Success!!! Thanks to all for supporting Complete Streets on Richmond Street!

Join us for a celebratory Happy Hour on Wed., July 30, 5–7 p.m., at Elevation 66

On July 15, the El Cerrito City Council rejected a proposal by El Cerrito Councilmember William Ktsanes to send the Richmond Street Complete Streets Improvement Project design — which included the conversion of some parking to make way for bike lanes north of Moeser Avenue — back to the staff for redesign. Councilmember Ktsanes’s motion did not receive a second from any of the four other councilmembers (Lisa Motoyama, Gabe Quinto, Rebecca Saltzman, and Carolyn Wysinger), effectively killing the proposal and allowing the city to move forward with the project as currently designed.

“Parking on the street is a privilege. No one owns the street,” El Cerrito Mayor Carolyn Wysinger said in her remarks. “You do not build policy saying it’s okay, it’s worked for 50 years. Things are changing. The culture of driving is changing … For those reasons I will be supporting this plan. I’m always going to root for the future.”

Supporters of safer streets on Richmond Street and throughout the city came out in force to support the project. THANK YOU! Dozens of El Cerritans—including many Richmond Street residents—plus supporters from Richmond Annex and Albany wrote e-mails to the council before the July 15 meeting and showed up in council chambers displaying our bright green “YES for SAFE, BEAUTIFUL, COMPLETE STREETS” stickers. Numerous supporters of the project spoke during public comment, letting the council know that they want to live in a community that prioritizes safer streets over parking.

Although opponents of the Richmond Street Complete Streets Improvement Project have the opportunity to appeal the design to the city manager and then city council, with a 4-1 majority of councilmembers expressing support for the design it’s a virtual certainty that any appeals would not succeed. If opponents of the project appeal, the council would likely vote to move the project forward in October. (If you sent an email, keep a copy just in case.)

The July 15 meeting was covered in the East Bay Times, Richmond Standard (funded by Chevron), and Livable El Cerrito, and a video of the meeting is posted on the City of El Cerrito website (Richmond Street study session begins at 51:30).

Join us for a celebratory Happy Hour on Wednesday, July 30, 5-7 p.m., at Elevation 66, 10082 San Pablo Ave. (adjacent to the Rialto Cerrito Theater). ECRA Walk & Roll looks forward to seeing you there!