by Laura McCamy
EBBC member and Emeryville BPAC representative
With a population of under 10,000 and an area of less than 2 square miles, Emeryville is smaller than most cities in the East Bay. However, with 30,000 people commuting to work each day and more streaming in for the Bay Street regional shopping area, Emeryville sits at the hub of a great deal of activity. Its position near the base of the Bay Bridge make it an important link between Berkeley and Oakland. The city is also home to regional connections that will be of growing importance to cyclists in coming years: one of the two entry points to the future East Bay Bridge bicycle and pedestrian path will be located near IKEA and the Amtrak station provide bicycle-friendly rail connections beyond the Bay Area.
Emeryville also has a number of obstacles unusual for a city of its size: bisected by train tracks and a freeway, east/west access is limited for cyclists and pedestrians. Access to the Bay Trail from the east is challenging (this will be alleviated after construction of the planned bridge over I-80 at 65th Street). Because of the city’s industrial past, there are many disconnected streets and north/south travel is only possible on a limited number of routes, most of which are heavily traveled by cars and don’t include adequate pedestrian and bicycle facilities. Emeryville’s current focus on regional retail, particularly the Bay Street shopping mall, leads to volumes of traffic on and off the freeway that can create roadblocks for non-motorized travel.
Emeryville is currently laying plans for the next ten years of bicycle and pedestrian improvements and looking at ways to overcome these challenges and move the city toward a future with more balanced transportation options. Data from the 2000 census showed 75% of people who commute to work in Emeryville come by car; it is hoped that continued implementation of infrastructure improvements will yield a much lower number of private car commuters.
Looking back at the previous bicycle plan, completed in 1998, most of the suggested bike lanes and paths have been completed and some additional projects have also been implemented. A lot has changed since 1998, however. The population of Emeryville has more than doubled. The recession has seen the number of workers in the city shrink. And bicycling has become increasingly seen as a mainstream and practical way to travel to work, shopping and social visits. Emeryville’s new plan will have to take all these factors into account.
Deborah Diamond, city staffer who serves as Project Manager for the Bicycle Plan Update, describes the process: “The planning process is being guided by the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC). The plan, which will be adopted in summer/fall 2011, will include recommendations for facilities such as bike racks, lighting, signage, path and street improvements, and bike detection loops. The plan will also include design guidelines for pedestrian and bicycle facilities, recommendations for education and marketing programs, recommendations on developing a bike sharing program, and costs estimates for improvements including capital costs and maintenance, and project ranking and prioritization.”
Consultants Alta Planning + Design are providing technical assistance in collecting and analyzing data and constructing the plan. Brett Hondorp from Alta’s Berkeley office says, “We love working on plans for cities like this because so much has already been done. The involvement of BPAC and staff has been a wonderful thing to participate in as planners. It’s rare that you have this level of lively discussion and staff participation and presence.” Hondorp notes that the Emeryville BPAC, with 12 active members (including one city counsel member, Ruth Atkin, and 11 community members), is one of the largest in the East Bay. He appreciates the way the city listens to the community and is committed to bicycle and pedestrian improvements.
Hondorp also notes the importance of Emeryville to East Bay cyclists, whether they live or work in there or just pass through. “Emeryville is a small city but it intersects three cities. You find yourself going through Emeryville if you’re going through that neck of the woods. To the extent the plan looks at regional connections” it will benefit all East Bay cyclists.
Traffic counts and community surveys conducted in the fall of 2011 revealed some unexpected data, including the fact that the highest count of bicycles was not on Emeryville’s Horton/Overland bicycle boulevard or the Doyle Street Greenway (though that may change once the connection to 9th Street in Berkeley is completed). Cyclists favor San Pablo Avenue and Hollis Street, two streets with more car traffic and less room for bicycles but which offer more direct routes of travel through Emeryville to other cities. BPAC Chair Robert Prinz notes that those cyclists place a high value on speed and that, to divert them to more bicycle-oriented streets, the city will have create routes that allow swift travel.
At upcoming meetings, the Emeryville BPAC will consider which projects to prioritize to create the most complete and convenient routes for pedestrians and cyclists. Because the next plan will be in effect for 10 years, the process will incorporate the BPAC’s and community’s vision of Emeryville as a fine-grained city with many connections to different points.
Diamond notes “the information gathering phase is largely completed and the BPAC is now identifying and prioritizing projects to improve pedestrian and bicycle travel. A second community workshop will be held this spring when a draft plan is ready for review.”
Everyone interested in providing input on the plan is welcome – you don’t have to live or work in Emeryville to have your voice heard. The BPAC meets regularly on the first Monday of the month and the public is welcome. For more information see the website at http://www.emeryvillepedbikeplan.org/ or contact the Project Manager, Deborah Diamond, at ddiamond@emeryville.org.