DATE:
June 17, 2025
TO:
LaTanya Bellow
FROM:
Chadrick Smalley, Community Development Director
SUBJECT:
Active Transportation Plan First Annual Report
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the City Council receive the first annual report on the Active Transportation Plan (“ATP”) and provide any feedback or recommendations for reporting next year.
Background
Plan Development.
On November 17, 2020, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 20-114 authorizing execution of a contract with Alta Planning + Design for the preparation of the ATP, to replace the Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan, which was adopted on May 15, 2012. Public outreach began in March 2021.
Over 1,300 people participated in the development of the ATP. Opportunities for participation included:
Ten Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) meetings.
Four Transportation Committee meetings.
Three listening sessions: small focus groups focusing on the needs and experiences of hotel and retail workers, community members with disabilities, and families with children.
One interactive youth outreach event focusing on the needs and experiences of school-age children.
One walking tour and one bicycling tour.
Three online community meetings.
One online survey and two online interactive map activities gathering comments and experiences on existing and proposed infrastructure improvements.
Promotion of public participation opportunities was done through:
Targeted social media advertisements in English and Spanish placed on Facebook, Instagram, and Google.
Use of the City of Emeryville social media accounts and websites.
Use of City email lists.
The placement of 20 bilingual (English and Spanish) sidewalk decals around the city in key locations (including the Greenway, transit stops, and parks).
Mailing of 19,000 bilingual (English and Spanish) postcards to every residential and business address in the city.
Hand delivering bilingual (English and Spanish) flyers and holding impromptu conversations at retail businesses, hotels, and restaurants.
Plan Adoption.
From November 2022 through January 2023 the Draft ATP was reviewed at public workshops held online by various bodies including the BPAC, Planning Commission, Transportation Committee, and City Council.
After a systematic review of all comments, revision of the plan began in April 2023. The Final Draft of the ATP was posted on the ATP website in June 2023 and presented at the July meetings of the BPAC and Transportation Committee for recommendation to the City Council. Both committees recommended the City Council approve the ATP. On July 27, 2023, the Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval to the City Council. On October 17, 2023, the City Council unanimously voted to adopt Resolution No. 23-140 approving the ATP and rescinding the previous Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan, which the ATP replaced.
This is the first annual report on progress made towards ATP implementation since its adoption in October 2023, subsequently covering the time span of October 2023 through December 31, 2024. Future annual reports will cover each calendar year and be presented to the Planning Commission around March, and City Council around April, of each following year.
While the City is required by state law to provide annual progress reports on the General Plan and Housing Element, there are no mandated requirements for reporting on the ATP. Rather, during the adoption of the ATP, members of the BPAC, Transportation Committee, Planning Commission, and City Council consistently requested regular updates on the ATP after adoption. No direction was provided as to what these updates should include or how they should be provided, however, these requests are consistent with ATP policy recommendation A-5: Plan Evaluation, which states that the City will “track the implementation status of the bicycle and pedestrian network proposed in the Active Transportation Plan.”
DISCUSSION
The ATP is divided into five sections: Vision, Goals, Policy Recommendations, Program Recommendations, and Plans, as described below.
Vision
The foundation of the ATP is its vision statement (page 18), which reads:
“The City of Emeryville is a community where active, sustainable transportation is the easy choice: it is safe, comfortable, equitable, and accessible to all.
The continuous, connected network of world-class facilities eliminates the necessity of driving a car and makes active transportation accessible to people of all identities (race, ethnicity, age, gender, socio-economic status, ability, or orientation). The City promotes active travel through infrastructure, education, and encouragement programs. The City inspires other communities with its visionary and forward thinking commitment to active transportation.” To realize this vision, the ATP includes six goals, 11 policy recommendations, five program recommendations, and four project maps. This annual report assesses progress in these four areas.
Goals
Comfortable. “The active transportation network is easy to navigate, including for parents, children, and seniors. Best practices in infrastructure design and programming reduces the risk of serious injury while biking, walking, or rolling throughout Emeryville.” Connected. “The active transportation network is seamlessly integrated both within Emeryville and externally to neighboring communities. It allows for intermodal connectivity. Reaching destinations is direct and barrier-free.” Joyful. “Traveling along well-designed routes in the active transportation network is an enjoyable and attractive experience. People feel connected to one another and take pride in their streets and trails as public spaces and desirable destinations.” Equitable. “The needs of the less resourced, whether by income, ability, employment access, education, age or another characteristic where disparity exists, are centered in project and program planning, prioritization, and implementation and given equal weight to residents’ more resourced counterparts.” Sustainable. “To help mitigate the climate crisis and reduce local pollution, the active transportation network encourages mode shift to zero-emission travel (biking, walking, rolling, and public transit) and helps lower the carbon footprint of those living and working in Emeryville. It includes other environmental benefits by increasing the number of shade trees and acreage of green stormwater infrastructure.” Implementable. “The City incorporates active transportation network improvements into all aspects of the planning, development and construction process, including new private development projects. The City tackles complex and simple problems alike, allocating appropriate resources and creativity to each. The City leverages opportunities, large and small, to prioritize and implement any aspect of the active transportation network.” As all of the goals contain qualitative elements, at the November 4, 2024, BPAC meeting committee members reviewed the six goals of the ATP and provided qualitative feedback on progress made towards each goal. Highlights and themes from the discussion included:
Comfortable:
Amazing progress, doing things right: Horton Street.
More progress for bikes, less for pedestrians.
Connected:
Great facilities: new bridge, greenway, Doyle Street.
Connecting people to places: work is progressing both on big projects and intersections.
Joyful:
What makes active transportation in Emeryville joyful? Quotes: clean, pride, social, relationships, maintenance, happy. “Joyful is up!”
Equitable:
“Connection is equity.”
Wayfinding will help.
Free Emery Go-Round.
Sustainable:
How to measure sustainability over time? Options include using data from the American Community Survey (ACS), Bike to Wherever Day participation, Ped/Bike Counters, and the number of street trees.
Additional recommended data sources: bike share use, parking space/meter use, transit agency rider counts. use Implementable:
ATP has improved interdepartmental communication.
“Other cities look to Emeryville as an example.”
Table I, attached to this report, includes all of the ATP goals, with a description of each goal, and notes for BPAC’s qualitative assessment discussion.
Policy Recommendations
At the end of 2024, three policy recommendations are marked as “not yet,” and eight policy recommendations are marked as “ongoing.” The three policy recommendations marked as “not yet” are:
A-3: Engage partners with EUSD for Safe Routes to School (point people with capacity in both the City and EUSD need to be identified).
In 2025 staff will aim to develop EUSD connections and relationships to ensure implementation in 2025-2026 school year.
A-5.1: Use counts for ATP updates.
This policy was not applicable in 2024 as the ATP was just adopted; it is for future implementation.
A-5.3: Data for tracking ATP progress.
In 2024 staff worked on methodology to implement the ATP and improving interdepartmental coordination. Staff will begin work on a database as data becomes available over the next two years.
Highlights from the eight policy recommendations marked as “ongoing” are:
A-1.2: Evaluate opportunities to integrate pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure to advance the ATP.
Pedestrian and bicycle improvements have been incorporated into the Sustainable Streetscapes Program in the CIP to integrate infrastructure on an ongoing basis.
A-6: Evaluate opportunities for Leading Pedestrian Intervals (LPI).
In 2024 the City's on call traffic consultant retimed signals on Hollis Street and optimized LPI where applicable.
Evaluate new legislation regarding lowering speed limits.
After July 1, 2024, California Assembly Bill 43 gave local jurisdictions authority to lower speed limits and the City implemented a citywide speed limit update. Subsequently, speed limits were reduced to as low as 15 miles per hour (on Horton Street and 53rd Street) and 20 miles per hour (on Christie Avenue and Park Avenue).
Program Recommendations
Pages 61 - 70 of the ATP provides 14 policy recommendations under six categories (equity, encouragement, safe routes to school, education, evaluation, and other). Table III is attached to this report and includes all of the ATP program recommendations, with a description and status of each program recommendation (“Complete,” “Progress,” “Ongoing,” or “Not Yet”). Below is a list of each program-by-program area, the status of each program, and a highlight from the past year in each program area.
Equity:
B-1: Targeted Outreach and Programs Ongoing
Highlight: The Powell Street survey was provided in English, Spanish, and Cantonese based on pre-survey community outreach.
B-2: Bicycle Accessories Giveaway Program Not Yet
B-3: Bike/Ped Infrastructure Equity Program Ongoing
Encouragement:
B-4: Expanded Bike Share Progress
Highlights: New station at Bay Street by the South Bayfront Ped-Bike Bridge, reduced membership prices, and work on fleet expansion began.
B-5: Car-Free Street Events Progress
Highlights: Harvest Festival: Hubbard, Halleck, and Sherwin Avenue were closed and used for vending booths, food trucks, and activities such as axe throwing; Halloween: four streets were closed for the Spooky Streets event; and the Holiday Parade route was closed to autos.
B-6: Bicycle Friendly Community Not Yet
B-7: Employer-Based Encouragement Programs / Bicycle Friendly Business Programs Ongoing Highlight: Multiple businesses and many community volunteers made the 2024 Bike to Work/Wherever Day the largest ever, with five energizer stations, and station passports.
B-8: Bike Parking Retrofit Program Progress
Highlight: 100 racks were installed city-wide on sidewalks based on bike rack requests submitted to the City.
Safe Routes to School:
B-9: Safe Routes to School Programs Not Yet
Highlights: Despite not having a designated coordinator, the City has been installing street improvements near school campuses to improve safety; and in winter of 2023 traffic calming measures and a cycle track were installed on Steve Dain Drive and Doyle Street near ECCL.
Education:
B-10: Adult Bicycling Skills Classes Not Yet
B-11: Family Bicycling Skills Classes Not Yet
B-12: Driver Education Program/Campaign Not Yet
Evaluation:
B-13: Traffic Counts Ongoing
Highlight: A ped-bike counter was installed on the South Bayfront Bridge in 2024.
Other:
B-14: Wayfinding Progress
Highlight: Program adopted. Design work occurred in 2024 to facilitate the first install on 40th Street, which is anticipated in 2026.
In summary, in the first year after adoption of the ATP:
Three program recommendations are “ongoing,”
Six program recommendations are “not yet” implemented,
Four program recommendations have made “progress,” and
No programs are complete.
Maps
Attachment 4 provides four maps from the ATP: Map 1, Major Projects and Studies; Map 2, Proposed Pedestrian Improvements; Map 3, Proposed Spot Improvements; and Map 4, Proposed Bikeways. The maps are highlighted to demonstrate where studies are currently underway (yellow), there is work in progress (blue), or where projects are complete or under physical construction (green).
Fiscal Impact
None.
Staff Communication with the Public
Transportation Committee
A power point presentation on the progress of the ATP was provided to the Transportation Committee at their meeting on March 10, 2025. The Transportation Committee expressed appreciation for the ATP annual report and discussed opportunities for improving communication regarding the funding and progress of individual projects throughout the year.
BPAC
A power point presentation on the progress of the ATP was provided to the BPAC at their meeting on May 5, 2025. The BPAC expressed appreciation for the ATP annual report, noting that the number of projects advancing in only the first year of plan implementation is impressive. Members of the BPAC expressed great interest in data gathering to better understand the impact of the plan quantitatively, particularly in assessing the number of people cycling and walking, and also using metrics such as parking demand and transit use to help evaluate potential mode shifts. Outside of the annual report, the BPAC also expressed the need for better understanding on whether and how their recommendations were being incorporated into projects throughout the year, and for more communication about the progress of ongoing projects.
Planning Commission
The Planning Commission reviewed the report on May 22, 2025. The Commissioners asked questions regarding plan implementation and provided recommendations for next year’s report including: adding project funding information; using public health-oriented data from the police department and Alameda County as indicators (such as traffic incidents); and using survey data (such as from the 2024 Parks survey). The Commissioners also acknowledged that much was accomplished in the first year of the ATP, and that it might not be feasible to make as much progress every single year.
Conflict of Interest
None.
ReCOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council receive this report and attachments and provide any feedback or recommendations for reporting next year.
PREPARED BY:
Navarre Oaks, Senior Planner
REVIEWED BY:
Miroo Desai, Planning Manager
Approved and Forwarded to the
CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF EMERYVILLE:
LaTanya Bellow, City Manager
Attachments
Attachment 1 - Table I: ATP Goals
Attachment 2 - Table II: ATP Policy Recommendations
Attachment 3 - Table III: ATP Program Recommendations
Attachment 4 - ATP Maps Marked with Progress Status
Active Transportation Plan Annual Report
City Council | July 1, 2025
City of Emeryville
CALIFORNIA
MEMORANDUM