RICHMOND — The Richmond Parkway, a 9-mile stretch of road connecting Highway 580 and Highway 80, has been targeted for major upgrades but Richmond councilmembers are concerned the projects would zap funding away from other roads in need of improvement.
“My biggest concern is how we balance the needs of a regional road of significance with all of the needs we have internally in the city,” Councilmember Doria Robinson said during a meeting Tuesday. “I just have a lot of concerns about the heavy responsibility of this and how it may further exacerbate inequities we already have in the city in terms of maintenance of our roads and improvements of our roads.”
A draft of the Richmond Parkway Transportation Plan presented to councilmembers Tuesday night identifies key strategies for improving road safety and health, increasing access to destinations and placemaking, enhancing travel times and supporting walking and biking.
The improvements are proposed for Castro Street and Richmond Parkway, which extends through Richmond and unincorporated Contra Costa County.
Both jurisdictions would share responsibility for improvements, which would include adding trees and greenery to infrastructure projects along the corridor, installing safety and speed reduction measures, upgrading bikepaths, the Bay Trail and sidewalks, implementing a Roadway Pavement and Maintenance Management Program and improving access to the Richmond Parkway Transit Center.
“We’ve been collaborating very closely on this plan. Staff supports the development of this plan and we are delighted to be able to bring that to you today,” said Deputy Public Works Director Robert Armijo.
Plan recommendations were drafted after a year of gathering public input in public meetings, pop-up events and online surveys, said Karina Schneider, an associate transportation planner with Fehr & Peers, a firm tapped to assist with developing the Richmond Parkway Transportation Plan.
Special focus was placed on ensuring the voices of underserved communities and local businesses were heard, Schneider said. The road runs through an area largely home to Latino residents who live in a major industrial hub that’s expected to grow in the coming years.
“We wanted to make sure we had a really robust engagement process that was able to reach the voices of these folks that have historically and traditionally been less involved in the public process,” Schneider said. “This plan is a really great opportunity to plan for better public health outcomes and mobility.”
Councilmembers shared their support for the plan in theory but also raised concerns that the cost of implementing the strategies would drain what funding and staff time the city has to cover street infrastructure improvements in other parts of Richmond.
Questions were also raised about the equitability of spending a substantial amount of resources on a road used by non-city residents, limiting what could be directed toward needs within the city’s core.
Vice Mayor Claudia Jimenez said the city wants to be a good partner but would also need to see the county invest in Richmond to help see the Richmond Parkway Transportation Plan be actualized.
“If the agencies are bringing resources to be able to do it, that would be a plus but what I’m seeing right now in the plan you mention is a lot of responsibility on the city of Richmond,” Jimenez said. “So we’ll have to evaluate if this is actually something for us that is a priority in the list of what we think Richmond residents need right now.”
Leah Greenblat, transportation planning manager with the West Contra Costa Transportation Commission, said a study showed that while many use the Richmond Parkway to travel long distances, short trips within the corridor are also common. Richmond residents also have expressed interest in seeing improvement of the parkway, Schneider noted.
The need for the plan was discovered in 2018 after county and city staff brought attention to expected growth along the corridor that lacked a transportation plan, Greenblat said. The California Department of Transportation awarded the county and city a $560,000 grant to complete the project.
While the city would be responsible for implementing strategies that fall within Richmond’s boundaries, Schneider said an agreement would be drafted detailing the responsibilities of each agency. Recognizing concerns raised by councilmembers, Scheider said different funding streams could be explored to cover the cost of some of the projects and county staff could potentially assist in seeking out those opportunities.
Armijo also reiterated that city staff support the plan which he said aligns with many of Richmond’s infrastructure objectives. He noted the plan is still only a draft and would need to come back to the council for final approval.
