Ever have an idea for how your city’s downtown streets could work better? We have several opportunities for you to dabble in the profession of city planner, working with Bike East Bay to help cities re-envision downtown areas and key commercial corridors. As the Bay Area shifts toward smart growth, directing investment away from suburbs into walkable, bikeable mixed-use downtown neighborhoods, a unique opportunity has arisen to re-plan commercial downtowns in Oakland, Hayward, and Walnut Creek, and the retail corridors of South Berkeley, Cherryland, Ashland and Castro Valley. It’s a long-term process, but your input can make a lasting difference.
All of these areas, for one reason or another, are not fully ready for the infill growth coming to the Bay Area. To get them ready, regional decision-makers awarded them planning grants for each to engage their community and help them envision what the future could look like. All these areas will need to grapple not only with transportation issues such as congestion, cut- thru traffic,and parking, but also with tougher issues such as appropriate development, displacement, place making and frustrations of long-term residents from failed promises of the past.
Some of this long-term planning work has already begun, and encouragingly, public interest is high. Walnut Creeek’s West Downtown Plan public meetings drew over 100 people to each of three meetings as did Berkeley’s kickoff community forum for Adeline Corridor Plan. Concord filled the room at several town hall events for their Downtown Specific Plan adopted last June and we know Oakland’s Downtown Plan will garner interest from all corners of the City.
Bike East Bay needs local resident members who can attend community meetings on these plans (3-4 mtgs we anticipate), provide input to city planners on the needs of people bicycling and spread the word about the process so that even more people engage and support our asks for walkable, bikeable downtowns. You will work hand-in-hand with Bike East Bay staff and other motivated volunteers who live nearby.
Downtown Hayward
This project will develop a new Downtown Specific Plan. The new Downtown Plan will replace six Downtown planning and zoning documents that were adopted between 1987 and 2002. Project link for background info.
Downtown Oakland
The Comprehensive Downtown Circulation Plan aimed not only at solving current traffic problems but also to take into consideration traffic generated from significant new planned developments in Oakland and Alameda. The plan will include a comprehensive traffic study for Downtown Oakland that will take into account the changing land use as well as traffic patterns in the area. The city will also study the feasibility of converting one-way streets in Downtown Oakland to two-way operation. Project link coming soon.
South Berkeley
The City of Berkeley is working on a plan to revitalize the Adeline Corridor area in South Berkeley (along Shattuck Avenue and Adeline Street). The plan will implement a $750,000 planning grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). The planning process will include additional community meetings and assessment of what land use, transportation, housing, open space, infrastructure and other improvements should occur in the Adeline Corridor. Project website: www.cityofberkeley.info/adelinecorridor
West Downtown Plan Walnut Creek
Walnut Creek is more than half way through a public process for develping its West Downtown Area Plan, which emcompasses the area west of California Blvd. To get involved or find out more about the Plan and how you can help, go to: BikeEastBay.org/campaigns/walnut-creek
North Main Street Area Walnut Creek
After Walnut Creek wraps up it West Downtown Area Plan in Spring ‘15, it will start work on a specific plan for the North Main Street Area. We don’t know much about this planning process yet, as the City has its hands full with the West Downtown Area Plan. Stay tuned and join Bike Walnut Creek to get involved. Project link coming soon.
Cherryland/Castro Valley/Ashland/San Lorenzo
This project will develop needed procedural documents and facilitate implementation and staff training necessary for a successful Complete Streets program. Project link coming soon.
What you can do
Get involved and lay the groundwork for a re-envisioned downtown area in your community. Email Dave Campbell, Bike East Bay Advocacy Director, if you live in one of these areas and are ready to be our point person for a multi-year planning process.