Alameda County will improve bicycle and pedestrian safety along I-880 with the East Bay Greenway Project. (Jim Gensheimer/Bay Area News Group)
Interstate 880, which runs through the East Bay, faces numerous environmental, financial, and transportation challenges. This corridor, which stretches from Oakland to Hayward, is known for frequent traffic fatalities, high rates of asthma, and low rates of car ownership. In short, these communities, many of them low-income, suffer from the worst effects of car culture.
The Alameda County Transportation Commission is hopeful that the East Bay Greenway Project can begin to change that.
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced a $30 million grant to build a 16.6-mile bike and pedestrian corridor connecting five BART stations from Oakland to San Leandro, managed by the Alameda County Transportation Commission.
“We're excited to make this a community-focused, people-focused project,” said Tess Lengel, executive director of the Alameda County Transportation Commission. “Right now, this is not a safe hallway.”
The $30 million provided to Alameda County is the largest DOT grant this cycle in Northern California and the second-largest in the state.
The money will be used to fund greenway projects, including bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improvements and safety improvements throughout the corridor. In a press release, the Transportation Commission emphasized the project's impact on “promoting economic development, safety, and equitable transportation.”
“Reconnecting underinvested communities will improve safety, access, and create more equity for those who live and work in this corridor,” said Alameda CTC Chairman and Emeryville City Councilman John J. Bauters. It will bring opportunities.”
The first phase, scheduled to begin construction in 2025, will connect Lake Merritt BART Station to Bayfair BART. This route follows his 12th Street to the Fruitvale Bad Station, then runs alongside San Leandro Street.
Future phases of the project will extend through the unincorporated community of Ashland to South Hayward.
Some parking along the corridor will be removed to make room for bicycles and pedestrians. Lanes may also be narrower.
But for those involved in this project, those are small sacrifices for a greenway that has the potential to dramatically improve community health outcomes.
“We are working hard to turn this into a corridor that delivers safe and fair outcomes,” Lengyel said. “A lot went into this.”
