We succeeded in getting a strong Complete Streets requirement included in the next 4 years of regional transportation monies, and in securing an even stronger focus on bike/ped improvements around BART stations. But we need your help to get each local city to adopt its own Complete Streets Policy by January 31, 2013 and to urge your city to prioritze bike/ped projects as part of this next 4-year cycle of funding.
What you can do:
Attend an upcoming meeting of your local Bicycle Advisory Committee and help provide input on what bike improvements you want to see in the areas identified in this Map of Priority Development Areas in the East Bay.
These areas will receive over $100 million in transportation dollars in the next 4 years and all this money is required to be spent according to your City’s Complete Streets Policy, but we first need to get your City to adopt such a policy. We have until January 31, 2012 to do so. Please get involved. There has never been a time we need your help more!
- Fremont: meetings are 3rd Wednesday of the month. Next meeting is June 20, 7:00-9:00pm, City Hall, 39550 Liberty St. Get added to email list for Fremont BPAC;
- Walnut Creek:Next meeting is a special session jointly with the Transportation Commission on June 21, 2012. 6:00pm, City Hall Council Chambers. Get added to email list for Walnut Creek BPAC;
- Berkeley: next meeting is June 25, 7:30-9:30pm at the N. Berkeley Sr. Ctr, Hearst & MLK Jr. Way. Get added to email list for Berkeley BPAC;
- Pleasanton: meets 4th Monday of every month. Next meeting is June 25, 6:30-7:30pm, Pleasanton Sr. Ctr Classroom. Get added to email list for Pleasanton BPAC;
- Richmond: meets 2nd Monday of every month. Next meeting is July 9, 5:30-7:30pm at City Hall, 2nd floor. Get added to email list for Richmond BPAC;
- Oakland: the Complete Streets Policy is on the July agenda. Oakland’s BPAC meets the 3rd Thursday of every month, 5:30-7:30pm at City Hall, Hearing Room 4. Get added to email list for Oakland BPAC;
- Brentwood: next meeting is July 26th at 6:00pm. Get added to email list for Brentwood BPAC
- San Leandro: meetings are on an as-needed basis. Get added to email list for San Leandro BPAC;
- Lafayette: meets 4 times per year. Next meeting date has not been set. Get added to email list for Lafayette Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee;
- Emeryville: meets 1st Monday of every month. Next meeting is July 2, 5:30-7:30pm, City Hall, ground floor Garden Room. Get added to email list for Emeryville BPAC;
- BART Bicycle Accessibility Task Force: Next meeting is Monday, September 10, 6:00-7:30pm. Get added to email list for BART Bicycle Accessibility Task Force;
- Contra Costa County Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee: meets 4th Monday of every month. Next meeting is June 25, 11:00am. Get added to email list for Contra Costa County BPAC
- Alameda County Bicycle & Pedestrian Committee next meeting t.b.a. [they just met May 31]. Get added to email list for Alameda County BPAC
If your city is not listed here, please contact Dave Campbell, EBBC Program Director and help us form a Bicycle Advisory Committee in your City.
Background
Soon every roadway project will be a multi-modal project and not just a car project. When the streets you ride on are repaved, a bike lane will be striped, crosswalks upgraded, traffic speeding issues addressed, and transit improvements incorporated from the start. And before even designing these multi-modal improvements, transportation professionals will be required to sit down with community stakeholders and ask what improvements to the streets people would like to see, what problems they are experiencing, what goals should be set to increase the number of people walking and using a bike. They will also consider how proposed projects meet the City’s goals for better roadways and better communities. The result will be streets that look more like Photo A and less like Photo B. And the day is coming sooner rather than later thanks to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission approving a new Complete Streets Policy on May 17, which will govern future transportation projects in the Bay Area.
The blue & grey areas on this Priority Development Area Map are going to receive 70% of regional transportation funds over the next 4 years as part of the One Bay Area Grant Program. All projects in these colored areas will be complete streets projects, but we also want to see all planned bike projects in adopted bike plans included in this funding.
