Pittsburg has begun work on a $4.5 million project to improve bicycle and pedestrian accessibility to BART.
Dubbed the BART connectivity project, it will connect 1.5 miles of new trails and pathways with the Pittsburg Center Station and new developments to public transportation.
A decade in the making, the project broke ground on April 12 and is a key component of Pittsburg and Contra Costa Transportation Authority’s shared goals to reduce automobile reliance, roadway congestion and carbon emissions, according to a city press release.
“This project has been envisioned as part of the Railroad Avenue Specific Plan since its adoption in 2009, and the project in itself is a traffic mitigation measure, in that it will further provide residents with a safe alternative to the automobile, encouraging fewer cars on the road,” Pittsburg Mayor Juan Antonio Banales said in a statement.
“At the same time, the project will also help transform Railroad Avenue, adding an aesthetic value that will welcome residents and visitors entering and commuting,” he added.
The project will include the installation of well-lit walkways and bikeways on several segments: one parallel to eastbound Highway 4 between BART parking lot and Railroad Avenue; another on the south side of California Avenue between Harbor Street and Railroad Avenue and another on the east side of Railroad Avenue between Alvarado Avenue, Delta de Anza Trail and Highway 4 eastbound ramps.
To pay for the project, the city received a $3.87 million grant from One Bay Area Grant 2 — the largest it’s ever been awarded — as well as $600,000 from a Pedestrian, Bicycle and Trail Facilities grant, $58,000 from a Transportation Development Act grant and $75,000 in city matching Measure J and Measure M funds.
The city also has plans to add bike lanes to Railroad Avenue between California Avenue and East 17th Street, a project that is not yet funded, according to city staff.
