BART Berkeley El Cerrito – This open house is focused on strategies related to access to BART stations along this corridor.

Welcome

Welcome to the second online open house for the Berkeley – El Cerrito Corridor Access Plan (Corridor Access Plan). This open house is focused on strategies related to access to BART stations along this corridor. This is an important follow up to the first online open house. Public engagement continues to be a priority for BART as we began our outreach in spring 2021 for the Corridor Access Plan.

Future access to the Berkeley and El Cerrito stations

BART and the cities involved will work with developers to build about 2,500 affordable and market rate homes on the El Cerrito Plaza, North Berkeley, and Ashby BART stations parking lots. Developing housing on BART property will help address the region’s housing crisis. It will also support BART’s ability to provide high-quality service through increased ridership from the residents. BART is leading the Corridor Access Plan, in collaboration with the cities of Berkeley and El Cerrito, to identify options for riders to get to and from BART. The Corridor Access Plan will balance the need for BART rider parking, which is expensive to build and uses a lot of space, with sustainable transportation options that enhance community vibrancy and safety.

The Corridor Access Plan is funded by Caltrans and the Federal Transit Administration.

This is a map of the plan area. The locations of El Cerrito del Norte, El Cerrito Plaza, North Berkeley and Ashby BART stations are shown. There are circles around El Cerrito Plaza, North Berkeley, Downtown Berkeley, and Ashby BART stations that indicate half-mile and one-mile radii around the stations. The map also shows that El Cerrito Plaza, North Berkeley, and Ashby BART stations will include transit-oriented development. — Corridor Access Plan area.

How this open house works

This is the second of three online open houses for the Corridor Access Plan. During the first online open house from July 2 to Aug. 20, 2021, BART explained the Corridor Access Plan and requested feedback from you about your needs in getting to and from BART stations in Berkeley and El Cerrito. Read more about what we heard from participants and how community input plays a role in developing the Corridor Access Plan in the Community Input section.

The purpose of this online open house is to share information with you about a wide range of potential strategies for how BART riders can get to and from the stations when the BART parking lots are developed. We also want to hear from you about how these strategies may work for you to get to and from BART stations.

Click through the sections using the navigation bar at the top of the page, or scroll down the page to:

Learn about the plan. Review the sections describing what we heard from people who participated in the first online open house and other engagement activities, how we’re thinking about parking for BART riders, and strategies to get to and from the stations.
Share your feedback. Take the survey in the “survey” section to help us understand how the strategies for walking, rolling, biking, transit, getting dropped off and on-street parking may work for you.
Stay Connected. Share this site with your neighbors, community members, family, and friends who live in the corridor plan area or use the El Cerrito and Berkeley BART stations.

What does station access mean?

Station access refers to how people travel to and from BART stations. This includes the infrastructure, services, and programs that allow people of all ages and abilities to safely and comfortably travel by:

Walking
Rolling, like wheelchairs
Biking
Riding transit, paratransit, or shuttles
Getting dropped off by others, taxis, or ride-apps
Using microtransit like bike share and scooter share
Driving and parking

A person walking in front of a BART station entrance, demonstrating one of the many different ways people travel to and from BART stations. This is called station access. — People travel to and from BART stations in many ways – this is called station access.

Who is involved?

BART is leading the Corridor Access Plan in collaboration with the cities of Berkeley and El Cerrito with input from:

BART riders
Nearby residents
Nearby businesses and business organizations
Community and neighborhood groups
Community-based organizations
Cities and transit agency/operator staff
City and agency advisory boards and committees
Elected officials
State and regional agencies

BART staff at a booth at a farmers market talking with a person about the Berkeley-El Cerrito Corridor Access Plan. This is one of the ways BART shared information and learned from BART riders and nearby residents in 2021. — BART staff visited community events in 2021 to learn from BART riders and nearby residents about their access needs.

Why is the Corridor Access Plan needed?

BART is developing its property at Ashby, North Berkley, and El Cerrito Plaza stations bringing much needed affordable and market-rate homes to the area. These transit-oriented development (TOD) projects will be built on existing BART rider parking lots at these stations, impacting how some BART riders can get to and from those stations.

Parking will not be fully replaced due to space and funding constraints, so this Corridor Access Plan will help identify strategies for getting to and from BART. These strategies will reduce the need for parking at the BART stations, while BART and the cities prioritize investments in walking, rolling, biking, riding transit, driving, and parking more equitably.

A person riding a bike. The Corridor Access Plan will help identify strategies for getting to and from BART in many ways, such as by riding a bike. — The Corridor Access Plan will help identify strategies for getting to and from BART in many ways, such as by riding a bike or tricycle.

What is transit-oriented development (TOD) and why is this needed?

The state, region, cities of Berkeley and El Cerrito, and BART have shared goals and policies for building new developments. These goals and policies prioritize building developments that provide housing and create jobs near high-quality public transportation. This helps address our global climate crisis and regional housing crisis.

Findings of a UC Berkeley study confirm that people who live close to transit are 2.5 times more likely to use it for work, school, errands, and recreational trips than those who live further away. Building high-density housing on BART’s land will:

Provide much-needed homes for all income levels
Increase the number of transit riders and lease revenue paid to BART to support BART’s financial outlook and ability to make service improvements
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by locating more homes near high quality transit
Better integrate the BART stations with the surrounding neighborhoods
Lower household transportation costs

Use the slider bar on the image below to see before and after photos of a TOD at the Fruitvale BART station.

Aeriel image of Fruitvale BART station area after the transit-oriented development was built, with stores in buildings, concrete seating surrounding palm trees, a water feature and sunshine-themed art sculptures.

Aeriel image of Fruitvale BART station area before the transit-oriented development was built. It has wide, mostly empty streets with some cars on it lined by trees spread out and a few people walking around.

Fruitvale BART station area before development.

The same station after a development was built.

How is each community’s vision and goals informing this effort?

We are not starting from scratch! BART, in partnership with the cities of Berkeley and El Cerrito, has already engaged with communities for years to discuss development of the land at Ashby, North Berkeley and El Cerrito Plaza. Our activities have included online and in-person events, such as community workshops, council meetings, in-person surveys at stations, and tabling at community markets. Cities have also adopted transportation plans focused on improving access for cyclists, pedestrians, public transit riders, and motorists.

The Corridor Access Plan will incorporate many different plans and policies that already exist. This plan will be consistent with Berkeley’s and El Cerrito’s adopted community plans as well as BART’s TOD and Station Access policy goals and performance metrics. Visit BART’s Corridor Access Plan outreach website for more information, specifically the Community Vision webpage for examples of intersecting plans and policies that support four key objectives and the Outreach & Materials webpage for a full list of reference material that BART and the cities are using to develop the plan.

WALK

BICYCLE

TRANSIT
AND
SHUTTLE

DROP-OFF
AND
PICK-UP

AUTO
PARKING

Paratransit*

Private Auto

Taxi and TNC

Disabled
Motorcycle/Scooter
Short Term Auto
Carshare
Carpool
Electric Vehicle
Standard Vehicle

As shown on this station access hierarchy diagram, BART’s highest priority is to provide access for walking, followed by biking, transit, drop off and lastly parking.

Related projects

Some of the many related plans and projects that BART and the cities are currently collaborating on include:

Visit the Need section of the previous online open house for more details on related projects, policies, and plans.

Timelines

The Corridor Access Plan builds upon years of public input into locally adopted plans and policies, which articulate each community’s vision for future development and public investments. It is the next step of a multi-year collaborative effort between BART, Berkeley, and El Cerrito to develop the Ashby, North Berkeley, and El Cerrito Plaza BART stations for much-needed housing. The developments at the El Cerrito Plaza and Berkeley BART stations are on different timelines, and the Corridor Access Plan is taking these different timelines into account. Here is our process and timeline for developing the Corridor Access Plan:

2021

Spring

Introduce plan
Develop vision and review goals
Collect data

Summer

Define needs
Phase 1 community outreach and input
Understand access opportunities

Fall

Identify menu of access strategies
Set BART parking maximum for El Cerrito Plaza station

2022

Winter

Set BART parking maximums for Ashby and North Berkeley stations
Continue reviewing access strategies

Spring

Phase 2 community outreach and input
Confirm access options
Determine funding and financing options

Summer/Fall

Evaluate access strategies
Develop Draft Corridor Access Plan
Phase 3 community outreach

Fall/Winter

Finalize Corridor Access Plan

As shown in the timeline above, there are three phases of community engagement and feedback for the Corridor Access Plan:

Phase 1 (Spring – Summer 2021) – Your Needs: BART collected data and input to understand access needs across the corridor. Read more about what we learned in the Community Input section.
Phase 2 (Fall – Spring 2022) – Initial Access Strategies: BART presented initial access options and potential levels of on-site BART rider parking. Now, we are asking for your feedback on an initial set of strategies for area-wide station access as well as parking outside of BART stations.
Phase 3 (Summer – Fall 2022) – Draft Corridor Access Plan: We will ask you to review the plan, which will summarize your needs; confirm and prioritize the set of strategies for station access and parking; and identify funding opportunities to implement these strategies. Learn more about how we will prioritize strategies.

What are the timelines for the Ashby, North Berkeley, and El Cerrito Plaza TODs?

2022

2023

2024

2025

El Cerrito Plaza TOD

Construction targeted to begin 2024

Ashby & North Berkeley TODs

Construction targeted to begin 2025

Preliminary Planning

Vision and priorities
Zoning
Planning studies

Developer Solicitation & Selection

Request for Qualifications (RFQ)
Developer award

Project Design & Construction

Station access plans
Design process with community
Entitlements
Financing
Construction

Ashby and North Berkeley stations

BART has been working with the community and the city of Berkeley for years to plan transit-oriented development (TOD) at the Ashby and North Berkeley BART stations. With extensive input from a Community Advisory Group, the Transportation Commission Corridor Access Plan Subcommittee and other members of the public, the City and BART have drafted their Joint Vision & Priorities for Transit-Oriented Development for Ashby and North Berkeley BART Stations. At the March 9 Advisory Committee/Community meeting, BART staff recommended the maximum levels of on-site BART rider parking for each station, which will be included in the requests for qualifications (RFQs) for future developers after they have been approved by the BART Board. You can watch the video or download the presentation from the March 9 meeting.

The Joint Vision & Priorities and zoning for the Berkeley sites will be presented to the Berkeley City Council for adoption in mid-2022 and the BART Board of Directors will take an action around the same time. After adoption of the Joint Vision & Priorities and zoning, BART will release the RFQs for future developers. Once the developers are selected, the project design, financing and construction will advance over the next several years. Details about this process were presented to the Community Advisory Group in December 2021.

El Cerrito Plaza station

Work to plan the El Cerrito Plaza TOD project has been underway since 2019, when BART, the community, and city of El Cerrito began developing Goals and Objectives. These were approved by the El Cerrito City Council and BART Board. BART selected the development team of Holliday Development and Related California in November 2020. BART, the City of El Cerrito and this development team have been working together and with the community to advance the development.

In October 2021, BART hosted a community meeting to present the recommended on-site BART rider parking maximum, which the BART Board adopted on October 28. You can watch the video of the October community meeting and download the presentation to learn more. This parking maximum of up to 250 replacement parking spaces allows the developer to move forward with the community to develop the site design for a targeted construction start in 2024. View more information about the development project and future meetings hosted by the development team.

Community Input

Since early 2021 when BART began the Corridor Access Plan, we’ve heard a lot of great ideas and input – thank you for your contributions so far!

How has BART engaged with communities?

We’ve engaged with community members in a variety of ways to understand people’s experience and challenges in getting to BART:

Our first online open house, which included a public idea map, survey, and comment form
Tabling at community markets, like farmers and flea markets
Virtual events, such as office hours and community meetings
Relevant planning efforts in process, such as El Cerrito’s San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan update and Berkeley’s Ashby and North Berkeley BART Station Planning.

Online open house (July 2 – Aug. 20, 2021)

3,552 people visited the site

1,968 surveys completed

1,398 comments and likes received from the interactive map

17 social media posts with 232 likes and Tweets

Other outreach (through Aug. 2021)

14 virtual public meetings, including community, City Council, and BART Board meetings

170+ interactions at four in-person events and 12 virtual office hours

1,067 people received email notifications about the outreach from BART

122 comments were provided through the BART website

We’ve also reviewed adopted plans that engaged local community members, like each city’s general plan, climate action plan, and active transportation plans, as well as neighborhood plans like Berkeley’s Adeline Corridor Specific Plan .

What has BART heard from communities?

Through these efforts, we’ve heard hundreds of ideas on strategies for how people can get to and from the Berkeley and El Cerrito BART stations, including:

walking icon biking icon

Walking , Rolling, and Biking: Nearly all who provided input on these modes indicated the importance of creating low-stress access to and from BART by people of all ages and abilities. This included suggestions on bikeway and walkway improvements, intersection redesigns, separating bike and foot traffic from car traffic, secure bike parking, cycling amenities, and a bike lending library.

Car Parking: Suggestions for accommodating those who drive and park to access BART included providing parking to riders with the fewest choices, ensuring parking availability even if increasing rate, minimizing on-street parking for transit-oriented development (TOD) residents, and providing electric vehicle charging spaces.

Safety and Security: Concerns about the safety of walking in the neighborhoods and station areas were common, especially in low-light conditions. Some suggestions included improved lighting, interactive amenities, and strategies to reduce and calm car traffic around stations.

Universal Access: Most who provided comments about BART riders with mobility issues (due to disability and/or age) want to ensure that their access needs are prioritized.

Transit: Many want existing transit service enhanced or expanded in addition to new service.

Shared and on-demand mobility: Some want to see services like on-demand transit, bike share, and ride-hailing options implemented, expanded, and/or subsidized.

Station Area Design: Input included increased connectivity between the stations and the surrounding neighborhoods for those who walk, bike, roll, and take public transportation to access BART, implement intuitive wayfinding and signage, and maintain station areas as transit centers.

Take a look at BART’s outreach milestone report to learn more about what we heard related to station access needs for the Ashby, North Berkeley, and El Cerrito Plaza stations.

This is a map of the plan area showing the locations of comments received through the interactive map that was part of the first online open house for the Corridor Access Plan — This map shows the locations of comments made on the interactive map included in our first online open house, including the travel mode referenced in the comment and the number of likes the comments received. | Click to enlarge

1,398 comments and likes received

How will community input affect the Corridor Access Plan?

Community input affects the Corridor Access plan in different ways at each phase of developing the plan: (1) defining access needs, (2) developing access strategies, and (3) confirming those strategies. Questions BART has for community members associated with each of these phases are described below.

(1) Defining access needs

How do BART riders get to and from the Ashby, Downtown Berkeley, North Berkeley, and El Cerrito Plaza stations?
What are the barriers to getting to and from these stations without driving?
What options do BART riders feel they have for getting to and from the stations?

How does this community input help?
This helps the project team identify an early set of strategies to address identified barriers.

(2) Developing access strategies

Which proposed access and parking management strategies best fit BART riders’ needs?
What support, programs, or incentives would motivate BART riders to choose certain strategies?
What infrastructure improvements would be needed to successfully implement the proposed strategies?

How does this community input help?
This helps the project team focus on a variety of strategies for getting to and from the stations that will work for people and can be implemented.

(3) Confirming and prioritizing access strategies

Does the final set of strategies support the variety of needs and suggestions voiced through this process?
Do community members support the package of solutions and how tradeoffs are balanced to meet different riders’ needs?

How does this community input help?
This helps the project team select strategies that meet project goals and objectives while having public support.

This is a photo showing people standing at a table at the El Cerrito Plaza farmers market talking to BART and City staff about the transit-oriented development project and Corridor Access Plan. — Tabling at the farmer’s market is one of the ways BART has engaged with community members regarding the Corridor Access Plan.

How did people access BART before the COVID-19 pandemic?

Analyzing data from BART station profile surveys and other sources helped us get a good picture of who uses the Berkeley and El Cerrito stations, and how people get to and from these stations. You can learn more by downloading and reviewing these graphics and descriptions:

BART Rider Car Parking at Station

BART will continue to provide some car parking at the stations for riders who may not have other options for getting to BART. However, building mixed-income housing, particularly near frequent transit service, is one of the highest priorities for the state, region, and cities, as indicated in their adopted plans and policies. This priority is reinforced in the most recent community planning efforts led collaboratively by the cities and BART, such as Berkeley’s draft Joint Vision & Priorities for the North Berkeley and Ashby BART stations and the El Cerrito’s Goals & Objectives for the El Cerrito Plaza BART station.

Most riders get to Ashby, North Berkeley, and El Cerrito Plaza BART Stations in ways other than driving and parking. Learn more about how people get to these stations by downloading and reviewing these station-specific graphics.

Once the developments are constructed, car parking for BART riders at the station will need to be in parking garages. The three primary challenges to building parking are cost, space, and design. Learn more about these challenges by visiting the Tradeoffs section from our first online open house.

Forecasting remote work trends

BART utilized data gathered via survey by the Bay Area Council (BAC) to help inform the maximum amount of car parking available at each station. Learn more by looking through the poll results.

What is the process for determining how much car parking to include at these BART stations?

We followed a two-step process to decide how much parking to include on-site.

Step one: Identify the maximum number of BART rider parking stalls to be on-site at each station.

BART’s objective in determining the maximum number of BART rider parking stalls is to provide enough parking to accommodate riders who may not have other options to get to BART. BART staff recommends the parking maximum for the BART Board to consider for approval.
The data used to determine the maximum number of BART rider parking stalls included community input and survey data from various station access surveys conducted in 2015, 2019 and 2021 with a particular focus on people with limited choice who would need spaces close to the station. The analysis considered pre-COVID commute patterns, forecasted remote-work trends, feasible options to get to and from BART by walking, biking and taking transit, getting dropped off and other off-site parking strategies. More information on the methodology that was presented to the community and BART Board can be found on BART’s website.

Step two: The final number of parking stalls up to the Board-approved maximum number of BART rider parking stalls will be approved by the BART Board.

This will be determined once the development team for each station meets with the community as they advance design. It will be based on a better understanding of funding opportunities for access improvements, design considerations, and community benefit tradeoffs at each station.

Model showing 3 circles, the first reading ‘community benefits’, the second reading ‘access funding opportunities’, and the third reading ‘Design tradeoffs’. The circles are in a funnel leading to text reading ‘Number of BART parking spaces on-site'.

The following sections describe the maximum number of BART rider parking stalls for each station. More information about additional parking and other access strategies can be found in the Access Strategies section.

How much parking will be at Ashby and North Berkeley stations?

As presented at the March 9, 2022 Advisory Committee/Community meeting, the recommended on-site BART rider parking maximums to be provided in structured parking garages is:

Ashby station: 85 stalls.
North Berkeley station: 120 stalls. The roughly 80 parking spaces in the existing auxiliary lots will not be developed and will still be dedicated to BART rider parking, resulting in a total maximum of 200 parking spaces.

You can watch the video of the March 2022 community meeting and download the presentation to learn more

The parking maximums will be included in the requests for qualifications for developers after they have been approved the BART Board in mid-2022.

The final number of parking stalls up to the approved maximum for each station will be approved by the BART Board once the development team for each station advances design together with the community. It will be based on a better understanding of funding opportunities for access improvements, design considerations, and community benefit tradeoffs at each station.

How much parking will be at the El Cerrito Plaza station?

BART presented the recommended BART rider parking maximum for El Cerrito Plaza to the community on October 12, 2021. You can watch the video of the October community meeting and download the presentation to learn more. On October 28, 2021, BART’s Board of Directors adopted the El Cerrito-BART Goals & Objectives that included a parking maximum of up to 250 stalls with at least as many accessible stalls as currently provided. You can view meeting information and watch a video of that meeting.

The final number of parking stalls up to the approved maximum will be approved by the Board once the development team advances design together with the community. It will be based on a better understanding of funding opportunities for access improvements, design considerations, and community benefit tradeoffs.

BART Rider Access and Parking Strategies

To improve access to the stations throughout the plan area, the Corridor Access Plan considers:

Car parking strategies for BART riders at the stations and nearby on the street or elsewhere
Bicycling, walking, transit, and other innovative access improvements.

We identified these strategies based on input we heard during various community events, the Corridor Plan’s first online open house, and conversations about project priorities and feasibility with partner cities and agencies. See the full strategy list.

Some of the public input we received were for corridor access strategies that are already underway. This project team has been coordinating with the cities and agencies leading these existing efforts, which will be considered but not further analyzed in the Corridor Access Plan. You can look at the Strategies Underway document for further detail.

The table below provides a summary of the strategy types under consideration. It is divided into sections that are organized by how easy or difficult the strategy would be for BART and partner agencies to implement. Strategies that are supported by existing efforts are named in the Strategy tables below under “Implementation Considerations”, with more detail found in Strategies Underway document. Projects, programs, and services to support a strategy are easiest to implement when they have already been identified in an adopted local plan, such as El Cerrito’s Active Transportation Plan or Berkeley’s Adeline Corridor Specific Plan.

Feasible strategies

“Complete Streets” on Local Roads:

Strategy Category: Provide improvements for all modes of travel on major local streets through a selection of:

Roadway repaving and restriping
Traffic signal equipment upgrades and timing improvements
Lighting upgrades
Bikeway installations and upgrades
Walkway repairs, widening and landscaping
Bus stop relocations and bulb-outs
Intersection crossing improvements
Traffic calming

What We’ve Heard: Request for traffic safety, transit, pedestrian, and bikeway improvements on major streets

Implementation and Considerations: Strategies underway include:

Adeline Corridor Roadway Reconfiguration
Adeline South bikeway (Adeline Corridor Specific Plan)
Sacramento Complete Streets
Hopkins Corridor Traffic and Placemaking

Crossing Improvements:

Strategy Category: Install traffic safety measures at intersections and mid-block crossings, such as high-visibility crosswalks, ADA ramps, corner bulb-outs, and/or protected intersections to shorten crossing distances.

What We’ve Heard: Request for safer, more comfortable crossings, particularly along streets that are wide, high-speed, and/or congested

Implementation and Considerations: Strategies underway include:

Adeline Corridor Roadway Reconfiguration
Adeline South bikeway (Adeline Corridor Specific Plan)
Carlson Ave and San Diego St Pedestrian Crossing Improvements
Hopkins Corridor Traffic and Placemaking
Ohlone Greenway Improvements (Berkeley)
Sacramento Complete Streets

A person outside turning a corner on bicycle on a road next to the sidewalk.

Bikeways:

Strategy Category: Build new bikeways or enhance safety of existing bikeways through upgrades, intersection safety improvements and traffic calming.

What We’ve Heard: Request for redesigning streets and crossings to reduce stress for cyclists

Implementation and Considerations: Strategies underway include:

Adeline South bikeway (Adeline Corridor Specific Plan)
Addison St Bicycle Boulevard Project
Ashby BART Access Improvements
Milvia Street Bikeway Improvements
Ashby BART Access Improvements
North Berkeley BART Active Access Improvements
Ohlone Greenway Improvements (Berkeley)
Hopkins Corridor Traffic and Placemaking

A conceptual design of bike improvements for the area around the North Berkeley BART station.

Large Bike Parking:

Strategy Category: Increase secure bike parking options at the stations to accommodate larger bikes, like electric bikes, cargo bikes, trikes, and adaptive bikes.

What We’ve Heard: Request for secure, covered, and convenient bike parking for bikes of all shapes and sizes

Implementation and Considerations: Strategies underway include:

Ashby Bike Station
North Berkeley BART Active Access Improvements
Downtown Berkeley Bike Station
El Cerrito Plaza BART Access Plan

The inside of the Ashby BART Bike Station with several parked bikes.

Education:

Strategy Category: Encourage, facilitate, or coach riders to understand apps and programs that can assist them getting to and from the station.

What We’ve Heard: Request for more information about all available transportation options

Implementation and Considerations: Strategies underway include:

511.org
BART Official App and Website
Citymapper
Scoop
Waze

Screenshot of the parking feature in the BART official app.

Bus Stop Upgrades:

Strategy Category: Install bus bulb-outs and upgrade stops with passenger amenities, such as benches, shelters, and real-time information.

What We’ve Heard: Request for better reliability and higher quality transit stop experience

Implementation and Considerations: Strategies underway include:

Adeline Corridor Roadway Reconfiguration
Adeline South bikeway (Adeline Corridor Specific Plan)
Ashby BART Access Improvements
El Cerrito Plaza BART Access Plan
Sacramento Complete Streets
San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan
San Pablo Avenue Corridor Project

A bus shelter with a person sitting on a bench waiting for the bus.

Coordinated Transit Transfers:

Strategy Category: Work with other transit providers to coordinate transfers to and from BART.

What We’ve Heard: Request for better timed transfers between BART and other transit providers

Implementation and Considerations: Strategies underway include:

Bay Area Transit Transformation Action Plan
Transit Fare Coordination and Integration

Walkways:

Strategy Category: Repair, widen, and install landscaping and lighting on sidewalks and paths.

What We’ve Heard: Desire for better walkways

Implementation and Considerations: Strategies underway include:

2021 Sidewalk Repair Project on San Pablo Avenue
Ohlone Greenway Improvements (Berkeley)
El Cerrito Plaza BART Access Plan
Sacramento Complete Streets

A person pressing the walk button to cross street next to clearly marked signal crossing sign.

Parking Options:

Strategy Category: Places to park a car to near transit.

What We’ve Heard: Request for better timed transfers between BART and other transit providers

Implementation and Considerations: Strategies underway include:

Allston Way parking garage
Center Street parking garage
BART Official App
Pivot Point Commuter Hub at I-80/Buchanan
ParkStash

A multi-story parking garage with shaded wall to diffuse sunlight on parked cars.

Wayfinding Signage:

Strategy Category: Install signage consistent with regional standards to help pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders connect to major transportation hubs and roadways.

What We’ve Heard: Request for clear signage to direct residents and visitors to major destinations

Implementation and Considerations: Strategies underway include:

Ashby BART Access Improvements
El Cerrito Plaza BART Access Plan
North Berkeley BART Active Access Improvements

Downtown Berkeley station entrance with signage including a transit route map, live transit updates on digital screen, and signange pointing to various points of interest.

Potentially feasible strategies

“Complete Streets” on San Pablo Avenue, State Route 123:

Strategy Category: Install improvements for walking, biking, and transit, which are on SR-123.

What We’ve Heard: Request for improvements on major roadways and at their intersections

Implementation and Considerations: Changes require California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) approvals, and multiple public agency coordination, resulting in projects that take significantly longer to build than those on city-owned streets. Strategies underway include:

San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan
San Pablo Avenue Corridor Project
San Pablo Avenue Mid-Town Complete Streets

Docked Bike Share Stations:

Strategy Category: Expand number and locations of bike sharing stations.

What We’ve Heard: Request for more bike share stations in areas currently not served

Implementation and Considerations: Strategies underway include:

Bay Wheels
Gotcha

Dockless Bike and/or Scooter Share:

Strategy Category: Establish a short-term rental program for electric scooters, bicycles, and electric bicycles, including seated electric scooters and adaptive electric devices.

What We’ve Heard: Request for access to electric mobility devices without risk of bike theft

Implementation and Considerations: Since demand for a dockless bike share program in El Cerrito is unclear, a pilot program could be explored and potentially coordinated with neighboring cities and regional transportation agencies. Strategies underway include:

Shared electric micromobility (Berkeley)

Bike Lending Library:

Strategy Category: Establish a lending library that allows people to borrow electric bikes for set period of time so that they can try them out as part of their day-to-day travels.

What We’ve Heard: Request for low cost options to access BART, and interest in trying adaptive or e-bikes from people that do not currently bike

Implementation and Considerations: Will require partnerships with outside organization(s) to administer and ongoing operational funding, which is more difficult to secure than an initial grant funds for a pilot program.

Discounted Fares:

Strategy Category: Provide free or discounted transfers, monthly transit pass options, incentive for bus transfer, clipper cash, or EasyPass for group discounts.

What We’ve Heard: Request for more affordable fare options

Implementation and Considerations: Strategies underway include:

Transit Fare Coordination and Integration

Person holding up mobile device with Clipper application open, to a Clipper kiosk to pay ride fare. — BART rider using a Clipper card to pay fare

Local Bus Service:

Strategy Category: Enhance local bus service to BART, potentially with increased frequency and/or lengthened service hours.

What We’ve Heard: Request for higher quality, more convenient bus service to BART stations

Implementation and Considerations: AC Transit’s current focus is on bringing bus service back to pre-pandemic levels. Future service changes will be based on:

Post-pandemic demand for bus transit
Equity considerations
Funding availability
Return-to-office patterns

Future increases beyond pre-pandemic service levels are more highly justified along routes that serve the highest amount of people and prioritize those who are transit dependent. Strategies underway include:

San Pablo Avenue Corridor Project

An AC Transit bus in front of the entrance to a BART station.

Transbay Service:

Strategy Category: Expand and increase transbay services for neighborhoods further from BART.

What We’ve Heard: Request for better transit service to San Francisco job centers

Implementation and Considerations: AC Transit’s current focus is on bringing bus service back to pre-pandemic levels. Future service changes will be based on:

Post-pandemic demand for bus transit
Equity considerations
Funding availability
Return-to-office patterns

Pivot Point Commuter Hub at I-80/Buchanan

A double decker Transbay bus with the Bay Bridge and Downtown San Francisco in the background.

Financial Incentives:

Strategy Category: Provide financial incentives to cover upfront or ongoing costs to using more environmentally-friendly travel options to get to/from BART, such as electric bicycles and buses.

What We’ve Heard: Request for more affordable access to sustainable travel options

Implementation and Considerations: Grant funds and subsidy programs are available for these efforts. However, continuous, long-term funding may not be achievable.

An adult transporting two children on an electric bike

Lighting:

Strategy Category: Improve lighting for pedestrians walking to and from stations, at bus stops, near bike racks, and along sidewalks and crosswalks.

What We’ve Heard: Request for better lighting to improve personal safety and comfort

Implementation and Considerations: Strategies underway include:

El Cerrito Plaza BART Access Plan
North Berkeley BART Active Access Improvements
Street Light Comprehensive Plan (Berkeley)
Ohlone Greenway Improvements (Berkeley)

A well-lit pathway adjacent hedges and trees at dusk.

Strategies that are likely not feasible

“Complete Streets” on Ashby Avenue, State Route 13:

Strategy Category: Install improvements on Ashby Avenue which are on SR-13.

What We’ve Heard: Request for improvements on major roadways and at their intersections

Berkeley Strategic Transportation (BeST) Plan

On-Demand Service:

Provide on-demand service to BART stations, particularly for residents in areas not served by bus transit. Either implement an on-demand pilot to assess cost, feasibility, and ridership or provide subsidies for shared ride (e.g. Uber/Lyft) trips to/from stations.

What We’ve Heard: Request from residents in the hills and Richmond Annex for more frequent and convenient transit service to and from stations

Implementation and Considerations: While public input indicated high interest in on-demand service, particularly in the hills neighborhoods, there are several challenges, including:

High cost: Research has found that the cost per person per trip can range from around $10 – $70, and is more expensive for lower density areas like the hills.
Limited funding: While there are grants to initiate these services for 2- or 3- year pilots, many are focused on lower income communities. On-demand service would not be prioritized for transit agency operating funds, given its high cost and likely low effectiveness compared to other transit routes.
Management: There is no clear operator to provide this service in the plan area. While the City of Richmond is initiating a grant-funded pilot, their service will be focused on providing connectivity between services and locations in low-income communities.

Strategies underway include:

Berkeley Rides for Seniors & Disabled (BRSD)

Safety Escort:

Strategy Category: Establish program that increases security and provides safety escorts to walk with riders to their final destinations.

What We’ve Heard: Request for personal safety improvements when walking to and from the station

Implementation and Considerations: It is unrealistic for cities and BART to permanently assign police or community service officers to BART station areas and neighborhood streets given competing priorities and funding constraints.

What is a strategy?

For this open house, a strategy refers to a broad idea as well as a specific project, program, or service that can help riders get to and from BART. You’ll see “strategy” and “option” used interchangeably in this open house.

What does Strategies Underway mean?

Strategies that are at least partially addressed by projects, programs, and services that are being planned, studied, designed, funded, or implemented, or are already operating.

Access strategies map

The map below includes mappable access strategies in the strategy list. Any strategies or programs that could be implemented across the plan area are not mapped. The mapped strategies are largely bicycle and pedestrian access improvements around the stations, as well as neighborhoods that could benefit from improved AC Transit bus service. See the full list of strategies here.

Click a strategy number displayed on the map below to learn more about each strategy.

Zoom to a station

Use the buttons below to zoom to each BART station

Legend

Project area
Transit strategies

Transit strategy marker

Walking, rolling and biking strategies

Walking, rolling and biking strategy marker

Existing transit lines

Existing transit lines

Existing Bike routes in the area*

Trails*
Dedicated bike lanes*
Bicycle-friendly roads*
Dirt/unpaved bike trails*

* Google generated

What was considered when identifying access strategies for each station?

Each station has unique characteristics, challenges, and current access patterns that BART is considering to help determine access strategies that fit the needs of BART riders who use that particular station. This section describes how those characteristics and travel patterns inform the access strategies proposed for each station area that are being developed.

The following considerations are based on BART’s 2015 Station Profile Study for Home Origin Entries. Learn more about who uses the study stations and how people get to the stations.

Ashby Considerations:

Percent of BART riders who drive and park: 18%
- Of those, the percent who live within a 15-minute walk, bike, or bus trip to BART: 81%

North Berkeley Considerations:

Percent of BART riders who drive and park: 25%
- Of those, the percent who live within a 15-minute walk, bike, or bus trip to BART: 64%
Most BART riders who drive and park live within a few miles northwest, north and northeast of the station

El Cerrito Plaza Considerations:

Percent of BART riders who drive and park: 34%
- Of those, the percent who live within a 15-minute walk, bike, or bus trip to BART: 58%
80% of BART riders live within 1.5 miles of the station
Equity priority areas are located to the west and northwest of the station

A map of the El Cerrito Station to Ashby station corridor describing the biking and walking, bus service, other transit and parking strategies being considered by station. This information is elsewhere on the site. — A map displaying access strategies by location | Click to enlarge

How will on-street parking near the Ashby and North Berkeley stations change?

Want to know more about future parking near these stations?
Download to review more details on the background and concept for on-street parking management around the Berkeley stations, and next steps

To anticipate the upcoming development at the Ashby and North Berkeley BART stations, the City and BART are working together to think through how the City might change how it manages on-street parking around the station to address concerns from local residents and businesses and meet City and BART goals as discussed in the draft City of Berkeley and draft Joint Vision & Priorities for the developments at the BART stations and the City’s goBerkeley parking program principles.

This online open house is an opportunity to get feedback from you! After reviewing this section, visit the Survey to provide input on the goals and concepts for how the City might better manage on-street parking.

Why improve parking management around these stations?

There is generally a lot of concern from residents, workers, and BART riders about parking on streets around BART stations. These initial goals have guided our thinking about how to manage on-street parking:

Help address the concerns of nearby residents and businesses and institutions about not being able to find parking quickly and easily near home or work.
Provide a parking alternative near the stations since BART rider parking at the stations will be reduced with future developments.
Encourage people to walk, bike, or take transit to the station to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and traffic in the neighborhoods around the stations by charging for on-street parking.
Earn revenue to cover the city’s costs to expand and improve enforcement of RPP around these stations.

What are possible on-street parking management strategies to achieve these goals?

To achieve these goals, we have considered the following three strategies (described in more detail below):

Ensure that all on-street parking in the station area is managed by residential parking permits (RPP) and/or time limits.
Expand where and when RPPs are used to manage parking around the station.
Allow non-residents (BART riders) to pay to park in RPP areas using demand-based pricing to ensure availability for all.

How will on-street parking near the El Cerrito Plaza station change?

Want to know more about future parking near this station?
Download to review more details on the background and concept for on-street parking management around the Berkeley stations, and next steps

To anticipate the upcoming development at the El Cerrito Plaza BART station, the City and BART are working together to think through how the City might change how it manages on-street parking around the station to address concerns from local residents and businesses and meet City and BART goals.

Why improve parking management around this station?

There is generally a lot of concern from residents, workers, and BART riders about parking on streets around the El Cerrito Plaza BART station. These initial goals have guided our thinking about how to potentially manage on-street parking:

Help address the concerns of nearby residents and businesses and institutions about not being able to find parking quickly and easily near home or work.
Provide a parking alternative near the stations since BART rider parking at the stations will be reduced with future developments.
Encourage people to walk, bike, or take transit to the station to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and traffic in the neighborhoods around the stations by charging for on-street parking.
Earn revenue to cover the city’s parking management costs and provide community benefits with possible surplus funds.

What are possible on-street parking management strategies to achieve these goals?

To achieve these goals, we have considered the following three strategies, described in detail below:

Ensure that all on-street parking in the station area is managed by residential parking permits (RPP) and/or time limits.
Expand where and when RPPs are used to manage parking around the station.
Allow non-residents (BART riders) to pay to park in RPP areas using demand-based pricing to ensure availability for all.

Who will implement access strategies?

The following agencies and entities will play important roles in the implementation of the strategies recommended in the Corridor Access Plan. Specific implementation roles for individual strategies will be included in the final Corridor Access Plan.

AC Transit: Leads bus strategies, such as the addition of new lines or improvement of existing lines. AC Transit will also implement any changes to Transbay bus service.

Cities of Berkeley and El Cerrito: Leads the implementation of infrastructure strategies around the stations, such as bicycle and pedestrian improvements, street lighting, and parking management plans

Caltrans: Coordinates with cities and approve any strategies located on state-designated routes, such as Ashby Avenue (State Route 13) and San Pablo Avenue (State Route 123).

BART: Leads implementation of strategies connected to stations such as on-site parking and coordinating timed transfers between AC Transit buses and BART trains. BART will also work with the Cities and partner agencies on securing funding for the access improvements off its property.

Regional agencies, such as Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Alameda County Transportation Commission, West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee, and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority: Lead regional strategies, such as improvements along San Pablo Avenue Corridor, and play a key role in distributing funding for high priority strategies.

Private companies, local organizations, and non-profit organizations: May play a role in implementing strategies, such as creating an electric-bike lending library. Private companies such as Ride App services and companies that provide apps to help rent out private parking spaces will play a role in providing access to the stations.

Developers: Will work with BART and cities to implement access improvements on and near BART property.

What are the next steps for determining which strategies to move forward with?

Following this Online Open House, the project team will review the input provided by community members and evaluate the strategies based on a set of goals. The evaluation criteria will consider characteristics like public support, cost, feasibility, and sustainability. This evaluation phase will help BART and Plan partners determine how to ultimately prioritize the strategies. The prioritized strategies will be presented to the public in the summer/fall 2022.

Goals for Strategy Evaluation

Public support

Shift to environmentally sustainable access options

Support a transportation network for people of all abilities, ages, races, and income levels

Strengthen regional transit ridership

Engage in financially responsible decision-making

Support feasible strategies

Survey

This survey closed Wednesday, May 18.

Part of the purpose of this online open house is to understand from you how helpful you think the strategies we have identified will be in improving how you get to and from your primary BART station. Thank you to those of you who provided your input in the survey! This feedback will help guide BART and Plan partners, including the City of Berkeley, the City of El Cerrito, and AC Transit, determine how to ultimately prioritize strategies. Additional criteria, such as cost, equity and feasibility, will also be considered.

Some of the strategies are already underway, meaning that they are already in place or are being studied, designed, or constructed and do not require further evaluation as part of the Corridor Access Plan. Here is a full list of Corridor Access Plan strategies that will continue to be evaluated. The access strategies map also shows access strategies that can be mapped, including bicycle and pedestrian access improvements around the stations and improved AC Transit bus service.

Stay Connected

Thank you for taking the time to learn about the Berkeley-El Cerrito Corridor Access Plan and share your input. You can stay connected by:

Checking our project website

Sending comments

Joining our email list

Participating in virtual meetings view upcoming opportunities

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Future access to the Berkeley and El Cerrito stations

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Online open house (July 2 – Aug. 20, 2021)

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“Complete Streets” on Local Roads:

Crossing Improvements:

Bikeways:

Large Bike Parking:

Education:

Bus Stop Upgrades:

Coordinated Transit Transfers:

Walkways:

Parking Options:

Wayfinding Signage:

“Complete Streets” on San Pablo Avenue, State Route 123:

Docked Bike Share Stations:

Dockless Bike and/or Scooter Share:

Bike Lending Library:

Discounted Fares:

Local Bus Service:

Transbay Service:

Financial Incentives:

Lighting:

“Complete Streets” on Ashby Avenue, State Route 13:

On-Demand Service:

Safety Escort:

What is a strategy?

What does Strategies Underway mean?

Access strategies map

Zoom to a station

Legend

Goals for Strategy Evaluation

Project website

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CORRIDOR ACCESS PLAN