Attachment 3b
1 City of San Pablo adopted policies and standards that ensure consideration of and support for walking, bicycling, and transit access during the review of proposed development
From the 2030 General Plan
Urban Design
Implementing Policies
LU-I-1: Amend the Zoning Ordinance to implement new General Plan land use designations and promote Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) at appropriate locations.
Community Design
Guiding Policies
LU-G-3: Preserve and strengthen the City’s overall image and create a safe, walkable and attractive urban environment for current and future generations of residents.
Implementing Policies
LU-I-8: Provide incentives for new pedestrian-friendly anchor retail at important road intersections to attract retail clientele and maximize foot traffic.
LU-I-11: Enhance the City’s unique identity and image by adopting a consistent palette of landscaping, street trees, lighting, and signage within the public right -of-way for neighborhood and street improvements.
Residential Neighborhoods
Implementing Policies
LU-I-13: Ensure the new development in or adjacent to established neighborhoods is compatible in scale and character with the surrounding area by:
Promoting a transition in scale and architecture character between new buildings and established neighborhoods; and
Requiring pedestrian circulation and vehicular routes to be well integrated.
Mixed Use
Guiding Policies
LU-G-6: Promote site sensiti ve design and pedestrian oriented activities in mixed -use development
Implementing Policies
LU-I-19: Require pedestrian-oriented amenities and design in mixed use areas, such as outdoor seating, plazas, public art, ground floor retail, and waiting areas (benches and shelters).
Special Planning Subareas
San Pablo is divided into four subareas: San Pablo Ave, Rumrill Blvd, San Pablo Dam Road, and 23 rd
St. In addition to city -wide policies based on land use designations, the Land Use Element also contains policies specific to the subareas.
Attachment 3b
2 Guiding Policies
LU-G-11: Recognize the importance of mixed -use areas along San Pablo Avenue, San Pablo Dam Road, 23
rd
Street, and Rumrill Boulevard to the vitality and quality of life in San Pablo.
Implementing Policies – San Pablo Avenue
LU-I-40: Use design guidelines established by the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan for development review in the San Pablo Corridor.
Implementing Policies – San Pablo Dam Road
LU-I-46: Improve pedestrian access within the hillside neighborhood, its connection to the regional park system, and connections to the Entertainment District across the I-80 overpass.
Implementing Policies – 23
rd
Street
LU-I-47: Use the development sta ndards and design guidelines established by the 23 rd
Street
Specific Area Plan for development review along 23
rd
Street.
LU-I-49: Strengthen Market Avenue’s relationship and connection to 23 rd
Street by identifying the
intersection as both nodes of comme rce and social activities through the installation of plazas, street furniture, and public transit facilities/stops.
Circulation
The circulation element ensures an efficient circulation system for all road users. The City is committed to designing a mult i-modal system of regional routes, local roads, public transit, and bicycle and pedestrian routes that will enhance the community and protect the environment.
Street Design Standards
Guiding Principles
C-G-1: Develop a transportation system that meets the needs of all segments of the community, including residents, businesses, visitors, and the region.
C-G-2: Protect the character of local residential streets.
Implementing Policies
C-I-1: Design and operate city streets based on a “Complete Streets” Concept that enables safe, comfortable, and attractive access and travel for pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit users of all ages and abilities.
C-I-2: Include “Complete Streets” considerations in the design of all circulation improvement projects.
C-I-5: Install traffic calming devices, such as signage, road bulbs (also called curb extensions), chicanes, raised crosswalks, and speed humps, as ne eded and appropriate in existing neighborhoods.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Circulation
Guiding Policies
C-G-5: Develop a safe and comprehensive bicycle and pedestrian network.
Attachment 3b
3 Implementing Policies
C-I-14: Expand and maintain a safe and comprehensive bicycle system that connects the City’s neighborhoods to regional bicycle routes.
C-I-16: Require provision of bicycle parking and related facilities in new employment -generating development to facilitate multi-modal commute choices.
C-I-18: Adopt a Bicycle Master Plan to enhance bicycle circulation and planning, based on the route network and the Contra Costa Countywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.
C-I-19: Use brightly-colored paint or a one-foot buffer strip along bicycle routes to provide a visual signal to drivers to watch out for bicyclists and nurture a “share the lane” ethic. Start with areas of town where automobile -bicycle collisions have occurred in the past, based on data from the Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System maintained by the California Highway Patrol.
C-I-21: Work with the City of Richmond and Contra Costa County to develop safe and clearly marked pedestrian and bicycle linkages from downtown San Pablo to the Bay Trail. Improvements should connect Contra Costa College to the Wildcat Creek bikeway west of Davis Park to Alvarado Park east of the city.
C-I-22: To maintain walkability and pedestrian safety, consider reducing curb-to-curb road widths and employing roadway design f eatures such as islands, pedestrian refuges, and pedestrian countdown signals.
C-I-23: Provide pedestrian facilities that are accessible to persons with disabilities and ensure that roadway improvement projects address accessibility and universal design concepts.
C-I-24: In mixed -use areas or other areas with high pedestrian traffic, provide mid -block pedestrian crossings, where feasible, to create more direct walking routes and slow vehicle speeds.
Air Quality and Climate Change
Guiding Policies
OSC-G-7: Protect and improve the air quality of San Pablo.
OSC-G-8: Reduce emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change.
Implementing Policies
OSC-I-25: Support non -polluting transportation modes and opportunities (i.e. pedest rian, bike, carpooling opportunities and public transit improvements) as specified in the Circulation Element.
Health
The Health Element brings together community opinion and experiences, health data, and literature on the effects of the built, natural, and social environment on health. Guiding and implementing policies that relate to the San Pablo Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan are listed below.
Healthy Transportation and Physical Activity
Guiding Policies
HEA-G-1: Ensure that all San Pablo reside nts have access to a variety of transportation and physical activity options that enhance health and that work for diverse lifestyles, incomes, and abilities.
Attachment 3b
4 HEA-G-2: Achieve more walkable, livable neighborhoods by expanding the multimodal transportation system and creating a safe, pedestrian-oriented environment.
Implementing Policies
HEA-I-1: Implement street design features that facilitate walking and biking in both new and established areas. Require a minimum standard of these features for new developments.
HEA-I-2: Improve signage directing residents and visitors to public parks and recreational facilities from all parts of the community. Integrate parks signage with bikeway and pedestrian -oriented signage throughout San Pablo.
HEA-I-3: Improve the conditions for youth walking and bicycling in areas surrounding schools by working with the Contra Costa Health Services and the school district to implement the Safe Routes to School program that is already underway. Participate in the necessary assessm ents and prioritize identified Safe Routes to School infrastructure improvements in annual transportation improvements budgets.
HEA-I-4: Act as a model to other large employers by selecting and implementing a suite of transportation demand management (TDM ) programs designed to reduce single -occupant vehicle trips and overall vehicle emissions generated by trips that start or end in San Pablo.
Programs may include, but are not limited to:
Installation of showers, lockers, and secure bicycle parking facilities in city-owned buildings; Designation of preferred parking spaces for carpools, carshare programs, and clean fuel vehicles; and
Provision of transit benefits that reduce direct employee public transportation costs.
HEA-I-7: Work with interested community members and organizations to plan and develop an exercise circuit that takes advantage of existing parks, creeks, and other pedestrian infrastructure.
The course should be clearly marked, and contain simple stations and diagrams for self -guided training.
Access to Services and Planning for People First
Guiding Policies
HEA-D-5: Create complete neighborhoods with access to a range of day -to-day goods and services within walking distance, including medical facilities , community services, youth programs, and employment opportunities, and to increase the sense of social cohesion among residents.
Crime Reduction and Perceptions of Safety
Guiding Policies
HEA-G-6: Use the built environment and city planning tools to de ter crime, increase respect for neighbors and property, and improve the public perception of safety throughout the community.
Implementing Policies
HEA-I-34: Incorporate Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design principles and best practices into the Zoning Ordinance and project review procedures for new development and major renovations. Guidelines and checklists should include concepts such as:
Natural Surveillance, e.g. orient building and windows to provide maximum surveillance of exterior area s, and locate entryways such that they are visible to adjacent neighbors or passerby;
Attachment 3b
5 Natural Access Control, e.g. use landscaping such as low hedges and flowerbeds to identify points of entry ad movement on property, and use signage and symbolic barrie rs to direct vehicular and pedestrian traffic;
Natural Territorial Reinforcement, e.g. use thorny or thick plant materials in perimeter landscape areas to discourage cutting through parking areas, trampling vegetation, approaching ground floor windows or climbing fences and walls; Maintenance, e.g. make it easier to maintain property by recommending graffiti -resistant surface materials, vandal -proof lighting, and landscaping selected for durability and easy maintenance;
Shared Facilities, e.g. prom ote activity in public areas throughout the day by coordinating shared uses of facilities (parking lots, parks, sports fields).
HEA-I-37: Ensure that San Pablo has minimum illumination standards for streetlights and, if necessary, update the standards to reflect best practices for safety lighting.
TLU2: Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) by 3% by increasing walking and bicycle ridership.
Strategy TLU 2.1: Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan – Develop a Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan to expand and improve the City’s bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, including addressing current mobility gaps, creating more bike lanes and boulevards, more secure b icycle parking and by developing design standards to enhance the pedestrian environment and increase connectivity.
TLU3: Develop car-free outreach and education campaigns specific to San Pablo. • Strategy TLU 3.1: Commuter Incentive Programs – Partner wi th businesses to develop trip reduction outreach programs and alternative transportation incentives for employees. • Strategy TLU 3.2: Public Outreach & Education Campaign – Develop community education and outreach strategy to promote alternative modes of transportation for daily activities and provide information on incentive programs.
Corridor Plans and Policies
Rumrill/13th St Complete Streets Study (2015)
The study area for the Rumrill/13
th
Street Complete Streets Study encompasses the length of Rumrill Boulevard through the City of San Pablo and 13
th
Street through the City of Richmond.
San Pablo has received funding to implement a section of the project on Rumrill Boulevard from the City of Richmond border to Market Street. Rumrill Boulevard serves as an important corridor, connecting Central Richmond and the Richmond BART stations to key commercial nodes and destinations in San Pablo. Concerns and needs were identified through a series of community workshops, outreach to businesses, and review of existing conditions included: sidewalk gaps, unsafe or limited crossing opportunities, lack of bicycle facilities, discomfort at transit stops, and heavy auto and truck volumes. Three alternatives w ere developed, and the preferred alternative which is currently being implemented includes:
Lane reduction with space reallocated to pedestrian, bus rider, and bicycle improvements New marked crosswalks with refuges, high visibility ladder striping, and shorter crossing distances
Sidewalk repairs
Pedestrian scale lighting throughout the corridor
Attachment 3b
6 Cycle tracks
Bicycle parking throughout the corridor
Bus shelters and far side bus stops
The Rumrill Complete Streets project pursued design and permitting from April 2017 to mid 2020. Construction began in September of 2021 and is estimated to continue until Spring of 2023.
San Pablo Avenue Complete Streets Study (2013)
The San Pablo Avenue Complete Streets Study is focused on improving mul timodal access, safety, and connections along the San Pablo corridor by identifying needs and prioritizing improvements to facilitate pedestrian, bicycle, and transit trips. The study area encompasses San Pablo Ave between Hilltop Drive and Rivers St, runn ing through both cities of San Pablo and Richmond. The review of existing conditions and needs assessment revealed high vehicular speeds, wide vehicle lanes, sidewalk gaps, limited intersection crossings, pedestrian visibility issues, and lack of bicycle facilities. Final plans include extending the project to Rumrill Boulevard. The project will include:
Class 2 bicycle lanes
Sidewalk
Traffic Signal
Replacement of slip lane with a right turn pocket
Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (2017)
In August 2017, the City adopted a Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (BPMP). This document identifies where new or enhanced features that promote safer and more comprehensive policies and projects to promote bicycle and pedestrian activity within San Pablo . The City continues to search for additional funding opportunities to implement the programs and projects in the BPMP.
The City of San Pablo received $25,000 from the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) and $77,500 from the Metropolitan Transport ation Commission (MTC) to prepare and complete the BPMP.
2020 Pavement Maintenance Project
The fiscal year 2019-20 Annual Pavement Maintenance Project is part of the City of San Pablo’s ongoing efforts to maintain its streets and ensure safe roads for users. Every fiscal year, the City selects key areas for pavement repair, based on the pavement quality and the level of use of the street.
The 2019-20 Project repaired pavement on Dover Street, and sections of Rheem, Tyler and Bush Streets.
The project included the following key elements:
• Improving pavement condition by rehabilitating or replacing pavement • New striping and pavement marking
• Replacing concrete sidewalks and dilapidated curbs and gutters • Improving pedestrian access through enhanced sidewalks and ADA curb ramps
Attachment 3b
7 The project design and permitting began in September of 2019, and construction reached completion in the winter of 2020.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Corridor Study
The San Pablo Bicycle and Pedestrian Corridors Study will analyze approximately 6 miles of key transportation corridors, gather community feedback and produce concept designs. These segments were identified for future study in the City’s 2017 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan because they represent key opportunities to improve pedestrian and bicyclist accessibility and safety.
The project will include the following key elements:
• Analysis of 8 potential bikeway segments and 2 potential shared -use paths, with a focus on parking, traffic and/or other constraints
• Concept design, feasibility analysis and cost estimates for each segment • Bilingual community engagement, including formation of a Technical Advisory Community, a community workshop, “pop-ups” and a temporary demonstration
Development of the Study should be nearing completion at the end of 2021, and by early 2022 City Council is expected to adopt the final report.
Wildcat Creek Restoration & Greenway Trail Project (2021)
The Wildcat Creek Restoration and Greenway Trail Project is a state and locally funded multi - benefit project that restored 2,200 linear feet of Wildcat Creek between Vale Road and Church Lane. Project benefits include refuge areas for fish, a modified floodplain to accommodate larger flow volumes, a widened creek corridor and the re-planting of native plants on the restored bank.
In addition to the in -stream benefits of creating a more natural creek habitat, this project also provides a Class I shared-use path for cyclist and pedestrians.
Safe Routes to School Master Plan
The Safe Routes to School Master Plan identifies opportunities to improve the safety and mobility of youth as they walk or bicycle to school. Key elements of the project include “walk au dits” that identify safety gaps and opportunities at ten (10) schools in San Pablo and Richmond, as well as outreach to students, parents, school staff and other West Contra Costa Unified School District stakeholders. This Master Plan is in the final stage of development as of fall 2021.
Giant Road Cycletrack and Pavement Repair Project
This project will install a two-way, separated and protected (Class IV) bicycle lane on the western side of Giant Road, adjacent to the railroad tracks, between Brookside Drive and Miner Avenue.
Additional pavement and ADA ramp repairs will be implemented throughout the corridor. Key elements of the project will include:
• A two-way separated and protected (Class IV) bicycle “cycletrack” • Improved pavement conditions
• New striping and pavement markings
• Improved pedestrian access through enhanced ADA curb ramps
The project is currently in the design and permitting phase, with construction expected to begin in Attachment 3b
8 2023.
El Portal Drive Urban Greening
The El Portal Drive Urban Greening Project is a state and locally funded multi -benefit project to incorporate stormwater facilities, urban greening and new bike lanes on the segment of El Portal Drive between Church Lane and Fordham Street.
The project will include the following key elements:
• A linear bioretention facility to capture and clean a portion of the stormwater that falls on the southern section of El Portal Drive, between Church Lane and Fordham Street. • A Class IV bike lane on the southern, eastbound side of El Portal Dr ive, which will be separated and protected from the roadway by the bioretention facility and other physical safety barriers.
• A Class II bike lane on the northern, westbound side of El Portal Drive, which will consist of striping and extra space between the bike lane and the roadway. • Educational interpretive signage regarding the green infrastructure (bioretention) facilities.