January 2023
Bicycle & Pedestrian
Master Plan
March 2024
City of Pleasant Hill
Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan
March 2024
Acknowledgments
City Council
Matthew Rinn, Mayor
Sue Noack, Vice Mayor
Timothy M. Flaherty, Councilmember
Zac Shess, Councilmember
Allen Vinson, Councilmember
Stakeholders
Traffic Safety Commission
Mount Diablo Unified School District
Friends of Pleasant Hill Creeks
Bike East Bay
City of Pleasant Hill, Engineering Division
Ananthan Kanagasundaram
Ryan McClain
Alta Planning + Design, Inc.
Brett Hondorp
James Frank
Jeff Knowles
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Table of Contents | i Table of Contents
1. Introduction ........................................................................................................ 3 What Is a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan? ............................................... 3 Why Does Pleasant Hill Need a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan? ............... 3 Who Is the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Intended For? ......................... 4 Plan Contents ................................................................................................ 4
2. Vision, Goals, and Policies ................................................................................... 6
3. Existing Conditions .............................................................................................. 9
4. Needs Analysis .................................................................................................. 26
5. Recommended Bicycle Facilities ........................................................................ 37
6. Recommended Pedestrian Facilities .................................................................. 44
7. Wayfinding Signage ........................................................................................... 46
8. Recommended Programs ................................................................................... 48
9. Implementation ................................................................................................. 55 City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Table of Contents | ii List of Figures
FIGURE 3–1: 2019 AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC (ADT) ................................................................................................................................... 12 FIGURE 3–2: CALTRANS BIKEWAY CLASSIFICATIONS ..................................................................................................................................... 19 FIGURE 3–3: EXISTING CITYWIDE BICYCLE FACILITY MAP .............................................................................................................................. 20 FIGURE 3–4: EXISTING CITYWIDE PEDESTRIAN FACILITY MAP ......................................................................................................................... 23 FIGURE 4–1: BICYCLIST-AND-PEDESTRIAN-RELATED COLLISIONS 2016-2020 ................................................................................................... 30 FIGURE 4–2: BICYCLE PRIORITY AREAS ..................................................................................................................................................... 33 FIGURE 4–3: PEDESTRIAN PRIORITY IMPROVEMENT AREAS ........................................................................................................................... 35 FIGURE 5–1: EXISTING AND RECOMMENDED BIKEWAY NETWORK ................................................................................................................... 41 FIGURE 6–1: RECOMMENDED PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS .......................................................................................................................... 45 FIGURE 8–1: GREGORY GARDENS SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOLS IMPROVEMENT PLAN ............................................................................................ 51 FIGURE 9–1: IMPLEMENTATION DIAGRAM................................................................................................................................................. 56 List of Tables
TABLE 3-1: 2021-2022 ENROLLMENT .................................................................................................................................................... 13 TABLE 3-2: EMPLOYMENT SECTORS AND EMPLOYEES ................................................................................................................................... 15 TABLE 3-3: EXISTING BICYCLE FACILITIES ................................................................................................................................................... 17 TABLE 4-1: BICYCLIST RELATED COLLISIONS BY YEAR ................................................................................................................................... 27 TABLE 4-2: INTERSECTION LOCATIONS WITH THE MOST BICYCLIST COLLISIONS ................................................................................................... 28 TABLE 4-3: BICYCLIST COLLISION PARTIES AT FAULT ..................................................................................................................................... 28 TABLE 4-4: PEDESTRIAN COLLISIONS BY YEAR ............................................................................................................................................ 29 TABLE 4-5: INTERSECTION LOCATIONS WITH THE MOST PEDESTRIAN COLLISIONS ............................................................................................... 29 TABLE 4-6: PEDESTRIAN COLLISION TIMES ................................................................................................................................................. 29 TABLE 4-7: PEDESTRIAN COLLISION PARTIES AT FAULT ................................................................................................................................. 31 TABLE 4-8: JOURNEY TO WORK............................................................................................................................................................... 36 TABLE 8-1: POSSIBLE PROGRAMMATIC IMPLEMENTATION ............................................................................................................................. 48 TABLE 9-1: COSTS BY PROJECT TYPE ......................................................................................................................................................... 57 TABLE 9-2: PRIORITIZATION FRAMEWORK ................................................................................................................................................. 58 TABLE 9-3: RECOMMENDED BIKEWAYS ..................................................................................................................................................... 59 TABLE 9-4: RECOMMENDED SIDEWALKS ................................................................................................................................................... 61 TABLE 9-5: FUNDING SOURCES ............................................................................................................................................................... 62 City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Vision, Goals, and Policies | 3
1. Introduction
What Is a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan?
The City of Pleasant Hill values bicycle and pedestrian travel as integral modes of the transportation system.
To integrate biking and walking into the transportation system and institutionalize biking and walking as a means of everyday transport, the City developed this Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (BPMP) to guide the implementation of projects and policies to prioritize biking and walking.
The BPMP provides a consistent, long-term guide to the City in developing connected networks of multipurpose paths, bikeways, sidewalks, and street crossings. The BPMP compliments the City’s General Plan Circulation Element and provides focused visions and goals towards the development of bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The BPMP represents a shift in the City’s transportation development strategy from an automobileoriented focus to a “complete streets” focus in order to balance the needs of multiple modes of travel. New and enhanced networks and routes identified in the BPMP may be incorporated and implemented as a part of the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The CIP is the City’s infrastructure project implementation and budgeting document. The BPMP provides general improvement recommendations and design guidelines for the City to promote consistent, safe, and efficient integration of bicycle and pedestrian facilities on City streets and near transit facilities.
The BPMP supports the City in competing for Federal, State, or Local grant funding opportunities by serving as the policy document that such grant sources require to ensure projects provide a cohesive vision for bicyclepedestrian projects. The BPMP also provides policy recommendations to ensure that private development projects that benefit from new facilities pay their fair-share towards those facilities via the city’s traffic mitigation fee program.
The 2011 BPMP provided guidance for the City’s bicycle and pedestrian facility improvements. The 2023 Master Plan identifies the next phase of bicycle and pedestrian facility improvements, incorporating current policies and design standards for bicycle and pedestrian accommodation and funding strategies for future project implementation.
Why Does Pleasant Hill Need a Bicycle and Pedestrian
Master Plan?
The BPMP will benefit all communities in Pleasant Hill as the City has many attractive destinations that will be connected through the plan including schools that are centrally located within residential neighborhoods. The downtown is vibrant and walkable and is close to public transportation. However, accessing these destinations General Plan
Bicycle and
Pedestrian Master
Plan
Capital
Improvement Plan
(Implementation)
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Vision, Goals, and Policies | 4 by bicycle or on foot can be challenging. The BPMP identifies critical connections and safety improvements that, if implemented, would facilitate and encourage bicycle and pedestrian access to these destinations.
With an improved bicycle and pedestrian facility network, Pleasant Hill community members would have greater opportunities to bike and walk. With increased activity comes a healthier and more active Pleasant Hill, increased interdependence for younger and older residents, reduced traffic congestion, improved air quality, and an enhanced sense of community.
To ensure orderly and rational development of the bicycle and pedestrian facility network, the BPMP presents an incremental implementation strategy. Certain projects may be implemented as a part of approved capital improvement projects such as the on-going annual street resurfacing program or the CIP Pedestrian and Bicycle Program. Larger projects may be implemented using fund sources such as the Measure K (half cent sales tax), Measure J (half cent transportation sales tax), Transportation Development Act State Transit Fund, Gas Tax, and the Traffic Mitigation Fund.
Other projects not funded through these channels may be incorporated into the City’s CIP, funded or constructed by development projects, or funded by other Federal, State, or Local grants. The BPMP includes a recommended list of prioritized projects, which the City can use as a guide when determining which bicycle and pedestrian projects to pursue for grant funding opportunities.
Guided by an implementation strategy, the City is more competitive in pursuing grant funding opportunities.
Many grant programs, including the California Active Transportation Program (ATP), favor or award points to infrastructure projects that are already part of a bicycle, pedestrian, or active transportation plan.
Who Is the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Intended For? The BPMP is intended for a wide range of audiences, including anyone that bikes or walks in Pleasant Hill and anyone interested in strategies that will make biking and walking safer and more enjoyable for people of all ages and abilities. The BPMP guides City staff in implementing strategies and infrastructure improvements. It is a reference document for all City staff to ensure that bicycle and pedestrian facilities are implemented efficiently. This may mean deviating from the recommended prioritized project list to construct a lesser priority project in tandem with already approved roadway construction projects. Funding sponsors can reference the BPMP to learn about the City’s existing and planned efforts relating to improved biking and walking conditions.
Plan Contents
The BPMP includes the following chapters:
Chapter 2. Vision, Goals, and Policies.
Presents a vision, goals, and policies that provide the foundation for the BPMP’s recommendations.
Chapter 3. Existing Conditions.
Documents the existing conditions relevant to biking and walking in Pleasant Hill, including the City’s existing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, land use, and education/ encouragement programs.
Chapter 4. Needs Analysis.
Presents findings of community outreach conducted as part of the BPMP, bicycle and pedestrian collision analysis for 2018 to 2022 (the latest available data), and maps identifying priority areas for bicycle and pedestrian improvements in the City.
Chapter 5. Recommended Bicycle Facilities.
Presents recommendations for bicycle infrastructure improvements based on guidance from City staff, public input, roadway width analysis, and field inspection.
Chapter 6. Recommended Pedestrian Facilities.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Vision, Goals, and Policies | 5 Presents recommendations for pedestrian infrastructure improvements, including sidewalks, pathways and crossing improvements.
Chapter 7. Wayfinding Signage.
Presents recommended signage design, placement standards and destinations for the development of a Citywide Bicycle Wayfinding Signage Plan.
Chapter 8. Recommended Programs.
Presents recommended engagement, equity, education, encouragement, enforcement, and evaluation programs that support biking and walking. Most of the recommended programs require partnerships between City departments, other public entities, schools, advocacy groups, and volunteers. This chapter also presents general cost estimates and potential funding sources for these programs.
Chapter 9. Implementation.
This chapter provides a road map for the City to implement recommended projects and programs. The BPMP provides a recommended project priority list based on how well the projects support the goals and policies of the BPMP, and how well the projects meet common criteria for grant funding. Projects identified in the BPMP may change based on further analysis by the City. The recommended priority list is flexible, and the actual order of implementation will vary from the list presented in this chapter as opportunities and challenges to implementation arise.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Vision, Goals, and Policies | 6
2. Vision, Goals, and Policies
The BPMP vision, goals, and policies serve as the foundation to institute transformative change towards expanding walking and biking facilities and programs and are consistent with the goals established by the City’s General Plan Circulation Element and the 2018 Contra Costa Countywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.
The BPMP’s vision is broad in context and guides the goals and policies:
“Ensure that people of all ages and abilities can safely and comfortably use Pleasant Hill’s bicycle and pedestrian network for all trip purposes.” Goals, Policies and Objectives
Goals are set to identify improvements to the bicycle and pedestrian networks in Pleasant Hill. They outline the BPMP framework. Policies identify various methods for the City to implement the goals, and objectives define specific action items.
Policy 1.1 Build out a network of safe and comfortable bikeway and pedestrian facilities connecting neighborhoods and destinations in Pleasant Hill and adjacent jurisdictions Objective 1.1.1 Connect to schools, shopping, parks and libraries, recreational centers, trails, transit, and other neighborhood destinations
Objective 1.1.2 Use the BPMP recommended project prioritization list as a guide to incorporate projects into the Capital Improvement Plan, for grant application submittals, and for implementation.
Objective 1.1.3 Implement and track progress of the City’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) through the ADA Transition Plan in conjunction with the BPMP.
Objective 1.1.4 Link to significant destinations including the Iron Horse Regional Trail corridor, Contra Costa Canal Trail corridor, Pleasant Hill BART station, Diablo Valley College, regional parks, retail, and employment centers.
Policy 1.2 Accommodate bicyclists, micro-mobility riders, and pedestrians within street crosssections.
Objective 1.2.1 Evaluate opportunities to repurpose roadway capacity to accommodate bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
Objective 1.2.2 Require developers to pay a fair share cost to help implement bicycle and pedestrian improvements that benefit their sites through the city’s existing traffic mitigation fee program.
Objective 1.2.3 Consider establishing requirements for street furniture and amenities (e.g. seating, signage, lighting, bicycle racks) in the public right-of-way to enhance all non-motorized modes of transportation.
Goal 1: Increase number of bicycle and pedestrian trips by users of all ages and abilities.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Vision, Goals, and Policies | 7 Policy 2.1 Maintain a collision database and work with applicable City departments and law enforcement to map collision data and identify problem areas.
Objective 2.1.1 Apply Vision Zero principles to prioritize implementation of improvements on streets or intersections with a history of fatal and serious injury crashes.
Objective 2.1.2 Evaluate intersections and crossings to install new treatments at existing crosswalks such as curb extensions, lighting, and other safety improvements.
Policy 2.2 Employ high-quality design standards for bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
Objective 2.2.1 Utilize best practices from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) and the most recent State and Federal design guidelines to develop high-quality bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
Objective 2.2.2 Utilize context appropriate design to safely and comfortably accommodate bikers, micro-mobility riders, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities on all roadway types.
Objective 2.2.3 Explore strategic and effective implementation of traffic calming designs to encourage slower traffic speeds while balancing the needs of all travel modes.
Policy 2.3 Support bicycle and pedestrian safety education in all Pleasant Hill schools.
Objective 2.3.1 Support bicycle rodeos and bicycle/pedestrian safety presentations at Pleasant Hill schools by 511 Contra Costa.
Objective 2.3.2 Conduct outreach to Pleasant Hill schools to address community concerns and promote biking and walking to schools.
Policy 2.4 Enforce pedestrian and bicycle-related traffic laws.
Objective 2.4.1 Explore targeted traffic enforcement at locations with high violation rates.
Policy 3.1 Ensure inter-departmental use and application of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
Objective 3.1.1 Use the BPMP recommended project prioritization list to incorporate projects into the Capital Improvement Plan and for grant application submittals.
Objective 3.1.2 Install facilities in tandem with approved capital and development projects, while considering BPMP project feasibility.
Policy 3.2 Ensure public bicycle and pedestrian needs are regularly reviewed.
Objective 3.2.1 Utilize the Traffic Safety Commission for ongoing review and consideration of the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians in projects.
Objective 3.2.2 Review progress on BPMP implementation with the Traffic Safety Commission on an annual basis.
Goal 2: Strive to eliminate all fatal and serious injury bicycle and pedestrian related crashes.
Goal 3: Encourage more people to walk and bicycle for utilitarian purposes.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Vision, Goals, and Policies | 8 Policy 3.3 Benchmark pedestrian and bicyclist volumes and movements.
Objective 3.3.1 Incorporate bicycle and pedestrian counts in citywide traffic data collection on trails, streets and at intersections.
Objective 3.3.2 Encourage Pleasant Hill schools to conduct student hand tally surveys on a typical weekday in the fall and spring.
Objective 3.3.3 Consider a citywide survey to establish an inventory on the number of bicycle parking facilities, types and locations.
Policy 4.1 Maintain and expand the bicycle parking network in Pleasant Hill.
Objective 4.1.1 Consult, monitor, and implement bicycle parking requirements on new developments according to the Municipal Code.
Objective 4.1.2 Install bike parking facilities.
Objective 4.1.3 Develop a bicycle parking program with local business owners to install bike parking facilities on private properties.
Policy 4.2 Implement supportive infrastructure.
Objective 4.2.1 Develop a comprehensive wayfinding system for bikers and pedestrians that links with regional efforts.
Objective 4.2.2 Provide pedestrian amenities, such as street trees, benches, pedestrian-scale lighting, waste receptacles, landscaping, and street furniture zones where space allows.
Policy 4.3 Promote 511 Contra Costa alternative commute mode materials.
Objective 4.3.1 Advertise 511 Contra Costa alternative commute programs through City outreach.
Policy 4.4 Promote and support Bike to Work Day.
Objective 4.4.1 Work with 511 Contra Costa to ensure that one or more energizer stations are available in Pleasant Hill.
Objective 4.4.2 Advertise Bike to Work Day through City social media platforms.
Goal 4: Encourage more people to walk and bicycle in Pleasant Hill by implementing supportive infrastructure and programs.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Existing Conditions | 9
3. Existing Conditions
This chapter documents the existing conditions of biking and walking in Pleasant Hill. An understanding of existing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, the transportation network, land use, and demographics guides the development of BPMP recommendations.
Setting
Pleasant Hill has approximately
35,000 residents, a strong sense of
community, and small-town
charm. The City’s vibrant
downtown and proximity to other
Bay Area cities attract thousands
of new residents and visitors each
year.
Pleasant Hill is in central Contra
Costa County and has the ideal
climate for biking and walking
outdoors. The average
temperatures range from the low
60s in the winter to the mid-80s in
the summer. Precipitation is
generally confined to winter months maximizing bike-and walk-ability.
Pleasant Hill’s topography, while slightly hilly in certain isolated areas, is generally flat and accessible to most people on bikes and on foot. For those looking for biking and hiking adventures, Pleasant Hill has a lot to offer including close proximity to two regional parks. Mount Diablo State Park is located eight miles to the southeast, and Briones Regional Park is located immediately to the west of the City. In addition, Pleasant Hill has a network of interconnecting multi-use paths including East Bay Regional Park District Trails (Contra Costa Canal Trail and Iron Horse Regional Trail) and the East Bay Municipal Utility District Trail.
Land Use
Non-motorized transportation mode choices such as biking and walking are dependent on land use intensity.
Downtown and dense urban areas are generally more accommodating to bicyclists and pedestrians. Suburban residential urban areas and large commercial areas with lot sizes over 20,000 square feet typically generate few biking and walking trips.
Pleasant Hill is primarily zoned residential with the average lot size between 6,000 and 15,000 square feet. The southwest quadrant of the City has single family lot sizes up to 10,000 square feet. The central area has smaller single family lot sizes up to 7,000 square feet. With sidewalks on major roads and tree lined neighborhood streets, walking is an attractive recreational activity in these areas. In some areas of Pleasant Hill, walking for utilitarian purposes can be challenging due to indirect access to shopping and employment locations.
Commercial land use is primarily located along Contra Costa Boulevard. There are also clusters of commercial areas throughout the City. The major commercial areas are the Downtown District centered at Crescent Plaza & Contra Costa Boulevard, The Crossroads along Buskirk Avenue, Pleasant Hill Shopping Center at Chilpancingo Parkway & Contra Costa Boulevard, and Sunvalley Mall adjacent to the City of Concord at Taylor Boulevard & Contra Costa Boulevard.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Existing Conditions | 10 The City has designated two commercial areas as Priority Development Areas (PDAs). One PDA is located in the Downtown Core area and extends eastward along Buskirk Avenue. The other PDA is centered on the Diablo Valley College Transit Center, on Golf Club Road near Diablo Valley College. PDAs encourage higher density residential development and allow greater flexibility in vertical and horizontal use integration. These mixeduse developments bring residents within biking and walking distances to employment centers, transit facilities, educational institutions, and community amenities such as shops, restaurants, banks, and gyms.
3.2.1. Roadways and Streets
Roadways and streets are the
primary paths of travel for all users
including bicyclists, pedestrians,
and motorists. The extent of
bikeway and sidewalk
improvements that can be
accommodated varies depending
on the street classification,
roadway widths, speed limit, and
traffic demand. The City uses
Average Daily Traffic (ADT)
volumes and roadway physical
characteristics to designate a
street classification (e.g. arterial,
collector, local street). ADT is also a
variable to consider when planning
bikeway and pedestrian facilities.
Figure 3-1 shows the ADT on the City’s network of roadways and streets based on count data collected in May 2019.
Pleasant Hill has two major north-south thoroughfares that provides circulation and access, namely Contra Costa Boulevard and Pleasant Hill Road.
Contra Costa Boulevard is a major north-south arterial street traversing the city parallel to Interstate 680 with freeway access at several locations. Its ADT ranges from 30,000 daily vehicles south of Chilpancingo Parkway to 35,700 daily vehicles north of Gregory Lane. There are continuous sidewalks and segments of Class II bike lanes and Class III bike route facilities on Contra Costa Boulevard.
Pleasant Hill Road is a major north-south arterial street except as a collector street north of Taylor Boulevard to the north city limit (near Devon Avenue) and between Gregory Lane and Oak Park Boulevard. Its ADT ranges from 27,200 daily vehicles north of Taylor Boulevard to 9,500 daily vehicles north of Geary Road. Pleasant Hill Road sidewalks were enhanced in recent years by Capital Improvement Projects (Taylor Boulevard to Gregory Lane and Pleasant View Drive to Cumberland Drive).
Pleasant Hill has six major roadways that provide continuous east-west circulation and access. They include Chilpancingo Parkway, Taylor Boulevard, Gregory Lane-Grayson Road, Boyd Road, Oak Park Boulevard, and Geary Road.
Chilpancingo Parkway is an east-west arterial street between Contra Costa Boulevard and Morello Avenue. Its ADT ranges from 17,800 daily vehicles at Contra Costa Boulevard to 8,000 daily vehicles at Morello Avenue.
East of Old Quarry Lane, sidewalks are present on both sides of the street. West of Old Quarry Lane, there is only sidewalk on the north side of the street, and missing sidewalk on the south side. Class II buffered and unbuffered bike lanes are provided.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Existing Conditions | 11 Taylor Boulevard is an east-west arterial street that extends westerly from Contra Costa Boulevard, and bends south toward the City of Lafayette. Its ADT ranges from 23,200 daily vehicles at Contra Costa Boulevard to 21,600 daily vehicles at Gregory Lane. Taylor Boulevard has a Class II bike lane, but sidewalks are present only near Contra Costa Boulevard and the Contra Costa Canal Trail.
Gregory Lane is an east-west arterial street between Contra Costa Boulevard and Pleasant Hill Road. Its ADT ranges from 13,800 daily vehicles at Contra Costa Boulevard to 13,300 daily vehicles at Pleasant Hill Road. It has sidewalks on both sides of the
streets but has no bike facilities. South
of Boyd Road Contra Costa Boulevard
provides an on-ramp to I-680
southbound and continues south of
Astrid Drive as N. Main Street into the
City of Walnut Creek.
Boyd Road is an east-west collector
street between Contra Costa
Boulevard and Pleasant Hill Road. Its
ADT ranges from 9,100 daily vehicles
at Contra Costa Boulevard to 4,000
daily vehicles at Pleasant Hill Road.
Boyd Road carries primarily
residential and school generated
traffic. It has sidewalks on both sides
of the street. Boyd Road is a Class III bike route facility.
Oak Park Boulevard is an east-west arterial street that extends from Pleasant Hill Road to Buskirk Avenue. Its ADT ranges from 17,400 daily vehicles at I-680 to 8,200 daily vehicles at Pleasant Hill Road. It provides direct access to the Pleasant Hill BART Station via Coggins Drive to the east. It is a Class III bike route facility. East of Patterson Boulevard, recently completed projects on Oak Park Boulevard have installed continuous sidewalks on the north side of the street, but gaps remain on the south side. West of Patterson Boulevard, Oak Park Boulevard has sidewalk on both sides of the street and has Class II bike lanes.
Geary Road is an east-west arterial street between North Main Street and Pleasant Hill Road, and encompasses the cities of Pleasant Hill and Walnut Creek. Its ADT ranges from 16,000 daily vehicles at North Main Street to 12,600 daily vehicles at Pleasant Hill Road. At North Main Street, Geary Road continues east as Treat Boulevard.
At its western terminus, Geary Road continues west as Pleasant Hill Road. The portion of Geary Road within the Pleasant Hill city limits is from Putnam Boulevard to Pleasant Hill Road. Within the city limits, Geary Road has sidewalks on both sides of the street and has Class II bike lanes.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Existing Conditions | 12 Figure 3–1: 2019 Average Daily Traffic (ADT)
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Existing Conditions | 13 Schools
The travel mode choices of school-generated and college-generated trips may vary with the school location, enrollment, proximity, comfort, safety, and other factors. Neighborhood schools include two high schools, three middle schools, five elementary schools, and an alternative school. Magnet schools include two public schools and three private schools. The two magnet public schools are Sequoia Middle School and Sequoia Elementary School. An additional source of student enrollment in Pleasant Hill is Diablo Valley College.
Neighborhood schools are attended by students who live nearby within a defined geographical area. Given the proximity, some students bike and walk to/from school. In contrast, magnet schools are attended by students from a much larger geographical area including areas outside the Pleasant Hill city limits; these students are typically driven to and from school by vehicle.
The City is committed to improving safety, access, and network connections, and to encourage non-motorized modes of transportation such as biking and walking for school-generated trips, and to support a range of mode choices aside from automobile use. Table 3-1 lists Pleasant Hill schools and their recent enrollment.
Table 3-1: 2021-2022 Enrollment
School Enrollment
College Park High School 1,973
Prospect High School 424
Pleasant Hill Middle School 706
Sequoia Middle School 886
Valley View Middle School 257
Fair Oaks Elementary School 306
Gregory Gardens Elementary School 352
Pleasant Hill Elementary School 570
Sequoia Elementary School 592
Strandwood Elementary School 551
Valhalla Elementary School 579
Pleasant Hill Adventist Academy 118
Legacy Academy 51
Christ the King (K-8) 324
Horizons Alternative School 170
Total 7,859
Diablo Valley College 19,871
Sources: CA Dept. of Education, greatschools.org, NCES
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Existing Conditions | 14 Employment Centers
The main employment centers in Pleasant Hill are located along Contra Costa Boulevard, mostly in the form of commercial and retail stores. The Crossroads Shopping Center on Monument Boulevard is also an employment center. While health care and social assistance sectors employ 2,962 people, the education sector employs 2,982 people, making it the top employment sector in the City. Diablo Valley College constitutes a large percentage of the educational sector employment, with over 1,100 faculty and staff. 1,
Pleasant Hill residents who reported walking to work declined from 520 people in 2010 to 399 people in 2020.
However, over the same time period, residents who reported taking transit to work increased from 1,464 people in 2010 to 2,384 people in 2020. This represents a significant mode shift to transit from other modes.
Transit trips often involve walking or biking to and from transit stops, and transit riders rely on a comprehensive pedestrian network to travel to and from work. The number of residents who reported biking to work also increased from 114 people in 2010 to 178 people in 2020. The increases in transit ridership and biking highlight the importance of improving and expanding the bicycle and pedestrian networks in Pleasant Hill.
In the employment sectors (e.g. education, retail, and hospitality sectors),2 employees earning less than $35,000 per year are most likely to bike or walk to and from work. In Pleasant Hill, 5.9% of workers earning less than $35,000 per year walk to work, compared to 0.8% for workers earning is $35,000 or greater. For workers who use a taxi, motorcycle, bicycle, or other means to get to work, the figures are 6.0% for workers earning less than $35,000 compared to 1.4% for workers earning $35,000 or more.3 Lower income workers generally rely on quality pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure to get to and from work. Table 3-2 lists the main employment sectors and their respective employment levels in Pleasant Hill. 1 2015/2016 Diablo Valley Student Resource Guide, accessed 5/11/2020 at https://www.dvc.edu/communication/schedules/pdfs/resource-guide.pdf 2 American Community Survey data reported in Alliance for Biking and Walking Benchmarking Report, 2018. 3 U.S. Census Bureau (2016-2020). Means of Transportation to Work by Workers' Earnings in the Past 12 Months (In 2020 Inflation-adjusted Dollars) American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Retrieved from <https://censusreporter.org> City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Existing Conditions | 15 Table 3-2: Employment Sectors and Employees
Sector Employees
Educational Services 2,982
Health Care and Social Assistance 2,962
Retail Trade 2,200
Administration & Support, Waste Management and Remediation 2,125 Accommodation and Food Services 2,079
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 834
Construction 685
Other Services (excluding Public Administration) 540
Finance and Insurance 509
Information 488
Wholesale Trade 374
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 286
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, OnTheMap Application and LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (2019).
Transit
3.5.1. Bay Area Rapid Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) provides commuter rail service throughout the East Bay and the San Francisco Peninsula. The Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Centre BART station is located in the unincorporated area of Contra Costa County, immediately southeast of the City of Pleasant Hill.
The Pleasant Hill BART station in the Contra Costa Centre Transit Village provides a critical link to many parts of the San Francisco Bay Area, especially for residents who do not own a car. On an average weekday, 6,246 riders travel from their home to the Pleasant Hill BART station. Of these people, 24 percent walk to the station, 6 percent bike to the station, and 25 percent live in Pleasant Hill.4
At the station, there are 88 on-demand electronic lockers that are rented by the hour and require a “BikeLink” card, along with an additional 22 single user keyed lockers. Bicyclists must provide their credit card information to obtain a Bike Link card to access the electronic lockers. Additionally, there is a Bike Station adjacent to the BART station which provides a fully secure indoor bike parking room with 215 spaces, accessed with a BikeLink card.5
Inside the stations, patrons must walk their bicycle and use stairway or mechanical lifts to access train platforms. During non-commute hours, bikes are allowed on all trains except the first car or any crowded car.
During commute hours (7:00 to 9:00 AM and 4:30 to 6:30 PM, weekdays), bikes are not allowed in the first three cars of any train. Folded bikes are allowed in all cars at all times. 4 BART, Station Profile Study, 2015.
5 BART, https://www.bart.gov/guide/bikes.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Existing Conditions | 16
3.5.2. County Connection
County Connection provides fixed route bus and
paratransit services for Contra Costa County
communities. County Connection bus stops are located
throughout Pleasant Hill. The Diablo Valley College
Transit Center serves as a major bus transfer point for the school and surrounding community.
County Connection buses have a front-mounted rack
for two bicycles. Rack availability is on a first come first serve basis and if the rack is full, bicycles are permitted inside buses at the driver’s discretion.
Bicycle Facilities
To maintain eligibility for State funding sources, the
BPMP refers to and recommends designs of bikeways that are compliant with the California Highway Design Manual (HDM) and Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). The term “bikeways” refers to all five Caltrans defined linear facilities, which are described below and illustrated in Figure 3-2.
In total, Pleasant Hill has 28 miles of existing bikeways. Figure 3-3 and Table 3-3 illustrate the existing bicycle facility locations.
3.6.1. Bikeway Types
Class I Bike Paths are paved paths that are physically separated from streets and highways. Class I paths are at least eight feet wide with a 2-foot wide graded shoulders on both sides. Although often referred to as “bike paths,” Class I paths serve all non-motorized users including bicyclists, pedestrians, joggers, skateboarders, etc.
The East Bay Regional Park District allows bicycles, e-bicycles, and scooters on paved bike trails and multi-use trails, with a speed limit of 15 MPH. Pleasant Hill has 7 miles of Class I paths.
Class II Bike Lanes are striped lanes on roadways for one-way bicycle travel. Bike lanes are at least five feet wide and include bike lane signage and pavement markings. Cities may permit parking in a bike lane during certain times of day (such as overnight in a residential area); this is referred to as a “time of day” bike lane.
Pleasant Hill has 7.5 miles of Class II bike lanes.
Bike lanes may also include a striped buffer area; the buffer zone is typically a minimum 2-feet wide striped area between the bike lane and the travel lane or between the bike lane and a parking lane.
Class III Bike Routes are bike routes designated by signs where bicycles share a travel lane with vehicular traffic.
Because these are shared facilities, bicycle routes are most appropriate as “neighborhood routes” on lowspeed and low-volume streets, where they will serve a wide range of bicyclists. Class III routes may be signed on higher volume streets where there is insufficient width for a designated bike lane; these are higher stress facilities used by confident and experienced bicyclists. Some Class III bicycle routes include shared lane markings (sharrows) that indicate proper bicycle positioning in the travel lane and alert motorists of the presence of bicycles. In local neighborhoods, Class III routes provide access to residences, and are used by bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and skill levels. Examples of local streets with Class III bike routes are Byron Drive and Shelly Drive. The City’s current local street design standards set minimum ten-foot wide travel lanes and seven-foot wide parking lanes. Due to the low traffic volumes and speeds, shared lane markings are appropriate. Pleasant Hill has 4.5 miles of Class III bike routes, mostly on higher volume arterial streets.
Class IV Separated Bikeways, also known as Cycle Tracks, provide exclusive space for bicyclists that are separated from vehicular travel lanes, parking lanes, and sidewalks. Physical objects such as curbs, bollards, or parked cars are used to create a space and a physical barrier between the Class IV bikeway and vehicular travel City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Existing Conditions | 17 lanes. Class IV bikeways are often designed to allow bicycles to travel in both directions. Pleasant Hill does not currently have any Class IV bikeways.
Table 3-3: Existing Bicycle Facilities
Name Class Start End Miles
Class I Bike Paths
Contra Costa Canal Trail I Walnut Creek City Limit Martinez City Limit 5.50 EBMUD Trail I Walnut Creek City Limit West Hookston Rd 0.62 Iron Horse Regional Trail I Mayhew Way Concord City Limit 0.78 Class I Total Miles 6.90
Class II Bike Lanes & Buffered Bike Lanes
Boyd Rd II Cleaveland Rd Crescent Dr 0.13
Chilpancingo Pkwy II Martinez City Limit Contra Costa Blvd 0.76 Chilpancingo Pkwy II Scottsdale Rd Old Quarry Rd 0.33
Chilpancingo Pkwy II Oak Glen Cir Scottsdale Rd 0.37
Chilpancingo Pkwy II Old Quarry Rd Contra Costa Blvd 0.18 Cleaveland Rd II Boyd Rd Babette Ct 0.23
Contra Costa Blvd II Chilpancingo Pkwy Viking Dr 0.61
Contra Costa Blvd II Harriet Dr Woodsworth Ln 0.69
Contra Costa Blvd II Second Ave South I-680 On/Off Ramp (Target store) 0.31 Ellinwood Dr II Contra Costa Blvd Ellinwood Way 0.34
Geary Rd II Pleasant Hill Rd Putnam Blvd 0.7
Golf Club Rd II Paso Nogal Rd (S) Contra Costa Blvd 0.58 Grayson Rd II Reliez Valley Rd Pleasant Hill Rd 0.89
Grayson Rd II Reliez Valley Rd Buttner Rd 0.25
Grayson Rd II Grayson Ln Taylor Blvd 0.09
Grayson Rd II Buttner Rd Grayson Ln 0.16
Lisa Ln II Marcia Dr Iron Horse Regional Trail 0.16
Monticello Ave II Santa Barbara Rd Oak Park Blvd 0.15
Morello Ave II Paso Nogal Rd (N) Martinez City Limit 0.8 North Main St II Astrid Dr Oak Park Blvd 0.32
Oak Park Blvd II Patterson Blvd Pleasant Valley Dr 0.8
Old Quarry Rd II Chilpancingo Pkwy Golf Club Rd 0.25
Patterson Blvd II Boyd Rd Oak Park Blvd 0.76
Pleasant Hill Rd II Taylor Blvd Gregory Ln & Grayson Rd 0.55 Pleasant Hill Rd II Western Hills Dr (N) Kelsey Ct 0.2
Pleasant Hill Rd II Barnett Terrace Geary Rd 0.07
Taylor Blvd II County Limit Contra Costa Blvd 2.84
Viking Dr II Morello Ave Contra Costa Blvd 0.97
Woodsworth Ln II Contra Costa Blvd Gregory Ln 0.37
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Existing Conditions | 18 Class II Total Miles 14.86
Class III Bike Routes
Astrid Dr III EBMUD Trail Crossing Contra Costa Blvd & North Main St 0.12 Brandon Rd III Gregory Ln Boyd Rd 0.31
Byron Dr III Stevenson Dr Shelly Dr 0.22
Buskirk Ave III Monument Blvd Hookston Rd 0.3
Cleaveland Rd III Babette Ct EBMUD Trail Crossing 0.17
Coggins Dr III Buskirk Ave & Oak Rd County Limit 0.23
Contra Costa Blvd III Boyd Rd Astrid Dr 0.38
Hawthorne Dr III Hawthorne Ct Monticello Ave 0.28
Hookston Rd III Buskirk Ave Concord City Limit 0.32
Kahrs Ave III Gregory Ln Boyd Rd 0.31
Monument Blvd III Contra Costa Blvd Concord City Limit 0.52 Oak Park Blvd III Pleasant Hill Rd Buskirk Ave & Oak Rd 1.33 Pleasant Hill Rd III Gregory Ln Western Hills Dr (N) 0.26 Pleasant Hill Rd III Kelsey Ct Barnett Terrace 1.17
Shelly Dr III Long Fellow Dr Hawthorne Ct 0.28
Soule Ave III Boyd Rd Patterson Blvd 0.29
Stevenson Dr III Contra Costa Canal Trail Crossing Byron Ct 0.13 Class III Total Miles 6.62
Existing Bikeway Network Total Miles 28.38
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Existing Conditions | 19 Figure 3–2: Caltrans Bikeway Classifications
Class I Bike Path Class II Bike Lane
Class III Bike Route Class IV Separated Bike Way
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Existing Conditions | 20
Figure 3–3: Existing Citywide Bicycle Facility Map
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Existing Conditions | 21
3.6.2. Bicycle Parking
Bicycle parking is available at transit stops, shopping areas, offices, parks, and schools throughout Pleasant Hill. 511 Contra Costa, the Transportation Demand Management (TDM) agency for Contra Costa commuters, provides a map of public bicycle locker locations at the following link: https://511contracosta.org/biking/bikemaps/bike-parking/.
There are three types of bicycle parking facilities, namely bike racks, bike cages, and bike lockers. Their uses vary by land use and anticipated parking duration. Bicycle racks are typically provided at highly visible locations with short parking duration (less than two hours). An exception to this rule is at schools, where students park their bicycles all day, but the racks are under constant watch by school staff. Where added security is desired, restricted access bike cages may be used. Bike lockers are typically provided at locations where bicycles are parked for more than two hours (e.g. at BART stations).
The Pleasant Hill Municipal Code requires that commercial developments provide at least one bicycle parking space plus two percent of the total number of parking stalls required for automobiles.
Pedestrian Facilities
The BPMP continues the ongoing efforts of the City to improve pedestrian safety, access, mobility, and connectivity. The City’s General Plan sets forth specific policies to identify and install pedestrian facilities. This section reviews the existing pedestrian facilities in Pleasant Hill.
3.7.1. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The City is actively working to accommodate pedestrians of all ages and abilities. Guided by the City’s ADA Transition Plan, the City’s CIP programs appropriate $75,000 every year for ADA improvements. The 2024 BPMP does not modify the City’s ADA Transition Plan, but does identify additional areas for potential improvements. All facilities recommended in the BPMP will be developed in accordance with current ADA requirements.
3.7.2. Sidewalks and Pedestrian Paths
Sidewalks and pedestrian paths are the two primary facilities for walking. Sidewalks adjoin to the road and may be separated by a planting strip or landscaped buffer. Pedestrian paths are typically completely separated from the road, other than where the two facilities intersect. Multi-purpose paths (for use by pedestrians, bicyclists, and scooters) must meet Caltrans’ design standards for Class I Multi-Use Paths.
Pleasant Hill has 147 miles of streets and 98 miles of sidewalk.
There are two large areas without sidewalks in Pleasant Hill. The first area is in the Gregory Gardens neighborhood, north of downtown and west of Contra Costa Boulevard. The second area is the Poet’s Corner neighborhood between Patterson Boulevard and Pleasant Hill Road, north of Oak Park Boulevard. The City has long-term plans to install sidewalks on Chilpancingo Parkway, Taylor Boulevard, Pleasant Hill Road, and other streets as recommended in the CIP.
3.7.3. Street Markings
Pavement markings are painted or installed on the streets to call attention to motorists and to guide pedestrians. This includes crosswalks and advance warning markings, such as “SLOW SCHOOL XING.” All pavement markings comply with the California Manual for Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Existing Conditions | 22
3.7.4. Audible Traffic Signals and Countdown Pedestrian Signal Heads Large intersections with traffic signals
can be daunting to pedestrians,
especially to pedestrians with impaired
vision. Audible traffic signals emit a chirp
and cuckoo sound during pedestrian
phases to help guide visually impaired
pedestrians to navigate.
The City owns and operates 45 traffic
signals. This includes three (3) traffic
signals jointly owned with adjoining
cities (Walnut Creek and Martinez) and
are maintained by these adjoining cities.
In addition, within the City limits are
four (4) traffic signals owned and
maintained by the State of California,
Department of Transportation
(Caltrans). One future traffic signal is
scheduled for installation at Taylor Boulevard & Civic Drive in 2024, soon bringing the total number of traffic signals in Pleasant Hill to 50.
All traffic signals are equipped with pedestrian signal head displays (countdown or flashing walk/don’t walk symbols) and ADA compliant pedestrian push buttons that allow visually impaired pedestrians to locate the push buttons.
Countdown pedestrian signal heads display the amount of time in seconds remaining to safely cross the street.
In 2022, a new California State Law - AB 2264 was passed which requires a Lead Pedestrian Interval (LPI) to be programmed into new or replaced traffic signals. The LPI gives pedestrians a 3 to 7-second head start to cross before cars moving the same direction get a green signal display. The LPI improves motorists’ visibility of pedestrians traveling in signalized crosswalks helping to increase pedestrian safety.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Existing Conditions | 23 Figure 3–4: Existing Citywide Pedestrian Facility Map
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Existing Conditions | 24
3.7.5. Streetscape
Pedestrians generally prefer streetscapes with benches, trash receptacles, trees, and other accommodating amenities. The City’s Downtown Plan sets forth the guidelines leading to the construction of most of the existing pedestrian facilities in the Downtown area.
Programs
Constructing bicycle and pedestrian facilities is only one aspect of making biking and walking integral modes in the transportation system. Programs are needed to raise safety awareness, encourage biking and walking, and to help ensure that everyone travels safely. This section discusses the programs the City and other regional transportation agencies currently implement to support bicyclists and pedestrians.
3.8.1. Education and Encouragement
Street Smarts Diablo
The Street Smarts Diablo program delivers bicycle and pedestrian safety programs at no cost to qualifying public schools in Central and East Contra Costa County including Pleasant Hill. Street Smarts Diablo is managed by 511 Contra Costa, with funding from the Contra Costa Transportation Authority and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s Transportation Fund for Clean Air. Street Smarts Diablo coordinates the Safe Routes to School program activities within Pleasant Hill, including events such as International Walk and Roll to School Day. The Street Smarts Diablo website offers resources for school administrators, teachers, parents and other school stakeholders.
www.streetsmartsdiablo.org
Commuter Incentive Program
511 Contra Costa offers various commuter incentives to encourage bicycling, walking and transit to work. http://www.511contracosta.org/incentives/
Bicycle Parking Program
511 Contra Costa offers bicycle parking installation to employers that want to encourage their employees to bicycle to work. Employers must complete the online form at the website below, after which 511 Contra Costa staff will assist the employer in the purchase and installation of bike lockers. https://511contracosta.org/employers/locker-project/
Bike to Work Day
To celebrate National Bike Month and California Bike Commute Week, 511 Contra Costa staff hosts “energizer stations” at various locations throughout Pleasant Hill during the morning and afternoon commute times.
These stations are designed as rest stops where bicyclists receive refreshments and other educational and promotional materials. For the 2019 Bike to Work Day, stations were located at the Pleasant Hill BART station, Contra Costa Canal Trail at Gregory Lane, and at the Contra Costa Canal Trail and Golf Club Road intersection.
Contra Costa SchoolPool
511 Contra Costa’s SchoolPool program encourages students to use the public bus system, rather than private vehicles, to get to and from school. As a financial incentive, 511 Contra Costa provides free County Connection or Tri Delta Transit punch passes for 6th through 12th grade students. To be eligible for the program, parents or guardians must pledge that their students will take the bus instead of being driven to and from school, and they must agree to complete a follow-up survey to determine the effectiveness of the program. Pleasant Hill is among the many Contra Costa communities served by this program.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Existing Conditions | 25 Bike Mapper
511 Contra Costa provides a “route builder” tool for bicyclists looking for a route using bikeways to their destination.
511contracosta.org/bike/
3.8.2. Enforcement
Targeted Enforcement
At the beginning of every school year, the Police Department increases patrols around schools, specifically locations with uncontrolled crosswalks.
3.8.3. Engineering
Traffic Calming
The City explores the use of various traffic calming devices such as signage and pavement markers along City streets to encourage lower vehicle speeds, with the ultimate goal of enhancing vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian safety. Improvements are considered for implementation as a part of annual street resurfacing projects or in response to customer service requests.
3.8.4. Maintenance
Pothole and Sidewalk Maintenance
Pedestrians and bicyclists are vulnerable to injury caused by potholes and cracks in the roadway and sidewalk.
The City Maintenance Department typically responds within 48 hours to reports of localized pavement deterioration. Because residents are responsible for maintaining sidewalks along their property, the City notifies the responsible landowner about any sidewalk repair needs via a form letter.
Street Sweeping
Like potholes and cracks, roadway debris can endanger bicyclists and pedestrians. All City-maintained streets are swept on a monthly basis, and a schedule can be found at the following website:
www.pleasanthillca.org/392/Street-Sweeping.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Needs Analysis | 26
4. Needs Analysis
This chapter presents the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians in Pleasant Hill. It summarizes the public outreach process used to gather input from community members, provides a general overview of the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians, and analyzes the history of bicycle and pedestrian collisions in Pleasant Hill. The chapter also includes two maps illustrating the locations where bicycle and pedestrian improvements are needed: The Bicycle Priority Areas and the Pedestrian Priority Areas. This chapter concludes with estimated biking and walking activity levels in Pleasant Hill.
Public Outreach
Public outreach is essential in the development of a Plan that meets the needs of all bicyclists and pedestrians.
As part of the Pleasant Hill Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan outreach, a website was launched in April 2020. The website provided general information about the plan, maps of existing and soon to be implemented facilities, as well as an interactive web map, where users were invited to draw on the map and enter free-form comments. Users entered over 175 lines and points, each with an associated comment or suggestion. These comments helped identify areas of concern and prioritize safety improvements. A Town Hall meeting was hosted at City Hall in April 2023 to provide an update and gather additional feedback from the community.
Bicyclist and Pedestrian Types
This section describes the general characteristics and needs of bicyclists and pedestrians.
4.2.1. Bicyclist Types
An effective bicycle network accommodates bicyclists of all ages and abilities using a variety of bikeway types.
This section describes the different types of bicyclists and their needs and preferences.
Casual bicyclists include adults and children that bicycle for recreation and for relatively short distances (approximately one to five miles). They generally prefer roadways with low traffic volumes and low speeds, which are most appropriate for bicycle routes. They also prefer paths that are physically separated from roadways. Casual bicyclists may be found on any of Pleasant Hill’s residential roadways and paths.
Utilitarian bicyclists include adults and children that bicycle to run errands, commute to work and school and might use the bicycle as their main form of transportation. Biking distances can range from less than a mile to 10 or more miles. They typically choose direct routes, which may include arterial roadways with or without bike lanes, to reach specific destinations. They may also use paths and any combination of bikeway types to reach their destination. Utilitarian bicyclists may be found on roadways in downtown Pleasant Hill, near schools or other community destinations.
Recreational/Sport bicyclists include adults, sometimes riding in groups, that bicycle to train for riding events and exercise. Biking distances are usually more than 15 miles on scenic roadways, regardless if a bikeway is present. Bicycle routes typically follow a loop. Sport bicyclists may be found on Pleasant Hill Road, Alhambra Avenue, and the west ends of Grayson Road and Taylor Boulevard, on their way to Briones Regional Park.
4.2.2. Pedestrian Types
Everyone walks at some point during the day. For the purposes of the BPMP, walking also refers to wheelchair users and people using mobility assistive devices.
An effective pedestrian network provides direct and comfortable access to community destinations, while meeting Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. Connectivity to community destinations relies on the City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Needs Analysis | 27 existing roadway network, which in many areas of Pleasant Hill is a disconnected grid pattern that forces pedestrians to walk along and cross busy collector and arterial streets. As a result, Pleasant Hill’s street network and land use promote driving. Residents who walk for shopping and to work generally do so out of necessity.
Collision Analysis
This collision analysis identifies challenging locations for biking and walking in Pleasant Hill along with traffic codes violated in pedestrian and bicyclist involved collisions. The analysis is used to guide and prioritize bikeway and pedestrian infrastructure improvements included in the BPMP’s recommendations. The collision analysis uses the most currently available Statewide Integrated Traffic Records (SWITRS) data– through 2020, and was downloaded from the UC Berkeley Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS). TIMS/SWITRS data is generally the best available information for analyzing collisions in California, but this data only includes reported collisions with filed police reports. Near misses and collisions on private property are not included in the SWITRS database.
For Caltrans funding eligibility, the BPMP must present collision data from at least five years prior to the most current data available. This BPMP’s analysis uses data from January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2020.
4.3.1. Bicyclist Related Collisions
Table 4-1 presents the number of bicyclist related collisions by year between 2016 and 2020. There were 45 total bicyclist related collisions during the study period resulting in 45 bicyclist injuries. While there were 11 bicycle-related collisions in 2016, and 12 in 2017, this number remained at 12 collisions in 2018, yet dropped to 7 and 3 bicyclist related collisions in 2019 and 2020. Although the 2020 number almost certainly reflects changes in travel patterns due to the COVID-19 pandemic, bicyclist related collisions in Pleasant Hill have trended downward since 2014, when 20 were recorded that year.
Table 4-1: Bicyclist Related Collisions By Year
Year Collisions Injury Fatality
2016 11 10 0
2017 12 12 0
2018 12 12 0
2019 7 7 0
2020 3 3 0
Total 45 44 0
Table 4-2 presents the street segments with the highest numbers of bicycle-related collisions. These corridors also saw a high number of pedestrian collisions. Currently, some of these locations do not accommodate bicyclists with designated facilities. Most of these locations are located along Contra Costa Boulevard.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Needs Analysis | 28 Table 4-2: Intersection Locations with the Most Bicyclist Collisions Location Bicyclist Collisions
Contra Costa Blvd & Gregory Ln 3
Contra Costa Blvd & Astrid Dr 3
Contra Costa Blvd & Chilpancingo Pkwy 2
Contra Costa Blvd & Doray Dr 2
Contra Costa Blvd & Golf Club Rd 2
Contra Costa Blvd & Taylor Blvd 2
Pleasant Hill Rd & Gregory Ln 2
Table 4-3 presents the vehicle code violations associated with bicycle-related collisions. Of the reported collisions that involved bicyclists, bicyclists were at fault 55% of the time. The most common violation among bicyclists was wrong-way-riding, which occurred in about 46% of collisions where the cyclist was found to be at fault. Motorists were reported at fault 11% of the time, although given the number of records where the party at fault was not recorded, this may be much higher. The most common violation among motorists was ‘Automobile Right of Way,’ a violation category that includes nearly any type of violation by a driver of a bicyclist’s right of way such as passing too closely or failing to yield to a cyclist when pulling out of a driveway.
Table 4-3: Bicyclist Collision Parties at Fault
Violation Motorist Bicyclist Not Stated
DUI 0 0 1
Unsafe Speed 0 2 1
Following too Closely 0 0 1
Wrong Side of Road 1 11 1
Unsafe Lane Change 0 2 0
Improper Turning 1 1 0
Automobile Right of Way 3 3 4
Pedestrian Right of Way 0 0 2
Pedestrian Violation 0 1 0
Traffic Signals and Signs 0 1 0
Other Hazardous Violation 0 1 3
Other Improper Driving 0 2 1
Not Stated 0 0 1
Total 5 24 15
% of Reported Violations 11% 55% 34%
4.3.2. Pedestrian-Related Collisions
Analyzing pedestrian-related collision data helps identify locations where pedestrian-related engineering analysis may be needed. This data can also provide insight into possible locations for priority pedestrian improvements. Table 4-4 presents the number of pedestrian related collisions by year in Pleasant Hill. During the study period, a total of 48 pedestrian related collisions occurred resulting in a total of 50 pedestrian injuries City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Needs Analysis | 29 and one pedestrian fatality. The highest number of annual collisions (13) occurred in 2016. The fatal collision occurred in 2017.
Table 4-4: Pedestrian Collisions By Year
Year Collisions Injury Fatality
2016 13 14 0
2017 8 7 1
2018 11 11 0
2019 11 13 0
2020 5 5 0
Total 48 50 1
Table 4-5 presents the street segments with three or more pedestrian collisions. All five locations are intersections along Contra Costa Boulevard. Possible contributing factors to the high number of pedestrian collisions include large roadway width, high speeds, close proximity to pedestrian attractors, e.g. shopping and schools, and high traffic volume.
Table 4-5: Intersection Locations with the Most Pedestrian Collisions Location Pedestrian Collisions
Contra Costa Blvd & Crescent Dr 4
Contra Costa Blvd & Beth Dr 4
Contra Costa Blvd & Golf Club Rd 3
Contra Costa Blvd & Chilpancingo Pkwy 2
Contra Costa Blvd & Viking Dr 2
Contra Costa Blvd & Woodsworth Ln 2
Pleasant Hill Rd & Taylor Blvd 2
Table 4-6 presents the pedestrian collision times and days of the week. Most collisions occurred between 2 PM and 10 PM on weekdays. This is likely due to the higher pedestrian volumes during these time periods and lessened visibility at night.
Table 4-6: Pedestrian Collision Times
Day 6AM - 10 AM 10 AM - 2 PM 2 PM - 6 PM 6 PM - 10 PM 10 PM - 6 AM Monday 2 3 2 1 3
Tuesday 0 1 1 1 0
Wednesday 3 2 1 1 1
Thursday 0 2 2 3 3
Friday 0 1 1 0 2
Saturday 0 3 3 1 1
Sunday 1 1 2 0 0
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Needs Analysis | 30 Figure 4–1: Bicyclist-and-Pedestrian-Related Collisions 2016-2020 City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Needs Analysis | 31 Table 4-7 presents the most common violations associated with pedestrian-related collisions. Of the reported collisions involving pedestrians, motorists were at fault 33% the time. The most common violation amongst motorists was “pedestrian right-of-way”, which accounts for 38% of motorist violations. The most common pedestrian-issued violation includes jay walking in the roadway, crossing at undesignated crossing locations, or crossing outside of designated crossing times at traffic signals.
Table 4-7: Pedestrian Collision Parties at Fault
Violation Motorist Pedestrian Not Stated
Unknown 0 1 2
DUI 2 0 0
Unsafe Speed 4 0 2
Wrong Side of Road 1 0 1
Improper Passing 1 0 0
Improper Turning 0 1 2
Automobile Right of Way 2 1 0
Pedestrian Right of Way 6 0 9
Pedestrian Violation 0 10 2
Other Improper Driving 0 1 0
Total 16 14 18
% of reported violations 33% 29% 38%
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Needs Analysis | 32 Improvement Areas
4.4.1. Potential Bikeway Improvement Areas
While Pleasant Hill benefits greatly from
the continuous Contra Costa Canal Trail,
the City’s existing on-street facilities are
disconnected. However, there are
opportunities to improve the existing
network with a continuous system of
bikeways that connect to key destinations.
This potential network can include major
arterials and collector streets with
dedicated bicycle space and shared-use
streets within neighborhoods.
Figure 4-2 presents bicycle priority areas.
The map shows existing facilities, facilities
that have been planned and funded and
that will soon be implemented, as well as
gaps in the Pleasant Hill bicycle network.
These are corridors or parts of corridors
that connect different areas of the City that do not currently have any bicycle facilities on them. A continuous bicycle network offers greater comfort and connectivity throughout the City and encourages more people with a wider range of ages and abilities to bike to their destinations.
Boyd Road and Gregory Lane, for example, are the only east/west corridors that fully traverse central Pleasant Hill, connecting the west side and east side of the City, and only a few segments have a bicycle facility.
The bikeway gaps identified in this section are reflected in the recommendations described in Chapter 5, Recommended Bicycle Facilities.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Needs Analysis | 33 Figure 4–2: Bicycle Priority Areas
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Needs Analysis | 34
4.4.2. Pedestrian Priority Improvement Areas
The existing pedestrian facility conditions and connections in Pleasant Hill offer many improvement opportunities. To identify pedestrian priority areas for future improvements, a composite score was calculated for each roadway segment based on the following criteria: the presence or absence of sidewalks, the number of nearby pedestrian related collisions, close proximity to a school, bus stop, park, or civic building, and whether or not the road segment was in or adjacent to a commercial area.
Segments near schools, bus stops, parks, civic buildings or in commercial zones were awarded points because these
destinations create higher levels of foot traffic and require more and higher quality pedestrian infrastructure than
other areas in the City. Segments received a scaled score depending on the number of collisions occurring within 250 feet of the segment. A scaled score was also awarded to segments missing sidewalks. Segments missing sidewalks on one side of the street were awarded half the score as
segments missing sidewalks on both sides of the street.
Figure 4-3 presents the pedestrian priority areas, with thicker and darker shaded segments indicating higher
priority. These areas may already have high pedestrian
activity or there may be potential to increase pedestrian activity with better walking conditions.
Sidewalks are the most important pedestrian facility, and some of the pedestrian priority areas have incomplete or missing sidewalks, including sections of Taylor Boulevard west of Contra Costa Boulevard.
The analysis prioritizes many segments near the Downtown, which is a Priority Development Area (PDA). Much of this area consists of mixed-use development located off the roadway network, where pedestrians travel on a system of paths meandering through buildings. Improvement opportunities within this area may be mostly in the form of enhanced roadway crossings.
The other PDA is located at the Diablo Valley College Plaza and is also prioritized. This area is adjacent to Diablo Valley College and includes commercial centers and multi-family housing units. Many college students live in this PDA.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Needs Analysis | 35 Figure 4–3: Pedestrian Priority Improvement Areas
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Needs Analysis | 36 U.S. Census Journey to Work
The U.S. Census data provides information for comparing biking rates in different jurisdictions. The Census only collects information on transportation modes residents use when commuting to work and not for other purposes (e.g., school trips, shopping, exercise); therefore, the Census data undercount the true number of people biking or walking in a community. However, Census data can be used to compare biking and walking among jurisdictions and across years.
Pleasant Hill’s bike-to-work mode share is 1%, nearly the same as for the State of California yet higher than that of Contra Costa County, as shown in Table 4-8. Pleasant Hill’s walk-to-work mode share is lower than that of the State of California and higher than that of Contra Costa County. Pleasant Hill has a transit commute rate higher than the County and more than double that of the State. This indicates an opportunity to support biking and walking as the first mile and last mile to and from transit stops.
Table 4-8: Journey to Work
Location Bike Walk Transit Drive Other Worked at Home
Pleasant Hill 1.0% 2.2% 13.2% 72.6% 1.6% 9.3%
Contra Costa County 0.5% 1.6% 10.3% 76.4% 1.0% 9.9%
California 0.8% 2.5% 4.6% 82.0% 1.1% 8.4%
United States 0.5% 2.6% 4.6% 83.8% 1.0% 7.3%
Source: U.S. Census, American Community Survey, 2016 - 2020 City of Pleasant Hill BPMP March 2024 Recommended Bicycle Facilities | 37
5. Recommended Bicycle Facilities
This chapter presents recommended bicycle facilities that provide a continuous and comprehensive network of bikeways throughout Pleasant Hill. The recommendations are developed through input from the public, City staff, and technical analysis. The objectives of the recommended bikeways are to eliminate gaps and to create a safe and seamless network for bicyclists.
For Pleasant Hill, all four of the Caltrans bikeway types are recommended depending on the context: Class I multi-use paths, Class II bike lanes, and Class III neighborhood bicycle boulevards. This chapter provides possible enhancements (e.g., parking restriction, lane narrowing, or lane reduction) along various arterial and collector roadways to accommodate at minimum Class II bike lanes. The plan has two types of Class III bicycle facilities, bike routes and neighborhood bicycle boulevards. While Class III bike routes will be maintained, the Class III neighborhood bicycle boulevards are recommended on residential streets that provide alternate routes to major roadways and provide cross-town connections. Shared lane markings may be used where appropriate to raise motorists’ awareness of the presence of bicyclists.
Serving Multiple Users
Bicyclists of all skill levels were considered during the development of the recommendations. Casual Bicyclists typically prefer lower stress facilities like neighborhood bike routes and separated multi-use paths to avoid high speed vehicular traffic. This group is served by recommendations for neighborhood bike routes, separated bikeways, and multi-use paths. Commuter/Utilitarian Bicyclists typically ride on roadways that provide direct access to jobs, commercial centers, and transit stops. This group may be served by the proposed bikeways on major roadways. Recreational/Sport Bicyclists typically ride on scenic routes—often narrow roadways with only enough paved width for bicycle routes. This group is served by recommendations for recreational bike routes and wayfinding signage.
Recommended Bicycle Improvements
This BPMP recommends 39 miles of new bikeways that will expand the City’s existing bikeway miles and establish a seamless network for bicyclists. The majority of the recommended bikeways are neighborhood connectors. Table 5-1 presents the total bikeway network mileage.
Table 5-1: Recommended Bikeway Mileage
Class Mileage
Class I Multi-Use Paths 7.4
Class II Bike Lanes 2.3
Class III Neighborhood Bike Boulevards 17.2
Class IV Separated Bikeway 12.1
Total 39.0
Existing 28.4
Total Bike Network 67.4
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP March 2024 Recommended Bicycle Facilities | 38
5.1.1. Recommended Bikeways
Class I Multi-Use Paths: Recommended Class I paths were identified with guidance from City staff and field verified. A total of 7.4 miles of Class I paths are recommended along:
• Paso Nogal Road (West of Morello Avenue), north side: widen existing path to meet Caltrans minimum widths.
• Grayson Creek (North of Viking Drive) access road adjacent to Diablo Valley College. • Gregory Lane connecting the Canal Trail to Downtown Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Boulevard • Ellinwood Creek Connector Path.
• EBMUD trail connecting north and south to Downtown Pleasant Hill • Monument Boulevard connecting Downtown Pleasant Hill to the Iron Horse Trail Class II Bike Lanes: All arterial and collector roads in Pleasant Hill were evaluated to determine if bike lanes could be striped or if lane reductions may be needed to accommodate bike lanes. Particular attention was paid to gaps in the bikeway network. Where sufficient width is available, bike lanes may be striped with an additional min. 2-foot wide buffer area between the bike lane and the travel lane or between the bike lane and the parking lane, or both. The BPMP recommends a total of 2.3 miles of new bike lanes on the following roadways. • Cleaveland Road
• Crescent Drive
• Coggins Drive
• Paso Nogal Road
• Lucille Lane
• Buskirk Ave
Class III Bicycle Routes: On major roads where bike lanes cannot be provided, signed bike routes are recommended for network continuity. These bike routes are intended to accommodate experienced bicyclists who are confident riding with traffic. The City will continue to evaluate whether these locations in the future can be upgraded to full bike lanes. The City may determine that use of shared lane markings (SLMs) on major roads are appropriate to raise motorists’ awareness of the presence of bicyclists. While there may be Class III bike routes on arterials today, the Bike Plan emphasizes Neighborhood Bicycle Boulevards. It recommends creating new Class III Neighborhood Bicycle Boulevards instead.
Class III – Neighborhood Bicycle Boulevards: The NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide6 recommends that
Bicycle Boulevards should be on streets with no centerline or a one-way, single lane street, have speeds less than 20 mph, and 1,000-2,000 average daily traffic counts. The BPMP recommends a total of 17.2 miles of Class III Neighborhood Bicycle Boulevards mostly on neighborhood streets. Shared Lane Markings (SLMs) are recommended on all neighborhood routes. SLMs serve three functions: 1) indicate to bicyclists where they should position themselves in the roadway to “take the lane” and to avoid collisions with opening car doors; 2) remind motorists to share the road with bicyclists; and 3) provide wayfinding guidance along neighborhood connectors. In addition, streets designated as neighborhood bike routes should include the following recommendations:
Improving Major Street Crossings
A person’s comfort level biking on a low volume neighborhood street can be impacted when crossing a high volume arterial. Treatments such as protected intersections, bike boxes, traffic signals, or curb extensions improve the visibility and safety of bicyclists at major crossings. 6 Urban Bikeway Design Guide, Choosing an All Ages & Abilities Bicycle Facility. (2014). In Island Press/Center for Resource Economics eBooks. https://doi.org/10.5822/978-1-61091-582-3.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP March 2024 Recommended Bicycle Facilities | 39 Reducing or Preventing Speeding
Research shows that the severity of an injury to a bicyclist in a collision is related to the speed of the vehicle. Neighborhood Bike Routes are recommended for bikeways with posted speeds of 25 MPH or less. This could include reducing speeds through traffic calming measures (speed humps, chicanes, curb extensions) and reducing posted speeds to create a more bicycle friendly street.
Preventing High Car Volumes
The number of cars passing someone biking on the street affects the comfort of a bicyclist, particularly when sharing a lane with motor vehicles. We can look at the average numbers of vehicles per day as a proxy for comfort. For example, at 3,000 vehicles a day, a car passes a bicycle every 46 seconds. For Neighborhood Bike Routes, having 2,000 vehicles per day is preferred and 3,000 vehicles per day is acceptable. For roadways with higher volumes, traffic diversion methods should be considered.
Increasing Pavement Quality
Cracks, potholes, and bumps can make riding these streets uncomfortable. It is recommended to prioritize repaving Neighborhood Bicycle Boulevards.
Class IV – Separated Bikeway: On arterial and collector streets, the city should seek to implement Class IV – Separated Bikeway with physical separation from adjacent vehicle traffic to provide the highest level of comfort for bicyclists. The BPMP recommends that the complete length of Taylor Boulevard from Contra Costa Boulevard to the southern City Limits be considered for Class IV – separated bikeway treatments, as feasible given right-of-way and topographical constraints and balanced with other green street design treatments.
Physical separation treatments can include, but not be limited to permanent physical raised islands, temporary ridged but movement barriers, or flexible posts. The BPMP recommends a total of 12.1 miles of separated bikeways.
• Taylor Boulevard
• Contra Costa Boulevard
• Morello Avenue
• Pleasant Hill Road
• Oak Park Boulevard
• Coggins Drive
• Chilpancingo Parkway
Study Corridors: Portions of Oak Park Boulevard, Pleasant Hill Road, Gregory Lane, Morello Avenue, and the Canal Trail have been identified as Study Corridors. These corridors require further analysis, evaluation, and community outreach to determine the most appropriate bicycle and pedestrian treatments (See Section 9.1).
This may mean that a Class I multi-use path is selected instead of a Class IV separated bikeway, for example.
These corridors are key to completing the City’s low-stress bikeway network.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP March 2024 Recommended Bicycle Facilities | 40
5.1.2. Bicycle Support Infrastructure
Traffic Signal Bicycle Detection
City traffic signals are fully actuated and
are operated by video camera or
pavement loop detection. A car or
bicycle must be detected to trigger a
green light. Pavement loops sense a
change of inductance when a metallic
object passes over it. Due to the limited
amount of metal on a bicycle, pavement
loops sometimes may not be able to
detect the presence of bicycles.
Recommendation: The BPMP
recommends the City explore calibrating
loop detection at signalized
intersections and painting bicycle loop
stencils on bikeways. As the City
performs major work on intersections
and signals, the BPMP recommends the
City install video detection cameras at traffic signals to better detect bicycles.
Crossing Improvements at Unsignalized Locations
Unsignalized crossings of major roadways along the neighborhood bike routes will need to be improved in order to facilitate safe and efficient crossings for bicyclists. In many cases, if crossings are improved, these neighborhood bike routes would serve bicyclists with minimal additional improvements.
Recommendation: The City should continue to evaluate all unsignalized crossings of major roadways at proposed neighborhood bike routes and identify infrastructure improvements that will better facilitate safe bicycle and pedestrian crossings.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP March 2024 Recommended Bicycle Facilities | 41 Figure 5–1: Existing and Recommended Bikeway Network
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP March 2024 Recommended Bicycle Facilities | 42 Bicycle Parking
Pleasant Hill has installed bicycle parking stalls at
many destinations, including Downtown, the
library, community centers, and parks. However,
the City’s bicycle parking ordinance does not
stipulate the type of bicycle parking required of
development projects.
Amending the bicycle parking ordinance to set
bicycle parking requirements based on land use
will ensure that bicyclists will have the appropriate
facility to park their bicycle at their destinations.
Cities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area have
adopted bicycle parking ordinances based on a
variety of criteria. Some cities base the number of
bicycle parking stalls and bicycle parking facility
types on land use.
Recommendation: This BPMP recommends the
City explore a study to determine the appropriate
factors from which to derive bicycle parking
requirements. The Association of Bicycle and Pedestrian Professionals (APBP) provides sample bicycle parking requirements. In addition, the City may work with the 511 Contra Costa Bicycle Parking Program, which offers assistance to provide bicycle parking upon request of employers and multi-family housing owners.
Showers and Changing Rooms
Similar to bicycle parking requirements, a shower and changing room requirement ordinance supports bicyclists. Many people do not bike to work or other destinations because they do not have a place to shower, change, or store their biking clothes. Employers that provide shower and changing rooms will encourage employees to bike to work.
Recommendation: This BPMP recommends the City explore ways to encourage employers to provide shower/changing room facilities so employees will have an incentive to bike to work.
5.1.3. Micro-mobility
“Micro-mobility” is a term that refers to the growing suite of small, human or electric-powered transportation vehicles such as e-scooters and skateboards that are complimentary to the bicycle as low-speed mobility devices. These devices may be personally owned or part of a shared mobility service (such as bike share, scooter share, etc.). In particular, shared micro-mobility systems broaden the suite of choices that provide an alternative travel mode to the car, and early research and evaluation suggests that shared micromobility devices hold benefits for stimulating transit ridership and reducing congestion. In 2022, the Pleasant Hill City Council approved a 12-month pilot program for Bird to operate e-scooters in the city. In the Fall of 2022, Bird launched its e-scooter services. The Bird program has since been discontinued. The City of Pleasant Hill will be participating in the new CCTA Micro-Mobility Program that includes bike share and scooters as part of a Countywide micro-mobility expansion program.
Key considerations of micro-mobility includes:
• On-Street Bikeway Design: Bicycle infrastructure should assume use by low-speed devices such as escooters, mobility scooters, skateboards, roller skates, and tricycles. Additional width and buffer space City of Pleasant Hill BPMP March 2024 Recommended Bicycle Facilities | 43 from vehicles provides greater level of comfort for all users. Wider on-street bikeways allow for a range of users and micro-mobility devices to operate separated from vehicular travel lanes. • Trail and Sidewalk Requirements: e-scooters are prohibited on sidewalks, curbs, or marked on-street parking stalls pursuant to State law.
• Shared Micro-Mobility System Regulations: Cities have largely shifted away from procurement and exclusive contracts for establishing bike and scooter share. Licensing or permitting programs are used as a way to manage micro-mobility providers, including establishing the rules, responsibilities, and conduct of operators. Cities can control where micro-mobility units are concentrated through two primary methods: system rebalancing requirements and geofenced operation boundaries. System rebalancing requirements allow cities to identify key locations or areas where units should be located after recharging. Geofenced operation boundaries allow cities to define zones where dockless mobility units should not be ridden. These boundaries are most often enforced by in-app warnings, accompanied by user penalty fees for riding outside of an approved area. For any vendorsponsored micro-mobility program, it is recommended the City establish a pilot phase for data collection, including trip origins and destinations, routes, vehicle use, crash reports and complaints are collected and analyzed, in addition to structured community feedback. Pilot programs allow cities to remain flexible and provide an opportunity to adjust permit terms, consider proposals from different service providers, and incorporate community input into program planning before approving a longterm permit program.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Recommended Pedestrian Facilities | 44
6. Recommended Pedestrian Facilities
This chapter presents recommended pedestrian facilities that support the City’s existing sidewalk installation and crossing improvement programs. The public identified locations in need of pedestrian facilities through the project website and public meetings. Recommended pedestrian facilities incorporated the public’s input and the City’s ongoing programs to build sidewalks and improve crossings. In addition, the recommendations were developed to support the Pedestrian Priority Areas that were identified in Chapter 4 of the BPMP.
Recommended Pedestrian Improvements
Recommended pedestrian improvements include potential new sidewalks and crossing improvements.
Sidewalk recommendations are consistent with the City’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Program (Measure K), and the crossing recommendations are in alignment with the City’s Crosswalk Priority List. This chapter also includes approved sidewalk installation projects identified in the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
6.1.1. Sidewalk Installation Program
The City has a long-term goal to construct sidewalks on at least one side of the street in Pleasant Hill along identified pedestrian routes. Sidewalks recommended in this chapter support the City toward that goal. New sidewalks are recommended to be a minimum of five feet wide. Actual sidewalk width should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and should meet the needs of the nearby land use. Figure 6-1 presents the recommended new sidewalks that fill the most critical gaps in the pedestrian network and crossing recommendations. Chapter 9, includes a list of recommended sidewalks and crossing improvements. Pedestrian Priority Areas, presented in Chapter 4, Needs Analysis, provides a basis for identifying the critical sidewalk gaps by identifying the areas with the most pedestrian demand based on proximity to schools, commercial areas, transit, and gaps in the overall network. In total, the BPMP recommends 8.2 miles (43,349 linear feet) of new sidewalk.
6.1.2. Crossing Improvements
The City maintains a prioritized list of pedestrian crossing locations in need of improvements. These locations are ranked based on collision history, potential for collision, traffic volume, posted speed limit, and number of travel lanes. The list is developed and updated in coordination with the City's Traffic Safety Commission, and it is on file with the City's Engineering Division. Typical crosswalk improvements include (but are not limited to) pedestrian actuated crosswalk flashing beacons, high visibility crosswalk striping, advanced yield striping, crosswalk signs, ADA curb ramps, and/or concrete curb extensions.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Recommended Pedestrian Facilities | 45 Figure 6–1: Recommended Pedestrian Improvements
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Wayfinding Signage | 46
7. Wayfinding Signage
Wayfinding is a term used to describe signage that helps people determine their location and directs them along a route to get to their destination. By installing wayfinding signage for bicyclists and pedestrians, the City demonstrates a commitment to integrating these users into the transportation network.
Wayfinding signage directs bicyclists and pedestrians to the most direct route to their destination. It also encourages visitors and residents to bicycle and walk in Pleasant Hill by letting people know that it is possible to walk and bike to their destination.
Pleasant Hill has many bicycle and pedestrian destinations, and as recommended capital improvement projects in the BPMP get implemented, the City moves closer to having a complete and seamless non-motorized network. Nevertheless, even before constructing any new facilities, Pleasant Hill demonstrates a wayfinding need. The Contra Costa Canal Trail, Iron Horse Regional Trail, and EBMUD Trail provide inter-city connections for bicyclists and pedestrians, but they have very little wayfinding signage to other destinations in Pleasant Hill. Bicycle and pedestrian connections from the Pleasant Hill BART station to destinations in Pleasant Hill are not well-signed.
Standard Signs for Bicycle Wayfinding
The California Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CAMUTCD) provides a standard wayfinding signage design for bicyclists. The standard signs, pictured on this page, maintain a design consistent with other roadway signs, i.e. green background and white typeface. The City may add its logo to display community identity.
While CAMUTCD provides guidance for sign design and installation, it does not provide detailed guidance for developing a hierarchy of destinations and locating signs. Communities throughout the United States have developed more detailed guidelines for designing and locating bicycle and pedestrian wayfinding signage. This section draws on the bicyclist wayfinding signage design and implementation plan developed by the City of Oakland.7
Sign Types
Wayfinding signage can be divided into three sign types, described below, each with a specific purpose.
Confirmation Sign: Confirms that a bicyclist is on a designated bikeway. Consists of a standard D11-1 Bike Route sign and a destination distance sign (D1-1b). Installed mid-block or on the far side of intersections.
Turn Sign: Directs bicyclists along a bikeway when it turns. Consists of a standard D11-1 Bike Route sign and a directional arrow plaque (M7-1). Installed on the near side of intersections.
Decision Sign: Directs bicyclists to popular destinations. Consists of a standard D11-1 Bike Route sign and a plaque with destination name and arrow. Decision signs are installed where two bike routes cross, on the near side of intersections.
7 More information about Oakland’s wayfinding signage plan can be found here: http://www.oaklandpw.com/page122.aspx City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Wayfinding Signage | 47 Sign Placement
The following principles should be considered when installing wayfinding signage. • A confirmation sign should be installed at the beginning of every bikeway. • A turn sign should be installed in advance of where a bikeway turns. • A decision sign should be installed at the intersection of bikeways. • A decision or turn sign should be installed in advance of a left turn in a bikeway. Installation location of the sign should consider the number of lanes a bicyclist must merge across to access the left turn lane: No lane to merge: 25 feet; Two lanes: 100 feet; Three lanes: 200 feet.
Sign Frequency
On average, the City should install signs every one half mile to one mile, depending on the number of intersections (street density). For example, wayfinding signage along Gregory Lane should be installed at least every half mile and signage along Viking Drive should be installed every half mile or more. A typical bikeway mile will have three signs, one at each end, and one at mid-point.
Destinations
Pleasant Hill has a multitude of destinations for bicyclists. Categorizing destinations into primary, secondary and tertiary will inform the City as to the appropriate destination to display on a given wayfinding sign. To avoid visual clutter, the number of destination signs should be limited to three per post.
Primary destinations are regional destinations and should be displayed on signs at the greatest distance from the destination and maintain display priority with close proximity. These may include BART and neighboring communities of Walnut Creek, Concord, Lafayette, Martinez, and Contra Costa County.
Secondary destinations are popular local destinations and are displayed within two miles from the destination.
These may include downtown Pleasant Hill and Diablo Valley College.
Tertiary destinations are only relevant to users within close proximity of the destination. These may include schools, library, community centers, parks, and entrances to the Contra Costa Canal Trail, Iron Horse Regional Trail, and EBMUD Trail.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Recommended Programs | 48
8. Recommended Programs
This chapter presents possible programs that the City can explore to support biking and walking. The programs as summarized in Table 8-1. Programmatic recommendations follow a multi-disciplined strategy that incorporates the six Es: engagement, equity, education, encouragement, engineering, and evaluation, which work in unison to help foster a healthy biking and walking culture.
Every recommended program requires some level of partnership between the City, other government agency, school, or advocacy group. Given that any one of these partners could take the lead in program implementation, recommendations present possible partnerships for each program and identify estimated cost and associated staffing/material requirements. The City may use its discretion in implementing the recommended programs as funding and staff time permit.
Table 8-1: Possible Programmatic Implementation
Program Cost Description Anticipated Partnerships
Safe Routes to
School
$100,000 to
$200,000
(one to two
years)
Developing Safe Routes to School maps for
each K-12 school in the City.
Incorporating bicycle and pedestrian safety
skills into curriculum, promoting Walk and
Roll Day, organizing volunteers to lead
walking school buses.
Street Smarts Diablo
School District
Bike East Bay
Parent/Teacher Associations
City Staff
Bicycle
Education
$1,000 to
$10,000
(per event)
Bike East Bay charges from $700 for a one
hour class up to $8,140 for a road class.
Other classes include Adult Learn to Ride,
Family Cycling Workshop, and Youth Bike
Builds. Estimated cost also includes venue
rental and eight hours of staff time for
coordination and promotion.
Bike East Bay
City staff
511 Contra Costa
Bike-to-Work
Day
$10,000
(per event)
Organizing, administering and promoting
two energizer stations and an event
downtown the day of BTW. Assumes that
volunteers will staff the event.
Bike East Bay
Health department
City staff
511Contra Costa
Bicycle and
Pedestrian
Website/
brochures
$40,000 (per
year)
Estimated annual cost of staff time to
maintain and provide content for the
website and provide brochures with content
from the website.
City staff
511 Contra Costa
Bicycle and
Pedestrian
Access
Ordinance
$60,000 (one
time cost)
2,000 hours of staff time to develop
ordinance. Additional 5% full-time staff cost
to implement ordinance annually.
City staff
Traffic Safety Commission
Planning Commission
City Council
Bicycle and
Pedestrian
Collision
Analysis
$5,000 60 staff hours per year to collect and analyze
SWITRS or local bicycle and pedestrian
collection data. Plot collision locations on
citywide map.
City staff
Annual
Citywide Traffic
Counts
$15,000 Bi-Annual citywide program to collect
vehicle turning movements, bike, and
pedestrian counts. Develop count program
that counts key locations every two years.
City staff
East Bay Regional Park District
Bicycle and
Pedestrian
Survey
$6,000 Includes 80 hours staff time for
administration and analysis; and $1,000 for
500 paper surveys and promotional
materials.
City staff
Bike East Bay
Schools
511 Contra Costa
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Recommended Programs | 49 Safe Routes to School (SRTS)
Safe Routes to School is a multi-disciplined
program that incorporates a comprehensive
approach to improve safety and increase
biking and walking to schools. A successful
SR2S program incorporates all of the
program’s key components, known as the six
Es:
• Engagement
• Equity
• Education
• Encouragement
• Engineering
• Evaluation
See Section 8.3 for more information on the
SRTS plan.
8.1.1. Developing a Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) Plan
Walking, bicycling, and rolling are essential modes of transportation for students to get to and from school, as increased physical activity is associated with many wellness and learning outcomes, in addition to broader community benefits like reduced vehicle traffic and improved air quality near schools. However, many significant barriers exist to walking and rolling to schools and other local community destinations, especially for one of the most vulnerable roadway users - children. Increases in collision rates and other safety (traffic and physical) and comfort issues strongly discourage families from walking and rolling. Safe Routes to Schools Plans can analyze existing conditions and provide school-specific and citywide infrastructure, program, and policy recommendations to support and encourage walking and rolling to schools.
The development of an SRTS Plan should include all relevant stakeholders and partner agencies, including the City of Pleasant Hill (with representation from all relevant departments), Mt. Diablo Unified School District (MDUSD), neighboring cities/jurisdictions (based on school enrollment boundaries), other school districts that operate within or near Pleasant Hill, school staff, students, families, and other local community stakeholders. The SRTS Plan should include the following:
• Review of existing SRTS citywide policies and programs • Review of existing school travel conditions
• Citywide policy and program recommendations
• Review of existing conditions around each school area • Infrastructure recommendations for each school area
• Implementation/funding strategy (including project prioritization) • Community engagement
Community engagement is a critical component of any successful planning effort. In the SRTS context, community engagement can take many forms, including attendance at school walk audits, community City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Recommended Programs | 50 surveys, community meetings, and various forms of digital engagement. Community Engagement should also be mindful of community language and accessibility needs to maximize engagement.
Within Pleasant Hill, SRTS programming is led by Street Smarts Diablo (www.streetsmartsdiablo.org), which delivers bicycle and pedestrian safety programs at no cost to qualifying public schools in Central and East Contra Costa County. Street Smarts Diablo is managed by 511 Contra Costa, with funding from the Contra Costa Transportation Authority and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s Transportation Fund for Clean Air. Street Smarts Diablo coordinates SR2S program activities within Pleasant Hill, including events such as International Walk and Roll to School Day. The Street Smarts Diablo website offers resources for school administrators, teachers, parents and other school stakeholders.
Recommendation: The City of Pleasant Hill should develop a Safe Routes to School Plan that provides citywide and school-specific infrastructure, policy, and program recommendations to increase the safety, comfort, practicality, and attractiveness of walking, bicycling, and rolling. An example of a school specific Safe Routes to School plan is shown in Figure 8-1 for Gregory Gardens Elementary School. These plans should be developed for each school as part of the citywide Safe Routes to School Plan.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Recommended Programs | 51 Figure 8–1: Gregory Gardens Safe Routes to Schools Improvement Plan City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Recommended Programs | 52 Bicycle Education Programs
Education programs provide an opportunity for children and adults to learn safe biking and walking skills. Safe Routes to School is a popular program that incorporates biking and walking skills into the curriculum. Local advocacy groups offer bicycle skill classes for adults.
Bicyclists were found to be at fault for 53% of bicycle related collisions in Pleasant Hill from 2016 to 2020. In nearly half of those collisions, the bicyclist was riding the wrong way. Educational programs can help increase awareness around safe and predictable biking. Typically, either a local advocacy group or the police department teaches bicycle skills and rules of the road classes.
Recommendation: This BPMP recommends the City explore working with Bike East Bay to provide adult bicycle education classes for Pleasant Hill residents. The classes could be hosted at the Pleasant Hill Community Center, City Hall, or the library. The City should continue to partner with Street Smarts Diablo for Safe Routes to School programming at local schools.
511 Contra Costa Programs
511 Contra Costa is the TDM agency for the County, and provides numerous programs that support biking and walking. Taking advantage of most of these programs only requires a request from the City or other interested and eligible parties. The recommendations below encourage the City to take full advantage of 511 Contra Costa programs.
Recommendations:
Summer Bike Challenge: 511 Contra Costa’s Summer Bike Challenge (www.511cc.org/sbc) has been successful in Pleasant Hill since 2015 at no cost to the City or participants. The City should continue to encourage and support this event.
Commuter Incentive Brochure: This BPMP recommends the City Chamber of Commerce notify employers of 511 Contra Costa’s Commuter Incentive Brochure and the benefits obtained by “Traveling Greener.” Bicycle Parking: This BPMP recommends the City notify public employers (e.g. library and community centers) of the 511 Contra Costa’s bicycle parking program if bicycle parking is needed.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Awareness Campaigns
8.4.1. Bike-to-Work Day/Month
During 2019 Bike-to-Work Day, 511 Contra Costa hosted energizer stations at the Pleasant Hill BART station, Contra Costa Canal Trail at Gregory Lane, and Contra Costa Canal Trail at Golf Club Road intersection. Energizer stations provide snacks and promotional items to the biking commuters, and they are a great way to encourage people to bicycle to work on Bike-to-Work Day. Held on the third Thursday in May, Bike-to-Work Day is merely one day of celebrating the third week in May as California Commute Week and the whole month as Bike-toWork Month.
Increased participation in Bike-to-Work month will demonstrate the City’s dedication to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and compliance with Assembly Bill 32: Global Warming Solutions.
Recommendation: This BPMP recommends the City explore increased participation in Bike-to-Work Day and Month. Additional activities may include:
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Recommended Programs | 53 • Hosting an energizer station in downtown, which may include a speech from a local prominent figure, touting the benefits of biking to work.
• Participating in the 511.org Bike-to-Work Challenge, a contest between employers to ride the most miles to work in May.
8.4.2. Temporary Street Closure
The temporary closure of streets to vehicular traffic promotes biking and walking by allowing people to safely bike, walk, skate, stroll, connect, play, and recreate on the street. These events are typically held on the weekend. Cities around the world refer to this type of event by a variety of terms including “Sunday Streets” and “Ciclovia”. Downtown and shopping areas are ideal places for street closures and merchants benefit from the additional foot traffic. San Francisco and Oakland are among the cities in the Bay Area that have held such events.
Recommendation: This BPMP recommends the City implement a temporary street closure event to promote bicycling and walking in Pleasant Hill, such as closing Crescent Drive in Downtown Pleasant Hill for part of a weekend day. Downtown Pleasant Hill offers a variety of dining, shopping, and entertainment opportunities for Sunday Streets participants. Such an event would require notification to and coordination with local businesses and residents on the routes.
8.4.3. Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Ordinance
Bicyclists and pedestrians often have difficulty accessing buildings due to unclear routes through parking lots or poorly located bicycle racks. This is especially common in auto-oriented retail centers with large surface parking lots.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Ordinance would require property owners to plan for bicycle and pedestrian access. The City could require the developer to complete a Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Checklist or develop a Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Plan prior to development approval.
Recommendation: This BPMP recommends the City explore a study in determining the appropriate bicycle and pedestrian access requirements for Pleasant Hill as a step towards developing a bicycle and pedestrian access ordinance. Access requirements may include types of bicycle parking, additional parking lot treatments that accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians, and signage directing bicyclists and pedestrians through large surface parking lots.
Safety and Enforcement
8.5.1. Bicycle and Pedestrian Related Targeted Enforcement Targeted enforcement is an effective way of encouraging lawful behavior in traffic and can focus on a specific issue related to bicycle and pedestrian related collisions. The Police Department currently adds patrols around schools in September to ensure drivers are obeying school zone speed limits and yielding to pedestrians.
Motorists are not the only roadway users endangering bicyclists and pedestrians.
Recommendation: The BPMP recommends the Police Department continue targeted enforcement at schools, particularly along roadways where speeding motorists have been an ongoing issue.
Time-of-Day Bike Lane Parking Enforcement
“Time of day” bike lanes exist on segments of Patterson Boulevard and Viking Drive to coincide with school and work commutes to provide students with dedicated bike routes. For time-of-day bike lanes to serve bicyclists, City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Recommended Programs | 54 they must be clear of parked vehicles during posted operating hours, otherwise bicyclists are forced to ride on the travel lanes where motorists may not be expecting them.
Recommendation: The BPMP recommends the Police Department conduct enforcement of parking restrictions on time-of-day bike lane segments for compliance to ensure that these bike lanes are clear of parked vehicles during posted hours of restrictions, and to ensure bicycle safety.
Evaluation and Public Outreach
8.6.1. Bicycle and Pedestrian Collision Analysis
Analyzing bicycle collision data provides the City with the locations and causes of bicycle and pedestrian related collisions, which helps the City to determine the appropriate facility improvements that may increase safety.
SWITRS is a primary source of collision data, as discussed in Chapter 4.
Recommendation: The BPMP recommends the City analyze bicycle and pedestrian collision data annually. This BPMP provides a collision analysis of years 2016 to 2020. The City may use this analysis, as well as analysis conducted for the City’s Local Roadway Safety Plan as a baseline to compare future analyses.
8.6.2. Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts
Bicycle and pedestrian count data is
important for understanding
collision rates, activity levels,
infrastructure needs, and level of
effectiveness of a project. Pleasant
Hill does not currently collect
bicycle and pedestrian counts on a
regular basis.
Recommendation: The BPMP
recommends the City explore the
feasibility of increasing its efforts to
collect bicycle and pedestrian count
data by including bicycle and
pedestrian counts as part of its
citywide traffic count program,
establishing a database of bicycle
and pedestrian counts, and coordinating with the East Bay Regional Park District for trail count information.
8.6.3. Bicycle and Pedestrian Survey
A general public survey about biking and walking behavior and the challenges encountered while biking and walking can help the City identify needs and measure project effectiveness. This information can be published as an annual or biennial report on the status of biking and walking in Pleasant Hill.
Recommendation: The BPMP recommends that the City explore administering a bicycle and pedestrian survey and analyze its results every two years. The National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation project provides sample questionnaires, recommended survey dates and administration instructions.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Implementation | 55
9. Implementation
The BPMP provides recommendations for new bikeways, sidewalks, and intersection improvements to allow people of all ages and abilities to safely and comfortably use the City’s bicycle and pedestrian network for all trip purposes. The BPMP provides improvement recommendations and general network guidelines that will require further analysis and project development by the City during implementation. While the BPMP identifies recommended treatments for specific projects, the City will determine all design level issues, including the application of technology based devices during project implementation. Unanticipated opportunities and challenges will arise during the City’s analysis, development, design, and funding of each project, and as a result, the specific designs recommended in this BPMP may be modified.
Study Corridors
Portions of Oak Park Boulevard, Pleasant Hill Road, Gregory Lane, and Morello Avenue have been identified as Study Corridors. Corridor level analysis may include evaluation of:
• Right-of-way limitations
• Cross-sectional trade-offs such as removal of parking and/or vehicle lanes • Number and type of conflicts such as driveways
• Vehicle speeds and volumes
• Travel time along the corridor
• Bicycle level of traffic stress
Through the study, the appropriate bicycle and pedestrian facilities will be identified that best meet the goals of the plan and the context of the roadway. The study will also include additional outreach to the community and other stakeholders.
Project Implementation
Improvements recommended by the BPMP will be incorporated into the City’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), which is the City’s primary project budgeting and implementation document. To ensure that the proposed networks are implemented in a systematic and efficient manner, it is the City’s intent to review capital improvement projects and new development projects in conjunction with the bicycle and pedestrian networks identified in the BPMP.
Figure 9-1 illustrates the process by which projects included in the BPMP will be implemented.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Implementation | 56 Figure 9–1: Implementation Diagram
(BPMP)
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Implementation | 57 Costs
Planning level project costs are estimated to include preliminary design, environmental review, and construction. The total estimated costs of implementing all bicycle and pedestrian improvements ranges from $17.8 million to $46.3 million. Table 9-1 presents individual costs by improvement types.
Table 9-1: Costs by Project Type
Project Type Range of Cost Per Mile
Length/
Quantity Low Cost High Cost
Class I Multi-Use Paths $700,000 - $1.5 Million 7.4 miles $5,180,000 $11,100,000 Class II Bike Lanes $130,000 - $420,000 2.3 miles $299,000 $996,000 Class III Neighborhood Bike Routes $75,000 - $500,000 17.2 miles $1,290,000 $8,600,000 Class IV Separated Bikeways $300,000 - $900,000 12.1 miles $3,630,000 $10,890,000 Sidewalk Gap Closures (5 ft wide) $650,000 - $1 Million 10.7 miles $6,955,000 $10,700,000 Crossing Improvements $25,000 - $250,000 16 locations $400,000 $4,000,000 Wayfinding Signage Plan 1 plan $25,000 $50,000
Total Cost Range $17,779,000 $46,306,000
Implementation Priority
The proposed bicycle and pedestrian networks, when fully implemented, will provide a comprehensive system throughout the City of Pleasant Hill. The BPMP recommended improvements not implemented as a part of an already funded CIP project or development project can be implemented under the City’s CIP Pedestrian and Bicycle Program (Measure K). This program will be funded through annual local Measure K allocations and other funds. The project evaluation criteria listed in Table 9-2 will be used to evaluate the priority that projects are to be selected for future budgeting in the CIP and for future application for Federal/State transportation grants. The final selection of projects for grant application will also be based on (but not limited to) the following criteria:
• Project match with grant funding criteria and intent
• Project cost comparing with grant funding level
• Partially funded projects may have higher priority for grant funding application • Other changing safety/transportation/economic factors that may increase the probability of the City securing grant funding.
Table 9-3 and Table 9-4 present the lists of bicycle and sidewalk recommendations, respectively.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Implementation | 58 Table 9-2: Prioritization Framework
Criteria Description Related Goal/Policy
Addresses Existing Safety
Deficiencies
Consider each project based on collision history.
Projects receive higher priority if they improve a
location that has had a high number of collisions.
Goal 2: Strive to eliminate all
fatal and serious injury on bike
and pedestrian related crashes.
Provides Safe Routes to
School
Consider each project based on its proximity to
school. Projects receive a higher priority if they are
located near a school and on a logical route to
school.
Goal 3: Encourage people to bike
and walk for utilitarian purposes.
Provides Access to
Community Destinations
Consider each project based on its proximity to
commercial areas, parks and civic buildings.
Projects receive higher priority if they are located
near community destinations and provide a logical
route to these destinations.
Goal 3: Encourage people to bike
and walk for utilitarian purposes.
Availability of External
Funding Opportunities
Consider each project based on how competitive it
will be for Federal, State or Regional grants.
Projects that align with the goals of large funding
sources, such as the California ATP, receive higher
priority.
Goal 4: Encourage more people
to bike and walk in Pleasant Hill
by implementing supportive
infrastructure and programs.
Ease of Implementation Score each project based on the complexity of the project. Projects with significant feasibility analysis, design, right-of-way, maintenance or environmental
requirements receive a lower priority. Projects that
can easily be implemented as part of another active
maintenance or CIP project (e.g. street resurfacing),
or as part of a nearby development project receive
higher priority.
Goal 4: Encourage more people
to bike and walk in Pleasant Hill
by implementing supportive
infrastructure and programs.
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Implementation | 59 Table 9-3: Recommended Bikeways
Name Start End Class Miles
Class I Multi-Use Paths
Paso Nogal Rd (N) Alhambra Ave Morello Ave I 0.92
Grayson Creek MUP Chilpancingo Pkwy North City Limit (near 2nd Ave S) I 0.51 Grayson Creek MUP Viking Dr Golf Club Rd I 0.36
Walnut Creek (Connector Path) Santa Monica Dr (terminus) Longbrook Way I 0.03 Walnut Creek Santa Monica Dr Pleasant Hill Plaza Shopping Center (Safeway) I 1.19
Pleasant Hill Plaza Shopping
Center (Safeway) Woodsworth Ln Walnut Creek/EBMUD ROW I 0.20 Gregory Ln -Grayson Rd Strand Ave Contra Costa Blvd I 1.41 Monument Blvd East City Limit (Iron Horse Trail) Contra Costa Blvd I 0.51 Monticello Ave Oak Park Blvd Santa Barbara Rd I 0.15
Oak Park Blvd Putnam Blvd Pleasant Hill Rd I 0.52
Contra Costa Blvd Gregory Ln W Hookston Rd I 0.51
Pleasant Hill Rd Geary Rd Cumberland Dr I 0.89
Contra Costa Canal Taylor Blvd Lucille Ln I 0.18
Class II Bike Lanes
Cleaveland Rd Boyd Rd Crescent Drive II 0.12
Cleaveland Rd W Hookston Rd EBMUD Trail II 0.19
Crescent Dr Contra Costa Blvd Cleaveland Rd II 0.21
Coggins Dr Iron Horse Trail Las Juntas Way II 0.19
Paso Nogal Rd Morello Ave Golf Club Rd II 0.78
Lucille Ln Civic Dr Stanmore Dr II 0.19
Buskirk Ave Coggins Dr Clarie Dr II 0.66
Class III Neighborhood Bike Boulevards
Shirley Dr Taylor Blvd Harriet Dr III 0.36
Longbrook Way/Ellinwood Loop Loop Around Neighborhood II 1.06 Margie/Leslie/Elinora Susan Ln Gregory Ln III 0.84
Mary/Roche Kathleen Dr Harriet Dr III 0.42
Helen Rd Gladys Dr Gregory Ln III 0.16
Maureen/Chadima Elinora Dr Eloise Ave III 0.41
Mercury/Vineyard Pleasant Hill Rd Taylor Blvd III 0.82
Kiki Dr Morello Ave Valhalla Elementary School III 0.80 Cortsen Rd Grayson Rd 285' N of Boyd Rd III 0.25
Boyd Rd Cortsen Connector Path Old Rogers Ranch Connector Path III 0.10 Old Rogers Ranch/Twinview Old Rogers Ranch Connector Path Hamilton Connector Path III 0.08 Hamilton/Cumberland Hamilton Connector Path Dinosaur Park III 0.90 Cumberland Dr Pleasant Hill Rd Cumberland Dr (N-S) III 0.15 Gladys Dr Elinora Dr Strandwood Elementary School III 0.31 Harriet Dr Shirley Dr Gregory Gardens School III 0.29
Devon Ave Madeira Wy Hannan Dr III 0.40
Boies Dr Hannan Dr Boies Dr Connector III 0.13
College Dr - Ruth Dr Golf Club Rd Harriet Dr III 0.88
Devon Ave Pleasant Hill Rd Gail Dr III 0.19
Hannan Dr Madeira Wy Boies Dr III 0.04
City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Implementation | 60 Name Start End Class Miles
Strand - Westover - Maureen Grayson Rd Elinora Dr III 1.27 Lucille Ln Stanmore Dr Gladys Dr III 0.63
Norse Dr Paso Nogal Rd Taylor Blvd III 0.46
Boyd Rd Pleasant Hill Rd Cleaveland Rd III 0.99
Camelback Rd Old Quarry Rd City Limit III 0.72
Santa Monica Dr City Limit Ellinwood Creek III 0.17
Doray Dr Susan Ln Contra Costa Blvd III 0.09
Susan Ln Margie Dr Doray Dr III 0.04
Geraldine - Fair Oaks - Marcia Rte Claire Dr Lisa Ln III 0.33 Osborne - Las Juntas Rte Lucille Ln Contra Costa Canal Trail III 0.19 Elmira-Geraldine Connector Rte Geraldine Dr Elmira Ln III 0.03 Apollo Way Mercury Way Taylor Blvd III 0.43
Treadway - Vivian - Linda - Doris -
Susan Rte Woodsworth Ln Margie Dr III 0.44
Kathleen Dr Ardith Dr Lucille Ln III 0.31
Putnam Blvd Oak Park Blvd Geary Rd III 0.51
Elderwood Dr Alhambra Ave North City Limit III 0.53
Pleasant View Dr Pleasant Hill Rd Bridge Rd III 0.10
Bridge Rd Pleasant View Dr Contra Costa Canal Trail III 0.14 Hookston Rd Cleaveland Rd Contra Costa Blvd III 0.15
Ilene - Merian - Evelyn Mary Dr Stanmore Dr III 0.28
Stanmore Dr Lucille Ln Mary Dr III 0.28
Ardith Dr Jennifer Way Elinora Dr III 0.25
Jennie Dr Ruth Dr Shirley Dr III 0.25
Boyd Rd Crescent Dr Contra Costa Blvd III 0.06
Class IV Separated Bikeway
Taylor Blvd West City Limit Contra Costa Blvd IV 2.60
Contra Costa Blvd W Hookston Rd South City Limit IV 0.61 Contra Costa Blvd North City Limit Gregory Ln IV 2.36
Chilpancingo Pkwy Ironwood Dr Contra Costa Blvd IV 0.74 Golf Club Rd Paso Nogal Rd Contra Costa Blvd IV 0.58
Morello Ave North City Limit Taylor Blvd IV 1.41
Viking Dr Norse Dr Grayson Creek IV 0.47
Woodsworth Ln Contra Costa Blvd Monument Blvd IV 0.55
Oak Park Blvd - Coggins Dr Putnam Blvd Iron Horse Trail IV 1.08 Pleasant Hill Rd - Alhambra Ave Paso Nogal Rd Cumberland Dr IV 1.70 City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Implementation | 61 Table 9-4: Recommended Sidewalks
Name Start End Miles
Wendell Ln Oak Park Blvd Pleasant Hill Rd 0.14
Moiso Ln Gregory Ln Moiso Ln (south terminus) 0.08
Treadway Ln Vivian Dr Mazie Dr 0.05
Ellinwood Way Longbrook Way Ellinwood Way Loop 0.64
Ellinwood Way Ellinwood Dr Longbrook Way 0.15
Shirley Dr Taylor Blvd Doray Dr 0.50
Mary Dr Kathleen Dr Harriet Dr 0.42
Oak Park Blvd Hook Ave Monticello Ave 0.18
Strand Ave Grayson Rd Pleasant Hill Rd 0.36
Longfellow Dr Keats Cir Patterson Blvd 0.18
Elinora Dr Gregory Ln Maureen Ln 0.23
Maureen Ln Rose Ln Elinora Dr 0.31
Elinora Dr Maureen Ln Leslie Dr 0.16
Leslie Dr Elinora Dr Doray Dr 0.06
Doray Dr Leslie Dr Shirley Dr 0.32
Evelyn Dr Merian Dr Mary Dr 0.21
Merian Dr Mary Dr Evelyn Dr 0.18
Chilpancingo Pkwy Ryan Dr Camelback Rd 0.15
Golf Club Rd Contra Costa Canal Trail Paso Nogal 0.03
Viking Dr Stubbs Rd Ruth Dr 0.38
Taylor Blvd Contra Costa Blvd Civic Dr 0.19
Madeira Way 300' SW of Del Vista Ct Apollo Way 0.12
Pleasant Valley Dr Astrid Dr I-680 Ramp 0.29
Astrid Dr Contra Costa Blvd EBMUD Trail 0.13
Hookston Rd Contra Costa Blvd Clara Ct 0.08
Vivian Dr Treadway Ln Contra Costa Blvd 0.15
Geraldine Dr Hookston Rd Fair Oaks Dr 0.27
Rose Ln Gladys Dr Maureen Ln 0.23
Lucille Ln Gladys Dr Kathleen Dr 0.36
Kathleen Dr Lucille Ln Mary Dr 0.13
Morello Ave Contra Costa Country Club Frontage 0.06
Golf Club Rd Stubbs Rd Contra Costa Canal Trail 0.04
Lucille Ln Taylor Blvd 350' South of Taylor Blvd 0.05
Ellinwood Way Longbrook Dr Ellinwood Way Loop 0.25
Morello Ave Paso Nogal Rd Morello Ct 0.23
Apollo Way Madeira Way Taylor Blvd 0.03
Pleasant View Dr Pleasant Hill Rd Contra Costa Canal Trail 0.12 Kahrs Ave Turrin Dr Beswick Ct 0.08
Cleaveland Rd Babette Ct Astrid Dr 0.17
Oak Park Blvd Pleasant Valley Dr Buskirk Ave 0.13
Hoover Ave Dorothy Dr Ellis Ct 0.22
Pleasant Hill Rd Wendell Ln Boyd Rd 1.13
Grayson Rd Mohawk Dr 150 Ft East of Buttner Rd 0.09
Pacheco Blvd 940 Ft North of Chilpancingo Pkwy Chilpancingo Pkwy 0.18 City of Pleasant Hill BPMP – March 2024 Implementation | 62 Project Funding
There is a variety of potential funding available at the local, regional, state, and federal levels that can support future planning, design, and construction of projects identified in the BPMP. The City’s existing traffic mitigation fee program provides a mechanism to require developers to pay fair share costs of bicycle and pedestrian improvements.
The funding sources considered appropriate for Pleasant Hill are presented in Table 9-5.
Table 9-5: Funding Sources
Federal Funding Sources
RAISE Grant (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) State Funding Sources
Active Transportation Program (ATP)
Solutions for Congested Corridors Programs
Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)
Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant Program (STP) Office of Traffic Safety: National Safety Program 405(h) Nonmotorized Safety Recreational Trails Program
Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program
Urban Greening Grants
Local Partnership Program
Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Program
Regional Funding Sources
One Bay Area Grant Program
Contra Costa County Measure J
Transportation Funds for Clean Air
Local Funding Sources
Pleasant Hill Measure K
Mitigation Fees
Assessment Districts
Open Space District
Non-Traditional and Private Funding Sources
California Conservation Corps (CCC)
Rails to Trails Conservancy (RTC)
Grant and Foundation Opportunities
Adopt-A-Trail/Path Programs
Memorial Funds
Revenue-Producing Operations