Public Works
DATE: July 7, 2026
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Daniel Chavarria, PE, Director of Public Works/City
Engineer
Gail Payne, Senior Transportation Planner
Subject: 23rd Street Ciclovía Pilot Project
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The recommended action to receive an update and provide direction does not require an immediate
expenditure of funds. However, if the City Council directs staff to proceed with development and implementation of the 23rd Street Ciclovía Pilot in 2026, the event would require additional funding and staff capacity. Preliminary cost estimates for a pilot event range from approximately $79,000 to $145,000, depending on final program design, operational requirements, and equipment needs. Should
the City Council direct City staff to proceed, a detailed budget, identified funding sources, and any required
appropriations will be brought forward for City Council consideration.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
April 22, 2025
May 6, 2025
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
City Council requested analysis of a potential Ciclovía pilot event in Richmond. This report provides an update on the proposed 23rd Street Ciclovía Pilot Project,
including route considerations, preliminary costs,
operational requirements, staffing impacts, and the trade- offs associated with adding this event to the
Transportation and Public Works work plan during the
current calendar year.
AGENDA
REPORT
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
RECEIVE an update on the proposed 23rd Street
Ciclovía Pilot Project and PROVIDE DIRECTION to staff
regarding whether this effort should be prioritized within the current Transportation and Public Works work plan,
including consideration of staffing capacity, cost, trade- offs with existing Council-directed priorities, and impacts to ongoing traffic safety, traffic calming, grant-funded project delivery, and resident/Council traffic-related
requests - Public Works Department (Gail Payne 510-
620-6716/Daniel Chavarria 510-620-5478). This item
was continued from the June 16, and June 23, 2026,
meetings.
DISCUSSION:
Ciclovías temporarily close streets to vehicle traffic and create car-free spaces for walking, biking, skating, and community gathering. The model began in Bogotá, Colombia, and has since expanded worldwide as a public health, mobility, and community-building strategy. Ciclovía events can offer a wide range of programming beyond street closures, including community bike rides, fitness and yoga classes, food and beverage vendors, arts and crafts activities, bike repair clinics, and bike valet services. Key benefits of Ciclovía events include:
Encouraging walking, biking, and healthy recreation
Supporting small businesses and increasing foot traffic Offering inclusive, family-friendly activities
Strengthening community pride and neighborhood connectivity Showcasing and activating key commercial corridors
Richmond has incorporated limited Ciclovía components into past community festivals, but has not hosted a full-scale, standalone Ciclovía. City staff evaluated several routes including Gaynor Avenue, Hilltop Circle, Marina Way, Nevin Avenue, Park Place, Wagon Wheel Lane and Dirt World/Greenway loop. The pilot route builds on the Fiestas Patrias Parade & Festival and leverages City staff already deployed for the event. The ultimate vision for Ciclovías in Richmond is to host multiple Ciclovías throughout the year that piggyback on existing events such as the Cinco de Mayo festival (May), the Juneteenth parade (June) and the Fiestas Patrias Parade & Festival (September). For additional standalone Ciclovía events beyond the above leveraged City events, a community member champion would need to organize the event committee and coordinate neighborhood engagement and City approvals.
23rd Street Ciclovía as part of Fiestas Patrias Parade & Festival Proposed Segment: Between Barrett Avenue and Rheem Avenue (0.8-mile segment) Description: This high-visibility commercial corridor features numerous Latino-owned small businesses, strong transit access and a rich tradition of community events. The
Ciclovía Pilot event could be integrated with the Fiestas Patrias Parade & Festival on Saturday, September 12, 2026, as follows:
1. Before the Parade (8:00 AM to 10:00 AM): Along 23rd Street in both directions (1.6-mile segment), community members would be invited to walk, roll and stroll along the car-free corridor prior to the start of the parade.
2. During the Parade (10:00 AM to 12:00 PM): Along 23rd Street, parade spectators would be encouraged to join the back of the parade as part of a Ciclovía “caboose.”
3. After the Parade (12:00 PM (noon) to 3:00 OM): Along 23rd Street in both directions (1.6-mile segment), the corridor would continue as a car-free space, allowing community members to walk, roll and gather following the parade.
Strengths: The expected strengths of this pilot proposal are as follows:
Builds on the existing Fiestas Patrias Parade & Festival Activates 23rd Street during planned street closures
Leverages City staff already deployed for parade operations Enhances a vibrant commercial frontage and active mixed-use environment Aligns with established community cultural events and traditions Provides access to AC Transit service
Challenges: The expected challenges of this pilot proposal are as follows:
Extends the duration of street closures associated with the parade Requires more complex traffic control needs after the parade Limits business access including loading and deliveries Requires coordination and buy-in with key stakeholders Requires AC Transit detours
Work Plan Trade-Offs and Staff Capacity Impacts
The proposed Ciclovía Pilot would require a meaningful commitment of staff time during the same period that the Transportation and Public Works teams are advancing several City Council and community priorities. Since January 2025, Public Works and Transportation have received approximately 34 Council-related requests involving traffic safety, traffic calming, street safety improvements, corridor evaluations, grant implementation, and other transportation-related initiatives.
Adding the Ciclovía Pilot to the 2026 work plan would require staff to redirect time from some of these existing priorities. This includes staff time currently needed for traffic calming evaluations, high-injury corridor safety work, pavement and striping coordination, grant-funded project delivery, traffic control review, resident and Council inquiries, and implementation of previously directed street safety measures.
While the Ciclovía concept has community, mobility, health, and economic development benefits, staff does not currently have unlimited capacity to absorb another event-level project without affecting the timing of other work. Therefore, if City Council directs staff
to proceed with the Ciclovía Pilot this year, that direction should be understood as prioritizing this effort within the existing work plan and accepting potential delays or reduced staff capacity for other Transportation and Public Works priorities.
Estimated Cost (preliminary): $79,000 or $145,000 with street barrier rentals. City staff will return to City Council with a detailed budget and potential partnership opportunities. Preliminary line-item cost estimates are shown in the table below.
Staffing Description Cost Estimate
Security The event would require 29 security guards from a private security company for a 10-hour shift on
Saturday, September 12 (7 am to 5 pm).
$11,500
Police The post-parade Ciclovía pilot would extend
police staffing needs by five hours, which includes
10 officers, 1 sergeant and 1 lieutenant.
$7,825
Fire Two crews of Fire personnel would be on standby
for the 10-hour event. The estimate is based on
the fee schedule of $743 per hour.
$14,860
Ambulance A standby ambulance would be available to
respond to emergencies.
$2,500
Programming It depends on the ultimate pilot event and could include fitness classes, food vendors and
business pop-ups, arts and crafts stations, bike
repair clinics and performances, etc.
$17,500
Miscellaneous Restrooms, marketing, other $17,633
Contingency Includes 10% for unknown expenses. $7,182
Total Cost
Estimate
$79,000
Street
Barriers
Meridian barriers: 29 intersections (purchase is
$1.8 million for 273 barriers)
$66,000 (rental)
Total Cost
w/Barriers
$145,000
Operational Considerations: The expected operational considerations of this pilot proposal are as follows:
Staff capacity impacts, including the need to redirect Transportation and Public Works staff time from existing Council-directed priorities, including traffic calming evaluations, high-injury corridor safety work, grant-funded transportation projects, traffic control review, pavement/striping coordination, and responses to resident and Council traffic-related inquiries.
Traffic control planning, including detours and signage Emergency access coordination and safety staffing
Public Works and Police staffing requirements
Provision of restrooms, waste management and water stations Vendor coordination and special event permitting
ADA accessibility and mobility accommodations, including transit access
Multilingual community outreach and marketing
Partnerships with nonprofits, business associations, and health organizations Programming such as community bike rides, fitness classes, food vendors and business pop-ups, arts and crafts stations, bike repair clinics and performances
Staff Capacity and Workload Considerations:
Development and implementation of the Ciclovía Pilot will require a meaningful commitment of staff time across multiple departments, including Public Works, Transportation, Police, Fire, and administrative support. Although coordinating the pilot with the existing Fiestas Patrias Parade & Festival helps reduce some operational burden, the additional work associated with community engagement, stakeholder coordination, traffic control planning, permitting, procurement, funding analysis, event logistics, and post-event evaluation will require staff resources that are currently supporting other Council and community priorities.
In particular, Transportation staff assigned to this effort are also responsible for advancing the City’s traffic safety program, traffic calming evaluations, grant-funded transportation projects, and responses to resident and Council traffic-related inquiries.
Therefore, if City Council directs staff to proceed with the Ciclovía Pilot, that direction should be understood as prioritizing this effort within existing staff capacity. Without additional consultant or temporary support, staff time committed to the Ciclovía Pilot may affect the timing of other traffic safety program work.
Staff is not presenting the Ciclovía Pilot as a workload-neutral item. Implementation in 2026 would require Council to recognize that this effort would compete with other active Transportation and Public Works priorities already directed or requested by the City Council.
Public Outreach:
If the City Council directs City staff to proceed, staff will conduct targeted outreach with key stakeholders, including the Fiestas Patrias Parade & Festival organizing committee, the 23rd Street Merchants Association and other local businesses, schools, community-based organizations, neighborhood councils and AC Transit.
To promote the Ciclovía event, City of Richmond staff will develop and distribute multilingual outreach materials, including flyers and digital advertising through social media. City staff also will recruit residents and community leaders as ambassadors to help promote the event and will engage with local media outlets including newspapers, radio and television for broad coverage.
Following the Ciclovía pilot, City staff will conduct a post-event evaluation to capture lessons learned and to inform future events. This evaluation will include input from participants, partners and stakeholders as well as data on attendance, City staff involvement and final budget outcomes. Findings will be compiled into a report and will be presented to the City Council.
Alternative Implementation Option:
Another viable option is for community-based organizations (CBOs) to apply for Richmond Children and Youth Fund / Kids First funds to launch or support a Ciclovía- style project. Under this approach, a CBO or community partner could serve as the lead organizer and pursue available funding, while City staff provides limited technical coordination related to traffic control, permitting, public safety, and event logistics as capacity allows.
This model may reduce the immediate financial and staffing burden on the City while still advancing the community, health, youth engagement, mobility, and neighborhood activation goals associated with Ciclovía events. If Council is interested in this approach, staff could identify the appropriate coordination points and return with recommendations on the City’s limited role in supporting a CBO-led effort.
CONCLUSION AND STAFF RECOMMENDATION
The proposed 23rd Street Ciclovía Pilot leverages the existing Fiestas Patrias Parade & Festival to introduce a Ciclovía model in a cost-effective and operationally efficient manner, maximizing community participation, economic activity, and opportunities for safe, active transportation.
While the pilot presents operational challenges, including extended street closures and coordination with businesses and transit providers, these can be addressed through targeted planning and stakeholder engagement. The pilot will also provide valuable data and community feedback to inform future Ciclovía events City-wide.
City staff also notes that implementation of the Ciclovía Pilot will require a meaningful commitment of Transportation, Public Works, Police, Fire, and administrative staff time.
While the pilot can be coordinated with the existing Fiestas Patrias Parade & Festival to reduce some operational burden, the additional planning, outreach, traffic control development, stakeholder coordination, permitting, procurement, and post-event evaluation will require staff resources that are currently supporting other Council and community priorities. In particular, Transportation staff time dedicated to this effort may affect the timing of ongoing traffic safety program work, including traffic calming evaluations, safety improvements, grant-funded transportation projects, and responses to resident and City Council traffic-related requests.
Accordingly, staff recommends that the City Council receive this update and provide direction on whether the 23rd Street Ciclovía Pilot should be prioritized for further development in 2026. If Council directs staff to proceed, staff would return with a detailed implementation plan, budget, funding strategy, traffic control approach, stakeholder engagement plan, and staffing plan. Staff also recommends that any direction to proceed include acknowledgment of the potential impacts to existing Transportation and Public Works priorities, including traffic calming, street safety improvements, grant-funded transportation projects, and responses to Council and resident traffic-related requests.
Another viable option is for community-based organizations (CBOs) to apply for Richmond Children and Youth Fund / Kids First funds to support the launch of a Ciclovía-style project. This approach could allow community partners to lead or help fund the effort while reducing the immediate financial and staffing burden on the City. If Council is interested in this option, staff could coordinate with interested CBOs and provide technical input as appropriate, while the CBOs pursue available funding opportunities.
ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTATION:
This action does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Any future event implementation will be evaluated for CEQA applicability; however, Ciclovía/Open Streets events are typically exempt as temporary street closures with minimal environmental impact.
SYNERGISTIC POLICIES:
This event would support citywide goals related to active transportation, economic vitality, quality of life and health equity.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Ciclovía Pilot PowerPoint presentation