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corridors
east 14th/international
el camino real
san pablo avenue
• case studies
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Case Studies - San Pablo Avenue
The San Pablo Avenue corridor spans from Oakland at its southernmost end, through Emeryville, Berkeley, Albany, El Cerritos, Richmond, San Pablo, Bayview-Montalvin and Tara Hills in unincorporated Contra Costa County, Pinole, and terminates in Hercules at its northernmost end. There are five nodes of particular interest:
•The Downtown Oakland area •The West Berkeley area •The El Cerrito Del Norte BART Station area •The intersection of 23rd Street and San Pablo Avenue area •The Hercules Transit Center area
Downtown Oakland Area Downtown Oakland is
a major employment and commercial center in the Bay Area. Its high-density
buildings, plentiful transit options, walkable environment, and numerous
cultural venues make it one of the liveliest sections of San Pablo Avenue.
Community and entertainment events, weekly farmer's markets, and frequent
political rallies take place at Frank Ogawa Plaza. There are three region-serving
BART stations in Downtown Oakland (12th
Downtown Oakland is the center of planning activities in Oakland, and has experienced strong growth since the late 1990s. This growth is due in large part to the 10K initiative, a policy set forth by former Major Jerry Brown to bring 10,000 new residents to downtown. This initiative as well as other policies and plans could facilitate significant new development in downtown in the near future.
Land use plans for the area are very general, yet allow for high-density uses that are appropriate for a downtown, while respecting the character of various districts such as Old Town Oakland, Chinatown, and Jack London/Waterfront. All planned uses have a good mix of commercial, residential, and institutional uses, with some of the existing industrial uses preserved in the waterfront. Planned uses take advantage of existing transit opportunities and could improve the pedestrian environment. Housing choices could also increase greatly in the area with the addition of thousands of units, yet housing affordability may remain a challenge for low-income residents.
Planned transportation
improvements focus mostly on improving the pedestrian environment by
adding pedestrian amenities and
Downtown's revitalization plans have been pursued aggressively by the city and Redevelopment Agency, and have resulted in thousands of planned new units and a significant amount of new retail and office space. The Redevelopment Agency especially has been pursuing many programs, such as facade improvement programs and the creation of a business improvement district, to facilitate the revitalization. Concerns remain about Oakland's housing policies and how well they create opportunities for low-income residents, as well as changes to state environmental law and how they affect the public process.
West Berkeley Area West Berkeley is the area of Berkeley located west of San Pablo Avenue and east of Interstate 80. The neighborhood is approximately one half mile wide and two miles long. It begins in the south at the Emeryville border and ends in the north at Albany.
West Berkeley is one
of the most distinct and successful neighborhoods along San Pablo Avenue.
The diversity of people and land uses reflects its rich history as a
working class industrial area. There are a variety of housing choices,
a number of
West Berkeley is experiencing growth pressure that, without careful planning, could change the character of the neighborhood. The area's distinct character is largely defined by the diversity of its residents who rely on the area's relative affordable housing. This diversity and relative affordability, however, also attract many people to the area, increasing the demand for housing and therefore housing costs. The city is therefore under pressure to plan for additional housing while maintaining the area's affordability and diversity. The city's current land use plans largely achieve this by allowing for new housing development while protecting existing uses in the neighborhoods.
The city's land use plans allow residential and commercial growth along the major commercial corridors. This growth is especially focused on several major commercial nodes, where height allowances can facilitate high-density development. By targeting new growth in commercial corridors and nodes, the city may succeed in preserving its industrial land uses and may be able to retain housing opportunities for its low-income residents.
Implementation of Berkeley's land use plans could increase residents' transportation choices, especially walking and biking. Transit service, however, is not planned to change significantly and will therefore continue to be infrequent, making transit use infeasible for local residents.
For the past 15 years, the vision for West Berkeley, as outlined in local plans, is being implemented at an increasingly rapid pace. A flurry of development activity in the area will increase housing options and walkability while protecting existing land uses.
El Cerrito Del Norte BART Station Area El Cerrito's Del Norte
BART station experiences the highest volume BART and bus ridership in
Contra Costa County. The station is located adjacent to San Pablo Avenue
at Cutting
The El Cerrito Del Norte station has tremendous potential as a transit and pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. Currently, however, the Del Norte station is underutilized, housing choices are limited, streets are not conducive to travel by foot or bike, and low-density land uses in the area are strictly auto-oriented.
The El Cerrito Del Norte BART station is on the verge of a major transformation. As a major regional transportation hub, the Del Norte station offers one of the greatest opportunities along San Pablo Avenue for developing a highly successful center of activity, with offices and stores that serve residents and commuters, and a variety of homes, all within a five-minute walk of the BART station. This potential is due in part to a number of underutilized parcels adjacent to San Pablo Avenue that have significant redevelopment opportunity.
Despite the opportunity
in this area, redevelopment efforts face significant challenges. The
area serves heavy traffic volumes of drivers and buses, and has a very
high parking demand. Any
They city recognizes the potential of this area in its General Plan, but has not yet identified a specific vision for the area. The city's current planning approach to the area is incomplete and therefore needs refinement. For example, there are no specific plans for the area, and many of the zoning changes and other policies that would stimulate investment in this area have not been enacted. This should change in the near future as the city updates its Zoning Code and pursues a master plan for the Del Norte area. El Cerrito's housing policies are similar in that they are supportive of increases in the diversity and affordability of housing yet lack strong implementation efforts to support the policies.
Planned transportation
improvements in the area could
The city is just beginning to fine tune its general vision for the Del Norte area through two specific plans and two proposed development projects. Two specific plans are planned for the area, including the Del Norte Master Plan and the San Pablo Avenue Joint Specific Plan (with the City of Richmond). The planned development projects will meet some of the goals towards creating higher-density areas with a mix of housing choices, yet at least one is indicative of the city's incomplete approach towards reaching the Del Norte area's potential.
The Intersection of 23rd Street and San Pablo Avenue Area The intersection of
23rd Street and San Pablo Avenue in San Pablo connects two major thoroughfares
and the two largest commercial districts in the City of San Pablo. The
area around this intersection contains a very broad range of land uses
and housing types, creating a very unique environment. The area is home
to downtown San Pablo, contains two creeks, several parks, a community
center, and a variety of homes, shops and businesses. The mix of land
uses, cultures, and activities in the
Since 1996, the City of San Pablo has been focused on revitalizing many of the underutilized areas in the city. The General Plan (1996) and subsequent zoning code establishes three districts around the 23rd Street/San Pablo Avenue intersection, each connected by pedestrian paths and an open space network. The Plan accentuates the existing character of these districts and adds new housing and commercial developments. The Plan also promotes pedestrian activity through mixed use developments and pedestrian amenities.
The planned transportation improvements in the area focus mainly on land use changes to improve the pedestrian environment in the special districts, including the introduction of new pedestrian paths. There are no major improvements in transit access planned for the area, although some routes will be extended, improving regional service and access.
San Pablo is implementing their General Plan through specific plans and new development projects. Recent development projects are located in the city's "special districts" and could increase transportation and housing options for residents.
Hercules Transit Center Area The
Hercules Transit Center is a park-and-ride lot located on the northeast
corner of San Pablo Avenue and Sycamore Avenue in the northern part
of the City of Hercules. It is located directly adjacent to Interstate
80, and is served by the commuter-
Since 1999, the City of Hercules has been undergoing a significant transformation. Strong community and city commitment to a joint vision for the future is making this transformation a success. The vision for Hercules was established in the Central Hercules Plan and subsequent Regulating Code, and applies to large portions of vacant and industrial land located in the middle of the city, specifically around the Hercules Transit Center.
The Central Hercules Plan seeks to transform the transit center and surrounding lands into a series of mixed use districts, each with a distinct character. All of these districts will be pedestrian-oriented, well-connected, will provide a variety of housing and transportation choices, and have community amenities such as parks and schools. Outside of the Central Hercules Plan area, however, planned land uses maintain the existing low and medium-density single-use neighborhoods.
Planned
transportation improvements in the area are largely supportive of increasing
transportation choices. The largest improvement will be the addition
of the Hercules Capitol Corridor station, which will allow commuters
to easily travel to and
All developments near the transit center are within the Central Hercules Plan area. They are consistent with the Plan and Regulating Code, will add a variety of housing options, and increase the walkability of the area.
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Street,
19th Street, and Lake Merritt) as well as numerous bus stops. The area
is also highly conducive to walking.
improving
sidewalks and crosswalks. This could assist new residents and commuters
in taking advantage of the already excellent transit service in the
area. Increasing the walkability of the waterfront area and walking,
biking, and transit connections between downtown and the waterfront
could also improve transportation choices in the area.
walkable
commercial areas, and numerous unique stores and restaurants. Existing
high housing costs and limited transportation choices, however, are
current challenges for this community.
Boulevard
in the northern part of El Cerrito. The City of Richmond lies to the
west of El Cerritos and has jurisdiction over the land uses to the west
of Interstate 80.
redevelopment
strategy would therefore need to involve rerouting traffic and providing
adequate parking for regional commuters. This is especially true as
local residents are very concerned with potential increased traffic
and parking demand due to new development. In addition, San Pablo Avenue
and Interstate 80 act as barriers to creating a pedestrian-friendly
environment. Finally, San Pablo Avenue's state highway status means
that any significant changes to the street environment would require
state and inter-jurisdictional cooperation.
increase
the transportation choices available to residents, especially in terms
of walkability. If the suggested design guidelines are followed, the
existing pedestrian environment could be remarkably improved.
area
give this neighborhood great potential to become a walkable, vibrant
community.
oriented
WestCAT transit system.
from
Oakland and San Francisco. Other planned improvements may increase transportation
choices for commuters and residents. When coupled with the land uses
that will arise from the Central Hercules Plan, transportation choices
should increase tremendously from existing conditions, which support
automobiles almost exclusively.