Our Multimodal San Pablo Ave Campaign Moves Forward
Envision a more people-oriented street
By Robert Prinz
San Pablo Avenue is among the most significant roads in the East Bay, a hub for transportation, commerce, and culture that runs 22 miles through two counties and a dozen cities. Combined, the Line 72 bus routes on San Pablo have the highest ridership in the entire AC Transit system. And yet the majority of the corridor remains inaccessible and hazardous to people walking and rolling due to fast vehicle traffic and the lack of protected, people-oriented infrastructure, and buses are frequently delayed behind backed-up car traffic.
We need to change that. Our Multimodal San Pablo Avenue campaign envisions thriving communities and continuous, low-stress and all-ages bicycle and pedestrian facilities from Downtown Oakland all the way north to the Carquinez Bridge. This movement is already in progress, via many plans and projects. Read about a few of these below, then visit BikeEastBay.org/SanPabloAve for our interactive map with complete details and updates.
San Pablo Ave Bus and Bike Lanes (Oakland, Emeryville, and South Berkeley)
This project extends 3.5-miles along San Pablo Ave from 16th Street in Oakland to Heinz Avenue in Berkeley, including protected bikeways, bike/walk crossing improvements, dedicated bus lanes, and bus stop amenities/streetscape improvements. It is currently in the planning stages with construction estimated to start in 2026.
Parallel Bike and Walk Improvements (Berkeley, Albany, and North Oakland)
“Parallel” neighborhood bikeway upgrades including traffic calming and car diverters are planned from Russell Street in Berkeley to Marin Ave in Albany, along with signalized bike boulevard crossings of San Pablo Ave and other major streets. This project is in the late planning stages and construction is estimated to start in mid-2024.
Unfortunately dedicated bus and bike lanes on San Pablo were blocked via an earlier effort, but we aren’t giving up and will continue advocating beyond this project.
Del Norte Protected Bikeways (El Cerrito)
This half-mile of protected bikeway with bus upgrades will provide a critical connection from Potrero Ave to Knott Ave around Del Norte BART, as well as a protected connection to Richmond on Cutting Blvd past I-80. Construction is estimated to start in 2023.
San Pablo Ave Bay Trail (Rodeo to Crockett)
This project will construct a two-way protected cycletrack on San Pablo Ave closing a 3-mile gap in the Bay Trail between Lone Tree Point and the Carquinez Bridge. Construction is estimated to start in 2026.
Join us at campaign coordination gatherings along the corridor throughout the summer and fall where we will enjoy some great food at local businesses, discuss project updates and strategies, and end with a short walk to identify existing uses and needs while envisioning the future of San Pablo Avenue.
Visit BikeEastBay.org/SanPabloAve and register to participate, or sign up for our campaign email list to be notified about news and activities.
