RICHMOND — In order to provide safer crossings and better commutes for public transit users and drivers, bus line improvements are planned for Richmond’s Macdonald Avenue and Cutting Boulevard.
The project, being pursued by AC Transit, calls for upgrading traffic signals to include sensors that detect when a bus is approaching, moving bus stops to safer sections of the road, adding or improving crosswalks with Americans with Disabilities Act complaint corner ramps and adding bus shelters and bulb outs to various stops.
“I know that this community is very concerned about pedestrian fatalities and injuries, so this is a big move in that respect,” said AC Transit external affairs representative Ryan Lau during a Richmond City Council meeting on Tuesday.
The improvements will be installed along Macdonald Avenue from Richmond Parkway to San Pablo Avenue and Cutting Boulevard between Highway 580 and the El Cerrito del Norte BART station. Design work is ongoing with construction expected to occur from this August through May of next year.
AC Transit will be responsible for the installation and operation of the capital improvements but the city would be responsible for maintenance, Lau said.
The project is expected to add four new parking spots on Macdonald Avenue, but 40 existing spots will be eliminated. On Cutting Boulevard, 16 existing parking spots will be removed.
Meanwhile, a total of 29 traffic signals will be upgraded, 25 bus stops will be moved to safer locations, 29 new curb ramps will be installed, sidewalks will be repaired at 29 stops and 17 new shelters will be installed.
“As someone who rides AC Transit, I’ve seen a lot of improvements proposed that I like,” said Cordell Hindler, a Richmond resident who was particularly appreciative of the proposed bus shelters.
Councilmember Claudia Jimenez asked that AC Transit consider incorporating public art on bus shelters, noting the city recently invested in plans to create an arts corridor along MacDonald Way. That project is being led by Independent Arts & Media, the sponsors of Richmond Renaissance, an arts collective whose mission is to revitalize Macdonald Avenue and 23rd Street.
Macdonald Avenue was once a bustling thoroughfare home to numerous shops serving a community vital to the efforts of World War II. Today, many of the business fronts sit vacant, an issue some blame on the development of Hilltop Mall, the ending of the war or the lack of investment in the area.
Councilmember Doria Robinson noted improvements were not being proposed for a portion of Macdonald Avenue from Harbour Way to 16th Street and asked that planners reconsider given that many community members catch the bus along that stretch of the street.
“That’s the heart of downtown,” Robinson said. “My recollection is that those bus stops are not in good shape. … That is the high traffic area. That’s where a lot of people are waiting for the bus, a lot of people are using those bus stops downtown.”
The agency has been seeking public input on the project over the last two months through an open house and meetings with various neighborhood councils. The public will have an additional opportunity to weigh in on the project design during a workshop on March 13 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Richmond Auditorium.
