East Bay Greenway Phase 1
E. 14th St./Mission Blvd. Segment
Outreach Summary Report in San Leandro
May 2022
Outreach Purpose
The purpose of stakeholder engagement for the EBGW Phase 1: E. 14th St./Mission Segment was to collect input and feedback from individuals and businesses that regularly utilize or rely on the corridor to help shape technical decision-making around recommended multimodal and economic development improvements. Alameda CTC partnered with local jurisdictions and other implementing agencies to learn about existing concerns and interests along E. 14th St. During this process, the project team heard from a variety of stakeholders including pedestrians, business owners and employees, people on bikes, and other audiences along the corridor. This input will help to define future improvements that are intended to support the long-term viability of the corridor by supporting existing and future growth opportunities.
Stakeholder outreach was conducted in four forms:
● Pop-Up Events
● Business Outreach
● Focus Groups
● Online Survey
The following content in this report summarizes the first three types of engagement and their respective key takeaways. Results of the online survey are not ready at the time of this writing, but they will be added later. 2 Popup Events
The project team participated in a total of 5 pop-ups hosted between February 26th and April 16th that were scheduled at a variety of locations within the City of San Leandro. These destinations included the Bayfair Farmers Market, San Leandro BART Station, John Muir Middle School, San Leandro Downtown Farmers Market, and San Leandro High School.
Key Input from Pop-Up Events
Key Issue: Safety, Pedestrian Improvements
• People at the five popup events showed overwhelming support for the project as residents stated that E. 14th Street needed improvements to make it pedestrian and bike-friendly, such as new trees, lighting, and expanded sidewalks
• Residents advised the project team to pay attention to the width of the bike lane to ensure it is not so wide that it allows vehicles or too narrow that does not allow people on bikes to pass
• Support for placemaking and areas to attract more families to the street; parents are concerned about letting their middle school-aged children bike on E. 14th St. as they perceive it to be unsafe in its existing condition Business Outreach
The project team conducted door-to-door interviews to engage with business owners along the E. 14th St. corridor from Bayfair Drive to 136th Avenue. Over a three-day period, 125 businesses were contacted via in-person conversations and follow-up phone calls resulting in 45 completed surveys designed specifically to address business interests and needs.
Key Input from Business Outreach
Key Issues: Speeding and Reckless Driving, Spillover Parkin, Lack of Safe Crossings,
3 • Most business respondents along the corridor did not believe that removing parking from one side of the street would have an unresolvable effect on their ability to operate because they have parking on their properties.
• Some businesses that rely on short-term parking are more impacted by the removal of parking.
• Parking has higher demand during the afternoon and nighttime in the blocks between 148th and 146th Ave.
• Many business respondents stated they use on-street parking for their deliveries. Field observations showed that delivery trucks sometimes park in the center two-way turn lane when parking lanes are occupied (or even when not in use).
• The project team received consistent feedback from both business owners and community members that speeding, reckless driving, and lack of parking enforcement are the primary safety issues for the corridor.
Delivery parking needs and short-term parking for pick up should be analized as part of the project design.
Focus Groups
The project team hosted two virtual focus groups, one for Bike-Ped and Transit riders and the other for Business owners. The focus groups included a detailed presentation informed by feedback from the pop-up events and door-to-door business outreach.
Key Input from Focus Groups
Key Issues: Landscaping and physical improvements, pedestrian-friendly areas, separated cycling infrastructure
4 • Desire for transit improvements, paired with aesthetic enhancements to liven the corridor and support local businesses.
• Support for tree plantings, public artwork, new benches, and signage to assist with wayfinding.
• Both community members and business owners asked for more trees but requested that the project team select plants that could be effectively maintained by the City of San Leandro.
• better pedestrian lighting followed by larger sidewalks and more pedestrian space.
• Concerns for fast vehicular speeds, and lack of safe crossing opportunities throughout the corridor.
• This feedback demonstrated the need for enhanced crosswalks and signals that prioritize pedestrians instead of vehicles. • Both cyclists and drivers advocated for bike infrastructure that effectively separates vehicles from bikes. Some respondents asked for permeable barriers between the bike facility and the vehicular travel lane, such as armadillos. Other participants preferred planters that provided a vertical element to divide cars from bikes and discouraged the use of plastic bollards as they are hit by cars and do not offer much protection to people on bikes.