April 22, 2025
Public Works
DATE: April 22, 2025
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Daniel Chavarria, PE, Public Works Director
Robert Armijo, PE, Deputy Public Works Director/City
Engineer
Janney Lockman, Associate Transportation Planner
Subject:
Resolution to Accept the Final Richmond Parkway
Transportation Plan
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no direct fiscal impact related to the adoption of this resolution. The plan was fully funded by a Caltrans
transportation planning grant.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
November 19, 2024
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The Richmond Parkway Transportation Plan is the result of a multi-year planning effort lead by the Western Contra Costa Transportation Commission (WCCTC) in partnership with the City of Richmond and Contra Costa County to develop a
strategic transportation plan for the Richmond Parkway
through Richmond and unincorporated Contra Costa County.
The plan is now complete, and the WCCTC board voted to
adopt the plan at their meeting on February 28, 2025.
RECOMMENDED
ACTION:
ADOPT a resolution to ACCEPT the final Richmond Parkway Transportation Plan – Public Works (Janney Lockman 307- 8097/Robert Armijo 620-5477).
DISCUSSION:
In 2021, the West Contra County Transportation Commission (WCCTC), the City of Richmond, and Contra Costa County applied for and received a Caltrans Sustainable Communities Grant to develop the Richmond Parkway Transportation Plan. The purpose of this plan was to identify strategies that equitably expand transportation AGENDA
REPORT
April 22, 2025
options, support safe travel, and reduce public health impacts of truck and vehicle traffic along Richmond Parkway and Castro Street between I-80 and I-580. Following a multi- year planning process lead by WCCTC, in partnership with the City of Richmond and Contra Costa County, the Richmond Parkway Transportation Plan (RPTP) is now complete. WCCTC voted to adopt the plan at their February 28, 2025, board meeting, and is requesting that the Richmond City Council and Contra Costa County Commission accept this plan.
The planning process consisted of two public outreach phases to gather public comments, which included pop-up events, community meetings, online advertising in Spanish and English, e-newsletters, and web-based surveys, as well as technical stakeholder engagement. Richmond Public Works staff have been involved throughout the plan’s development and planning process.
The WCCTC Board, which includes several representatives from the Richmond City Council (i.e., Mayor Martinez, Vice Mayor Zepeda, Councilmember Jimenez), received regular updates throughout RPTP development. WCCTC presented the plan to Richmond City Council on November 19, 2024. Additionally, WCCTC staff offered to brief City of Richmond WCCTC board representatives and address any questions before the January 24 and February 28 WCCTC meetings. The final plan addresses WCCTC Board concerns about air quality, funding, maintenance, and prioritization (Attachment 1).
The final plan consists of projects, programs, and policies that collectively aim to address the following six goals of the Plan:
1. Improve safety for all users
2. Advance placemaking
3. Increase access to key destinations
4. Enhance travel time reliability and efficiency
5. Improve health
6. Support feasible strategies
A major outcome of this Plan is a set of targeted strategies for the Richmond Parkway in areas of Public Health, Safety, Walking and Biking, Driving and Goods Movement, Maintenance, and Transit that WCCTC and partner agencies may choose to advance over the next 10 years. Chapter 4 of the plan details these strategies. Chapter 5 provides additional detail of ten priority strategies that meet multiple plan goals.
Priority Strategies
1. Confirm and enforce truck routes in North Richmond
2. Incorporate trees and green infrastructure
3. Minimize vehicle impacts to air quality
4. Safety improvements at intersections
5. Reduce speeding
6. Upgrade bikeways and connect sidewalk gaps
April 22, 2025
7. On-street signalized Wildcat Creek Trail crossing
8. Upgrade and coordinate traffic signals
9. Implement a cross-jurisdictional maintenance program
10. Improve access to the Richmond Parkway Transit Center
As the City of Richmond is not the lead agency for this plan, the City does not need to make a finding of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemption. Further, the Richmond Parkway Transportation Plan is exempt from CEQA pursuant to Section 15262, which covers projects that involve only feasibility or planning studies needed for possible future action.
Successful implementation of the Richmond Parkway Transportation Plan will require collaboration between WCCTC, the City of Richmond, Contra Costa County, and other partner agencies, as well as securing additional funding. By formally accepting the plan, the City will strengthen its position in future grant applications and funding opportunities, either through WCCTC or City Council-directed initiatives. Furthermore, endorsing the plan demonstrates the City's commitment to coordinated, multi-jurisdictional transportation planning, as required by Measure J.
Conversely, declining to support the plan could be perceived as a failure to engage in good-faith regional planning efforts, potentially affecting the City's ability to participate in future transportation initiatives and funding opportunities.
Given the extensive multi-agency collaboration, public engagement, and the strategic importance of the Richmond Parkway Transportation Plan in improving mobility, safety, and environmental outcomes, City staff recommend that the City Council adopt a resolution formally accepting the final plan. Acceptance of this plan will enable the City to align with regional transportation priorities, strengthen future funding applications, and demonstrate its commitment to coordinated transportation planning (Attachment 2).
Approval of the resolution will support the City’s ongoing efforts to enhance the Richmond Parkway corridor in partnership with WCCTC and Contra Costa County.
SYNERGISTIC POLICIES:
Portions of the Richmond Parkway are identified as part of the multimodal high injury network in the Local Road Safety Plan.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Richmond Parkway Transportation Plan
Attachment 2 – Resolution