Public Works and Transportation Committee
November 14, 2023
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Joe DeVries
City Administrator Deputy City Administrator
and Chief Resilience Officer
SUBJECT: San Leandro Creek Pedestrian/Bike
Crossing at Hegenberger Rd. Re-
Design
DATE: October 17, 2023
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To Enter Into An Agreement With The Alameda County Flood Control District To Complete The Design Of The Pedestrian And Bike Crossing At Hegenberger Road In The City Of Oakland’s Right-Of-Way At A Cost Not-To- Exceed Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00) And Adopting Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act Findings
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the proposed resolution authorizing the City Administrator to enter into a Cooperative Agreement between the City of Oakland (City) and the County of Alameda Flood Control District (ACFCD) to provide up to $75,000.00 for completing the design of the San Leandro Creek Trail where it crosses Hegenberger Road in the City’s right-of-way. Led by the ACFCD, the San Leandro Creek Trail Project will provide much needed increased access to greenspaces for East Oakland Residents from Columbia Gardens Park to the Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline Park. Pedestrian and bicyclist path safety and sustainability is a high priority, and the City is providing these funds to support ACFCD in redesigning the Trail’s crossing of Hegenberger Road per comments from the City on the portion of the Trail located in the City’s right-of-way to ensure a safe crossing for everyone who uses the trail.
Building this trail is a priority within the Equitable Climate Action Plan 2030 as well as the Better Neighborhoods Same Neighbors Initiative.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
The San Leandro Creek Urban Greenway is a 1.2-mile trail along San Leandro Creek that runs through East Oakland, starting from Sobrante Park, passing through Columbia Gardens, and connecting to the San Leandro Bay at the Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline Park. The Greenway will turn this space from a place of dumping and other unwanted activities to a community asset Jestin Johnson (Nov 16, 2023 16:24 PST)
Nov 16, 2023
Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: San Leandro Creek Pedestrian/Bike Crossing at Hegenberger Rd. Re-Design Date: October 17, 2023 Page 2
Public Works and Transportation Committee
November 14th, 2023
where existing East Oakland residents can access quality green space and bike/pedestrian trails.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
The ACFCD previously designed the traffic signal and civil plans for the San Leandro Creek Trail Project for the crossing at Hegenberger Road and submitted the plans to the City for comment in September 2022. The City’s Department of Transportation provided review comments for the crossing in November, which the parties then discussed. ACFCD offered responses to the City’s review comments by letter, explaining that incorporating the review comments would necessitate a reassessment of the underground utility location, reapplication for a San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) permit, additional design costs, and delay of ACFCD’s San Leandro Creek Trail Project. The City understands the issues identified by AFCD and wishes to proceed with the recommendations and direction specifically for the Hegenberger Crossing design. The parties have identified efficiencies to be gained from using ACFCD’s consultant to complete the redesign, and the City has agreed to pay up to $75,000 for the costs of the redesign. The City will own and maintain the traffic signal system at Hegenberger Road, and upon construction completion and acceptance, the City shall be solely responsible for the system. Completing the redesign will ensure that the crossing that the City assumes ownership of will be preferred for pedestrians and bicyclists safely utilizing the crossing and the San Leandro Creek Trail.
The proposed action meets the Citywide priority of holistic community safety and vibrant, sustainable infrastructure because it ensures sustainable infrastructure that enhances pedestrian and bicyclist safety.
FISCAL IMPACT
The resolution will authorize the City Administrator to disburse up to $75,000.00 for eligible expenses to be paid to ACFCD from Measure BB Local Streets and Roads Fund (2218), Pedestrian Plan Implementation Project (1005415), Bicycle & Pedestrian Program Organization (35245), Architectural and Engineering Services Account (54411).
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
Through the original Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) Planning Grant efforts led by East Oakland Neighborhood Initiative (EONI) and now the TCC Implementation project Better Neighborhoods Same Neighbors Initiative, the community identified the San Leandro Creek Greenway Trail as a top priority for East Oakland residents. Namely, in 2019, EONI, in partnership with the City, held townhalls, pop-up outreach events, and surveys to engage 200+ East Oakland Residents, and the San Leandro Creek Greenway Trail was identified as one of five priority projects to be completed. Most importantly, many advocates for this trail build are youth within the neighborhood who have repeatedly lifted this trail up as a safe passageway to school and desire to access educational resources that will accompany the project.
Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: San Leandro Creek Pedestrian/Bike Crossing at Hegenberger Rd. Re-Design Date: October 17, 2023 Page 3
Public Works and Transportation Committee
November 14th, 2023
COORDINATION
The City’s City Administrator’s Office is managing the Better Neighborhoods Same Neighbors Initiative, which supports the ACFCD in building the San Leandro Creek Urban Greenway Trail.
The City’s Department of Transportation is a design reviewer for the portions of the project within the City’s right-of-way. The Department of Transportation will ultimately need to approve the design of the improvements in the City right-of-way and, following construction, will accept those improvements for the City to own and maintain. All three partners are collaborating on getting this project completed.
This report was coordinated with the Budget Bureau and City Attorney’s Office.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: The re-design of the Hegenberger Road crossing will be funded in part by the City with $75,000.00 paid to ACFCD. ACFCD is currently funded in the amount of $4 Million through 2025 to build the San Leandro Creek Trail, including the Hegenberer Road crossing. If this phase one portion cannot be completed by 2024, the completion of phase two could result in the loss of funds.
Environmental: The building of the trail will provide greening and tree planting and aid in the prevention of illegal dumping. Associated with the building of the trail, 300 trees will be planted along with native plants, and indigenous medicinal resources will be a part of the landscaping.
The trail will be utilized as an outdoor classroom to teach youth in the Sobrante Park neighborhoods about the environmental impacts that creek restoration has.
Race & Equity: There is currently no way for pedestrians and bicyclists in the Columbia Gardens and Brookfield Village neighborhoods to directly access the Martin Luther King Jr.
Shoreline Park. This trail would provide increased access for frontline communities to access greenspaces. These frontline communities must drive to the Martin Luther King Jr. Shoreline Park to enjoy this beautiful greenspace. This trail will provide a safe way to walk and bike to the park. This area has been historically impacted by redlining practices, the war on drugs, and physical infrastructure in the construction of the I-880 highway, which divided Brookfield Village and Columbia Gardens. Surrounding the neighborhoods are additional obstructive transportation infrastructure, including Union Pacific Railroad. Despite the neighborhood’s proximity to the San Leandro Creek and both MLK & Oyster Bay Shoreline, bike and pedestrian access to these open spaces and wildlife preserves is prohibited and/or highly limited.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA)
The project creates a functional greenway segment linking the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline from Hegenberger Road crossing to Columbia Gardens Park along the San Leandro Creek in Oakland, CA. The project consists of enhancing a publicly owned flood control corridor by installing asphalt path surfacing and fencing; landscaping; replacing trees that are unhealthy, non-native, or in conflict with the proposed project alignment; planting additional native tree species; and creating an ADA compliant multimodal path along the existing maintenance access road as part of a linear green space landscape. This multimodal facility will provide safe route connections between neighborhoods, schools, business and commercial districts, and a Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: San Leandro Creek Pedestrian/Bike Crossing at Hegenberger Rd. Re-Design Date: October 17, 2023 Page 4
Public Works and Transportation Committee
November 14th, 2023
regional park. This project is Categorically Exempt as described in the State Guidelines (Sec. 15301) Class 1: Existing Facilities, consisting of the operation, repair, maintenance, or minor alteration of existing structures or facilities involving negligible or no expansion of use.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council adopt a resolution authorizing the City Administrator to enter into an agreement with the Alameda County Flood Control District to complete the design of the pedestrian and bike crossing at Hegenberger Road in the City’s right of way at a cost not to exceed Seventy-Five Thousand Dollars ($75,000) And Adopting Appropriate California Environmental Quality Act Findings
For questions regarding this report, please contact Michael Dyer, TCC Program Manager, at (510) 238-6843.
Respectfully submitted,
Joe DeVries
Deputy City Administrator and Chief Resilience
Officer, City Administrator’s Office
Prepared by:
Michael Dyer, TCC Program Manager
City Administrator’s Office