With a crucial bicycle and pedestrian plan in the works, San Leandro members and local leaders spoke out with a vision for bike-friendly streets. Thanks to your letters and over 200 responses to an online survey, the City of San Leandro draft bike and pedestrian master plan now recommends protected bikeways on high-traffic streets, including Bancroft Avenue, Williams Street, and Doolittle Drive.
Highlighted in red are protected bike lanes added to the revised plan.
In the fall, San Leandro released a draft of the bike plan that failed to address community concerns about access to schools and safety on busy streets. Even though the city is relatively flat, bicycling can be stressful due to high-speed traffic and gaps in the bike lane network. The first draft of the bike plan offered to close some of those gaps with outdated solutions and unprotected bike lanes.
With the help of local leaders from Bike Walk San Leandro, Bike East Bay successfully advocated for revising the bike plan to include a network of protected bike lanes. Local advocates especially emphasized the importance of safe access to schools. The revised plan now includes a vision for protected bikeways on Bancroft Avenue and Williams Street to reduce congestion and improve safety for students at San Leandro High School, Bancroft Middle School, and John Muir Middle School, plus several elementary schools.
“This revised, much improved master plan draft is an important first step for a bike-friendly San Leandro. A network of protected bike lanes will make it safer and more enjoyable for people in different neighborhoods to ride to school, BART, work, downtown, the Bay Trail and more,” said Donna Chang, founder of Bike Walk San Leandro.
The plan still needs to be approved by the Planning Commission and then City Council this spring. Sign up for San Leandro action alerts to get a strong bicycle and pedestrian plan past the final hurdles.
Want to get involved with your bike community in San Leandro? Join Bike Walk San Leandro on Facebook to get rolling with group rides, events, and advocacy.
