West Berkeley is bringing a Transportation Services Fee to Berkeley, which is estimated to bring an additional $6.17 million for traffic improvements. Included in the plan are some good bike improvements such as:
- colored bike lanes
- advance bike stop boxes
- HAWK signals (see below)
- high-visibility pedestrian crossings
The Bicycle Coalition is delighted to see these much needed bicycle safety improvements in upcoming plans.
What is the Transportation Services Fee and how does it help cyclists?
A Transportation Services Fee (TSF) is a fee that developers pay for projects that generate additional traffic. Without a Transportation Services Fee in place, a developer pays for traffic safety improvements associated with traffic impacts of their project. For example, the new West Berkeley Bowl is paying for a traffic light at San Pablo Avenue and Heinz St. to handle additional traffic coming to the Bowl via Heinz. With a TSF, a developer pays into a general TSF Fund based on the number of new vehicle trips the project generates. The TSF fund then pays for a variety of transportation improvements throughout West Berkeley, including bicycle, walking and transit improvements. Collectively, the projects funded by the TSF mitigate the traffic impacts of all development in West Berkeley. It’s a better way to plan transportation improvements, rather than project by project.
The proposed TSF includes a good list of potential bicycle improvements, including:
- 9th & Ashby Intersection Improvement: extend bike boulevard from 9th St to connect with Emeryville
- 6th & Channing Interesection Improvement: bike refuge or HAWK Signal
- Russell and Heinz Intersection with San Pablo: improved connection to Oregon via bike refuge and/or HAWK signal
- Virginia & San Pablo: HAWK signal
- Channing & San Pablo: HAWK signal
HAWK signal lights for pedestrian crossing
- Cedar & 9th: high visibility bike boulevard crossing
- Gilman and 6th and 8th: advance bike boxes
- Heinz & 7th St: bike loop detectors
- Dwight & 9th St: high visibility bike boulevard crossing
- Heinz & 9th St: high visibility bike boulevard crossing
- Area wide bike lanes treatment at right turn lanes, and
- Colored bike lanes
The TSF plan also includes numerous crosswalk improvements for safer pedestrian crossings of busy streets like University Ave and San Pablo Ave.
At this point, the TSF plan is moving to the Transportation Commission for finalizing in September, 2010. City Council is expected to approve the TSF in October or November of this year.
The Real Benefit of the Transportation Services Fee
If the TSF does what it is really intended to do, new development will redesign itself in ways to reduce the amount of vehicle trips they generate. For example, new projects will locate closer to transit, include maximum secure bike parking for residents, customers and guests, and/or include a transit pass for residents. Some project could be built as “car-free” housing. Such projects will good neighbors and thereby pay a lower TSF fee.
Tempe, AZ installed a HAWK crossing for Pedestrians
it works just as well for cyclists