San Francisco Bay Area Vision Project

The State of California and regional agencies in the major metropolitan areas of the state, including those in the San Francisco Bay Area, have developed similar goals to address their shared concerns over population growth. There is mutual concern that growth greatly impacts housing costs, mobility, the environment, and social equity. The state and regional governments agree that these impacts can be curbed by directing growth toward urban areas, especially near transit. In California, however, land use is a local issue; local governments control land use decisions. Therefore, only local governments can act on the necessary planning and development decisions needed to achieve state and regional policy objectives. Fortunately, many urban communities in the Bay Area share the state and region's objectives. Many local governments in the Bay Area are making decisions that will lead to the advancement of regional and state goals. These pages highlight those shared goals. More importantly, these pages highlight the actions that local governments are taking to achieve them.

The corridors program was initiated by ABAG and financially sponsored by the State Department of Transportation. It is the first attempt to document local progress toward mutual state and regional policy objectives. And indeed local governments are making progress.

Three state highways in the San Francisco Bay Area, State Routes 185, 82, and 123, are locally known as East 14th/International Boulevard, El Camino Real, and San Pablo Avenue. Immediately surrounding these highways are large sources of underutilized land - much of which could be used for infill housing. If built, this housing would be located near transit, giving people access to job centers around the region.

Consequently, these three state highways represent ideal locations to implement and then gauge progress toward mutual state and regional goals to build more housing in urbanized areas and near transit.

To assess progress toward state and regional objectives, analyses of existing and planned land use, transportation conditions, and public opinions were conducted corridor-wide and for fourteen urban and suburban case study communities along the highways.

The results of these analyses are presented as a series of Summary Findings. The findings are also based on public opinion surveys performed in neighborhoods along each highway. From the surveys, we learn how people feel about their communities, housing and transportation access, and their ability to participate in local planning and development decisions.

Corridor recommendations stem from the findings. They focus on how the state, regional agencies, and local governments can better support each other and work together to achieve their share policy objectives. They also focus on how regional agencies and the state may better assist local governments in achieving their shared objectives - more housing in infill locations, especially near transit.

Information concerning 14th Street and International Boulevard, El Camino Real, and San Pablo Avenue is provided to present the possible benefits and challenges that this kind of development yields. The About sections provide short historical and demographic profiles for the Corridors. Existing Conditions describe the current circumstances taking place along the Corridors that may or may not require increased consideration. The Plans sections discuss the existing General, Area, and Specific Plans that incorporate space within the three Corridor areas, proposing modifications and their effects. Current projects and physical improvements are considered in the Development sections. The most apparent and urgent barriers to the Corridors Program are related in the Challenges sections. The Case Studies sections provide detailed analyses of key node sites proposed for redevelopment in accordance with the Corridors Program's goals and, finally, the Community Support sections provide information gathered from public opinion surveys.