied by an Addendum to the 2023 –2031 Housing Element Update Environmental Impact Report ("2023 EIR"), which evaluates whether the proposed Specific Plan would result in any new or substantially more severe significant environmental impacts not previously identified in the 2023 EIR, or require new or different mitigation measures. The 2023 EIR, certified by the City of Berkeley in January 2023, analyzed citywide housing growth under the Housing Element Update, inc luding 3,682 housing units anticipated within the San Pablo Avenue Plan Area. The proposed Specific Plan would increase this development potential to a total of approximately 6,750 units, representing an additional 3,068 units, rounded to 3,250 for the purposes of the CEQA analysis.

The project analyzed in the Addendum includes amendments to the Zoning Ordinance and General Plan, which include new development standards for the C-SP zone such as height and FAR, particularly at designated commercial nodes. Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15164, the Addendum concludes that the proposed changes do not meet the conditions outlined in CEQA Guidelines Section 15162 that would require preparation of a subsequent or supplemental EIR. The Addendum compared the impacts of the proposed Specific Plan to those disclosed in the 2023 EIR and found no new significant impacts or substantial increase in severity of the impacts disclosed in the 2023 EIR. Updated analysis was conducted for vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Plan Area qualifies as a Transit Priority Area and Low-VMT Area under the City’s adopted thresholds. Updated modeling for GHG emissions under revised electrification assumptions found that the combined buildout scenario would not exceed the applicable plan-level thresholds.

The City of Berkeley, as lead agency, must determine whether any of the criteria under CEQA Guidelines Section 15162, requiring a subsequent or supplemental EIR, have been met. Namely, whether any new significant environmental impacts, substantial increases in the severity of previously identified impacts, or new information of substantial importance have emerged. The City will consider the Addendum, together with the certified 2023 EIR, before taking action on the Specific Plan.

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Implementation Actions
The following tables describe a range of implementation measures, actions, responsibilities, and timeframes, as well as potential funding sources for these measures. These actions should be considered in tandem with the corresponding policies and standards outlined in Chapters 3 through 5.

Abbreviations
City of Berkeley
CMO – City Manager’s Office
CAO – City Attorney Office
HHCS – Health, Housing and Community Services
OED – Office of Economic Development
PLNG – Planning and Development Department
PR&W – Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Department
PW-Public Works
• Transportation Division (“PW Trans”)
• Engineering Division (“PW Eng”)
RSB – Rent Stabilization Board and Staff
BHA – Berkeley Housing Authority
Other:

Alameda CTC-Alameda County Transportation
Division
AC Transit – Alameda Contra Costa Transit
Alameda County SBDC – Alameda County Small
Business Development Center
BART – San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District
BBDN – Berkeley Business District Network
Caltrans – California Department of Transportation
Timeline
Each table includes the timing of each implementation action, assuming Specific Plan adoption in 2026. Many implementing actions depend on the availability of funding, and once initial funding is secured, it can be used to identify and pursue additional resources to carry out the program or improvement. Therefore, the timeline will need periodic refinement and updating.
• On-going – actions that are already occurring and may be affected by Specific Plan policies and standards. • Immediate – actions that will start with adoption of the plan. • Following other actions – some actions are dependent on implementation of projects or other actions. In this case, the dependent project or action is listed.
• Specific time periods are listed for some implementation actions; time periods are in response to:
o Priorities for the action;
o Estimate of time needed to undertake action; and
o Some actions can only start once another action has been completed .

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Table 6.1 Plan Administration Implementation Actions
Action Description Lead
Responsibility
Partners Timeline Potential Funding
Source
Provide annual updates on Specific Plan implementation through the General Plan Annual Progress Report (APR)
The annual update should include metrics such as:
• Number of new housing units entitled, permitted, or completed . • Summary description of transportation, streetscape, and open space improvements under design, construction and completed. • Summary report of collisions that have occurred within the Plan Area.
• Number of active businesses, including new business licenses within the Plan Area.
• Funding secured and partnerships established with community groups, agencies, and developers.

PLNG Input from other
City Departments
and Partner
Agencies
On-going General Fund
Identify and Pursue Funding Opportunities
Coordinate and monitor grant and other funding opportunities to implement Specific Plan policies.

PLNG, OED, PW On-going General Fund
Monitor opportunities to pursue Affordable Housing and
Sustainable Communities (AHSC) grants. AHSC is an annual state grant program that funds construction of affordable housing and improvements related to reducing GHG emissions. Certain multimodal and other transportation improvements are fundable.

As appropriate work with affordable housing developers and partner agencies to prepare and submit AHSC grants for housing within the Specific Plan Area and transportation infrastructure improvements that are prioritized in this Plan.

PLNG, PW Affordable housing
developers,
AC Transit,
Caltrans, etc.

On-going General Fund

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Table 6.2 Land Use Implementation Actions
Action Description
Lead
Responsibility Partners Timeline
Potential Funding
Source
LU-P.1 Establish the Commercial San Pablo (C-SP) Zoning District • Amend the zoning ordinance to include the C-SP zone and the following standards as described in Chapter 3 Land Use :
o LU- S.4 Development Standards, Table 3.1
o LU-S.5 Large Development and High-Rise Public Open
Space Requirement
o LU-S.6 New Development Amenities
o LU-S.7 Streetscape Standards
o LU-S.8 Mid-Block Passages
PLNG Immediate
LU-P.2 Establish a Tiered Node Structure to Focus Growth and Commercial Uses
• Amend the Zoning Ordinance to include Tier 1 and Tier 2 Nodes, as described in Chapter 3 Land Use, and adopt node-specific development standards and frontage requirements.
• Periodically evaluate Node performance and adjust boundaries PLNG Immediate +
On-going
General Fund (staff time)
LU-P.3 Housing Overlay District to Allow Affordable and Family Friendly Housing on MU-LI Zoned Parcels
• Adopt a zoning overlay on MU-LI parcels within the Specific Plan Area and amend the zoning ordinance permitting affordable housing and family-friendly housing consistent with the Policy description in Chapter 3, including definitions and deed- restriction requirements
• Allow qualifying projects to use C-SP standards
PLNG Immediate General Fund (staff time)

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Action Description
Lead
Responsibility Partners Timeline
Potential Funding
Source
LU-P.4 Amend the General Plan and Zoning Map
• Amend the General Plan Map as described in the Chapter 3 Land Use
• Amend the Zoning Map as shown in the Proposed Zoning in Chapter 3 Land Use, including:
o Specific Plan Boundary
o Tier 1 and Tier 2 nodes
o Rezone all C-W and C-U parcels within the Specific Plan Area to C-SP
o Include MU-LI Overlay
o Remove split-zoning inconsistencies and other minor
rezoning corrections
o Add the 15 additional housing opportunity sites
PLNG Immediate General Fund (staff time)
LU-P.5 Planning and Commercial Permit Streamlining
Review permitting processes after 5 years. Update intake, completeness, and over-the-counter TI pathways, align with CEQA tiering, and publish processing dashboards. At that point determine if further monitoring is needed.

PLNG OED, PW 5 years General Fund (staff time)
LU-P.6 Public Space Development Incentives
Amend the Zoning Ordinance to implement the following standards consistent with their descriptions in Chapter 3 Land Use:
• LU-S.1 Sidewalk Expansion Incentive
• LU-S.2 Privately-Owned Public Open Space within Nodes • LU-S.3 Side-Street Plaza Implementation
PLNG Immediate General Fund (staff time)
LU-P.7 Encourage a Mix of Community-Serving Uses
Amend the Allowed Uses Table in the Zoning Ordinance to allow residential, retail, office, cultural, and maker uses throughout the C-SP zone.

PLNG OED Immediate General Fund (staff time)

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Action Description
Lead
Responsibility Partners Timeline
Potential Funding
Source
LU-P.8 Expand the list of Allowed Uses and Allow Temporary Pop- ups Amend the Allowed Uses Table in the Zoning Ordinance to expand by-right uses (e.g. galleries, coworking, light-industrial); streamline pop-up permitting with temporary use permits.

PLNG OED Immediate General Fund (staff time)
Develop outreach program for small businesses (coordinate with ED-P.1,2,3)
OED PLNG 0-3 years General Fund (staff time)
LU-P.9 Define Residential Mixed-Use with On-Site and In-Lieu Options • Establish the Residential On-site Mixed-Use and In-Lieu Mixed- Use definitions consistent with the Policy described in Chapter 3 Land Use and amend the Zoning Ordinance to include the
definitions within the C-SP zoning district.
• Amend the City’s Fee Schedule to include the Commercial In-Lieu fee and adopt an ordinance dedicating revenues to the San Pablo Avenue Small Business Support Fund.

PLNG OED Immediate or
within 1 year
General Fund (staff time)
• Develop developer and administrative guidance documents for the program.

Within 1 year
LU-P.10 Establish Ground Floor Typologies to Promote Pedestrian - Scaled and Flexible Ground Floors
• Amend the Zoning Ordinance and establish ground floor frontage typologies and location standards (and exceptions) as described in the Policy in Chapter 3 Land Use and the corresponding Standards:
o LU-S.9 Ground Floor Typologies, including Storefront, Other Non-Residential, Active Residential, and Live-work.

PLNG Immediate General Fund (staff time)

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Action Description
Lead
Responsibility Partners Timeline
Potential Funding
Source
LU-P.11 SPASP Density Bonus Program
Adopt a local density bonus ordinance for the Plan Area consistent with the Policy described in Chapter 3 Land Use, including:
• Requiring in-lieu contributions to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund
• Prohibiting wa ivers of critical standards and ODS
• Requiring applicants op
t-out of State Density Bonus
PLNG Immediate or
within 1 year
General Fund (staff time)
• Develop developer and administrative guidance documents for the program.

PLNG Within 1 year General Fund (staff time)
LU-P.12 Artists Housing and Cultural Districts
Should Berkeley create a cultural district within one-half mile of the Plan Area, coordinate with the City Civic Arts Commission/Housing Advisory Commission to consider creation of an affordable artist housing overlay in portions of the Plan Area.

PLNG OED/Civic Arts,
HHCS
Timing
dependent on
City establishing
a cultural
district
General Fund (staff time)
Supportive Action - During the Plan Bay Area update, MTC allows Cities to request PDA adjustments. The City shall request that the PDA boundary be updated to match the Specific Plan boundary.

PLNG MTC 0-3 years General Fund (staff time)

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Table 6.3 Economic Development Implementation Actions
Action Description
Lead
Responsibility Partners Timeline
Potential Funding
Source
ED-P.1 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Focused Small Business Support Fund
Develop and establish a Local Small Business Support Fund within the City’s existing Revolving Loan Fund program or economic development funding mechanisms consistent with the Policy description in Chapter 4, including:
• Define loan guidelines including loan terms, eligibility criteria, fund disbursement methods, and oversight structures.
• Launch the Small Business Loan Program with an Outreach C
ampaign (see ED-P.2 and ED-P.3) to Pl
an Area businesses,
especially businesses that are culturally significant or at risk of displacement, as well as business owners who are people of color, women, and other underserved potential applicants for Support Fund loans.

OED Non-profit
administrator of
existing Revolving
Loan Fund
0-3 years Mixed-Use In-Lieu Fee
revenues (LU-P.9), General
Fund, federal and state
grants, and loan payments.

Small Business Support Fund Annual Tracking and Reporting as part of the Commercial District Dashboards
Conduct annual performance tracking on fund deployment, repa
yment, and Plan Area impacts
OED Non-profit
administrator of
existing Revolving
Loan Fund
On-going General Fund
Small Business Support Fund Outreach and Program
Refinements
Conduct outreach to small businesses to assess evolving needs, and opportunities to expand eligibility criteria for the Fund following first 3-years of fund availability. Also, inform businesses about other funding opportunities such as the existing Revolving Loan Fund. Based on findings, the City should consider adjusting eligibility, loan terms, or allowable uses of funds.

The Fund’s program guidelines may be reviewed and updated as needed following the initial review, incorporating feedback and OED Non-profit
administrator of
existing Revolving
Loan Fund, CBOs
3-years, as
determined
following first
outreach and
review
General Fund

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Action Description
Lead
Responsibility Partners Timeline
Potential Funding
Source
data on program performance, utilization, and other economic trends.

In alignment with ED-P.1 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Small Business Support Fund.

ED-P.2 Establish Public-Private Partnerships
Build partnerships with community organizations, local institutions, merchant groups, property owners, and other stakeholders to activate community spaces and organize events consistent with the Policy description in Chapter 4 Economic Development. Initial role for OED Liaison with lead shifting to business organizations and potential BID(s) over time. (See ED-P.5 Establish an Economic Development Liaison for the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Area)
OED PLNG, CBOs and
business
organizations
On-going General Fund (staff time);
partner contributions
Outreach by OED Liaison to potential community organization, business, and other private and institutional partners. This can include develop of a technical assistance FAQ for navigating permits such as encroachment permits, temporary use,
temporary street closures, and vendor permits.

OED PLNG, PW,
Neighborhood
Services/Special
Events
0-3 years
Leverage Berkeley Business District Network and CBOs to coordinate events and Plan Area-wide promotions.

OED BBDN, CBOs On-going
ED-P.3 Support and Expand Existing Business Clusters
City Support and Technical Assistance
• OED to offer technical assistance to emerging clusters as defined in the policy.
• Initial outreach by OED Liaison
OED BBDN On-going +
0-5 years
General Fund (staff time)

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Action Description
Lead
Responsibility Partners Timeline
Potential Funding
Source
Coordination with related policies:
• Ensure coordination with implementation of Policy ED- P.6.

Prioritize Initial Public Investment on Improvements
in the Nodes to ensure improvements are aligned with
cluster organization initiatives.
• Ensure coordination with Policy ED-P.1 San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Small Business Support Fund to ensure that the use of funds and business eligibility are aligned with small business needs.

OED, PLNG On-going +
0-5 years
General Fund (staff time)
ED-P.4 Study Feasibility of Forming a Business Improvement District (BID)
Fund and initiate a feasibility study of Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) within the SPASP area, consistent with the Policy description in Chapter 4.
• Gauge Plan Area stakeholder interest in moving forward with a feasibility study through initial OED Liaison outreach. (See ED-P.5 Establish an Economic Development Liaison for the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Area)
• Consider multiple geographies (full corridor vs. nodes), hybrid m
odels, and cultural district components.
• Consider the potential for Community Benefit Districts and other organizations similar to BIDs .
• Conduct equity-centered outreach with businesses, property owners, CBOs, and
nonprofits.

OED, OED Liaison Local businesses
and property
owners
3 years
(potentially
earlier if strong
interest is
expressed by
Plan Area
stakeholders
and funding is
available)
General Fund (staff time)
Identify funding for BID
feasibility study (potential
Geneal Fund and grant
funding)

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Action Description
Lead
Responsibility Partners Timeline
Potential Funding
Source
ED-P.5 Establish an Economic Development Liaison for the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Area
Establish a liaison position consistent with the Policy description in Chapter 4 Economic Development.
• Establish approach for initial staffing of liaison role. • Review effectiveness after 24 months and decide future viability to fund a dedicated liaison position, continue as a part-time role for existing staff, or discontinue the liaison role.

OED 24 month start
up effort
Possible
extension
following
evaluation and
identification of
funding
General Fund
ED-P.6 Prioritize Public Investment on Improvements in the Nodes Pursue funding for improvements in the Nodes, such as grants for streetscape improvements, Alameda CTC improvement funding, other state and federal grants and funding.

As city-wide multimodal transportation plans are updated, take this Plan’s prioritization of future improvements into account. See also T-P.13 Prioritizing Multimodal Safety Improvements and T-P.17 Prioritize Connection with Surrounding Neighborhoods and Districts.

PW, PLNG OED, MTC, and
Alameda CTC
On-going TBD

Table 6.4 Street Implementation Actions
Action Description
Lead
Responsibility Partners Timeline
Potential Funding
Source
Transportation
Retire San Pablo Avenue Public Improvement Plan (2004)
The San Pablo Specific Plan replaces the street design policies and standards of the Public Improvement Plan and the retirement of that Plan is an action taken with the adoption of the San Pablo Specific Plan.

Implemented with adoption of the San Pablo Specific Plan.

OED PLNG, PW, and
PRW
Immediate Specific Plan
General Fund (staff time)

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Action Description
Lead
Responsibility Partners Timeline
Potential Funding
Source
T-P.1 Improve mobility, access, and safety for all people Implement the goals for the city’s Complete Streets Policy by designing all street and transportation improvements within the Plan Area to enhance mobility, access and, safety for all people of all abilities who are walking, biking, taking transit, and driving while providing for deliveries, freight, emergency response, evacuation and maintenance access.

PW Trans Alameda CTC
Caltrans
AC Transit
On-going No direct budget impact
T-P.2 Future Transportation Study Needs for San Pablo Avenue Coordinate with Alameda CTC, AC Transit, Caltrans, and City of Albany to initiate and complete Multimodal Complete Streets Study of San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley and Albany to determine a preferred design concept for redesign of the street and work together towards construction of the preferred concept. This study will address the feasibility of dedicated bus lanes and separated bikeways on San Pablo Avenue north of the Ashby Avenue and Heinz Street intersections. In addition, assess the benefits of the other two multimodal projects after their construction.

This process includes the following steps:
• Assess operations and benefits of Alameda CTC’s Bus-Bike Lanes Project on San Pablo Avenue (Downtown Oakland to
Ashby/Heinz) following construction, completion currently anticipated in 2028 with analysis of project expected to occur x years after constuction.
• Prepare to initate multimodal complete streets study of San Pablo Avenue north of Heinz Street by coordinating with partner agencies to define scope and funding; study to be led by Alameda CTC. Scoping of study to be informed by assessment of initial Bus-Bike Project and needs within the study area at that time.

PW Trans Alameda CTC
Caltrans
AC Transit
City of Albany
Assessment of
initial Bus-Bike
Lanes Project
should occur at
least 6 months
after
construction is
complete.

Initiate study for
improvement in
Berkeley
following
assessment of
initial project
with timing to be
determined.

General Fund (staff time),
Alameda CTC funding for
post construction analysis
County, Regional, State,
and Federal Grants
Alameda CTC CIP

Supportive Implementation Action: Assess the Benefits of the Safety Enhancement and Parallel Bike Routes Projects
Coordinate with Alameda CTC to conduct a follow -up safety study after completion of the Alameda CTC San Pablo Avenue Corridor Safety Enhancements and Parallel Bike Routes Projects to evaluate the PW Trans and PRW Alameda CTC,
AC Transit,
Caltrans, PLNG
2-4 years

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Source
effectiveness of improvements for pedestrians and cyclists. Construction expected to be complete in 2026.

Also see implementation steps for Policy T-P.2 Future Transportation Study Needs for San Pablo Avenue.
• Review and update list of intersection improvements . As part of the follow-up safety study, review, update and implement improvements identified in Figure 5.8 and Appendix D. Use this updated list to guide future implementation, reflecting current conditions, safety need and community input.
• Assess Bulb-Out Extensions for Public Use. After completion of the ACTC San Pablo Avenue Corridor Safety Enhancements
assess opportunities to enhance constructed bus bulb-out extensions on San Pablo Avenue for general public and transit rider benefit, such as seating, additional trees, other landscaping, bicycle racks, pedestrian-scale lighting, or other public amenities.

T-P.3 Maintain and improve bus service in collaboration with Alameda CTC and AC Transit
Coordinate with partners to align service levels to meet demand and plan for and implement infrastructure upgrades in alignment with the Transit First Policy Implementation Plan. Monitor progress, needs, and implementation through the AC Transit/City of Berkeley Interagency Liaison Committee.

Also see implementation steps for Policy T-P.2 Future Transportation Study Needs for San Pablo Avenue.

PW Trans AC Transit, ACTC,
Caltrans, PLNG
On-going Staff participation in Liaison
Committee is already
funded.

T-P.4 Implement signal timing and transit signal priority (TSP) Coordinate with partner agencies to assess bus transit reliability resulting from existing TSP improvements and Safety Enhancement project bus stop improvements. It is assumed that Safety Enhancement improvements will be complete by end of 2026. Following assessment identify funding for design and construction of any recommended additional improvements.

PW Trans Alameda CTC,
Caltrans
AC Transit
City of Albany
2-5 years County, Regional, and state
grants

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Source
T-P.5 Create an active parking and loading management program for the Specific Plan Area
Reach out to businesses and property owners within the Specific Plan Area to identify a location to pilot an active parking and loading management program. Likely locations include the University Avenue, Cedar Street, and Dwight Way nodes. The pilot should include discussion with businesses and surrounding neighborhoods regarding their interest in opting into the Residential Preferential Parking (RPP) program; however, these areas are not currently eligible to join the program. Council approval would be needed to make these areas eligible for the RPP program.

PW Trans OED ~3 years General Fund
T-P.6 Implement Mobility Hub features in the University Avenue Node Gauge level of interest and support from partner agencies and organizations (MTC, AC Transit, and Bay Wheels) to study and then implement Mobility Hub features.

PW Trans MTC,
AC Transit, and Bay
Wheels
3-5 years General Fund
Identify funding for study and design of Mobility Hub and undertake study, including business, transit rider, and general community outreach to identify types of improvements, their locations and cost to implement. Also identify funding sources and timeline.

PW Trans MTC,
AC Transit, and Bay
Wheels
3-5 years General Fund and potential
grant funding
Implement Mobility Hub features in the University Avenue Node – this action
will require a combination of coordination with
partner agencies and organizations, City work crews, and possibly work by construction contractors to install Mobility Hub features and make associated improvements.

PW MTC,
AC Transit, and Bay
Wheels
5-6 years General Fund and potential
grant funding
T-P.7 Evaluate other locations for some Mobility Hub features As development occurs in the Specific Plan Area and mobility needs change, evaluate needs for potential improvements in other nodes .

PW Trans MTC,
AC Transit, and Bay
Wheels
6-8 years General Fund

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Source
T-P.8 Lower Speed Limit on San Pablo Avenue
Evaluate Potential to Lower Speed Limit:
• Conduct an Engineering and Traffic Survey (E&TS) to evaluate the feasibility of reducing speed limits along San Pablo Avenue. Study should identify need and identify potential for traffic calming improvements including signal timing and physical
improvements. E&TS should not be done until Alameda CTC Safety Enhancement Project has been constructed and operated for at least one year.
• If the E&TS supports lower speed limit, request Caltrans approval and prepare plans to implement improvements, such as signal timing changes and replace speed limit signs.
• Implement improvements.

PW Trans Caltrans,
AC Transit, and
Alameda CTC
~ 3 years (at
least 6 months
after
construction is
complete)
General Fund
T-S.1 San Pablo Avenue Pedestrian Crossing Frequency
Improvements
Monitor safety at the five long San Pablo Avenue blocks within the Specific Plan Area as part of collision data and other transportation safety studies that are performed. If safety monitoring indicates the need for mid-block crossings of San Pablo Avenue along any of these long blocks, p rioritize improvements, design, and implement improvements based on safety and available funding.

PW Trans Caltrans,
PLNG
On-going General Fund,
State Affordable Housing
Sustainability Grants,
Developer Funding
Improve Multimodal Safety at Intersection and Along San Pablo Avenue
T-P.9 Pedestrian Crossing Design. Monitor safety at the pedestrian crossings that have been identified for additional improvements.

T-P.10 Intersection Improvements. Monitor multimodal safety at ntersections within the Specific Plan Area and identify improvements as needed.

T-P.11 Minor Side-Street Intersection Improvements. Same actions as for T-P.10, above.

PW Trans Caltrans,
PLNG
On-Going General Fund,
State Affordable Housing
Sustainability Grants,
Developer Funding
Include in other planned
public improvement project

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Source
Prioritize, design, and implement improvements based on safety and available funding. Monitoring safety and updating prioritization and types of improvements are addressed in T-P.18 Monitor Changing Multimodal Needs and Conditions.

T-P.12 Make Safety Improvements at Driveways
Monitor development and other improvement projects with driveways on major streets and require that safety improvements are made as needed as part of proposed projects.

PW Trans and
PLNG
Caltrans On-Going Funded by
owner/developer.

T-P.13 Prioritizing Multimodal Safety Improvements
• As multimodal safety, access, and comfort issues are identified through on-going review of collision data and transportation safety studies are performed in the Plan Area, continue to identify and prioritize multimodal safety improvements at these
locations. Those with particular modal priorities would be implementing T-P.14, T-P.15, and T-P17 below
PW Trans Caltrans and
Alameda CTC
On-going,
address other
improvements
as identified
State, Regional, or Alameda
CTC CIP or grant funding
Improve Connections with Surrounding Community
T-P.14 Transit Improvements –
• Continue to coordinate AC Transit service through on-going staff communication and the AC Transit/City of Berkeley Interagency Liaison Committee to best serve the needs of Specific Plan Area residents, businesses, workers, and visitors.
• Coordinate with partner agencies to set a timeline for achieving Tra
nsit First Policy 18 to compete University Avenue transit corridor study by 2029; or a
s possible given funding constraints.

This could be done as part of a University Avenue Specific Plan process to update the 1996 University Avenue Area Plan.

PW Trans and
PLNG
AC Transit, BART,
and Capitol
Corridor
Service
Coordination:
on-going
University
Avenue Transit
Study: 2-6 years
General Funds from City
and partner agencies

Coordinate with partner
agencies for County,
Regional, and State grant
funding

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Source
T-P.15 Bicycle Improvements –
• Russell Street and Heinz Street intersection improvements – these intersections and San Pablo Avenue between them are being planned for bicycle and pedestrian improvements as part of the Alameda CTC Bus Land and Bike Lane Project. Should this become delayed, the City should consider working with Caltrans and Alameda CTC to complete these improvements as an
independent project.
• Prioritize bicycle improvements to best serve the needs of Specific Plan Area residents, businesses, workers, and visitors.

Work to design and construct priority improvements.

PW Trans Caltrans and
Alameda CTC
Russell and
Heinz Street
improvement to
be determined
On-going,
address other
improvements
as identified
Prioritization: General Fund
Design and Construct:

Measure FF
State, Regional, or Alameda
CTC CIP or grant funding
T-P.16 Pedestrian Improvements
Prioritize pedestrian improvements to best serve the needs of Specific Plan Area residents, businesses, workers, and visitors. Work to design and construct priority improvements.

PW Trans Caltrans and
Alameda CTC
On-going,
address other
improvements
as identified
Prioritization: General Fund
Design and Construct:

Measure FF
State, Regional, or Alameda
CTC CIP or grant funding
T-P.17 Prioritize Connection with Surrounding Neighborhoods and Districts
Review and update priorities for future residents’ needs for multimodal connections with the surround community, and take these priorities into consideration in future updates to the Berkeley Pedestrian Plan, the Bicycle Plan, and the Transit First Policy Implementation Plan PW Trans Partner agencies Per timing of
updates to
modal plans
General fund and grant
funding
T-P.18 Monitor Changing Multimodal Needs and Conditions Work with partner agencies to undertake periodic safety assessments and assess multimodal needs within the Plan Area and the safety record of streets in the Plan Area. This could include a review and update of priorities and needed improvements. Use this updated list to guide future implementation, reflecting current conditions, safety need and community input.

PW Trans Partner agencies Periodically as
needed
Coordinate with
updates to
modal plans
General Fund for City staff
time

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Public Realm
PR-P.1 Sidewalk Zones
Implement the flexible design approach of the Plan’s sidewalk zone standards through public improvement projects and private improvements, sidewalk easements, and private improvements in the public right of way associated with development projects.

Overtime as public improvements are made to San Pablo Avenue and new development occurs projects and planning approvals should reestablish the public right of way where adjacent landscape or other elements have reduced it.

Related standards include:
• LU-S.1 Sidewalk Expansion Incentive
• PR-S.1 Sidewalk Zone Standards
• PR-S.2 Reestablish Sidewalk Width
PW and PLNG Partner agencies,
private
development, and
businesses
On-going Funding through other
public and private projects
PR-P.2 Sidewalk Easements
Facilitate the use of the sidewalk expansion incentive as developments propose easements to widen the sidewalk and improve the public realm. • LU-S.2 Sidewalk Expansion Incentive
PW and PLNG Development
projects
On-going Planning review fees
PR-P.3 Improve Street Lighting for the Safety and Comfort of All Users Integrate this policies design recommendations into City of Berkeley draft Streetlight Comprehensive Plan and in the interim use the design recommendations to guide street lighting improvements that are made within the Plan Area.

PW Partner agencies On-going General Fund for staff time Planning review fees
PR-P.4 Enhance Tree Health and Expand Tree Canopy
The City and developers/property owners shall plant new trees and/or improve conditions for existing trees as part of public improvements made to streets and sidewalks through public projects and as required for new development and major remodeling projects. New tree plantings and PW
Developers or
property owners
PR&W, review
planned
improvements
On-going General Fund for staff time
Potential new Parks and
Recreation Fees
Grants or General Fund for
City improvements

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improvements shall be made in compliance with the following Specific Plan standards:
• PR-S.3 San Pablo Avenue Tree Standards
• PR-S.4 University Avenue Tree Standards
• PR-S.5 Other Side-Street Trees
Developer or property
owners for private
improvements
PR-P.5 Enhance and Expand Other Landscaping
The City and developers/property owners shall plant other landscaping as part of public improvements made to streets and sidewalks through public projects, as required for new development and major remodeling projects, and in tandem with other improvements that property owners, businesses and residents may make along sidewalks adjacent to their properties. New landscape plantings and improvements shall made in compliance with the following Specific Plan policies and standards:
• PR-S.6 Landscaping in tree wells and planters
• PR-P.6 N ear-term Opportunities for Re-landscaping medians • PR-P.7 Long-term landscaped median design
• PR-P.8 Green Infrastructure in Public Projects
• PR-P.9 Green Infrastructure in Private Development
PW
Developers,
property owners, or
businesses
PR&W, review
planned
improvements
On-going General Fund for staff time
Potential new Parks and
Recreation Fees
Grants or General Fund for
City improvements
Developers, property
owners, businesses, or
residents for private
improvements
Street Furniture
The City and developers/property owners shall install street furniture as part of public improvements made to streets and sidewalks through public projects, as required for new development and major remodeling projects, and in tandem with other improvements that property owners, businesses and residents may make along sidewalks adjacent to their properties. New street furniture installations shall made in compliance with the following Specific Plan policies and standards • PR-S.7 Public Seating
• PR-S.8 Trash and Recycling Receptacles
• PR-S.9 Bicycle Racks
• PR-S.10 Raised Planters
• PR-P.11 Other Street Furnishings
PW and PR&W Developers,
property owners or
businesses
On-going General Fund
Grants
Developers, property
owners, or businesses

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Bus Stop Improvements
The City and AC Transit shall work together to evaluate and improve bus stops in the Specific Plan Area in support of the following Specific Plan policies:
• PR-P.11 Continue to Improve Bus Stops
PW Trans and AC
Transit
Caltrans Following
completion of
Alameda CTC
Safety
Enhancement
Project and on a
5 year
evaluation cycle
after
Grants and Measure FF
PR-P.12 Facilitate Wayfinding and Placemaking Programs
Identify opportunities to implement wayfinding and placemaking as part of the implementation of the following Economic Development policies:
• ED-P.3. Support and Expand Existing Business Clusters • ED-P.4, S tudy Feasibility of Forming a Business Improvement District (BID)
OED PW and Caltrans On-going + 0-5
years
General Fund for staff time
Support from local
businesses
Grants
PR-S.11 Public Art in Public Spaces
OED/Civic Arts, Public Works, and Parks, Recreation and Waterfront staff are to review public improvement projects within the Specific Plan Area as the move from programming to design and identify opportunities of public art to be integrated into the projects.

OED/Civic Arts and
Civic Arts
Commission
PW and PR&W On-going General Fund for staff time
General Fund, grants, and
donations for design and
installation of art
PR-P.13 Design for People of All Ages and Abilities
Design, implement, maintain, and operate the public realm in the Plan Area should use a universal design approach that meets and exceeds compliancy with the Federal Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations by following the guidance of this policy and other best practices of universal design.

PW and PR&W Partner agencies On-going Planning, Design, and Construction – General
Fund, Measure FF, and
other local, regional, and
state funding; and private
funding as appropriate.

Maintenance and
operations – General Fund
and private funding as
appropriate.

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Source
PR-P.14 Side-Street Plazas
Implementation of this policy shall utilize a phased process:

In the near-term, City staff will reach out to non-profits, businesses, - neighborhood groups, and other community organizations to identify opportunities for implementing quick-build plazas. If community partners are identified and commit to supporting implementation, funding can be pursued, improvements can be designed and implemented along with an assessment to verify viability of full or partial street access.

PW, OED, and
PR&W
Community
partners and
Caltrans
0-3 years General Fund for initial staff
time
Community partner’s funds
Grants
In the longer-term, City staff and community partners, including potential future BID(s) can pursue design, fund raising, and implementation of permanent side-street plazas.

Community
partners

PW, OED, PR&W,
and Caltrans
3-6 years and
after
Community partner’s funds
Potential new Parks and
Recreation Fees
Grants
New development projects may design, build, and provide activation for side-street plazas adjacent to their projects.

Developer PLNG, PW, PR&W,
and Caltrans
As proposed Developer
PR-P.15 Support Use and Creation of Parklets
For first 3 years of Plan implementation wave Outdoor Commerce Use Fee for parklets using free parking spaces and reduce paid parking fee by 75% for parklets using paid parking spaces.

After 3 years of implementation review effectiveness of fee reductions and revise as needed.

PLNG and PW OED 0-3 years
4 years review
and revise fee
reductions as
needed
Reduced fees
PR-S.12 Design and Use of Curb Extensions on Side-Streets When a developer or property owner receives approval for construction and use of a curb extension wave Sidewalk Seating Permit fees for up to 10 years of the first commercial use of the increased sidewalk space.

After 3 years of implementation review effectiveness of fee reductions and revise as needed.

PW OED 0-3 years
4 years review
and revise fee
reductions as
needed
Reduced fees

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Source
PR-P.16 Commercial and other private use of sidewalks and the public realm
Short Term Use and Activation – In the near-term, the OED Liaison (see ED-P.5) shall facilitate community, business, and property owner-supported activation of the public realm by informing potential partners about possibilities and supporting them in getting permit approvals for activation and use of public space.

OED and
Community
partners

PW, PR&W,
Caltrans
0-5 years OED initial staff time
Potential new Parks and
Recreation Fees
Community partner’s funds
Grants
Short Term or On-going Use and Activation – potential BIDs or property owners/managers who have implemented side-street plazas, POPOs, or provided sidewalk easements can propose and implement activations that receive permit approval.

BIDs or property
owners and
managers

PW, PR&W,
Caltrans
As proposed BID or property
owner/manager funds
PR-P.17 Purchase underutilized small properties for public open space
Assess potential for funding the cost of property acquisition.

PR&W PLNG 0-3 years General Fund staff time
Following assessment, if funding can be identified, move forward to purchase, improve, and maintain new public open space.

PR&W — 3 years and after Potential new Parks and
Recreation Fees
Grants
Supportive Action – Nexus Study to Support Citywide Park and Open Space Funding
Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront Department should undertake a citywide nexus study that includes the need for new parks and public open spaces within the Specific Plan Area and to evaluate the legal and financial basis for establishing a development impact fee and/or adjusting the local property tax to support property acquisition, development and maintenance of public park space within the Specific Plan Area and maintenance of parks elsewhere in the city.

Related Policy: PR-P.17 Purchase underutilized small properties PW, PLNG, PR&W — 0-3 years General Fund

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Source
PR-P.18 Privately Owned Public Open Spaces
Implement supportive land use policies and standards.
• LU-S.2 Privately Owned Public Open Space within the Nodes • LU- S.5 L
arge Development and High-Rise Public Open Space
Requirement
PLNG and PR&W Developers On-going Permit fees for review and approval
General Fund for ongoing
review of operations and
maintenance
Utilities
Implementation of infrastructure services and improvements will be achieved through current and on-going policies, programs, and actions.

PW PLNG
(Development
Review)
Utility provider
partners
On-going Utility and City
Development Fees

San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft

Appendix A:

Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan

- Public Review Draft –

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
Project Team
Community Design + Architecture
Urban Planning Partners
StreetLevelAdvisor
InterEthnica
Aaron Welch Planning
Fehr & Peers
Diablo Engineering
Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 1 San Pablo Specific Plan Area and Study Area ................................................................................................... 2 Community Demographic and Housing Characteristics ................................................................................... 4 Population Change ........................................................................................................................................ 4 Racial and Ethnic Diversity and Equity ............................................................................................................. 6 Household and Housing Conditions ................................................................................................................ 8 Infrastructure Assessment ........................................................................................................................... 12 Mobility Conditions, Projects, and Planning .................................................................................................. 13 Land Use Planning Policies and Gaps ............................................................................................................ 19 Existing Land Use Policies and Standards ..................................................................................................... 19 Zoning ......................................................................................................................................................... 21 Existing Land Use ......................................................................................................................................... 23 State Legislation and Regional Policies ......................................................................................................... 27 Existing Policy Capacity Assessment ............................................................................................................ 28 Affordable Housing Policies and Potential Production ................................................................................... 32 Commercial Displacement Risk ................................................................................................................... 33 Existing Commercial Conditions ................................................................................................................... 33 Potential Future Changes to Supply of Commercial Space ............................................................................. 35 Public Realm Assessment ............................................................................................................................ 37 Streetscape Conditions ............................................................................................................................... 37 Safety ......................................................................................................................................................... 40 Community Life along San Pablo Avenue ...................................................................................................... 40 Resilience and Climate Adaptation Conditions and Plans .............................................................................. 43 Existing Plans .............................................................................................................................................. 43 Potential Future Opportunities ..................................................................................................................... 45 Appendix A.1 ................................................................................................................................................ 47 Appendix A.2 ................................................................................................................................................ 50

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 1 of 50 Introduction
This report describes the location of the Specific Plan Area and surrounding Study Area, and the key existing conditions in the area that will inform the public planning process and development of the Specific Plan’s policies, standards, and implementation actions.

The desired outcomes of the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan are to:
• Identify the community’s vision for the future of the area. • Provide a framework for that offers opportunities for living, working, and taking part in community life. • Defines policies, standards, and implementation actions for achieving the community’s vision. • Prioritizes equity, promotes inclusivity, and strives to eliminate disparities

This document includes the following sections:

1. San Pablo Specific Plan Area and Study Area defines the Specific Plan Area, and the Study Area surrounding the Plan Area, and the methodology used in defining these planning areas .

2. Community Demographics and Housing Characteristics presents assessments of recent population change and shifts in racial and ethic diversity. It includes an overview of historic and current policies related to equity, and an assessment of household incomes, tenancy, and housing cost with the Study Area.

3. Infrastucture Assessment provides information on the relationship between expected growth in the Specific Plan Area and the capacity of utilities and other infrastructure to serve these expanded needs.

4. Mobility Conditions, Projects, and Planning describes existing traffic conditions, transit services, recent transportation safety conditions, and related plans and policies, including transportation improvement projects planned between 2025 and 2028.

5. Land Use Planning Policies and Policy Gaps provides an overview of existing land use, policies and standards, along San Pablo Avenue, State legislation and regional policies that will influence the development of the Specific Plan, an estimate of the housing capacity of existing policies, and a discussion of the policy gaps that the Specific Plan can address.

6. Affordable Housing Policies and Potential Production describes recent and the potential production of affordable housing in the Specific Plan Area given existing State and local policies, including Berkeley’s affordable housing preference policy.

7. Commercial Displacement Risk provides an assessment of existing commercial conditions along San Pablo Avenue focusing on locally owned businesses. The assessment highlights the types of businesses that have a risk of displacement and the factors that influence the risk of displacement.

8. Public Realm Assessment describes the conditions that shape the public realm along San Pablo Avenue including streetscape, sidewalk conditions, and building and site frontages along the street. Safety conditions and people’s perception of safety are discussed. An assessment of existing community life and the factors that shape the potential for community life along San Pablo Avenue is also included.

9. Resilience and Climate Adaption Conditions and Plans describes the elements and policies of the Local Hazard Mititgation Plan and the Climate Action Plan that are related to the Specific Plan Area. Relevant General Plan Open Space and Recreation policies, a discussion of San Pablo Avenue’s urban tree canopy, and potential for the Specific Plan Area to be a designated Transit-Oriented Community are also provided.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 2 of 50 San Pablo Specific Plan Area and Study Area
The San Pablo Specific Plan Area is informed by the existing Priority Development Area (PDA) boundary and is comprised of individual parcels for which the Plan's policies, standards, and implementation actions will apply . The City of Berkeley identified and nominated the PDA boundary along San Pablo Avenue during the formation of Plan Bay Area 2050 (2021) and in response to regional land use and transportation planning, and associated planning and funding opportunities.1 These parcels primarily front onto San Pablo Avenue and are zoned West Berkeley Commercial (C-W). In addition, adjacent parcels with the C-W zoning that are on side streets to San Pablo Avenue or in designated nodes are also included (see further discussion of nodes in the Land Use section). Along University Avenue, the majority of properties are zoned C-W and University Commercial District (C-U), and these properties are included as well. Some parcels are “split zoned” between C-W and another zoning designation See Figure 1.

The Study Area includes the neighborhoods and employment areas that are proximate to and have a strong relationship with the uses along San Pablo Avenue. The Study Area extends from the I-80 freeway in the west to Sacramento Street in the east and from Albany in the north to Emeryville and Oakland in the south. See Figure 1. The Study Area is included in select existing conditions assessments to gain an understanding of the social and economic relationships between San Pablo Avenue and West Berkeley, to identify historic and culturally significant 2 locations in proximity to San Pablo Avenue, and to identify parks, open spaces, and other community assets that are used by people living and working in the Specific Plan Area .

1 Information regarding Priority Development Areas (PDAs) can be found on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s https://mtc.ca.gov/planning/land-use/priority-development-areas-pdas 2 For this analysis, Cultural Significance means that the business advances art and culture; meets a specific need for a particular group; or may hold a special meaning for a cultural group.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 3 of 50 Figure 1. Proposed Specific Plan Area and Study Area. Source: City of Berkeley, 2023. Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), 2023.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 4 of 50 Community Demographic and Housing
Characteristics
Population Change
Berkeley’s population grew by 9% from 2010 to 2020, to 122,580 people. In contrast, the Study Area grew by 16% in that time, to a population of 26,360 people, 22% of Berkeley’s total population.3 The extent of population growth or decline varied in different parts of the city during this time. The western-most census tract in the city, portions of Downtown, and Southside experienced the largest population growth, increasing by 2,404, 1,019, and 2,877 people, respectively. The population of the western-most census tract in Berkeley, and in the Study Area, increased by 137%. See Figure 2. Other census tracts in the Study Area experienced population growth that was similar to other parts of the city .

Between 2010-2020, the number of housing units in Berkeley increased by 6% (2,877 units). New housing was primarily developed along major corridors, like San Pablo, University , Shattuck, Telegraph and Dwight Way. See Figure 3. The increased number of units in West Berkeley correlates with the population growth. The number of units in West Berkeley nearly doubled in the last decade , accounting for about one-fifth of the total housing growth in Berkeley.4

Figure 2. Population Change from 2010 to 2020. Source: United States Census Bureau. Decennial Census. 2010, 2020, Table P1.

3 United States Census Bureau. Decennial Census. 2010-2020, Table P1. [Online] https://data.census.gov/. 4 Markovich, Ally. “A Changing Berkeley: 6 Maps Show How the Past Decade Has Remade the City.” Berkeleyside, 18 Oct. 2022. http://www.berkeleyside.org/2022/07/17/berkeley-population-demographics-housing-census-2020-maps

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 5 of 50

Figure 3. Change in Housing Units by Census Block, 2010 to 2020. Source: United States Census Bureau. Decennial Census. 2010, 2020, Table H1.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 6 of 50 Racial and Ethnic Diversity and
Equity
Racial and Ethnic Population Change: The White
population increased by over 3,900 (+45%) from 2000
to 2020. In the same time span, the Black population
decreased by over 2,600 (-39%), while the population
increase of Hispanic/ Latinx, Asians/ API, and other
races was moderate. 5 See Figure 4. Historical data
shows citywide Black population decreased from its
peak of 27,421 (23.5% of total population) in 1970 to
9,812 (8% of total population) in 2020. See Figure 5.

Changes in Racial and Ethnic Diversity: From 2000 to
2020, the Diversity Index6 for the Study Area decreased slightly from 72.8% to 71.6% while the city’s Diversity Index increased from 63.9% to 67.6%. In comparison,
the Alameda County’s Diversity Index was 74.6% in
2020.7

Historic Redlining and Equity: In 1933, as part of the federal program and policies, the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) was created to refinance home mortgages and expand home buying opportunities. HOLC is the originator of the color-coded mortgage security risk practice known as redlining and redlined the majority of the Specific Plan Area and Study Area. See Figure 6. This discriminatory practice withheld significant investment to areas deemed “D (Hazardous),” because of adjacent industrial areas, older buildings, and the presence of “undesirable populations” (e.g., Jewish, Asian, Mexican, and Black families). Due to this redlining practice, marginalized minority

5 United States Census Bureau. Decennial Census. 2000, Table 7. 2010-2020 Table 9. [Online] https://data.census.gov/. 6 A measure used by the U.S. Census Bureau that calculates the probability of two random people, picked from a population, are from different Racial and Ethnic Groups. The higher the number, the more diverse a population is. 7 United States Census Bureau. Decennial Census. 2000, Table 7. 2010-2020 Table 9. [Online] https://data.census.gov/.

Figure 4. Population Shift by Race and Ethnicity in Study Boundary. Source: United States Census Bureau. Decennial Census. 2010, Table P7. 2020, Table P1.

Figure 5. Comparison of Racial Composition in Study Area, Berkeley, and Alameda County. Source: United States Census Bureau. Decennial Census. 2010, Table P7. 2020, Table P1.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 7 of 50 communities were restricted to south and west Berkeley . Although effectively eliminated by 1966 by the Supreme Court, impacts are still seen today as areas that were redlined are often found to be more prone to racial and economic segregation, economic inequality, risk of displacement, and associated conditions.

As a result of being historically underserved, the Study area is part of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)'s Equity Priority Communities (EPCs)8. The EPC designation helps provide funding and assistance to c ensus tracts that have a significant concentration of underserved populations, such as households with low incomes, limited English proficiency, zero-vehicle households, seniors 75 years and over, people with disability, single-parent families, and severely rent-burdened households, and people of color. EPC designations are used to make decisions about:
o Planning, including Plan Bay Area, the Transportation Improvement Program and equity analyses ; o Investment of funds, including the Active Transportation Program, OBAG Grants, Community -Based Transportation Planning Grants and the Lifeline Transportation Program ; and o Engagement with the community 9

Figure 6. Equity Priority Communities and Historical Redlined Areas. Robert K. Nelson and Edward L. Ayers, Mapping Redlining, 2023. Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), Equity Priority Communities, 2021.

8 Equity Priority Communities (EPC) is a term defined by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) that identifies Bay Area communities that are or have historically been underserved. For more information, go to: https://mtc.ca.gov/planning/transportation/access-equity- mobility/equity-priority-communities.
9 More about EPC priorities in funding programs can be found on the MTC weblink above.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 8 of 50 Household and Housing Conditions
Household Income Distribution
The neighborhoods in the Study Area are a mix of high- and low-income households. To better visualize the location of lower-income households, Figure 7 shows the household income range of the lowest twenty percent in each census tract in Berkeley. Neighborhoods to the south and east of San Pablo Avenue have the lowest income quintiles ranging from $15,000 - $45,000. The tracts north of University Avenue display higher quintile ranges, with lowest quintiles over $30,000.

Figure 7. Household Income for Lowest Quintile. Source: United States Census Bureau. ACS. 2021, Table B19080.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 9 of 50 Household Tenancy
Citywide Berkeley had more renter-occupied units (54%) than owner-occupied (46%) in 2021. The Study Area, with about 10,781 units, has a higher share of renters (55.3%) relative to owners (44.7%) compared to the Citywide share.10 See Figure 8.

Overcrowded Housing
U.S. Census Bureau defines overcrowded housing as units with 1.01 or more persons per room, excluding bathrooms and kitchens.11 If the occupancy surpasses 1.5 persons per room, a unit is classified as severely overcrowded. In 2021, the Study Area contained 319 occupied units that were overcrowded. This accounts for 30% of overcrowded housing citywide, while only 17% of the city’s total households and 22% of the city’s population live in the Study Area.12 In the Study Area, significantly more renter-occupied households (237) were overcrowded than owner- occupied (82 households).

Figure 8. Mix of Households that Own or Rent in Berkeley. United States Census Bureau. ACS. 2021, Table DP04.

10 United States Census Bureau. American Community Survey. 2021, Table B25014. [Online] https://data.census.gov/. 11 Definition of overcrowding and severe overcrowding are from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. For more information, go to: hcd.ca.gov/planning-and-community-development/housing-elements/building-blocks/overpayment-payment-and-overcrowding. 12 United States Census Bureau. American Community Survey. 2021, Table B25014. [Online] https://data.census.gov/.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 10 of 50 Household Income and Housing Cost
In 2021, the Study Area median household income ($93,871) was about $7,000 below the Berkeley median ($101,048). The median household incomes increased by similar levels in both the Study Area (+79%) and Berkeley as whole (+78%) from 2010 to 2021.13
Renters at the southern end of the Study Area pay higher shares of their income on rent on average. In several neighborhoods on the northern end of the Study Area, the average tenant is paying less than 20% of their income in rent, while there are several neighborhoods on the south end of the Study Area where the average is above 50%. 14 See Figure 9.

Owners in the area are spending a lower share of their income on housing costs, costs reflect sum of payments for mortgages, deeds of trust, contracts to purchase, or similar debts , on the property than renters are, on average.15 See Figure 10.

Figure 9. Median Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income. Source: United States Census Bureau. ACS. 2021, Table B25071.

13 United States Census Bureau. American Community Survey. 2021, Table S2503. [Online] https://data.census.gov/. 14 United States Census Bureau. American Community Survey. 2021, Table B25071. [Online] https://data.census.gov/. 15 United States Census Bureau. American Community Survey. 2021, Table B25092. [Online] https://data.census.gov/.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 11 of 50

Figure 10. Median Selected Monthly Owner Cost as a Percentage of Household Income. 16 Source: United States Census Bureau. ACS. 2021, Table B25092.

Housing Cost Burden
In the Study Area, more than half of tenants are cost-burdened,17 meaning they spend more than 30 percent of their gross household income on rent and utilities. Of those tenants, 26% are severely cost-burdened, meaning they are spending more than 50 percent of their income.18
For severely cost-burdened households (1,513 households), 73 percent (1,118 households) earn less than $35,000 and spend more than 50 percent of their income for rent.19 Household Eligibility for Affordable Housing
Approximately half of Study Area households earn less than 80 percent of Area Median Income and a third earn less than 50 percent of Area Median Income.20 These households would likely be eligible for affordable housing.

16 “Selected Monthly Owner Cost” includes recurring payments like dept (if any), taxes, insurance and utilizes. For more information on definition and methodology, please visit: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/note/US/HSG650221 17 Definition of cost-burden and severe cost-burden are from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. For more information, go to:
hcd.ca.gov/planning-and-community-development/housing-elements/building-blocks/overpayment-payment-and-overcrowding. 18 United States Census Bureau. American Community Survey. 2021, Table B25074. [Online] https://data.census.gov/ 19 United States Census Bureau. American Community Survey. 2021, Table B25074. [Online] https://data.census.gov/ 20 United States Census Bureau. American Community Survey. 2021, Table B19001 [Online] https://data.census.gov/, United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Income Limits, 2021[Online] https://data.HUD.gov/ Street Level Advisors calculations.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 12 of 50 Infrastructure Assessment
Infrastructure includes utility service for domestic water, wastewater, stormwater, telecommunications, electricity, and natural gas. According to the 2023-2031 Housing Element Update Environmental Impact Report (EIR), existing utility systems for domestic water, wastewater, stormwater, telecommunications, electricity , and natural gas facilities in Berkeley have sufficient capacity to serve the planned housing developments. Relocation or construction of new or expanded facilities resulting in significant environmental impacts wou ld not occur, and adequate wastewater capacity exists to serve the project’s projected demand in addition to the provider’s existing commitments. Impacts would be less than significant. 21 Residential capacity based on existing zoning assumes 2,588 existing units in the Specific Plan Area and between 3,700 to 5,350 future multifamily units in the next 8 years. Existing versus future capacity for non-residential use is not anticipated to have much effect on utility upgrade needs . The Housing Element Update EIR studied the sites inventory including a total of 15,153 units. The increase in units in the San Pablo Specific Plan area is negligible in relation to the required infrastructure needs, however some localized improvements will likely be required. • Localized upsizing of domestic water and wastewater in San Pablo Avenue may be necessary to accommodate the additional units. The City of Berkeley and EBMUD typically require individual developments to make these upgrades.
• Stormwater from new development will be required to comply with the Municipal Regional Stormwater NPDES Permit (MRP) requirements. Rainwater management including bioswales, permeable paving, underground stormwater storage and/ or rain gardens will be requi red. • Telecommunications, electricity and natural gas upgrades will continue to be available from the providers.

Typically, the utility companies will upgrade facilities as needed. • Lighting is provided by the City’s Public Works Department.

The Specific Plan process includes consideration of corridor wide and/or district level infrastructure improvements.

This approach could result in efficiencies, multiple benefits, and could spread the cost of localized infrastructure upgrades over multiple developments.

21 City of Berkeley 2023-2031 Housing Element Update, Draft Environmental Impact Report; City of Berkeley; August 2022, page ES-

21.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 13 of 50 Mobility Conditions, Projects, and Planning
Transportation Focus of the Specific Plan
San Pablo Avenue is a California state highway (State Route 123) and improvements within the street right of way require approval by Caltrans. The City of Berkeley is responsible for maintenance of the sidewalks and medians, including street trees and landscaping.

The Specific Plan is not making transportation improvements to San Pablo Avenue, because the Alameda Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) has completed a multimodal planning project for San Pablo Avenue throughout Alameda County. The project has led to three projects that will result in construction of safety improvements for all users, bus stop improvements, and parallel bicycle facility improvements, as well as a short segment of bicycle and bus lanes on the southern end of San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley .

The Specific Plan effort focused on the public realm of the sidewalks along San Pablo Avenue, parking management, and other transportation improvements that are not being addressed through the Alameda CTC efforts.

Traffic Volumes
Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) volumes along San Pablo Avenue average about 20,000 vehicles per day in Berkeley. In addition to serving as a major thoroughfare for local travel and providing access to local businesses and residents, San Pablo Avenue also is an alternative route for travelers on I -80 during periods of heavy freeway congestion. Cross streets providing interstate access include Gilman Street (9,000 AADT), University Avenue (19,000 AADT), and Ashby Avenue (42,000 AADT). 22
Transit Network
AC Transit – AC Transit provides bus service throughout western Alameda County and Contra Costa County and operates 12 bus routes within the study area that provides direct access to the plan area. See Table 1 and Figure 11.

AC Transit developed a new network in response to changing travel patterns through the AC Transit Realign Plan, which was implemented in August 2025. The Realign Plan did not significantly alter the service within the Specific Plan Area.

Table 1: AC Transit Service Summary (August 2023)
Line Route Nearest Bus Stops Weekday Weekend
Hours Headway Hours Headway
12 MLK Jr. – Temescal –
Grand
On Gilman Street
between San Pablo
Avenue and Tenth Street
5:55 AM – 12:55 AM 20 min 6:00 AM – 12:00 AM 30 min
36 Dwight – Shellmound –
Adeline
On Dwight Way between
Tenth Byron Streets 5:50 AM – 12:35 AM 30 min 5:50 AM – 12:30 AM 30 min 51B University – College –
Rockridge
On University Avenue
between Tenth and
Curtis Streets
4:55 AM – 12:20 AM 15 min 5:00 AM – 12:20 AM 15 min
52 UC Village – Cedar –
UC Campus
On San Pablo Avenue
between Albany City
Limit and Cedar Street
6:00 AM – 11:45 PM 15 min 8:15 AM – 8:25 PM 20 min

22 San Pablo and Ashby Avenue data source – Caltrans Traffic Census Program, 2021; Gilman Street data source – collected for the Gilman Gateway rezoning project, 2019; and University Avenue data source: collected for the San Pablo Avenue Corridor Project, 2018.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 14 of 50 Line Route Nearest Bus Stops Weekday Weekend
Hours Headway Hours Headway
72 /
72M
Hilltop – CCC – San
Pablo / Macdonald –
San Pablo
Along entire length of
San Pablo Avenue 4:45 AM – 1:20 AM 15 min 4:55 AM – 1:45 AM 20 min 72L San Pablo Rapid Along entire length of
San Pablo Avenue 6:00 AM – 8:15 PM 30 min 7:00 AM – 7:55 PM 30 min 800 Richmond – Oakland
Transbay All Nighter
On University Avenue at
San Pablo Avenue 12:20 AM – 7:25 AM 30 min 12:20 AM – 7:25 AM 30 min 802 San Pablo All Nighter
On San Pablo Avenue
between University
Avenue and Oakland City
Limit
12:40 AM – 5:35 AM 60 min 12:40 AM – 5:35 AM 60 min
G Colusa – Solano
Transbay
On San Pablo Avenue
between Albany City
Limit and University
Avenue
7:00 AM – 9:45 AM,
4:10 PM – 6:50 PM
30 – 60
min No service No
service
FS Shattuck – University
Transbay
On University Avenue at
San Pablo Avenue
6:10 AM – 8:30 AM,
4:30 PM – 7:25 PM 90+ min No service No
service
J Sacramento – Christie
Transbay
On Ashby Avenue at San
Pablo Avenue
7:10 AM – 10:10 AM,
4:45 PM – 7:00 PM
20 – 60
min No service No
service
Source: AC Transit website, August 2025 Schedules; Fehr & Peers, CD+A, 2025.

West Berkeley Shuttle – This is a free shuttle funded by the Berkeley Gateway Transportation Management Association that provides transit connections between the Ashby BART station and major employment centers in West Berkeley. The shuttle operates on weekdays from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM with approximately 30-minute headways. The West Berkeley Shuttle does not currently have any stops on San Pablo Avenue or in the Specific Plan Area. See Figure 11 illustrates the route alignment.

Bear Transit – This is UC Berkeley’s shuttle system, primarily providing service between Campus Park, Downtown Berkeley, and Berkeley Hills. Bear Transit is free for the UC Berkeley community and members of the public may ride for a $1 fare. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bear Transit provided service to the plan area on the Campus Shared Services (CSS Line). The CSS line operated between the North Berkeley BART Station and the UC Berkeley Shared Services Building on 4
th Street via Delaware Street, San Pablo Avenue, Cedar Street, and Virginia Street.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBL) Shuttle – The LBL operates a free shuttle service for LBL employees and guests between LBL and North Berkeley BART and other destinations in West and North Berkeley. The shuttle provides morning service between 6:00AM and 11:00AM and afternoon service between 3:30PM and 7:30PM. The shuttle operates at 60-minute headways during both periods. The shuttle stops along San Pablo Avenue at Cedar Street, Gilman Street, and Buchanan Street during both morning and afternoon service.

Other Existing and Planned Shuttle Services – In addition to the shuttles described above, Kaiser Permanente used to operate an employee shuttle between the North Berkeley BART Station and its facility on Second Street at Virginia Street in West Berkeley prior to the pandemic. Although this shuttle crossed San Pablo Avenue, they did not directly serve the Specific Plan Area.

The Berkeley Commons Project (600 Addison Street), and TheLAB (747 Bancroft Way) are recently approved developments in West Berkeley that are conditioned to operate shuttles between the North Berkeley BART Station

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 15 of 50 and their respective sites. Although these shuttles would cross San Pablo Avenue, they are not expected to directly serve the Specific Plan Area.

BART – BART provides regional commuter rail transit in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties. As of August 2023, BART trains operate weekdays from 5:00 AM to 2:00 AM, Saturdays from 6:00 AM to 2:00 AM, and Sundays from 8:00 AM to 2:00 AM. The North Berkeley, the Downtown Berkeley, and the Ashby BART stations are located to the east of San Pablo Avenue. See Figure 11.

These stations are served by the Richmond-Berryessa-North San José (orange) and Richmond-Millbrae/SFO (red) lines. Other destinations in the BART system can be reached by transferring at stations in Oakland. As of August 2023, the Berryessa-North San José line provides service every 15 minutes on weekdays and every 30 minutes on Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays. The Richmond-Millbrae/SFO line provides service every 15 minutes on weekdays and every 30 minutes on Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays. In June 2023, there were approximately 3,400, 8,900, and 3,700 entries and exits on an average weekday from the North Berkeley, Downtown Berkeley, and Ashby BART stations, respectively.
23 Capitol Corridor - Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor route operates between San Jose and Sacramento and stops at the Berkeley Rail Station. The station is located under the University Avenue overpass, about 0.5 miles west of San Pablo Avenue. There are 12 daily weekday departures and arrivals and 11 daily weekend departures and arrivals per direction at the Berkeley Station.
24 In FY2021, the station served about 26,000 rail passengers. 25 The Amtrak station is served by AC Transit Line 51B, with additional bus service nearby. The station provides basic amenities, including outside seating and automobile and bicycle parking.

23 Bay Area Rapid Transit 2019 Monthly Ridership Reports. 24 Amtrak Capitol Corridor Schedule.
25 Amtrak California Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2021.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 16 of 50

Figure 11. Transit Lines and Bicycle Routes. Source: City of Berkeley, Alameda CTC, and Fehr & Peers, 2023.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 17 of 50 Transit-First Policy Implementation Plan – December 2022 This plan provides policies and guidelines for implementing the City’s Transit-First Policy (Berkeley General Plan Policy T-4) and for future planning for the City’s existing transit priority corridors. The plan aligns with the City’s Climate Action Plan goals to prioritize transit over single-occupant vehicles and reduce emissions. Objectives of the plan include improving transit efficiency, reliability, and accessibility, increasing transit ridership, and prioritizing transit corridors.

It identifies San Pablo Avenue as a Primary Transit Route and a corridor for future study of transit infrastructure needs based on the AC Transit Major Corridors Study (2016). San Pablo Avenue Corridor together with the Telegraph and University Avenue Corridors are AC Transit designated future Bus Rapid Transit Corridors and part of the AC Transit Long-Term Improvements (by 2040) plan.

The document describes Alameda CTC’s San Pablo Corridor Project as the lead project for the design of future transit improvements to San Pablo Avenue, and recommends continuing work with Alameda CTC, Caltrans, and neighboring cities to develop a long-term implementation plan for the whole corridor to meet projected transit needs of planned land uses and anticipated growth of housing.

Council Referral for BRT in Berkeley
In September 2023, the City Council referred to the City Manager to move forward with a feasibility analysis and community engagement process to develop options for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) for AC Transit’s 51B route, including on University Avenue which is designated a Primary Transit Route by AC Transit through their Major Corridors Study.

If the City continues to pursue implementation of BRT service on University Avenue to Downtown this would improve transit access from the San Pablo Specific Plan Area to Downtown, UC Berkeley, BART, and other locations proximate to University Avenue. It would also reinforce the importance of the San Pablo Avenue and University Avenue Node.

Transportation Safety
The entire length of San Pablo Avenue is included in the City of Berkeley’s High-Injury Network. Between 2017 and 2021, there were 190 collisions on San Pablo Avenue that resulted in an injury or death, representing 7% of the Berkeley total.26
Vision Zero Action Plan - This plan was approved March 10, 2019, and describes the goal to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries in Berkeley by 2028 through data-driven engineering strategies. The plan prioritizes infrastructure within an Equity Priority Area, which includes much of the Study Area. Between 2008 and 2018, 46% of severe and fatal collisions within Berkeley occurred within the EPA area. The plan also identifies San Pablo Avenue as a High-Injury Street, the streets in Berkeley with the most severe injury or fatality collisions between 2008 and 2018.

During that time, there were multiple collisions on San Pablo Avenue that resulted in severe injury to pedestrians and vehicle occupants, but no reported fatalities.

Implementation of the Alameda CTC San Pablo Corridor Project’s Safety Enhancements Project and the bike infrastructure projects are described below. This work will improve traffic calming and pedestrian safety and support the goals of the Vision Zero Action Plan.

Ongoing Projects, Approved Plans and Future Planning
Current City, countywide, and regional action plans focus on multimodal strategies to achieve improvements for all modes of transportation in San Pablo Specific Plan and Study Areas. The alignments of these improvement projects are mapped in Figure 11.

26 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) via Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS), 2017-2021.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 18 of 50 San Pablo Avenue Corridor Project – This project is led by the Alameda County Transportation Commission (“Alameda CTC”) and consists of three near- term projects in the Specific Plan Area to improve safety and transit reliability along the San Pablo Avenue Corridor. Additional information about these projects can be found on the Alameda CTC web site.27
• The Safety Enhancements Project will construct improvements for pedestrians and cyclists to cross San Pablo Avenue more safely and improve transit speed and reliability along San Pablo Avenue. Transit improvements include bus stop bulb-outs for Rapid Bus stops, lighting upgrades, and some bus stop relocations to improve bus operations. Within Berkeley, improvements will extend between Heinz Avenue and the northern city limit. • The Parallel Bike Improvement Project will construct bike safety and connectivity improvements along streets parallel to and across San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley, Albany, and Oakland. Improvements on parallel streets will consist of diverters, traffic circles, modifications to existing stop controls, traffic humps, and vertical separation for bicycles.
• The Bus and Bike Lanes Project located primarilly within the Cities of Oakland and Emeryville will convert one travel lane in each direction on San Pablo Avenue to a bus-only lane and convert on-street parking lanes to protected bike lanes. In Berkeley, the Project’s bicycle improvements will extend along San Pablo Avenue from the southern city limit to Heinz Avenue, a distance of approximately 0.25 miles, and the bus improvements will end at the Ashby Avenue intersection.

Other multimodal projects – The City is moving forward with implementation of several projects identified in the 2017 Bike Plan within the Study Area. These, combined with the Alameda CTC projects, will improve accessibility and safety for bicyclists and pedestrians, enhancing connectivity between the Specific Plan Area and the surrounding Study Area. The project include:
• Ohlone Greenway Safety Improvements Project – This project will improve a portion of the existing pathway from Virginia Gardens to the crossing of Santa Fe Avenue. The project is in conceptual design and has completed initial public engagement. Design is expected to be completed in mid -2024 with construction occurring soon after, assuming necessary additional funds are secured. • Hopkins Corridor Traffic and Placemaking Study – A small portion of this project, from Gilman Street to Sacramento Street is within the Study Area. The project’s goal is to make the street safer and more accessible for all modes of transportation. As of November 2023, the project is on hold due to City staffing constraints and a final decision by City Council regarding project design. • West Hopkins Corridor Street Rehabilitation Project – This project includes Hopkins Street from Gilman Street to San Pablo Avenue. Similar to the other Hopkins Study, as of November 2023, the project is on hold. • Parker-Addison Mobility and Safety Improvement Project – This project will provide bike boulevard and associated improvements to connect from the West Street multiuse pathway to San Pablo Park via Bonar and Mabel Streets. It will also improve Parker Street to connect with the 9 th Street Bike Boulvard. Design is nearly
complete and construction is expected to occur in 2024. • Addison Street Bicycle Boulevard Project – This project has received funding, but design and public involvement has not yet begun. The project’s goal is to make improvements to the Addison Street Bicycle Boulevard from Aquatic Park to Sacramento Street.
• North Berkeley Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Improvements – This is a BART project that is under construction and is improving bicycle and pedestrian access at and around the North Berkeley BART Station to improve connectivity from the Ohlone Greenway at Virginia Gardens to the crossing and connection to the Ohlone Greenway at Sacramento Street.

27 General website for the Alameda CTC project can be found here https://www.alamedactc.org/programs-projects/multimodal-arterial- roads/sanpabloave. Boards illustrating the locations for specific improvements for the Safety Enhancement and Parallel Bike Improvement Projects can be found on the “Key Materials” page.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 19 of 50 Land Use Planning Policies and Gaps
Existing Land Use Policies and Standards
General Plan
The General Plan land use designation along the entire San Pablo Avenue frontage is Avenue Commercial. The land use designations for properties adjacent to the corridor include Manufacturing, Manufacturing Mixed-Use, Low Medium Density Residential, Medium Density Residential, and High Density Residential. The Study Area, beyond the Specific Plan Area, includes a broader range of land uses including Neighborhood Commercial , Institutional, Open Space, and Low Density Residential in addition to those above. See Figure 12.

Figure 12. Berkeley General Plan. Source: City of Berkeley, 2023.

2023-2031 Housing Element Update
The City’s 2023-2031 Housing Element Update (as amended on February 17, 2023) identifies the City’s specific housing needs and outlines goals, policies, and programs to address them, including housing affordability and diversity. The City also provides annual reports on its progress toward meeting Housing Element Program objectives.

Some key 2023-2031 Housing Element Update goals and programs include:

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 20 of 50 Housing Element Goals:
• Goal A Housing Affordability: Berkeley residents should have access to quality housing at a range of housing options and prices. Housing is least affordable for people at the lowest income levels, especially those with extremely low income, and City resources should focus on this area of need. • Goal B Housing Preservation & Improvement: Existing housing should be maintained and improved. The City should promote efficiency in new and existing housing to improve building comfort and safety, reduce energy and water use and costs, provide quality and resilient housing, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Improvements that will prepare buildings for a major seismic event should be encouraged. • Goal C Housing Production: Berkeley should provide adequate housing capacity to meet its current and future housing needs, including coordinating with the UC and other agencies. New housing should be developed to expand opportunities and choices to meet the diverse needs of all socioeconomic segments of the community, and should be safe, healthy and resilient. • Goal D Special Needs Housing & Homelessness Prevention: Berkeley should expand the supply of housing for special needs groups, including housing affordable to those with extremely low incomes. • Goal E Affirmatively Further Fair Housing: The City should continue to take meaningful actions to affirmatively further fair housing choices in Berkeley. • Goal F Mitigate Governmental Constraints: Berkeley should identify and mitigate barriers to the construction and improvement of housing.

Housing Element Programs:
• Program 27 – Priority Development Areas (PDAs), Commercial and Transit Corridors. In 2022, the City initiated the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan project to increase allowed densities, study design standards, public improvements, and mechanisms to incentivize affordable housing. The plan will also coordinate with other PDAs and commercial corridors to expand opportunities along transit corridors. 28 • Program 1 - Affordable Housing Berkeley. The Berkeley Housing Authority (BHA) established Affordable Housing Berkeley Inc., as a non-profit entity to act as the development arm of the BHA and produce affordable housing units in Berkely. In October 2023, the BHA approved a strategic plan for Affordable Housing Berkeley Inc., which is geared towards small housing purchase of up to seven building units. • Program 2 – Housing Choice Vouchers. The City assists up to 2,000 households by providing Housing Choice Vouchers, Project-based Section 8 Vouchers, Moderate Rehabilitation (SROs), Emergency Housing Vouchers, Mainstream Voucher Program, and Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing. In 2024, BHA ho used an average of 1,759 households and is continuously issuing new vouchers to families on the waitlist. • Program 4 – Housing Trust Fund. Berkeley’s Housing Trust Fund (HTF) pools funds for affordable housing construction from a variety of sources with different requirements, and makes them available to developers through a single application process.
• Program 5 – Preservation of At-Risk Housing. The City will monitor and assist in preserving deed -restricted housing.
• Program 10 - Housing Preference Policies. In July 2023, Berkeley adopted a policy to provide a preference for current residents and descendants of residents of the city’s historically redlined areas. Households with ties to redlined areas receive priority in leasing new City funded or regulated affordable units. • Program 11 – Rental Assistance. The City utilizes CDBG and local Measure P funding to contract with Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to provide supportive services. These services help stabilize households in rental assistance programs and to move unhoused community members into permanent supportive housing.
• Program 12 – Workforce Housing. Support local efforts to expand the construction of workforce housing that is affordable to households earning between 60 and 120 percent of area median income (AMI). In March

28 City of Berkeley, 2025. Housing Element and General Plan Annual Progress Report. Available at:
https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2025-03- 28%20%20%20Housing%20Element%20and%20General%20Plan%20Annual%20Progress%20Reports.pdf

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 21 of 50 2023, the City achieved its goal of entitling 110 affordable units, with a preference for Berkeley Unified School District employees.29
• Program 14 – Housing for Homeless Persons with Disabilities. provide local subsidy to Resources for Community Development (RCD) for a 119-unit very low income development for households earning between 10 and 50 percent AMI (Supportive Housing in People’s Park) with at least 50 percent of the units dedicated to previously unhoused residents with mental health conditions.

The full list of Goals, Policies and Programs is available in the City’s Housing Element Update. However, as illustrated here, between current State Law and the City’s Housing Element, there is a strong foundation for affordable housing production throughout Berkeley, including within the Specific Plan Area.

Zoning
As noted above, properties fronting San Pablo Avenue are predominantly zoned West Berkeley Commercial (C-W).

See Figure 13. The City’s zoning also delineates Commercial Designated Nodes along San Pablo and University Avenues. The West Berkeley Commercial Designated Nodes are located in areas around major intersections along San Pablo Avenue with Gilman Street, Cedar Street, University Avenue, Dwight Way, and Ashby Avenue. The intent of these nodes is to intensify retail, commercial, and mixed-use activity to support a strong commercial and pedestrian- oriented environment by requiring that ground floors be activated with select commercial uses. A University Commercial District Node Area is located on the east side of the University and San Pablo intersection. This designation requires that new residential uses be integrated with non-residential uses. The existing characteristics of the nodes are discussed below in the existing land use section.

Development Standards
The development standards and ground floor uses, as of November 2023, for the zoning districts within the Plan Area are outlined in Appendix A1.

Within the C-W and C-U zoning districts, which make up the majority of the Specific Plan Area, key standards include:
• Non-residential Floor Area Ratio (FAR)s of 2.2-3.0.
• Maximum height in the C-W district of three stories and 40 feet for residential- or commercial-only development, and four stories and 50 feet for mixed-use and live-work developments. • Maximum height in the C-U of three stories and 36 feet for single use and mixed-use development outside the nodes, and four stories and 48 feet for mixed-use within the nodes. Residential-only development in the nodes requires a use permit.
• Ground floor commercial uses in the C-W zone are only required in the designated nodes. Outside the nodes, ground floor uses are permitted in accordance with Berkeley Municipal Code (BMC) 23.204 -1. Unpermitted uses in the C-W designated include open air markets, vehicle rentals and washes. Within both the C -U zone nodes and non-nodes areas, ground floor residential uses require a Use Permit.

29 Ibid.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 22 of 50

Figure 13. Zoning Map with designated nodes in the Specific Plan and Study Areas. Source: City of Berkeley

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 23 of 50 Permit Review Process
Ministerial and Discretionary Review Ministerial review is a process for development approval involving little or no personal judgement by the zoning officer or Zoning Adjustments Board (ZAB). The zoning officer or ZAB ensures that the proposed development meets all the “objective zoning standards” and “objective design review standards” in effect at the time that the application is submitted but uses no special discretion or judgement in reaching a decision.

In contrast, Discretionary Review is a process for development that is subject to public notice to neighbors, and in some cases, a public hearing.

Residential and Mixed-Use Review within the Specific Plan Area – As shown in the Table 2 below, most of the residential and mixed-use development within the Specific Plan Area, which is predominantly zoned C-W, requires an Administrative Use Permit (AUP) or Use Permit (UP), which require discretionary review. Design Review is also required for projects in any non-residential zone, such as the C-W zoning district.

Recent state legislation has established and expanded eligibility for streamlined and/or ministerial review and approval for projects (see the overview of recent state laws below). Legislation includes changes to the development review process timeline and requirements, as well as limitations on the City’s discretion regarding project approval, imposing certain development standards, and the applicability of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

Existing Land Use
The Study Area has a mix of existing land uses with a significant amount of single and multi -family residential that vary significantly in density and scale ranging from 6 du/acre for R-1 single-family to 75 du/acre for R-4 multi-family. Other uses include light industrial, commercial, including retail, vehicle repair, offices and food and alcohol service, personal and household services, retail financial services, and public and quasi-public uses.

Ground Floor Uses vary throughout the corridor. See Figure 14. Residential uses include multifamily, mixed-use, live-work, and a few single-family homes. Live-work spaces are a built space used or designed to be used both as a workplace and as a residence by one or more persons, and a mixed -use space is a use of a lot or building with two or more different land uses.30 There are a variety of existing commercial ground floor uses, however the main uses include services, retail, and auto. A more detailed overview of the existing commercial uses is provided in the Commercial Risk Displacement section below.

Upper Floor Uses are primarily residential with some commercial office uses.

Table 2: Typical Permits Required, by Housing Type 31 (Orange indicates design review required) Housing Type R-1 R-1A R-2 R-2A R-3 R-4 C-U C-W MU-LI MU-R Duplex NP UP UP UP UP UP UP 1 UP NP UP 2
Multi-family NP NP UP UP UP UP UP 1 UP NP AUP/UP
2,3
Mixed-Use
Projects
NP NP UP UP UP UP UP 1 ZC/AUP/UP
4 NP AUP/UP
2,3
Live-work ZC AUP/UP 5 AUP/UP
6 AUP/UP
6 Group Living
Accommodation
NP NP NP NP UP UP UP 1 UP NP UP 2
ZC = Zoning Certificate, AUP = Administrative Use Permit, UP = Use Permit, NP = Not Permitted

30 City of Berkeley, 2023. Municipal Code section 23.502.020 Defined Terms. 31 City of Berkeley, 2023. 2023-2031 Housing Element Update, pg. 81-82.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 24 of 50 1 Residential uses must be part of a mixed-use development within University Avenue Node Areas; outside of Node Areas exclusively residential projects are permitted with a use permit.
2 UP required within 150’ of M or MM district or a construction product manufacturing or primary product manufacturing use. See BMC Section.

23.206.090.B.8.
3 AUP required for 3-4 units; UP required for 5 or more units. See BMC Section 23.206.090.B.7. For mixed use projects, see also Section

23.206.090.B.9.
4 Permit required dependent on project size and other factors. See BMC Section 23.204.140.B.2. 5 AUP required when a project has 9 or fewer live/work units and does not involve conversion of an existing dwelling unit. All other live/work projects require a use permit. See BMC Section 23.312.030.C.3.
6 Permit required dependent on floor area, number of units, and other factors. See BMC Section 23.312.030.D.

Clusters of Related Uses – As seen in Figure 14, a mix of uses are distributed throughout San Pablo Specific Plan Area without distinct pattern or clustering of related uses. Many of the predominant land uses, such as auto, manufacturing, and services, are dispersed along the street , with the exception that retail uses are mostly located within the designated commercial nodes. Many businesses including a diverse range of restaurants, grocers, and retailers are distributed throughout the corridor (see Commercial Displacement Risk section below for additional detail on the existing commercial uses within the Specific Plan Area).

Designated Nodes – The West Berkeley Plan adopted in 1993 identified Commercial Nodes along San Pablo Avenue.

The Berkeley Zoning Ordinance identifies these nodes as “Designated Nodes” within the C -W zone. Overall, the existing uses within the Designated Nodes are consistent with the C-W zoning allowed-uses.

The Gilman Node currently includes a substantial
amount of retail including two clusters of commercial
chain stores, some auto-oriented businesses, and
restaurants, and other businesses. It lies adjacent to
mixed-use light industrial zones to the west and
residential neighborhoods to the southwest and the
east. The 55-year-old KC’s BBQ restaurant closed
their location in this node in April 2023.

Gilman intersection looking east.

The Cedar Node includes the Jones, a mixed-use
project. The node accommodates small retail
businesses, food establishments, and auto-related
ventures. In 2022, the nearby former motels— Golden
Bear Inn and Quality Inn were converted to
permanent housing for persons experiencing
homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Retail
queues, such as for Acme Bread, add to pedestrian
activity in the area. A long-time business, Animal
Farm Discount Pet Foods and associated Wild Bird
Annex closed in 2023.

Jones building to the northwest of the Cedar
intersection.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 25 of 50 The University Node has historically been an active
area. In recent years the northern portion of the node
has experienced business closures with several
larger retail spaces and the former Wells Fargo Bank
remaining unoccupied, while the southern section
experiences more consistent use and pedestrian
activity, thanks to its collection of restaurants, bars, and services. The eastern and western parts consist
of a blend of South Asian businesses situated amidst
surface parking lots. The Specific Plan boundary
includes an adjacent University Avenue Node to the
east of San Pablo Avenue.

University intersection looking northeast.

The Dwight Node is a walkable center of mixed
commerce. Aside from the auto-oriented businesses
in the northwest portion of the node, much of the
node features restaurants, offices (including several
non-profit organizations), and retail, as well as some
multifamily buildings. The southern end of the node
includes a Housing Element opportunity site
(opportunity site #32).

Café Chiave at southwest corner of Dwight intersection.

The Ashby Node is characterized by two new housing
developments that incorporate mixed-use retail
spaces on their ground floors (3015 and 3006 San
Pablo Avenue). The northern side of the node
includes the historic Heinz building which features a
substantial setback (approximately 32 feet) and a
narrow sidewalk (approximately 6 feet). It includes
office and institutional uses, such as the Kala Art
Institute. Ashby Plaza includes Looking Glass Photo &
Camera, which has been based in Berkeley for over
50 years. The former Walmart building on the
northeast corner has been vacant since 2021.

Looking south towards Ashby intersection from in front
of the historic Heinz Building.

There are other areas not defined as nodes that
provide neighborhood serving commercial retail,
such as the intersection at Bancroft Avenue and
south of Delaware Street.

Storefronts on the southeast corner of Delaware Street.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 26 of 50 Figure

14. Ground Floor Use based on Land Use Codes. Source: City of Berkeley, 2023. Alameda County Assessor, 2023.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 27 of 50 State Legislation and Regional Policies
Several state laws and regional policies have been approved since the adoption of the City’s General Plan in 2002.

Many of these laws have made changes to the development review process, timeline, and requirements, as well as defined limitations on the City’s discretion regarding project approval, conformance with certain development standards, and the applicability of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) . The Berkeley Municipal Code continues to be updated to remain consistent with the laws and policies . The following provides an overview of relevant legislation and policy to the Specific Plan.

State Legislation
• Senate Bill 375 (2009): This legislation requires California to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by setting reduction targets, preparating regional Sustainable Communities Strategies, and aligning land use, housing, and transportation planning processes. As a Priority Development Area, the Specific Plan Area is part of the Bay Region’s Sustainable Communities Strategy, which could help qualify Specific Plan implementation projects for funding.
• Housing Accountability Act (HAA): This legislation limits cities’ ability to deny, reduce the density of, or make infeasible housing development projects or emergency shelters that are consistent with the City’s objective local development standards and contribute to meeting housing need. The HAA was first enacted in 1982 and is continually amended to expand and strengthen its provisions. This effects how the Specific Plan’s standards can be written and enforced.
• Senate Bill 330 (2019): This legislation limits cities’ ability to impose restrictions on housing developments. SB 330 seeks to expedite the housing approval process, enhance housing supply, and ensure predictability for developers by reducing regulatory uncertainty and potential obstacles to new housing construction. This also effects how standards can be written and enforced.
• Senate Bill 35 (2017): SB 35 streamlines the housing approval process for qualifying multifamily residential projects with certain minimum affordable housing. This allows such projects to move more quickly through the City’s review process and restricts the City’s ability to reject these proposals to encourage the development of affordable housing. See more at the Housing and Community Development SB 35 Guidelines . • Assembly Bill 1397 (2017): AB1397 requires that sites identified under the 5th RHNA cycle for development that were unused be incorporated into the 6th cycle, with by -right approval for developments that include at least 20% affordable units for lower incomes.
• Density Bonus (G ov Code 65915): St
ate density bonus provisions have changed frequently and significantly in recent years to further incentivize certain types of housing, including but not limited to various levels of affordability, senior, transitional, veterans, and student. In exchange for a commitment to build the specified housing type or meet a specified level of affordability, the City must allow a density bonus — an increase over the maximum allowable residential density. In addition to increasing density under density bonus law, developers can use “waivers” and “concessions” to reduce, modify , or waive development standards. The City cannot deny a requested concession or incentive unless they can make a written finding, based upon substantial evidence, that the requested incentive or concessions: 1) does not result in identifiable and actual cost reductions, 2) would have a specific adverse impact on public health, safety or on property which is listed on the state Register of Historical Resources and there is no feasible method to satisfactorily mitigate the specific adverse impact without making the project unaffordable to the affordable households; or 3) would be contrary to state or federal law. The use of concessions can limit the applicability of development standards and other requirements for projects that quality for a density bonus.
• Assembly Bill 2011 (2022): AB 2011 allows for by-right approval of one-hundred percent affordable and mixed- income housing projects in zones where office, retail, or parking are the principally permitted use. This allows for the development of housing along commercial corridors when projects meet specific development standards, with one-hundred percent affordable projects facing the fewest requirements.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 28 of 50 • Senate Bill 6 (2022): SB 6 passed alongside AB 2011 and also allows for the development of housing where office, retail, or parking are the principally permitted use. SB 6 does not contain any explicit affordability requirements, nor does it allow for by-right approval. Should project applicants choose to adhere to the affordability requirements of SB 35, they may receive a streamlined approval process. • Assembly Bill 2097 (2022): This legislation prohibits parking requirements on most residential, commercial, and industrial development projects located within one-half mile of a major transit stop, unless the local agency makes certain findings. Stops along San Pablo Avenue have AC Transit bus service that qualifies them as major transit stops. Findings that could necessitate minimum parking requirements include: the project advances the City towards meeting its lower-income Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA), it fulfills specific housing needs, such as housing for people with disabilities, or it is within one- half mile of existing residential or commercial parking.
• Assembly Bill 101 (2019): AB 101 requires that Low Barrier Navigation Centers (LBNC) receive by -right approval in areas zoned for mixed-use and nonresidential zones permitting multi-family uses. LBNCs are housing first, low barrier, service-oriented shelters that aim to help people experiencing homelessness find permanent housing. • Assembly Bill 2162 (2018): This legislation requires that supportive housing be considered an allowed use by - right in zones where multi-family and mixed-uses are permitted, provided that the proposed project meets specified criteria.

Regional Policies
• Plan Bay Area and Priority Development Areas: Plan Bay Area 2050 is a long-range regional plan developed by MTC and Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) that integrates strategies to improve housing, the economy, transportation, and the environment with a focus on the region as a whole. The pla n utilizes a combination of regulatory measures, funding mechanisms, community engagement, and ongoing assessment to implement these strategies. Priority Development Areas (PDAs) are designated areas that align transit access with opportunities of increased density of development. The majority of the San Pablo Specific Plan Area is a PDA.
• Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) Policy: In 2022, MTC adopted a regional TOC Policy. The potential application of the TOC Policy to the San Pablo Specific Plan is discussed in the Reslience and Climate Adaptation section of the document below.

Existing Policy Capacity Assessment
As of 2020, there were 2,588 existing housing units in the Specific Plan Area. The majority of existing housing units, 2,018 homes, are in multi-family housing with 5 or more units. See Figure 15.

The Housing Element sites inventory analysis identifies 75 sites for potential housing development within the
Specific Plan Area (representing 20% of all the sites
identified citywide). Based on existing land use and
zoning regulation, the Housing Element demonstrates
capacity for approximately 3,700 units on the 75 sites
(representing 28% of the total capacity of the Housing
Element sites inventory citywide). See Figure 16 and
Appendix B.

The Housing Element Update sites inventory identifies
sites under three categories: likely sites, pipeline sites, and opportunities sites. Likely sites and pipeline sites include housing projects that have either already been approved or are actively engaging with the City in anticipation of submitting an application for review. The Housing Figure 15. Distribution of Existing Housing Units in the Plan Area by Type. Source: City of Berkeley, 2023.
242
328
2018
Plan Area Existing Housing Units
Single Family
Multifamily (2-4 units)
Multifamily (5+ units)

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 29 of 50 Element Update identifies 51 opportunity sites, 9 likely sites, and 15 pipeline sites within the Plan Area. Opportunity sites are vacant or underutilized sites with near-term potential for residential or mixed-use development. A range of land uses exist on opportunity sites. See Table 3. The majority of opportunity sites within the Plan Area are commercial uses at 35%, followed by vacant or parking lots at 27%.

Table 3: Existing Use of Specific Plan Area Housing Element Opportunity Sites Existing Use # of SPA Boundary
Opportunity Sites
% of SPA Boundary
Opportunity Sites
Auto-related uses (auto-body shops, car
washes, smog shops, one gas station)
8 16%
Commercial uses (incl. storage facilities and
one laundromat)
18 35%
Retail/restaurant uses 9 18%
Vacant/parking lot 14 27%
Single-family/parking lot 1 0.02 %
Public Lands 1 0.02%
Source: Street Level Advisors and Gordon Consulting, 2023.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 30 of 50 Figure

16. Plan Area Housing Element Update Housing Sites Inventory. Source: City of Berkeley. “Housing Element Update 2023-2031”,

02.17.236

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 31 of 50 The Housing Element sites inventory shows capacity for an additional 3,700 units within the Specific Plan Area, based on existing zoning regulations. However, actual housing production relies on a number of factors including the housing development community (both private and non-profit) market conditions, construction costs, the decisions of individual property owners, and other factors that are not controlled by the City. In addition, and as outlined above, developers may use Density Bonus state law, which would allow for additional units. However, higher construction costs and increases in financing costs could reduce the anticipated housing production.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 32 of 50 Affordable Housing Policies and Potential
Production
Recent and Current Production
Citywide income restricted affordable units made up approximately 12.6% of housing units completed between 2015 and 2022.32

Potential Production
• As of 2022, there were 11 housing development projectsthat had been entitled along San Pablo Avenue but not yet issued Certificates of Occupancy. These buildings will provide 589 housing units, including an estimated 111 restricted affordable units (19.7%). An additional 2,029 units are under plan review. 33 • The City’s Housing Element identifies an additional 51 opportunity sites in the Study Area that could accommodate 2,023 housing units. If these projects use state density bonus at the rate that has been typical of recent projects in Berkeley, the City may see development of over 2,700 housing units . • The approved and anticipated sites along San Pablo Avenue could accommodate approximately 5,349 housing units including 824 deed-restricted affordable units (15.4% of the total). See Table 4. • If a regional housing bond is approved in November 2024, a higher share of Study Area sites are likely to be developed as 100% affordable housing projects.
• In addition to onsite affordable units, this level of development c ould generate roughly $20 million in in lieu fees which is sufficient to fund about one-third of the local subsidy needed to support the projected number of 100% affordable buildings in the Specific Plan Area.

Table 4: Potential Housing Production
Total Units 100% Affordable Onsite Affordable % Affordable Approved 589 63 52 19.7%
Permit Applications, etc 2,029 110 192 14.9%
Housing Element
Opportunity Sites
(including potential
density bonus units)
2,731 148 258 14.9%
Total All Sites 5,349 321 503 15.4%
Source: City of Berkeley, Annual Progress Reports 2018-2022 and 6th Cycle Housing Element, Street Level Advisors calculations.

Berkeley Affordable Housing Preference Policy – In July 2023, Berkeley adopted a policy to provide a preference for current residents and descendants of residents of the city’s historically redlined areas. Households with ties to redlined areas receive priority in leasing new City funded or regulated affordable units.

32 CA Department of Housing and Community Development, 5th Cycle RHNA Progress Report. 33 City of Berkeley Annual Progress Reports to the California Department of Housing and Community Development 2018-2022.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 33 of 50 Commercial Displacement Risk
Existing Commercial Conditions
Local and Regional Commercial Tensions – Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development’s (OED’s) 2016 Economic Development Work Session identified two primary commercial tensions on San Pablo Avenue. • Local and regional interests for transportation and land use compete for space. • Demand for housing development in the area threatens the existing concentration of auto businesses along San Pablo Avenue.

Local interests for the corridor emphasize better walkability, multi -modal transportation options, a broad range of businesses, and housing infill development. Regional interests support car access, street parking, and clusters of specialized businesses not widely available in other parts of Berkeley. This assessment suggests that those tensions continue in the Specific Plan Area.

Pandemic and Broader Economic Impacts – Nationally, small businesses closed at unprecedented rates from February to April of 2020. African-American, Latinx, Asian, immigrant, and women business owners were disproportionately affected, with African-American businesses owners most impacted.34 Since then, many small businesses have re-opened or opened for the first time. During 2023, business owners cite inflation, supply chain effects, and filling open jobs as among their primary concerns. 35 Given this context, locally owned businesses on San Pablo Avenue are likely facing a baseline of vulnerability to displacement and/or closure given the pandemic, supply chain shifts, and inflation; businesses owned by people of color, immigrants, and women are likely feeling these pressures more acutely.36
Vacancy Rates – According to OED data, San Pablo Avenue’s ground floor commercial vacancy rate (by square footage) doubled from 5.5% in 2017 to 10.8% in 2022. This rate increased most significantly, by three percentage points, from 2020 to 2021 and then again from 2021 to 2022, likely due to the impacts of the COVID -19 pandemic.

This vacancy rate was notably higher than other commercial corridors such as Solano (3.7%), Elmwood (7.7%), and North Shattuck (4.4%), but similar to University (12.8%), Downtown (1 1.9%) and South Berkeley (11.8%) neighborhoods. By November 2024, the citywide ground floor commercial vacancy rate decreased from previous years, specifically San Pablo Avenue’s vacancy rate dropped to 7.1%, which was lower compared to Downtown Berkeley (10.8%) and Telegraph Avenue (9.9%)37

Figure 17. High-profile commercial closures include, from left to right, Ohmega Salvage and Albatross Pub.

34 Fairlie, Robert. “The Impact of Covid-19 on Small Business Owners: Evidence of Early-Stage Losses from the April 2020 Current Population Survey.” 05, 2020.
35 National Federation of Independent Business. Small Business Optimism Index, October 2023. 36 Fairlie, Robert. “The Impact of Covid-19 on Small Business Owners: Evidence of Early-Stage Losses from the April 2020 Current Population Survey.” 05, 2020.
37 City of Berkeley. Berkeley Economic Dashboards Update. Special Meeting – City Council Work session, Feb 26, 2025, page 3. Accessed August 29, 2025

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 34 of 50 Locally Owned, Brick and Mortar Businesses and Associated Displacement Risks The inventory of businesses on San Pablo Avenue was constructed based on the City of Berkeley’s Business License database and a site visit conducted on August 3, 2023, along San Pablo Avenue. Because the scope of this analysis is limited to displacement risk and is not a broad market analysis, the inventory focuses on the narrower universe of businesses that are more likely to face consequential displacement pressures: locally owned businesses with brick - and-mortar storefronts on the corridor. These businesses were then classified according to type (see Figure 20 for a map of these ground floor businesses) and according to displacement risk (dependence on car access and street parking; key business-owner demographics; historic and cultural significance; and accessibility to lower-income residents). A summary of key findings is below.

Locally Owned38, Brick and Mortar Business Characteristics: Because the City does not collect demographic data about local business owners, this inventory used business-owner information from the active business license dataset, business websites, news articles, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Yelp to make exploratory con clusions about business-owner demographics; this assessment did not include a survey that asked business owners to share their demographic characteristics. Preliminary findings include:
• 90% of brick and mortar businesses on the corridor are likely locally owned businesses; • 21% of those businesses are likely owned by women;
• 41% are likely owned by people of color; and,
• 28% likely hold some form of historic or cultural significance.

Given that a significant number of businesses on the corridor are likely owned by women and/or people of color and they may be facing baseline pressures coming out of the pandemic and due to inflation and additional structural barriers to capital, contracts, and market access, there is an opportunity during the Specific Plan process to d irect additional time and attention to these businesses to understand how to best support their success and longevity on the corridor.

Commercial Parking Needs – Businesses along the street rely on customers being able to access the corridor via car and street parking. Several local businesses, such as Tokyo Fish Market, Emerald City Gowns, East Bay Nursery, and Cafe Leila, have small parking lots specific to those businesses, but most do not. Prior City assessments have identified auto and home improvement businesses as particularly dependent on street parking. Based on active business license data, auto businesses comprise 20% of b rick and mortars and home improvement businesses make up 12% of brick and mortars. This assessment also estimates that businesses that A) are specialized and may need to attract customers from a broader geographic radius or that B) may be particularly difficult to shift to a customer base that relies on walking, biking and/or public transit (e.g., a customer base of families with children) are especially dependent on car access and street parking. All told, this category of businesses that are likely to be especially reliant on car access and street parking includes 35% of locally owned, brick and mortar businesses on the corridor.

38 Whether businesses were locally owned was determined primarily according to owner information in the City's business license database and business websites and social media platforms. Local ownership means that the owner is based anywhere in the nine-county Bay Area.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 35 of 50

Figure 18. Examples of businesses with small off-street parking lots, from left to right, Tokyo Fish Market and East Bay Nursery.

Auto Businesses – Auto businesses are prevalent and dispersed across the corridor. Many of these businesses opened in the 1970s and 1980s, although one appears to go back as far as 1946. There is an opportunity for the Specific Plan to evaluate the desire and needed policies for auto businesses to remain on the San Pablo corridor, particularly as auto technology continues to evolve.

Figure 19. Example auto businesses include, from left to right, Patti’s Auto Care, Car Craft Collision Specialists, and Used Car Sales.

Businesses potentially accessible to low-income residents – This inventory anecdotally identified businesses that meet the criterion of offering a lower relative price point for their goods or services and finds that approximately 10% of locally owned brick and mortar businesses may be particularly accessible to low-income residents in the area.

These businesses were identified because they a) are a type of business that typically markets to lower-income residents (e.g., laundromat, corner store, to-go restaurant); b) they were described in online reviews as offering lower prices than their competitors; or c) they offer lower prices than similar businesses on the corridor (e.g., a vegetarian egg breakfast costs $10.95 vs. $19). The businesses identified include retail stores, a laundromat, restaurants, grocery stores, beauty salons, and several corner stores. As more market-rate housing is built on San Pablo Avenue, these businesses may face increased displacement pressures if the overall population becomes higher-income and rents and property taxes increase.

Potential Future Changes to Supply of Commercial Space
Current zoning does not require ground floor commercial space outside of commercial nodes. But the zoning code does allow extra height for mixed-use buildings along the corridor, and this appears to be encouraging developers to propose mixed-use projects along the corridor, with a few exceptions. The zoning code requires and encourages ground floor commercial space at the intersection of major transit corridors within commercial nodes . Discussions with developers, leasing agents, and real estate professionals indicate that a combination of rental costs, general retail and business conditions, and physical design of spaces (e.g., configuration and size of spaces, service and utility design) constrain the ability to lease these new commercial spaces.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 36 of 50

Figure 20. Mix of ground floor locally owned, brick and mortar businesses. Source: Street Level Advisors and Gordon Consulting, 2023.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 37 of 50 Public Realm Assessment
The public realm along San Pablo Avenue is defined by the qualities of streetscape - the sidewalk area within the public right of way and the improvements and activities that take place there. The context along the street affects the quality and experience of the public realm. The context includes the buildings, parking lots, and other frontages next to the street and the activities that occur there. Also, the conditions and quality of the roadway, median, and parking/loading lanes of San Pablo Avenue have an impact on the quality and experience of the public realm.

The public realm along San Pablo Avenue varies in quality and character See Figure 21. The Specific Plan process will explore options for common elements throughout the corridor, such as trees, and the potential for segment or district improvements. Places could have distinct decorative features like pedestrian lighting, artwork, and planting to create an inviting atmosphere. Currently, some uses and buildings provide distinct features that enhance the public realm, such as restaurants, cafes, and small businesses. These create a more engaging and active public realm.

Stretches with poor sidewalk conditions and landscaping that is not maintained, paired with vandalized or vacant building frontages or high fencing, contrast with the areas of activity. Those locations have less foot traffic and fewer parked cars.

Figure 21. The public realm along San Pablo Avenue varies in quality and character.

Streetscape Conditions
Landscape
The street trees along the sidewalks and landscaped medians are an asset for San Pablo Avenue’s public realm. See Figure 22. However, there are gaps in the tree canopy and maintenance issues with trees and tree wells along the sidewalks.

Figure 22 Mature London Plain trees define the character of San Pablo Avenue.

In addition, there is limited landscaping along most of the sidewalks. See Figure 23. Some other major streets in Berkeley have business improvement districts that manage installation and maintenance of landscape, but San Pablo Avenue does not have any improvement districts.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 38 of 50

Figure 23. The condition of tree wells varies throughout the corridor.

Lighting
Existing lighting along the street primarily illuminates the roadway and intersections. Nighttime sidewalk lighting levels tend to be low between intersections, unless storefront uses, buildings, or pedestrian lights at bus stops illuminate the sidewalk. See Figure 24. The 2004 Improvement Plan identified this issue and set new lighting standards. While there has been some implementation of the standards in front of new development, there have not been recent publicly funded pedestrian lighting improvements along San Pablo Avenue. The Alameda CTC Safety Enhancement Project will upgrade lighting at some improved bus stops and pedestrian crossings.

Figure 24. Existing roadway and pedestrian lighting.

Street Furnishings
Street furnishings such as benches and trash receptacles are almost exclusively at bus stops. There are some businesses that provide outdoor “café” seating for their patrons. See Figure 25.

Figure 25. Existing private outdoor “café” seating.

Sidewalk
Sidewalk conditions are variable. There are locations where adjacent parcels are vacant, underutilized, or for other reasons trash, leaf, and debris clutter the sidewalk. There are also places where the sidewalk needs repair. Typically, when development occurs adjacent sidewalks are reconstructed by the developer. See Figures 26, 27, and 28. There are several locations along the street where the sidewalks are new and are in good condition. The two Alameda CTC

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 39 of 50 projects will be making some sidewalk improvements, including widened sidewalks with bus bulbs into the parking lane at bus stops served by AC Transit Rapid service, see further discussion in the Mobility section.

Figure 26. Existing 13 ft. wide
sidewalk.

Figure 27. Many existing sidewalks
are in poor condition.

Figure 28. Some buildings provide
additional sidewalk space.

Building and Site Frontages
There is a wide variety of frontage conditions along San Pablo Avenue today from tall fences or blank facades to active “storefront” restaurants and sidewalk tables.

There are older buildings that are vacant, several of which appear to not be actively on the market to be leased. Some, but not all, older buildings along the street have articulation, building form, and materials that are visually engaging and include murals. Figure 29.

Figure 29. Painted storefronts with murals provide visual interest when the building does not allow for windows and can represent the culture and values of the local community.

Some new developments have contributed to the landscape character of the street by setting back the ground level of the building to provide additional sidewalk and space of landscape, such as the landscape planters at The Jones north of Cedar Street. Figure 30. Others like Aquatic at Ashby have a small seating area and a bench and rain shelter built into the additional sidewalk level space. Figure 31.

Figure 30. Ground floor setback and planters
at The Jones.

Figure 31. Semi-public space with seating and bus stop integrated in the Aquatic at Ashby frontage.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 40 of 50 Parking Lots and Gas Stations
There are locations with larger parking lots or other auto circulation, such as the Solar Car Wash, the REI shopping center parking lot, and the McDonald’s, which cater to vehicular movement, as opposed to pedestrians. The sidewalk frontages of these sites are typically not supportive of pedestrian activity along the street.

Activity and use of underused spaces. In some locations food trucks and trailers utilize former and current gas station locations as semi-permanent locations, which include makeshift outdoor seating. Figure 32. These illustrate the potential for active use of underutilized parking lots even if the parking is more heavily used on particular days or seasons.

Figure 32. Food trucks and trailers use underutilized parking and sites.

Safety
Conditions along the street can create an environment that feels unsafe. Assessment of crime data from the Berkeley Police Department from August 2022 to August 2023 shows a total of 578 incidents in the Specific Plan Area, which makes up 5 percent of the overall crime incidents in Berkeley during that time. Improved lighting at night, improvements to the general condition of the public realm, and development that supports activity along the street can change the impression that San Pablo Avenue is a partic ularly unsafe place.

Community Life along San Pablo Avenue
Community life describes the condition of people being in a public space and feeling part of and having the opportunity to interact with other community members who use the space. The physical constraints of the street and development patterns along San Pablo Avenue restrict public space to the typical 13 -foot-wide sidewalks along the street.

Designated Nodes and Clusters of Activity
San Pablo Avenue features clusters of retail and other uses adjacent to five major intersections— Gilman Street, Cedar Street, University Avenue, Dwight Way, and Ashby Avenue— these are nodes of activity, each presenting a distinct mix of businesses and urban form that supports that activity. See Figure 34 (Method of assessment, see Table 5). The 1993 West Berkeley Plan identified these locations as Commercial Nodes, and other public policies and regulations have been shaped to reinforce these nodes. The current zoning ordinance also provides some special standards, as discussed in the Land Use Planning policies section above. These have been successful to a greater or lesser extent in each node, and the extent of success has been affected by economic realities and property owner decisions.

Semi-Public Spaces
While there are no public parks along San Pablo Avenue, there are small enclaves of semi -public space, often as private outdoor spaces associated with restaurants and cafés. Also, some parking lots or other paved areas are used by adjacent businesses. Some new developments have included public benches or other elements in ground floor setbacks that are also semi-public.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 41 of 50 Table 5: Methodology of assessing frontage activity along San Pablo.

Source: CD+A, 2023

Community Events and Social Engagement
There are existing organizations in the area that do provide community gathering venues, like Brasarte and Ashkenaz.

Also, there are existing models for short term use of streets as public spaces – the SF Bay Brazilian Day & Lavagem festival, Figure 33, events during street closures in the Gilman District, and neighborhood street parties on blocks of streets that cross San Pablo Avenue.

Figure 33. 1901 San Pablo Avenue houses Brasarte and other Brazilian culturally oriented groups. The center and left photos show the 2023 Brazilian Day & Lavagem event on the block of Hearst St just east of San Pablo Avenue.

Study Area Community Spaces
The limited sidewalk or other public space within the San Pablo Avenue right of way make it make it difficult to create community gathering spaces within the Specific Plan Area. While opportunities may exist to create some smaller community spaces on side streets, residents and users of the Specific Plan Area are likely to rely on community space in the surrounding Study Area. The Specific Plan process can define ways to improve connections between the Specific Plan Area and surrounding parks, schools, and other community spaces can be improved.

Sidewalk Building Frontage Other
Frontages that activate the
sidewalk
Maintained and
landscaped if any
Well maintained brick-and-
mortar with pedestrian engaging
features, such as storefront
windows, murals, etc.

Inactive Frontages that
support some aspects of a
comfortable walking
environment
Maintained and
landscaped if any
Landscape buffered setback,
murals with minimal or no visible
activity.

Maintained, landscaped
buffered parking lots, or
yards of auto-oriented
uses.

Inactive Frontages Poorly
maintained and
landscaped if any
Poor maintained, visibly
damaged and/or looks
unoccupied/ abandoned.

Parking lots and yards
without landscape buffer.

Fenced vacant land

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 42 of 50 Figure 34. Observation of Frontage Activity along the corridor. Source: City of Berkeley. CD+A. 2023.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 43 of 50 Resilience and Climate Adaptation Conditions and
Plans
Existing Plans
Local-Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP), 2019 – The LHMP serves to assess current hazards and vulnerabilities, outlines a five-year Mitigation Strategy to reduce vulnerabilities through various actions, and ensures eligibility for pre-disaster mitigation grants and post-disaster federal and state recovery funding by meeting Federal Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 requirements39.
• Risk of Liquifaction: During a major earthquake event, much of the study area and westernmost parts of the city are at risk of liquefacation. Liquefaction can destroy pavements and dislodge foundations. • Potentially Seismically Vulnerable Buildings: The LHMP discusses the Retrofit Grants Program and the updating of the city’s inventory of Seismically Vulnerable Buildings in 2018. The update added 1,047 potentially vulnerable building that had not been previously identified. This increase was mainly due to the expansion of building construction types that were considered at risk. A number of the seismically vulnerable buildings are in the San Pablo Specific Plan Area, see Figure 35. This map reflects properties that are eligible for the Cal OES/FEMA Grant Program.
• Floods: Creek flooding in Berkeley has the potential to affect about 675 structures, mainly in the western, industrial area of the city. Storm drain overflow creates localized flooding in many intersections in Berkeley .

FEMA flood risk maps illustrate the risks in the western industrial area. While this is within the Study Area, the flood risk maps indicate a very smail area of flood risk potential on two properties in the Specific Plan area adjacent to Codornices Creek and the city of Albany. The LHMP also describes areas of the city that are at risk to localized flooding from storm drain overflow. San Pablo Avenue within the Potter Watershed between Ward and Murry Street has the potential to experience storm drain overflow. 40 • Hazardous Materials Transportation: San Pablo Avenue is one of the streets in Berkeley that is a hazardous materials transportation route. Collisions with trucks carrying dangerous materials have occurred and can be expected to occur in the future.
• Climate Change: Like regions across the globe, the San Francisco Bay Area is experiencing negative impacts of climate change. Berkeley’s Climate Action Plan identifies the City’s plan for emissions reductions, known as climate change mitigation.
• Hazardous Material Release: The City has identified 15 facilities in Berkeley with sufficiently large quantities of toxic chemicals to pose a high risk to the community. Eleven of those 15 facilities are distributed in the most western parts of the Study Area, with 10 located south of University Avenue. Natural hazards identified in the plan could trigger the release of hazardous materials and put nearby residents at risk of exposure.

Climate Action Plan (CAP) – The plan, adopted in 2009, represents key strategies for achieving a sustainable future in Berkeley. Within transit corridors such as the San Pablo Avenue corridor, the City’s CAP advocates for smart growth and increased ‘walkability’, ‘bikeability’, and public transit ridership. • General Plan Open Space and Recreation:
o As part of the City of Berkeley’s General Plan, the City adopted the Open Space and Recreation Element in 2002. The Open Space and Recreation Element applies the following policies to the various parks and other natural areas in the Study Area, which include Strawberry Creek Park, George Florence Park, and San Pablo Park.

39 See Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Regulations and Guidance for further information. 40 City of Berkeley. “2019 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan”, 12.10.2019, p.9. https://berkeleyca.gov/sites/default/files/2022-01/Local-Hazard- Mitigation-Plan-2019.pdf

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 44 of 50 o Policy OS-4 Working with Other Agencies: Work with the Berkeley Unified School District, the University of California, the East Bay Municipal Utility District, and the East Bay Regional Park District to improve, preserve, maintain, and renovate their open space and recreation facilities.

Figure

35. Updated Inventory of Seismically Vulnerable Buildings (2018). Source: 2019 Local Hazard Mitigation Plan.

o Policy OS-7 Serving Disadvantaged Populations: Within the context of open space resource allocations for new or expanded facilities, give high priority to providing additional facilities for populations that are disadvantaged or underserved.
o Policy OS-10 Access Improvements: Improve transit, bicycle, disabled, and pedestrian access to and between open space and recreation facilities.

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 45 of 50 Urban Tree Canopy – Berkeley’s tree canopy encompasses approximately 38,000 trees. The Climate Action Plan recognizes an inequitable distribution of urban tree canopy in Berkeley, with fewer trees located in the West and South Berkeley neighborhoods, which includes the Study Area. This disparity in the tree canopy is graphically represented in Figure 36. The 2023 Climate Action Plan Update report recognizes this existing condition and states that the city will plant 1,000 new street trees along streets in West and South Berkeley neighborhoods over the next two years.

In contrast to the overall distribution throughout the city, San Pablo Avenue displays a relatively even distribution and dense tree coverage when compared to other corridors like University Avenue. This is due to three rows of trees (along both sidewalks and in the median of San Pablo Avenue) that are relatively consistent throughout the corridor. This is the result of efforts over the past 10 or so years to fill in gaps in the tree canopy along San Pablo Avenue.

Figure 36. Urban Tree Canopy - percent coverage per Census Tract. Source: EarthDefine, USDA Forest Service, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, 2018.

Potential Future Opportunities
Transit-Oriented Community (TOC) Designation – In 2022, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) adopted a TOC Policy to boost the overall housing supply and increase residential densities in transit- rich areas of the Bay Area; spur commercial development near transit hubs; promote bus transit, walking, biking and shared mobility; and foster partnerships to create transit-oriented communities where people of all income levels, racial and ethnic backgrounds, ages and ability levels can live, work and thrive. Future MTC One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) funding cycles will consider funding revisions to prioritize investments in TOCs.

Although not currently designated, the San Pablo Specific Plan Area is a potential future TOC given its mix of land uses including housing, jobs, services, and shopping with close proximity to transit. While only a small portion of the

Appendix A: Key Existing Conditions
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan Public Review Draft Page 46 of 50 Specific Plan area is within proximity to the types of existing transit that meet the requirements for TOC designation, see Figure 37, the City could choose to “opt in” the area as a TOC. The intersection of University and San Pablo Avenues is within ½ mile of the Berkeley Capitol Corridor Station (Tier 4 TOC designation). Should AC Transit implement bus rapid transit (BRT) service on San Pablo Avenue, the Specific Plan Area would qualify as a Tier 3 TOC.

This designation could provide opportunities for the City to receive targeted funding for public improvements in the Specific Plan Area. To be eligible for OBAG 4 and other discretionary MTC funds that may be linked to TOC Policy compliance, the City would need to demonstrate compliance with TOC requirements prior to the adoption of OBAG 4 funding requirements which is expected to occur in 2026. 41 Figure 37. Transit Oriented Community (TOC) Designation. Source: City of Berkeley, MTC, 2023.

41 More information about MTC’s TOC policy can be found at https://mtc.ca.gov/planning/land-us e/transit-oriented-communities-toc-policy.