Alameda CTC and the East Bay Regional Park District hosted a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the first segment of the East Bay Greenway on Friday, November 6.
The first half mile of the East Bay Greenway, from the Coliseum BART Station to 85th Avenue in Oakland, is the initial phase of a planned 15-mile Class-1 bicycle and pedestrian pathway running roughly parallel to the BART tracks through Oakland, San Leandro and Hayward. It features a 12-foot wide Class-1 bicycle and pedestrian trail, new traffic signals and crosswalks at 71st, 75th and 81st Avenues and new lighting and decorative fencing.
This segment received a federal TIGER II grant with support from Congresswoman Barbara Lee and is also funded by the East Bay Regional Park District’s Measure WW, Alameda CTC’s Measure B and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s Transportation Fund for Clean Air.
“I’m extremely pleased to be opening the East Bay Greenway to support safe walking and biking and transit connections in east Oakland,” says Alameda CTC Chair Supervisor Scott Haggerty. “Walking and biking are essential components of livable and healthy communities, and integral parts of a complete transportation system. The commitment on the part of voters who passed both Measure B and the Parks District’s Measure WW helped make this first segment of the East Bay Greenway possible. Funding from Measure BB will help us extend it further.”
The East Bay Greenway is designed to improve critical pedestrian and bicycle access to intermodal transit hubs and BART, and ultimately provide an accessible pedestrian and bicycle trail to encourage use of alternate modes of transportation. By linking together many smaller parks, school yards, bike trails and community destinations, the East Bay Greenway will create new opportunities for recreation, public health, sustainability and community pride.
In 2014 the project was awarded a state Active Transportation Program grant to advance the full 15-mile Greenway toward shovel readiness. The complete East Bay Greenway will provide the more than 189,000 residents, 43,000 workers and 38,000 students who live, work or attend school nearby with safe, separated from traffic, pedestrian and bicycle access to buses and BART, downtowns, commercial districts and industrial job centers.
The concept of the East Bay Greenway originated from a grassroots planning process in 2006-2008, which established consensus among local jurisdictions, stakeholders and the community as to the purpose, need and potential benefits of a greenway in these neighborhoods.
