Left: Richmond Street before the Complete Streets Improvement Project. Right: A conceptual vision for Richmond Street created by El Cerrito resident Steve Price, which is not an official city-approved plan. The Complete Streets improvements could include add chicanes, bulbouts, bike lanes, speed tables, streets trees, and other traffic-calming measures from Hill Street to Fairmount Avenue.
Richmond Street: The situation
Richmond Street has received $8 million in federal investment for street safety improvements.
A small but vocal group is trying to block this project by opposing bicycle infrastructure improvements, despite overwhelming evidence that such changes would benefit the entire community. Their claims contradict decades of scientific research and successful implementations in cities worldwide. The City Council will likely consider this project and make a final vote this summer — make sure your voice is heard by taking the actions listed to the right.
The Facts
Bicycle lanes create safer streets for everyone (including drivers)
Cities with higher bicycling rates are safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers (based on 13 years of data in 12 US cities) [Marshall et al 2019]
Protected bike lanes: 90% reduction in crashes and injuries [Teschke et al 2012]
Painted bike lanes: 50% reduction in crashes and injuries (based on meta-analysis of 23 other studies) [Reynolds et al 2009]
Safe streets build community and increase property values
Street trees increase property values [Kovacs et al 2022]
Residential streets that have bicycle facilities see increases in property values [SmartCities 2017]
Residents of multi-modal streets develop more friendships and enjoy a greater sense of community connection and belonging [Hart et al. 2011]
Walking and biking are essential to the city's climate goals :
51% of the El Cerrito’s emissions come from transportation [El Cerrito Climate Action Plan 2024]
Commuting via bike produces 28x lower carbon than driving -- and even 13x lower than an electric car [TNMT 2021]
7x more people can commute using bikes than cars given the same road space [CEGB]
El Cerrito’s current transportation network discourages bicycling
98% of roadway space is dedicated to cars [Chester et al. 2022]
There are twice as many parking spots (50,600) as people (25,962) in El Cerrito [Chester et al. 2022]
With 7% less space dedicated to parking, the bicycle network could be expanded by 200%
Roads for cars: 137 miles Roads for bikes: 9 miles
Overwhelming community support for safe streets
75% (of ~1000 responses) "agree" or "strongly agree" they would walk or bike more if it felt safer (EC Local Road Safety Plan survey)
69% either "very likely" or "likely" to support adding designated spaces for bicyclists even if it means removing some street parking.
June 2024: 128 signatories in north El Cerrito for the petition to “prioritize our children's safety over the flow of traffic”
Richmond Street project surveys: consistent majority support for “bikeway improvements” and “dedicated space for bicycles.”
How you can help
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR RICHMOND STREET COMPLETE STREETS BY JULY 15!
On Tuesday, July 15, the El Cerrito City Council will have a study session to learn more about the Richmond Street Complete Streets Improvement Project and existing city policies that promote safer streets. The project would include the conversion of some parking on Richmond Street (north of Moeser) into bike lanes, and opponents have organized to oppose the bike lanes and the entire project.
Note that the council will not be voting on the project at this meeting — that could happen later this summer. However, the council could direct the staff to reconsider the design that currently includes bike lanes north of Moeser. We need to show the council and community a groundswell of community support for the project and the conversion of some parking for bike lanes on the public right of way.
Yes, I want to support Complete Streets on Richmond Street! Here’s how:
Send an email to the city council as soon as possible (by July 9 for the council packet and 2 p.m. on July 15 for the supplemental materials) at cityclerk@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us. Even If you’ve written to the council previously or spoken at a meeting before, please write again NOW!
Attend the city council meeting on July 15, 6 p.m., El Cerrito City Hall, 10890 San Pablo Ave. Check in with ECRA Walk & Roll outside before the meeting starting at 5:30 p.m. and get a bright “YES FOR SAFER, BEAUTIFUL, COMPLETE STREETS” sticker and sign to wear/display proudly. (Opponents of safer streets have been wearing huge, ugly NO stickers.)
Speak during the public comment period. Tell the city council why you support safer, Complete Streets in El Cerrito! Share your story of walking and biking in El Cerrito and why it’s time to make streets like Richmond Street safer, more pleasant, and climate-friendly for all users. We will have comment cards available outside for you to fill out and give to the city clerk before the meeting. If you live on or close by Richmond Street, say that loudly and clearly at the beginning of your comments. Gather your thoughts beforehand and be prepared to speak (the allowed time for comments will be 1, 2, or 3 minutes based on how many people sign up). Richmond Street residents (and those living nearby), families transporting children to school by bike, and children (8 and older who are comfortable speaking) who would like safer streets to ride and walk on to school are especially encouraged to make their voices heard during public comment. If you’ve spoken at a previous meeting, don’t hesitate to speak again! Opponents will be out in force to speak and we need your voice now more than ever. More info about speaking during public comment is here.
If you are planning to speak, please ALSO send an email with your comments to cityclerk@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us.
Submit comments on the Richmond Street Complete Streets design by July 9. The full project design plan is available on the project website and at city hall (Public Works first-floor front counter). Write to pworks@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us or mail your comments to Public Works Engineering, City of El Cerrito, 10890 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito, CA 94530.
Talk to your neighbors about why you support better bike and pedestrian infrastructure ALL around town (last time we checked, Ohlone Greenway does not go everywhere!) Ask your neighbors to send emails supporting the project to cityclerk@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us.
If you cannot attend, watch the city council meeting online or Zoom; the city council does is not taking public comments from online viewers, so please submit your email before 2 p.m. on July 15.
Learn more about the Richmond Street Complete Streets Improvement Project and ECRA Walk & Roll’s efforts to provide evidence-based information and combat misinformation. El Cerrito has posted tons of detailed information about the Richmond Street Complete Streets Improvement Project on the project website. Learn more on ECRA Walk & Roll’s Richmond Street page and see our fact sheet.
Suggested talking points (telling your own story is best!):
I want to live in a city where there is a citywide network of safe streets and bike lanes. We all love the Ohlone Greenway, but it does not go everywhere in town.
Richmond Street is currently a speedway where thousands of cars routinely exceed the speed limit on a daily basis. The redesigned Complete Street will be beautiful, with hundreds of new trees and state-of-the-art traffic calming measures. The whole city will benefit, but Richmond Street homeowners and residents will benefit most from living on a slower, calmer, prettier street.
Half of El Cerrito’s greenhouse gases come from transportation, according to El Cerrito’s 2024 Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. If we are serious about addressing the climate crisis, we must be forward-thinking about getting people out of their cars by providing safe and pleasant opportunities to walk and bike throughout the town.
The Richmond Street Complete Streets Improvement Project is in full alignment with current city policies, including the Active Transportation Plan, Complete Streets Policy, and Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.
It’s impossible bike north-south around the PGE substation and a private condominium complex to reach destinations such as the high school and middle school, pool, community center, and Cerrito Vista Park without taking Richmond Street. A bike lane on this stretch north of Moeser is critical for young people on their way to and from school, seniors on e-bikes, families on cargo bikes, and those traveling to and from the seven preschools and day care centers that are on or within two blocks of Richmond Street north of Moeser.
If we let opponents have their way it sets a dangerous precedent that our city values overly abundant parking — 4.5 on- and off-street spots per household in El Cerrito! — over safer streets and an interconnected network of bike infrastructure.
Why Cities with High Bicycling Rates are Safer for all Road Users: Watch this nifty explainer video of research paper by Wes Marshall from the University of Colorado Denver and Nick Ferenchak from the University of New Mexico and read the full paper in the Journal of Transport & Health.
Our response to Richmond Street Neighbors Association website: A group called “Richmond Street Neighbors Association,” formed to oppose El Cerrito’s Richmond Street Complete Streets Improvement Project, has posted a website, Richmond Street For All. Read detailed responses to Richmond Street For All’s claims on our blog.
Making Richmond Street safer for vulnerable users: El Cerrito/Richmond Annex Walk & Roll received a letter from a neighbor of Richmond Street expressing concerns about the impact of losing on-street parking on vulnerable residents such as seniors and those with disabilities. Read this response, “Making Richmond Street safer for vulnerable users,” written by Steve Price, a member of the ECRA Walk & Roll coordinating committee.
More information:
Richmond Street Complete Streets Improvement Project (official city website)
El Cerrito Local Roads Safety Plan
El Cerrito Complete Streets policy
El Cerrito Active Transportation Plan