City of Berkeley, CA

10/10/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/10/2024 13:36

Berkeley is increasing paving work to make streets safer for all

In 2024, the City expects to pave over 13 miles of roads, with a focus on improving pedestrian and cyclist safety in the Southside and South Berkeley neighborhoods

Published:
October 10, 2024
Last Updated:
October 10, 2024

We're nearly tripling the miles we're paving throughout Berkeley this year while also making it safer and easier to move by foot, bike, car, or bus.

The 13 miles the City will pave across 26 streets this year - thanks to increased City and Alameda County funds - is a 183 percent increase of the roughly 4.6 miles paved per year from 2021 through 2023.

When we pave in Berkeley, it's not just about asphalt; we often improve pedestrian and bicycle safety, drainage, and signage. Some streets have total makeovers, going well beyond a smooth ride for whatever wheels you hop onto or into.

The City Council-approved 5-year Paving Plan, which also incorporates state funding, focuses on paving streets throughout Berkeley most heavily used by pedestrians, bicyclists and buses-the modes most sustainable and accessible to all people.

The paving plan, which is guided by the City's Street Maintenance and Rehabilitation Policy, also increases paving in the "Equity Zone", historically underserved and underinvested West and South Berkeley neighborhoods.

To learn which streets are being paved this year as well as in the years to come, view the City's five-year paving plan or the list at the end of this message.

Projects focused on all modes of transportation

Several of our biggest projects this year calm vehicle traffic, improve safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, and better integrate the flow of people across all modes:

  • The Southside Complete Streets Project makes it easier and safer for people to move from, to, and around the southside of campus. In such a dense area - with over 45,000 students and 12,000 university staff - creating ways for people to move in sustainable, accessible modes is essential. Changes include:

    • Protected two-way bikeways separated by concrete curbs on Bancroft Way, Dana Street, and Fulton Street

    • Dedicated bus lane on Bancroft Way

    • Raised pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Bancroft Way and Telegraph Ave.

    • New traffic signal on Bancroft Way/Barrow Way intersection

    • Full completion coming later this year

  • Martin Luther King Jr. Way's Quick Build Project was completed in Summer 2024. More than 62 percent of all pedestrians struck on a stretch of this road in South Berkeley were due to drivers failing to yield to the pedestrian right of way. Three quarters of collisions involved pedestrians while in the crosswalk. The speed limit is 25, but many drivers moved much faster. These features were installed along nine intersections:

    • Pedestrian refuge islands - to reduce their exposure to traffic

    • Rectangular rapid flashing beacons - to increase vehicles' rates of yielding

    • Painted curb extensions and concrete ramps - to increase pedestrian visibility

    • Median refuges, hardened centerlines, and temporary curb extensions - to slow vehicle movement

  • Virginia Street traffic calming features coming later this year

    • A new traffic circle on California Street at Virginia Street

    • A new updated traffic diverter on McGee Street at Virginia Street

Several streets with existing bicycle lanes receiving paving work in 2024 are identified in the list below.

Street paving prioritizes impact

Streets are selected for paving projects based on criteria such as pavement condition, type of repair required, cost effectiveness, budget constraints, and road classification as an arterial, collector, or residential street.

To maximize impact, the City focuses paving on "arterial streets" (multi-lane two-way streets with often the busiest car traffic) and "collector streets" (smaller streets that direct traffic from local streets to arterial streets). Arterial and collector streets comprise more than half of the total miles planned for paving under the Five-Year Paving Plan (FY 2024- FY 2028).

The City is also required by the San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board to install green infrastructure for paving projects reconstructing more than one acre of street surface. These projects use vegetation, soils, and natural processes to manage stormwater runoff, reduce flooding risk, and create healthier urban environments.

The paving plan is funded by voter-approved County bond measures, the City's General Fund, and the Zero Waste and Stormwater Fund.

The City is committed to making more of our streets smoother, safer, and more resilient. Experience the newly paved streets on your next walk, bike trip, bus ride, or drive.

2024 Paving Plan

  • 7th St, from Harrison St. to University Ave.

  • 10th St, from Camelia St. to University Ave.

  • Acroft Court

  • Acton Circle/Acton Crescent/Acton St, from University Ave. to Ward St. (Includes bicycle lane)

  • Bancroft St., Milvia St. to Piedmont Ave. (Southside Complete Streets)

  • Camelia St., from 6th St to San Pablo Ave. (Includes bicycle lane)

  • Channing Way, from San Pablo Ave. to Sacramento Ave. (Includes bicycle lane)

  • Claremont Ave., from Ashby Ave. to Tanglewood Road

  • Cornell Ave., from Gilman St. to City border

  • Creston Road, from Grizzly Peak Blvd. to Rosemont Ave.

  • Dana St., from Bancroft Ave. to Dwight Way (Southside Complete Streets)

  • Derby St., from Mabel St. to Sacramento Ave.

  • Euclid Ave., from Grizzly Peak Blvd. to Cragmont Ave.

  • Fulton St., from Bancroft Ave. to Dwight Way (Southside Complete Streets)

  • Gilman St., from San Pablo Ave. to Santa Fe Ave.

  • Grizzly Peak Blvd., from Spruce St. to Marin Ave.

  • Hearst Ave., from 6th St to San Pablo Ave.

  • Keith Ave., from Spruce St. to Shasta Road

  • Mabel St., from Dwight Way to Ward St. (Includes bicycle lane)

  • Martin Luther King Jr. Way, from Dwight Way to Russell St.

  • Milvia St., from Rose St. To Hearst Ave.

  • Rosemont Ave., from Creston Road to Vistamont Ave.

  • Shattuck Ave., from Vine St. to Hearst Ave.

  • Spruce St., from Grizzly Peak Blvd. to Hearst Ave. (Includes bicycle lane)

  • Virginia St., from San Pablo Ave. to MLK Jr. Way

  • Vistamont Ave, from Woodmont Ave. to end

  • Woodmont Court /Woodmont Ave, Wildcat Canyon to Rosemont

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