El Cerrito council backs divisive bike lane project despite parking concerns

EL CERRITO — A project meant to make El Cerrito’s Richmond Street safer for pedestrians and cyclists will come at a cost to some on-street parking spots – a worthy trade-off to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the long term, councilmembers agreed last week.

By 2026, construction is expected to begin on a new Complete Streets project along Richmond Street. It aims to lower car speeds and improve pedestrian safety by installing raised intersections; corner extensions; speed tables, which are like speed humps but flat at the top; chicanes, which are curved travel lanes; curb ramps; flashing crosswalk signals; and other safety lights.

The plan also calls for installing buffered bicycle lanes that will result in the loss of about 178 on-street parking spots. Two other options were considered: one which would have eliminated on-street parking on one side of the road to make way for the separated bike lane and another which would have eliminated all on-street parking for bike lanes on both sides of the road.

The justifications behind the proposal are rooted in the city’s Active Transportation Plan, Complete Street Policy and Climate Action and Adaption Plan, all of which call for adding and upgrading pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure to improve safety and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“I think that vision for the future of El Cerrito now and 20 years from now is pretty clear. We want a greener, sustainable, carbon-free city and we’re working ever so slowly. … We are working towards that,” Councilmember Lisa Motoyama said during a July 15 council meeting. “As we get there, some people will see something we lose and hopefully we gain a lot.”

While the adopted plans and policy didn’t receive community pushback before adoption, the Richmond Street plans have divided the community. Councilmembers said their inboxes have been flooded with messages for months from people who expressed concerns the lost parking would be a major hit to their quality of life.

Those concerns were similarly expressed during the July 15 meeting. Residents worried reduced parking options would keep visitors away, be even harder on locals during parties and would be a particular challenge for seniors.

But other El Cerrito residents said they support the staff-selected plans because it could create a safer path for cyclists, including children and families, to travel down Richmond Street and would further the city’s climate improvement goals. The safer and easier it is to bike, the more likely it is people will make that choice, some speakers said during the meeting.

Councilmember William Ktsanes appeared the most sympathetic to residents’ concerns and called for city staff to further study plan alternatives that would not remove anymore than 50% of parking on a given block.

“Proponents and opponents of the proposed changes to Richmond Street have raised many valid concerns and important unanswered questions,” Ktsanes said. “Recognizing that none of us actually own or are legally entitled to street parking in front of our homes, removing two-thirds of the parking with the expectation that some residents will only find parking on side streets is undeniably a major, potentially disruptive change.”

Mayor Pro Tem Gabe Quinto was also open to a compromise like removing parking on only one side of the street where the bike lane would be placed. His main goal, he said, was to create a city where “the new generation of families moving here have every opportunity to have the access that our seniors had when they lived here, when they had families here.”

Alternatively, Mayor Carolyn Wysinger had firm words for some who she said were “appropriating the language of the oppressed” to push back on the project by accusing the city of attempting to “erase” and discriminate against current residents.

Wysinger also took issue with people claiming the current street configuration is fine because no pedestrian fatalities have occurred.

“If we did policy like that, my 90-year-old grandmother would still be in Louisiana picking cotton right now. That is not how you build policy,” Wysinger said.

Motoyama and Councilmember Rebecca Saltzman joined Wysinger in their support for the original staff proposal with Motoyama arguing people will have to make sacrifices for the greater good of the community.

Saltzman said the changes are needed to make an important road in the city safer, recounting her own experiences of nearly being hit by a car while walking down the street with her daughter in a stroller. She also noted the city is willing to work with disabled residents who may need a blue-painted curb in front of their home.

“We should not wait for collisions to happen to make our streets safer. That is not a good way of going about it,” Saltzman said. “There is no way to get to places in our city without crossing Richmond. It is one of the most important streets and we need to make it safe for everybody getting around.”

Councilmembers ultimately agreed to not change the plan or to direct staff to consider other options, but they did decide to keep the appeal fee at $632 instead of rising to the $1,100 rate that took effect July 21.

City Manager Karen Pinkos noted appeal fees will not be required for appeals to her, the first step in the appeals process. If Pinkos denies the appeal, residents can then pay for the council to have final consideration. What parking removal appeals are sent to the council will be heard on Sept. 16.