Weekend Roundup: Alameda Bridge Contracts, Adaptive Cycling

1:48 PM PDT on July 15, 2022

A rendering of a proposed bike/ped bridge across the estuary. Image: Groundworks

Here are a few Streetsblog news nuggets to start your weekend.

Alameda awards contracts for Western crossing

Last week Streetsblog brought you news about a new pedestrian and bicycle water shuttle ferry service coming to connect Western Alameda with Oakland's Jack London Square neighborhood. While exciting, the holy grail has always been a pedestrian and bicycle bridge across the 800-foot estuary. That just got a little bit closer with $1.6 million in contracts awarded Tuesday to do the technical work to start the bridge project.

From a post by Walk Bike Alameda's Cyndy Johnsen:

In exciting bike-ped bridge news, last night City Council voted to authorize contracts for two consultants (HNTB and Arup) to work together on the next big study: the Project Initiation Document (PID). It’s a deep dive study, estimated to take a year and a half to complete. Watch for opportunities to engage and offer input very soon!

The money is coming from Alameda County. The city of Alameda's planning staff made it clear approving the contracts is a win for the city. From their report:

Supporting bicycling and walking will help the City meet its goals to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by supporting mode shift away from automobiles. The City’s 2019 Climate Action and Resiliency Plan found that transportation accounts for 70% of the City’s GHG emissions, and that moving people out of automobiles is paramount to reducing transportation-related emissions. Alameda County Transportation Commission studies show that the bridge, if constructed, would result in over 40,000 fewer auto trips across the estuary per week, which would result in a significant decrease in greenhouse gas emissions.

Adaptive cycling program in Golden Gate Park

Not everyone who wants to borrow a bike and go for a ride can use a conventional, two-wheeled upright bicycle. To address that, SFMTA is working with Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program (BORP) to offer adaptive bicycles for people with physical disabilities.

From an SFMTA release, with more details:

The free program matches people with disabilities to adaptive bicycles by advance reservation. The BORP Cycling Center hosts one of the largest collections of adaptive bikes in the world, including handcycles, recumbent bikes, side-by-side tandems, and other models. The program serves children, youth, and adults with physical and sensory disabilities, as well as their family and friends.

The Adaptive Cycling Program runs on Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. (by appointment only) through October. Locations alternate between the Music Concourse in Golden Gate Park next to the new accessible bandshell lot and the Great Highway at Judah Street. To reserve a bike, contact the BORP Cycling Center at 510-848-2930 or cycling@borp.org.

Two new board members for the San Francisco Transit Riders

San Francisco's favorite transit advocates have appointed Reanna Tong and Jaime Viloria to their board. Excerpted from the SFTR announcement:

Reanna Tong (she/her) was born and raised in San Francisco and grew up taking Muni during the days of tokens being handed out to students for field trips, 35 cent youth fare, and shiny fast passes. Some of her fondest memories are taking the bus to her grandma's house and back home from Chinatown after school. Jaime Viloria (he/him) was born and raised in the Philippines, lived in Sacramento, and now has lived in San Francisco for over 12 years. He is a Community Organizer for the housing non-profit Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation.

Streetsblog joins the SFTR in welcoming them to the group's nine-member board.