The first phase of the long-planned East Bay Greenway was completed in November 2019, stretching a half-mile from Coliseum BART at 73rd Ave to 85th Ave. The project installed a 12-foot-wide shared bicyclist and pedestrian path that parallels San Leandro St, as well as installed lighting, decorative fencing, crosswalks at 71st, 75th and 81st Aves, and an automatic bike/ped counter.
The upcoming Phase II extends the 12-foot-wide shared bicyclist and pedestrian path that parallels San Leandro Street from Seminary Ave to 69th Ave, and then shifts to a bike lane striping improvements installation on San Leandro from 69th Ave to 75th Ave. The project is using Affordable Housing & Sustainable Communities (AHSC) funds as well as Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) funds. The route will connect to a Neighborhood Bike Route on 69th St.
More Project Details:
The FTA grant will be used to construct a 1/2 mile segment of the East Bay Greenway Segment II from 69th Avenue, near Coliseum BART to the intersection of San Leandro at Seminary Avenue that will function as both a portion of the East Bay Greenway and the second constructible segment of the BART to Bay Trail Project.
The first segment of this trail has already been implemented east of Coliseum BART Station, between 73rd and 85th Avenues in Oakland. Through the AHSC grant, the City also has incorporated striping improvements to connect 69th Avenue to Coliseum BART along San Leandro with bike lanes; pedestrian-scale street lights; bike and pedestrian crossing treatments at Seminary, 66th and 69th Avenue; three years of bike education workshops for Coliseum Place affordable housing residents; and drought tolerant landscaping and street trees into this project. The entire path will be separated from high speed traffic on San Leandro Blvd by fencing.
This segment effectively builds momentum for the completion of the East Bay Greenway through Oakland, and will provide an important bicyclist and pedestrian connection along San Leandro Street, which is currently a forbidding environment for non-motorized traffic.
PROJECT BENEFITS:
- Improve Cycle and pedestrian network connectivity in communities along the BART line
- Improve access to regional transit, schools, downtown area and other destinations
- Create a facility that is accessible and comfortable for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities
- Improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians
- Support promotion of a multimodal transportation system and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
PROJECT SCOPE:
- Multi-use Trail
- Pedestrian-scale lighting
- Crossing Improvements at Seminary, 66th and 69th Avenue
- Fencing
- Drought tolerant landscaping
- Street trees
- Bike lanes from 69th to 75th (connection to existing EB Greenway)
- Three years of bike education workshops for Coliseum Place affordable housing residents
What is the AHSC funding program?
The Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program (AHSC) is administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF).
AHSC assists key project areas by providing grants and loans to help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and benefit priority communities by increasing access to affordable housing, employment centers, and other key destinations via low-carbon transportation. The idea is that these strategic connections will result in fewer vehicle miles traveled (VMT) through shortened or reduced trip length, or allowing residents to shift their mode from a car (Single Occupancy Vehicle) to be able to use transit, bike, or walk.
The project funding is connected to two new affordable housing developments:
- Coliseum Connections is an innovative housing and transportation project with 110 mixed-income units adjacent to the Coliseum BART station. Coliseum Connections will provide 55 units of restricted affordable housing (50-60% of Area Median Income (AMI)), and have 55 units available for ‘workforce’ housing (80-120% AMI).
- Coliseum Place Apartments is a new construction project located in Oakland on a 0.47-acre site. The project consists of 58 restricted rental units, and 1 unrestricted manager unit. The project will have 11 one-bedroom units, 28 two bedroom units, and 20 three-bedroom units. The building will be 6 stories. Common amenities include a large community room with a common kitchen, a lobby, property management offices, and resident services offices. Each unit will have a refrigerator and range. There are 27 parking spaces provided. The construction is expected to begin October 2019 and be completed February 2021.
More about the complete ACTC East Bay Greenway Project:
Alameda CTC is the project sponsor for the East Bay Greenway: Lake Merritt BART to South Hayward BART Project (Project). The Project proposes to construct a bicycle and pedestrian facility that will generally follow the BART alignment for a distance of 16 miles and traverse the cities of Oakland, San Leandro, and Hayward as well as the unincorporated communities of Ashland and Cherryland. The Project connects seven BART stations as well as downtown areas, schools, and other major destinations.
In September 2014, Alameda CTC leveraged available local Measure B and BB funds and was awarded funding from state Active Transportation Program (ATP) towards the environmental clearance for the Project, which involves securing State and Federal environmental clearance under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) respectively. Alameda CTC is the lead agency for CEQA and Caltrans is the lead agency for NEPA.
The cities of Oakland, San Leandro and Hayward, Alameda County, BART, the East Bay Regional Park District, and Caltrans are participating in the development of the project.
