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corridors
east 14th/international
• challenges el camino real
san pablo avenue
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Challenges - East 14th Street and International Boulevard
Land Use Challenges East
14th Street/International Boulevard has the potential to be transformed
from an auto-oriented commercial strip into a vital corridor linking
East Bay communities. This potential is demonstrated in local plans
for the corridor that encourage housing production, increased densities,
and a mix of uses along the corridor. These plans emphasize the revitalization
of the two downtowns and promote neighborhood activity centers that
could provide focal points
The distinct communities along this corridor require different levels and types of investment and change in order to be "complete." Some need to add more housing and transportation choices. Others require better use of existing infrastructure capacity, while others need to focus on enhancing the natural environment and providing more access to natural assets.
In some areas, the mix of land uses creates land use conflicts, while in others the infrastructure that serves industrial uses creates physical barriers between different neighborhoods. These issues need to be considered when contemplating how to use the land along the corridor more efficiently and to create more complete neighborhoods.
Housing Challenges Despite relative affordability, home prices are out of reach for many low-income families living in neighborhoods along East 14th/International. In general, prices along the corridor are highest in southern San Leandro and in unincorporated Alameda County.
There
is a need for additional parks and open space along East 14th/International,
especially if additional infill housing in the
Transportation Challenges Although driving on East 14th/International is generally easy, a lack of connectivity, as well as physical barriers such a railroad tracks, can make it challenging and time consuming to travel through the surrounding neighborhoods. There are few amenities to encourage bicycling along the corridor, which is reflected in the low proportion of trips completed by bicycle. Currently, there are no bikeways on any portion of East 14th/International itself. Over time, transforming the expanses of low-density commercial uses into areas with a mix of housing and clusters of retail would help create more vibrant, walkable neighborhoods.
With a few exceptions, the areas along East 14th/International are not very pedestrian-friendly. Many of the land uses along the street are auto-oriented, and do not attract or generate pedestrian activity. In addition, the buildings are often set back from the street and surrounded by surface parking lots, which make the environment unappealing and difficult to navigate for pedestrians. Although there are sidewalks along the street, there are few amenities, such as street trees, that might make the street more attractive for walking.
Concerns about crime are another deterrent to pedestrian activity along the corridor. This is particularly true in Oakland, which, according to the California Department of Justice Criminal Justice Statistics Center, had nearly 1,300 violent crimes per 100,000 people in 2004. This compares to 780 violent crimes per 100,000 people in Alameda County as a whole.
In addition to the unappealing pedestrian environment along East 14th/International, most of the adjacent neighborhoods are not very walkable. Many of the neighborhoods along the corridor consist of predominantly single-family homes. These low-density residential areas do not generate a lot of pedestrian activity because the lack of a consistent street grid and the presence of physical barriers such as railroad tracks make it difficult to get from one place to another. Also, in many areas, the quality of the sidewalks is inconsistent, there are few trees, and the blocks are long. All of these factors make traveling on foot a challenge and unappealing.
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for
surrounding neighborhoods. If realized, these changes could encourage
more walking, bicycling, and transit use. As appealing as these local
plans are, the details suggest the difficulty of making this transformation
a reality. Currently, there is very little coordination of planning
among jurisdictions and the proposed implementation of Bus Rapid Transit
(BRT) is the only project that crosses jurisdiction boundaries. 
area
is to be successful. Although some residents along the corridor can
easily get to Lake Merritt, San Leandro Creek, and the Bay, most neighborhoods
have limited access to these types of natural amenities. Most of the
parks along the corridor consist of school ball fields and playgrounds,
which may offer only limited access for other community members. Also,
the parks in many of the station areas are near the edge of the half-mile
area, which is a concern to be addressed if more intense housing development
is planned for those areas.
Pedestrian
safety is also a concern in many areas along East 14th/International.
In surveys of community groups, both the difficulty of crossing streets
along the corridor and fear of crime were mentioned as deterrents to
walking. For most of its length East 14th/International is a wide, busy
street that accommodates heavy traffic moving at high speeds. These
conditions make it challenging and unsafe for pedestrians walking along
or, in particular, trying to cross the street. According to the City
of Oakland's Pedestrian Master Plan, approximately 10 percent of all
pedestrian collisions in Oakland take place along International Boulevard.
Almost all of the schools with high numbers of child pedestrian/vehicle
collisions are located along the corridor. In San Leandro, residents
were particularly concerned about the large numbers of seniors who live
along the corridor and the challenges they face crossing such a busy
street.