We’re nearly done with the planning stage of the Rumrill Blvd/13th Street Complete Streets Project!
On Wednesday, August 19 the Cities of San Pablo and Richmond unveiled the preferred design for Rumrill Blvd. Of the three proposed plans, the community overwhelmingly chose Alternative 1, which included a road diet and protected bikeways.
The mobility plan was created with the support of Caltrans’ Environmental Justice & Community-Based Transportation Planning Grants Program, which also helped develop the San Pablo Avenue Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements Project. Caltrans is currently accepting applications for FY 16/17 and we will work with cities to submit proposals on some of the East Bay’s priority corridors.
Rumrill Boulevard is an important part of West Contra Costa’s bikeway network. Connecting Contra Costa College to Richmond BART, and linking many schools, businesses and residents to each other.
Current conditions are not good for pedestrians and bicyclists. In regards to pedestrian activity, 85% of all pedestrian-auto collisions (27 out of 32) recorded between 2002 and 2012 occurred in or adjacent to an intersection. Market Ave/Rumrill Blvd and Road 20/Rumrill Blvd each experienced four collisions between 2002 – 2012.
In terms of bicycle activity, few people currently ride on Rumrill Blvd due to the heavy volume and high speeds of cars and the lack of comfortable bicycle facilities. Twelve locations along the corridor have experienced two collisions each between 2002 and 2012.
The new plans are a 180-shift: which pedestrian bulb outs, improved bus shelters, widened sidewalks and high visibility crosswalks, people walking along Rumrill Blvd are guaranteed to have a much better experience. In addition the road will undergo a road diet and lanes will be narrowed to design the street for calmer and safer traffic.
The most significant change for bicyclists is, in addition to continuous bike lanes throughout the corridor, the installation of protected bikeways along the 13th Street overpass in Richmond. We’re really looking forward to seeing some of the drastic improvements come to live on Rumrill Blvd like green paint in conflict zones, parking protected bike lanes and more.
Next Step, Finding Funding
The City of San Pablo has already submitted an ATP grant application for their portion of the project. The potential authorization of a new Measure J in Contra Costa could play a significant role in providing funding to this innovative project. Bike East Bay is hard at work on a new Measure J campaign.
More Project Details available on the city of San Pablo’s Project Page