June 28, 2022
Public Works
DATE: June 28, 2022
TO: Mayor Butt and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Joe Leach, PE, Director of Public Works
Patrick Phelan, Infrastructure Administrator
Subject:
RECEIVE Presentation of San Pablo Avenue Multimodal
Corridor Study Phase 2
FINANCIAL IMPACT: This study was funded by the CCTA and WCCTAC using Measure J transportation sales tax dollars.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
none
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory
Committee will present a summary of the key results of
its technical analysis conducted as part of the on-going San Pablo Avenue Multimodal Corridor Study, Phase 2.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RECEIVE a presentation of the San Pablo Avenue
Multimodal Corridor Study Phase 2 and provide feedback
– Public Works (Joe Leach/Patrick Phelan 307-8111).
DISCUSSION:
Over the next 15-20 years, growing congestion will impact the multiple cities along San Pablo Avenue, but each does not function in isolation. To better coordinate transportation, several jurisdictions agreed to participate in a corridor study.
In 2017, the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC), the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA), and the West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee (WCCTAC), began the San Pablo Avenue Multimodal Corridor Study AGENDA
REPORT
June 28, 2022
(Study). The purpose of the Study is to improve multimodal mobility, efficiency, and safety to sustainably meet current and future transportation needs and help support strong growth along the corridor while still maintaining local contexts. A key objective of the first phase of the Study was to identify potential improvements to make San Pablo Avenue function better and be safer for people who walk, bike, drive, and take the bus.
Phase 1 included a Technical Advisory Committee representing all jurisdictions along the corridor, including Richmond staff. For Phase 2, WCCTAC utilized its own Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) which includes staff from Richmond.
The study’s analysis looks at several options for improving transit speed and reliability in the San Pablo Avenue corridor. These include: 1) maintaining today’s existing conditions; 2) a shared bus and general-purpose travel lane with location specific improvements, such as queue jumps and bus bulbs; and 3) a dedicated transit-only lane (also known as Bus Rapid Transit). Phase 1 of the Study consisted of a multijurisdictional, multi-county analysis of the corridor from downtown Oakland to Hilltop Mall in Richmond. ACTC managed the day-to-day consultant work and oversaw analysis and community engagement. The public engagement process from Phase 1 of the Study revealed that participants placed the highest priorities on making walking safer and the bus more reliable. There was also widespread support for safer bike facilities on parallel routes. While residents were less likely to mention concerns about parking, merchants insisted it was important. Generally, merchants were concerned with parking and access, but some indicated that their customers were changing and were more reliant on walking and biking.
While WCCTAC and the CCTA continue to coordinate with ACTC, the nature of the work is different for Phase 2. At the conclusion of Phase 1, the WCCTAC Board reviewed the analysis and the public feedback. They recognized that, although there are similarities with the Alameda County portion of the corridor, there are unique conditions in Contra Costa County that warranted further analysis. For Phase 2 in Contra Costa County, the Study worked with the following constraints and assumptions:
• No taking of right-of-way
• Existing driveways should be maintained.
• Safety is a priority
• Existing bicycle facilities should be retained or enhanced. • Improvements should be implemented using a variety of typical funding sources and should be consistent with any previously adopted or in process design guidelines and planning documents
WCCTAC’s consultant from Kimley-Horn will present a series of slides (Attachment 2) that explain in more detail what was studied and the results of the analysis. This will include the bicycle and parking facility analysis for center-running and side-running Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). For reference, maps of this analysis are included as Attachment 3.
This will be a summary-level presentation of the technical analysis; however, both WCCTAC and consultant staff will be available to answer more detailed questions.
June 28, 2022
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Background Information Letter
Attachment 2 – Presentation slides
Attachment 3 – Schematic maps of different improvement options