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CHAPTER 5 TRANSPORTATION AND CIRCULATION
EL CERRITO GENERAL PLAN
Goal T2: A land use pattern that encourages walking, bicycling, and public
transit use.

Policies




Implementation Measures

T2.1

Land Use Patterns. Recognize the link
between land use and transportation.
Promote land use and development
patterns that encourage walking,
bicycling, and transit use. Emphasize
high-density and mixed land use patterns
that promote transit and pedestrian travel.
Where feasible, emphasize the following
land use measures:

1. Promote
conveniently
located
neighborhood complexes that
provide housing and commercial
services near employment centers and
within transit corridors.
2. Promote land use patterns that
maximize trip-linking opportunities
by assembling uses that allow people
to take care of a variety of daily
needs.
3. Encourage pedestrian-oriented land
use and urban design that can have a
demonstrable effect on transportation
choices.
4. Direct growth to occur along transit
corridors.
5. Encourage retail, commercial, and
office uses in ground floor space in
combination with upper-floor
housing along San Pablo Avenue.


Development Review

T2.2 Project
Design. Projects should be
designed to include features that
encourage walking, bicycling, and transit
use.
Development Review
Transit First Policy


August 30, 1999
Transportation and Circulation
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EL CERRITO GENERAL PLAN

Goal T3: A transportation system that maintains and improves the livability
of the City.

Policies




Implementation Measures

T3.1

Improve Circulation. Improve
circulation in locations with high levels of
congestion, but avoid major increases in
street capacities unless necessary to
remedy severe traffic congestion, and not
at the expense of pedestrian circulation.


Capital Improvement
Program
Development Review
Traffic Monitoring

T3.2
Streets as Public Spaces. Recognize the
role of streets not only as vehicle routes
but also as part of an extensive system of
public spaces where people live, city
residents meet, and businesses reside.

Streetscape Design
Standards

T3.3 Residential
Streets. To discourage cut-
through traffic on residential streets,
maintain the existing system of arterial
and collector streets. Where necessary,
employ traffic management techniques to
control the speed of vehicles traveling on
residential streets, including residential
portions of arterial and collector streets.

Neighborhood Traffic
Management Plan
Preference for Cut-
through Streets

T3.4 Street
Closures. Keep all neighborhood
streets open unless there is an existing or
potential safety or cut-through traffic
problem and there are no acceptable
alternatives, or unless the closure would
increase the use of alternative
transportation modes.

Circulation Map

T3.5 Street
Maintenance. Provide high-
quality, regular maintenance for existing
and future transportation facilities,
including streets and dedicated bicycle
paths.

Pavement
Management Plan

T3.6
Maintenance of San Pablo. Coordinate
with Caltrans to ensure the timely
maintenance of San Pablo Avenue.

Intergovernmental
Coordination

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August 30, 1999
EL CERRITO GENERAL PLAN
Goal T4: A minimum amount of land used for parking and minimal parking
intrusion in neighborhoods.

Policies




Implementation Measures

T4.1

Parking Requirements. Develop
parking requirements that are consistent
with the goals for increased use of
alternative transportation modes, and
acknowledge shared parking
opportunities.


Development Review
Parking Regulations

T4.2
Underparked Areas of San Pablo
Avenue. Evaluate long-term parking
needs along San Pablo Avenue and
promote the development of common
parking facilities in areas where existing
and long-term parking provisions will not
satisfy latent parking demand.

Parking Management
Plan
Parking Regulations
Development Review
T4.3 BART
Parking. Support decreasing the
amount of land dedicated to parking
around BART stations by using parking
structures. To reduce parking demand at
BART stations, encourage an improved
transit feeder system to BART stations
including consideration of new transit
technologies. Encourage BART parking
not to obstruct pedestrian access from
stations to surrounding land uses.

Intergovernmental
Coordination
Parking Regulations

T4.4 Residential
Parking
Permits. Maintain
the restrictive residential permit-parking
program for neighborhoods surrounding
BART stations. As need arises, expand
the permit parking areas or create new
permit parking areas to protect
neighborhoods from parking intrusion
from adjacent land uses.

Residential Permit
Parking Program


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EL CERRITO GENERAL PLAN

D. Implementation
Implementation measures below are listed in alphabetical order.

1. Bicycle Master Plan. Prepare a comprehensive Bicycle Master Plan that
complies with the 13 elements outlined in the California Bicycle Lane Account
(BLA). The Bicycle Master Plan should include an active public input process to
develop a comprehensive bicycle circulation and support facilities system; design
standards for bicycle facilities; standards for the provision of bicycle support
facilities; evaluation of current bicycle education and promotion programs in El
Cerrito; analysis of bicycle accidents in El Cerrito; and a capital improvement
program. The Bicycle Master Plan should encourage local access to the BART
stations by bicycling as an alternative to short-distance driving. Develop a
strategic approach to pursuing state and federal funding for bicycle projects,
working closely with surrounding jurisdictions and Contra Costa County. Work
with the City of Richmond to provide a clear connection between the Ohlone
Greenway and the planned Richmond Greenway.

2. Capital Improvement Program. Ensure that adequate funding is available to
implement transportation improvements required to mitigate the effects of
growth.

3. Circulation Map. Use the circulation map in the General Plan to guide
activities related to goods movement, emergency routes, and street closures.

4. Development Review. Undertake development reviews to ensure compliance
with applicable local, regional, state, and federal laws and adopted policies.
Ensure that developers contribute funding for on-site and off-site
improvements. Adopt an ordinance requiring developers to do the following:
a. Construct transportation improvements along their property frontages when
appropriate; and
b. Fund traffic impact studies that identify on-site and off-site effects and
mitigation measures.

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EL CERRITO GENERAL PLAN
5. Intergovernmental Coordination. Coordinate with adjacent jurisdictions, the
Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Contra Costa County, AC Transit,
BART, Caltrans, and other applicable agencies. The Contra Costa County
Transportation Authority (CCTA) West County Action Plan for Routes of
Regional Significance (12/9/94) defines a regional vision for Hercules, Pinole,
San Pablo, Richmond, and El Cerrito. This document defines many of the Citys
positions with respect to regional transportation improvements. Some of the
key Action Plan items are:
a. Support inclusion of the West County BART extension in the MTC Track 2
Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) project lists.
b. Pursue every opportunity to speed the funding and construction of the West
c. Expand efforts urging MTC to determine the best express transit system(s)
for the Interstate 80 corridor and, based on the results of the MTC study,
encourage timely implementation of planned transit capital and service
improvements.
d. Promote Carquinez Bridge alternatives that will achieve mainline metering of
Interstate 80 into West Contra Costa County.
e. Support efforts by Caltrans, CCTA, and MTC to tailor capacity of the
Carquinez Bridge improvements to downstream capacity.
f. Support efforts by AC Transit to study the feasibility of bus rapid transit
treatments along San Pablo Avenue.
g. Support mixed-use development, high employment commercial, and higher-
density residential development in transit corridors and near BART stations.
h. Consider additional transit mitigation alternatives, as appropriate, in future
Action Plan Deficiency Strategies.

In addition to, and in support of, these regional key items, the following are City
of El Cerrito interagency coordination positions:
a. As opportunities present themselves, improve freeway access to El Cerrito,
particularly around the Del Norte area and at the Central Avenue