July 23, 2019
Two weeks ago, Emeryville city council approved a major redesign to 40th Street: bus-only lanes and a two-way protected cycle track, extending from the Oakland city line to IKEA and the take off of the Bay Bridge bike path connection. With bus boarding islands, bike traffic signals, accommodations for nearby senior housing facilities, and proximity to several affordable housing projects, it’s the East Bay’s most ambitious complete street project to date. Plus it will connect with bus-only lanes and protected bike lanes under development on San Pablo Avenue in Emeryville.
The project is championed by several Emeryville Councilmembers, including Mayor Ally Medina, and Councilmember John Bauters. In fact, at one point early in the design process, staff were only designing changes at the transit station on a block of 40th Street between San Pablo Avenue and Adeline Street. Emeryville City Council sent a strong directive to staff to come up with a better design and extend it all the way to IKEA. The result is an impressive complete street project that redefines how a street should work.
AC Transit is not only fully supportive of the new designs but is also delighted to finally be feeling some love from a local city. For years AC Transit and Oakland have fought each other, and even Berkeley notoriously voted down bus rapid transit (BRT). Since then, AC Transit has been looking to partner with more cities. Enter Emeryville and its new supportive Council.
Because the new design is so forward thinking, it should compete well for Measure BB funding in the next year. Bike East Bay will be working with Emeryville in support of their grant application, and with many Alameda County cities on their top priority streets projects for the Fall 2020 call for projects from the Alameda CTC.
Please take a moment to thank the Emeryville City Council:
Mayor Ally Medina
John Bauters
Dianne Martinez
Scott Donahue
Christian Patz
Learn more about Measure BB funded projects from previous years here.