Keep East Bay Greenway on Mission Blvd to build much needed protected bike lanes

17 min readDec 5, 2023

Time is running out: the last vote required for the realignment of the East Bay Greenway is scheduled for this Thursday, December 7th! Please sign this petition ASAP! https://bit.ly/HaywardEastBayGreenway

Introduction

The East Bay Greenway, a 16-mile active transportation project by Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC), aims to create a safe and continuous route connecting Downtown Oakland and South Hayward. This project has been in the works for 15 years starting in 2008, and its goal is to build a continuous, safe and comfortable route connecting Downtown Oakland and South Hayward for both pedestrians and cyclists.

As presented in October 2022, the project mainly runs along East 14th and Mission Blvd from San Leandro to South Hayward BART station.

Mission Blvd alignment presented in Oct 2022

However, this past October 25th, the City of Hayward & Alameda CTC staff proposed a new realignment of the East Bay Greenway during the Hayward Infrastructure Committee Meeting as item CONS 23–181, which re-routed the project to the west of the railway tracks.

Summary of our stance against the realignment of the East Bay Greenway from Mission Blvd to Whitman St

The proposed project realignment presented this past October 25th shifts the East Bay Greenway to Whitman St. which is an existing bike route with much lower car volumes and some bike infrastructure. This leaves Mission Blvd with no plan in sight for extending the existing protected bike lanes south of Industrial Pkwy. Furthermore, it does not address an important active transportation gap in an area that is seeing a major housing boom, and misses a broader opportunity to implement holistic solutions that address the well-documented safety concerns for all road users of Mission Blvd.

The proposed realignment to Whitman St still allocates some funds for pedestrian improvements on Mission Blvd, with some extremely important caveats: it no longer considers protected bike lanes, the narrowing of car lanes, nor the removal of the excess 3rd lanes in each direction between Carlos Bee & Fletcher Ln. While pedestrian safety measures are undoubtedly important, the exclusive focus on these less impactful improvements raises questions about the efficacy of the East Bay Greenway project and inefficient use of our tax dollars raised through Measure BB.

Protected bike lanes have consistently proven to be highly effective in creating safer road environments for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers alike. These lanes provide a dedicated space for cyclists, physically separated from vehicular traffic, reducing the risk of accidents and promoting alternative, eco-friendly modes of transportation. Similarly, the narrowing of car lanes has been demonstrated as an efficient traffic calming measure, encouraging drivers to adhere to lower speeds, thus minimizing the potential for severe accidents.

While advocating to retain the East Bay Greenway on Mission Blvd, we express openness to the proposed safety enhancements on Whitman St. Our stance is not against these improvements; however, we contend that the East Bay Greenway funds could be more effectively utilized on Mission Blvd due to the need for a substantial investment. Alternative funding sources could be explored to implement safety measures on Whitman St., with potential options such as leveraging Safe Routes to School Program grants.

Time is running out: last vote required for the realignment is scheduled for this Thursday, December 7th! Please sign this petition ASAP!

The City of Hayward already voted on and approved the realignment this past November 14th, but the last vote to approve this realignment is this Thursday, December 7th at 2pm during the Alameda CTC Commission meeting!

With that in mind, we urge you to sign our petition to stop the realignment & keep the East Bay Greenway on Mission Blvd. Below we dive deeper into why keeping the East Bay Greenway on Mission Blvd is such a critical project for Hayward’s active transportation and climate change efforts.

See below our interactive map showing a comparison of the Mission Blvd alignment route & the existing bike infrastructure on Whitman St.: https://bikehayward.org/maps

Concerns from City of Hayward & Alameda CTC against Mission Blvd alignment

1. Construction costs

Other parts of the project like East 14th in Ashland & in San Leandro have moved forward, but somehow there are cost concerns for the Hayward section. The combined budget that has been awarded for the sections in San Leandro and Oakland is 60 million dollars, so there seems to be a reasonable amount of budget to make significant improvements along the East Bay Greenway. The East 14th project in Ashland has already been completed and shows notable speeding reductions and safety improvements for cyclists & pedestrians. These improvements can easily be noticed by driving northbound on Mission Blvd from Cherryland to Ashland. See what East 14th in Ashland looks like now, which serves as a great example of what Mission Blvd could look like if the East Bay Greenway is kept as presented on October 2022:

2. Recent construction on the 9-year old Hayward Loop

Another argument is that Mission Blvd just saw major construction 9-years ago and they don’t want to cause construction disruptions again, even though the constant car crashes regularly cause the re-routing of traffic along Mission Blvd, as seen on these two crashes that happened a day apart from each other on the weekend of November 8th:

Also, the Director of Public Works in Hayward mentioned that the city “spent around $100M just 9 years ago to make the Mission in the Downtown to its current configuration including the construction of the Loop and making the intersection of Mission/Jackson/Foothill what it is today.” Unfortunately, 0$ out of those $100 million dollars were spent on protected bike lanes & only 4 blocks out of the entire Hayward Loop project included some painted bike lanes with no buffer.

As presented in 2022, that proposed Mission Blvd route should not touch the Hayward Loop at all and would not require its reconfiguration.

The southern section of the project in San Leandro, Ashland, and Cherryland follows a direct path down East 14th, which subsequently transitions into Hayward’s Mission Blvd, extending up to A St to reach downtown Hayward’s BART station. The route then reconnects with Mission Blvd by traversing through Watkins St., descending to Fletcher Ln., and subsequently returning to Mission Blvd, ultimately extending all the way to Tennyson Rd.

Rebuttal against main arguments for realignment to Whitman St

City of Hayward and Alameda CTC staff already presented major valid arguments for implementing the East Bay Greenway on Mission Blvd as seen in their October 2022 presentation, so we used some of their own information to back-up our claims against the realignment of the East Bay Greenway from Mission Blvd to Whitman St.

High Injury Network: memorializing the human cost of fatal car crashes in Hayward

During the October 2022 Hayward City Council Infrastructure Committee meeting, representatives from the City of Hayward and Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) presented their work and studies related to the Mission Blvd alignment of the East Bay Greenway. The focus of the presentation was on the crucial role of Mission Blvd in both the Bike and Pedestrian High Injury Network, highlighting the alarming safety issues and the urgent need for infrastructure improvements.

The presentation showed the Mission Blvd’s prominence in the High Injury Network, emphasizing the significant risks faced by cyclists and pedestrians in the current configuration. The inclusion of this information aimed to underscore the importance of strategic interventions to enhance safety along Mission Blvd, so we were caught by surprise when they presented the realignment of the East Bay Greenway project this past October 11th.

Using data from the Transportation Injury Mapping System & other news sources for missing fatal car crashes, like recent the loss of bike advocate Chris Peña this past September 6th, we created a map to server as a digital representation of the real-world impact, showcasing each fatal car crash that occurred in Hayward: https://bikehayward.org/maps.

This map shows that the Mission Blvd alignment of the project has witnessed 7 fatal accidents, further emphasizing the pressing need for safety improvements. In contrast, Whitman St., proposed as the new realignment, showed significantly fewer fatal accidents with 2 recorded fatal incidents.

By presenting this map, we aim to provide a tangible and accessible illustration of the safety concerns and the disproportionate number of accidents along Mission Blvd. As well as encourage the prioritization of street safety improvements around Hayward using a data-driven approach.

Reduction of maintenance costs from removal of excess 3rd car lane between Carlos Bee & Fletcher Ln.

The removal of an excess third car lane to make way for a protected bike lane presents a cost-effective strategy that can lead to significant maintenance cost reductions. In practical terms, eliminating the third lane allows for a narrower road footprint, reducing the total area that requires repaving. This becomes particularly advantageous when considering the scale of the proposed project, covering 0.6 miles of road in each direction.

The cost savings in repaving are directly tied to the reduced surface area that needs attention. Smaller road sections typically translate to lower materials and labor costs associated with resurfacing. By repurposing the excess third car lane into a protected bike lane, not only does the community gain a valuable cycling infrastructure, but it also optimizes the allocation of resources by streamlining maintenance efforts. This approach aligns with the principles of sustainable urban planning, where infrastructure improvements are designed not only for immediate functionality but also with a focus on long-term efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Unsubstantiated concerns about removal of some on-street parking:

The concerns about removing parking for the East Bay Greenway project along Mission Blvd are not substantiated when carefully examined, as several factors mitigate these worries:

Business Parking Availability: Many, if not all, businesses with on-street parking along Mission Blvd. already have dedicated parking spaces for their customers. The potential increase in cycling as a result of the East Bay Greenway project could actually benefit these businesses, making them more accessible and appealing to a broader range of customers. This shift aligns with contemporary urban development strategies that prioritize alternative, sustainable modes of transportation.
Optimal Width for Coexistence: In certain sections of Mission Blvd, the width of the road allows for a harmonious coexistence of on-street parking and a protected bike lane. This approach not only maintains parking availability but also fosters a safer and more diverse transportation environment. The design flexibility offered by the road’s width ensures that essential parking spaces can be retained without compromising the implementation of vital bike infrastructure.
Parking Study: During the 2022–10–26 City Council Committee meeting, a parking study was presented which showed that the on-street parking utilization on this section of Mission Blvd was predominantly 25% or less

Given the hazardous nature of Mission Blvd, prioritizing some of the underused on-street parking over safety considerations would be counterintuitive when considering the points above. The East Bay Greenway project aims to address safety concerns, and allocating space for protected bike lanes plays a crucial role in achieving this objective. It’s essential to prioritize the safety of all road users over the convenience of on-street parking for specific businesses with ample off-street parking options.

Cost of the loss of public and private property assets due to speeding

The costs associated with regular car crashes along Mission Blvd extend far beyond car owner expenses and have shown to also impact public and private property, as well as put even the people on the sidewalk at risk.

A poignant example of this destructive pattern is the destruction of a bus stop on the corner of Carlos Bee and Mission Blvd. The bus stop was completely demolished a few months ago, and in early November, the same spot experienced another collision. With the bus stop no longer there, the impact now ran into a private fence of a nearby parking lot, which had just been built in February of 2022.

This sequence of events vividly illustrates the recurrent damage inflicted on public amenities and adjacent private property. As far as we know, no pedestrians or cyclists were injured during these two incidents but that goes to show how people seeking safety on the sidewalk are still at danger of the constant speeding on Mission Blvd.

A screenshot of a video captured on February 12, 2022, shows my 5-year old nephew, my brother in-law and I riding our bikes on the sidewalk by that bus stop that got destroyed earlier this year, as we made our way to the Hayward Plunge. Had we been there at the time of the accident, we likely would’ve had severe injuries at least and I just can’t stop but be concerned of riding with my nephew at all, even on the sidewalks along Mission Blvd.

Sadly, these concerns tragically materialized for my friend’s dad, Chris Peña, who got hit and killed by a speeding driver on September 6th while biking home from work right across the street from that bus stop & fence that got destroyed not long before his tragic loss.

Problems with Realignment to Whitman St.:

Despite its noble intent, the project’s recent realignment proposal diverts it from the vital Mission Blvd. This section of Mission Blvd is notorious for accidents, and the proposed pedestrian improvements lack crucial measures proven to reduce speeding and fatal car crashes.

Lack of proper public outreach about the realignment to Whitman St

The October 2022 Hayward City Council Infrastructure Committee meeting was the first update for over a year on the East Bay Greenway for the Hayward section, and neither Bike Hayward nor Bike East Bay were notified about the proposal even though we’ve explicitly asked to be involved in this project.

We learned about this meeting a day before it was scheduled thanks to a Bike Hayward member that noticed the item in the Hayward City Council Infrastructure Committee meeting agenda. The project’s website for the Hayward section hasn’t seen an update since last year & lacks essential documentation about this realignment, leaving the community uninformed about these critical changes & we’ve been having to play catch up to figure out what the next steps are on this project.

Connectivity Challenges: why Whitman St is unsuitable as a Bike Boulevard such as those parallel to Shattuck in Berkeley

The accessibility challenges facing cyclists, and individuals using wheelchairs to try to get to the proposed realignment on Whitman St from the east of the railway and BART tracks are significant and warrant attention.

While the concept of a bike boulevard, akin to those found in Berkeley, might seem plausible for Whitman St, there are crucial accessibility issues that make it an unsuitable choice as a bike route for people living or working along Mission Blvd . Drawing a comparison with Shattuck, a successful model in Berkeley, reveals significant differences. Shattuck benefits from the presence of two parallel bike boulevards both the West and Eastern side of this main street.

These bike boulevards work well because they leverage Berkeley’s grid street design and the lack of a fenced railway right-of-way, ensuring easy accessibility through multiple entry points.

Contrastingly, there is a notable lack of convenient access points to reach Whitman St. between Jackson St. and Tennyson Rd. from the eastern side of the railway tracks along Mission Blvd. Unlike Shattuck and its two parallel bike boulevards, Mission Blvd is separated from Whitman St. not just by its cul-de-sac design but the railway & BART tracks, which leaves this 3-mile stretch on Mission Blvd between Jackson St. & Tennyson Rd. with just 4 pedestrian access points & only 2 bike & wheelchair accessible access points which require a half a mile route.

Our interactive map illustrates these connectivity issues in the screenshots below:

The 2 additional pedestrian access points are thanks to the pedestrian bridges on Sycamore Ave. and Sorenson, but these are not bike & wheelchair friendly since they have stairs on either side. The pictures below illustrate these 4 access points from the eastern side of the railway & BART tracks to Whitman St.

Bike route popularity using insights from Strava

The popularity of Mission Blvd as a bike route due to lack of connectivity to Whitman St. can be supported by data we pulled from Strava, which shows that Mission Blvd. is at least 3 times as popular with cyclists compared to Whitman St:

Popularity of Mission Blvd alignment routes with NO existing bike lanes:

Mission Blvd - Harder St. to Carlos Bee: 13,504 attempts recorded by 2,271 people
Mission Blvd - Harder to Tennyson: 15,842 attempts recorded by 2,415 people

Popularity of proposed realignment to Whitman St with some existing bike lanes & lower car volumes

Silva/Whitman - Jackson to Tennyson: 3,861 attempts by 879 people even with designated bike lanes
Another alternate bike routes with existing bike lanes is Huntwood but it only has 2,500 attempts by 563 people

The potential of adding bike lanes to the rest of Mission Blvd in Hayward:

Mission Blvd in Fremont already has existing painted bike lanes and it shows how popular this artery is with cyclists. The section between Dalgo to Driscoll reports 70,349 public attempts By 7,111 people, meaning at least a 3-fold increase in popularity compared to the section of Mission Blvd with no bike lanes
Of course, the section of Mission Blvd which already has a 1.4 mile stretch of protected bike lanes is also more popular, even though going northbound past Industrial Pkwy it dumps bike riders to the section of Mission Blvd with no bike infrastructure: Industrial Pkwy to Blanche St (Section w/ Protected Bike Lanes) — 18,934 Attempts By 2,760 People

Housing boom on Mission Blvd without good alternatives to driving will create a traffic nightmare

The current traffic conditions along Mission Blvd, underscore the pressing need for alternative transportation options to mitigate congestion and prepare for the increased demand associated with new housing developments. Keeping the East Bay Greenway on Mission Blvd would address this issue by making biking along Mission Blvd more enjoyable and accessible to more people, a move that would only necessitate the removal of the third lane in a relatively small section between Carlos Bee and Fletcher Ln, since the vast majority Mission Blvd is already configured as a two-lane road in each direction.

Integrating dedicated bike lanes in this targeted section represents a sensible solution to enhance road safety, encourage eco-friendly commuting, and create a more balanced transportation infrastructure. By reallocating the space currently dedicated to the third lane, the addition of bike lanes aligns with modern urban planning principles that prioritize multi-modal transportation options. This adaptation not only contributes to the safety and convenience of cyclists but also promotes a healthier and more sustainable community overall.

With the ongoing construction of new apartments and housing developments along Mission Blvd, failure to provide viable alternatives to driving poses a substantial risk of exacerbating traffic problems. The anticipated influx of residents and vehicles demands proactive measures to alleviate congestion and enhance the overall livability of the area. By embracing initiatives like bike lanes, the community can foster a more diverse and efficient transportation network, mitigating the potential gridlock that may arise as new housing projects reach completion.

Inefficient use of taxpayer money on ineffective pedestrian safety improvements

Safety improvements on Mission Blvd are urgent, as highlighted in Alameda County’s Pedestrian & Bike High Injury Network and UC Berkeley’s Injury Mapping System. Therefore, the most efficient use of the East Bay Greenway funds raised through Measure BB would be to support the county’s goal to eliminate the High Injury Network.

The following screenshot of the Fatal & Severe injuries in Hayward since 2012 show an even clearer picture of the need to invest in Mission Blvd:

The realignment of the project to Whitman St. diverts major funds from this goal and instead plans to implement ineffective pedestrian safety improvements, rather than prioritizing proven traffic calming solutions like protected bike lanes and car lane narrowing. This underscores a significant missed opportunity in enhancing overall road safety and community well-being. While pedestrian safety measures are undoubtedly crucial, the exclusive focus on less impactful strategies raises questions about the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of public spending.

By directing taxpayer money toward ineffective pedestrian safety improvements, authorities may be missing a broader opportunity to implement holistic solutions that address the safety concerns of various road users. The prioritization of proven traffic calming measures not only ensures enhanced safety for pedestrians but also contributes to the creation of more livable and sustainable communities. To optimize the utilization of taxpayer funds, it is essential for policymakers to reevaluate their strategies and incorporate evidence-based solutions that have a proven impact on road safety. By emphasizing the implementation of protected bike lanes and car lane narrowing, communities can create more resilient, inclusive, and secure transportation networks that benefit everyone, ensuring a more judicious use of public resources.

Other funding sources for Whitman St. safety improvements

Even though we are pushing to keep the East Bay Greenway on Mission Blvd, we are not against the proposed safety improvements on Whitman St., but we believe that the East Bay Greenway funds can be more effectively used on Mission Blvd. since it requires a more significant investment, and other funding sources could be used for implementing safety improvements on Whitman St., including options like Safe Routes to School Programs:

Safe Routes to School Program:

Cesar Chavez Middle School’s allocated funds and potential grants for Safe Routes To School highlight the importance of maintaining the East Bay Greenway on Mission Blvd for the safety of school-going children.

BART Funds:

BART Safe Routes to School: The Local Safe Routes to BART program, facilitated by BART, offers grants of up to $3 million, with an application deadline approaching on December 14. Eligible projects include bikeway upgrades within a 3-mile radius of a BART station. More information can be found at BART Safe Routes.
Hayward BART Bicycle Preferred Path of Travel Capital Plan: As part of the BART Bicycle Preferred Path of Travel Capital Plan, we are conducting a tour of Hayward BART. This comprehensive plan aims to enhance bicycle access to eight BART stations, including Hayward Station. By identifying opportunities and providing recommendations and concept plans for bicycle access projects on BART property, the plan ensures that these initiatives are ready for both funding and implementation. This strategic approach is anticipated to secure additional funds, further supporting the East Bay Greenway project.

CARB Grant Application:

City staff submitted a grant application that holds the potential to secure an additional $1.7 million in funds for Safe Routes To School (SR2S) Infrastructure Projects. These funds could be instrumental in supporting bike safety improvements on Whitman between Harder Rd. and Jackson, covering 1.27 miles. A strategic allocation of about $244,000 could be designated for a protected bike lane pilot program, mirroring the successful model implemented on Campus Drive.

Conclusion

Preserving the East Bay Greenway on Mission Blvd is not just about maintaining a route; it’s about prioritizing the safety and well-being of our community where we need it most. Let’s unite to ensure that the project stays true to its mission of creating a safe and continuous pathway for everyone and help remove Mission Blvd from the bike & pedestrian High Injury network. Sign this petition to make our voices heard and keep Mission Blvd a safer route for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike.