JUNE 2026-1

BART Director Barnali Ghosh to speak at June 10 meeting

Who: Presentation (“2026: A Defining Year for BART”) by BART Director Barnali Ghosh, followed by Q&A

What: Joint meeting of El Cerrito/Richmond Annex Walk & Roll and Albany Strollers & Rollers

When: Wednesday, June 10, 7–8:30 p.m.; arrive 6:30–7 p.m. to enjoy pizza, beverages, and cookies

Where: Hana Gardens Community Room, 10870 San Pablo Ave. (just south of El Cerrito City Hall at Manila Ave.).

How: Bike on Ohlone Greenway or take AC Transit #72.

About Director Ghosh: Barnali Ghosh was elected to the BART Board of Directors in November 2024, representing District 3, which includes Richmond, El Cerrito Del Norte, El Cerrito Plaza, North Berkeley, Downtown Berkeley, and Ashby stations.

As an immigrant who lived without a driver’s license for her first 15 years in the United States, public transit has been essential to Ghosh. She took BART to her first job and even to her wedding, and she remains a regular transit rider today.

A licensed landscape architect and project manager, Ghosh served as chair of Berkeley’s Transportation Commission and vice-chair of its Planning Commission, where she worked to connect housing, equity, climate goals, and pedestrian/bike safety to city transportation policies.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR EL CERRITO WORLD ONE/JULY 4 FESTIVAL BOOTH: El Cerrito/Richmond & Annex Walk & Roll will once again host a (FUN!) booth at the El Cerrito/WorldOne July 4 Festival on Saturday, July 4, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Cerrito Vista Park (950 Pomona Ave.) This year’s festival honors America’s 250th Independence Day and California’s 175th anniversary of statehood. Sign up for a 1- or 2-hour shift here or write to info@ecrawalkroll.org.

ECRA WALK & ROLL GENERAL MEETINGS: El Cerrito/Richmond Annex Walk & Roll meets every other second Wednesday, now on Google Meet. The next general meeting is August 12, when representatives of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority will attend for a listening session on local transportation needs. The final meeting of the year is October 14. (In December, we PARTY!) Click on this Google Calendar link to add all of our 2026 meetings to your calendar, with the Google Meet links.

NEXT FAMILY-FRIENDLY HAPPY HOUR – JULY 8, 5–7 P.M.: Join us to hang out, eat, have a beer, and talk multimobility and safer streets with like-minded neighbors! Bring the kids/family/friends/partners! Our happy hours are every other second Wednesday, 5–7 p.m., at family-friendly Fatapples, 7525 Fairmont Ave. Look for us at the picnic tables or indoors, depending on the weather. Mark your calendar for our remaining 2026 happy hour dates: September 9, and November 11.

El Cerrito budget details planned transportation spending

As part of its biennial (fiscal years 2026-27 and 2027-28) budget cycle, El Cerrito provided its Capitol Improvement Program (CIP) budget, which details planned spending on transportation (roads, bike lanes, pedestrian improvements), parks, sewers, and other infrastructure.  (Above, transportation comprises 87% of El Cerrito’s capital project spending.)

The CIP budget includes the following items related to transportation (note that some planned expenditures are for multiple years):

• $8.33 million for the Street Improvement Program (2027–2031): Implementation of a variety of roadway treatments and roadway repairs; the installation of curb ramps in compliance with the ADA, curb and gutter, and sidewalk upgrades; and upgrades to traffic control and safety systems that pertain to pavement work (striping, crosswalks, bike facilities, and associated signage), including quick-build measures, and modifications to road-related storm drainage facilities.

• $4.3 million for the Richmond Complete Streets Improvement Project (2027)

• $2.1 million for Crosstown Connect (2027–2031): Planning, community outreach, design, and construction of a safe, comfortable, and convenient east-west bikeway between the San Francisco Bay Trail, El Cerrito Plaza BART station, and Ashbury Avenue.

• $1.9 million for ADA Access Modifications to Streets and Sidewalks (2027-2031)

• $1.2 million for Ohlone Greenway Downtown Upgrades (2028-2029): Design and construction of new or reconstructed paving and ramps at existing trail access points along the Ohlone Greenway at various locations between Eureka Avenue and Central Avenue; and $222,000 for Ohlone Greenway Uptown Upgrades.

• $600,000 for Parking Management Infrastructure (2028): Procurement and installation of physical and digital parking management hardware and software to enable and complement the modernization of the City’s parking management program.

• $376,000 for Traffic Safety and Management Program (2027–2031): Various capital projects, including quick-build measures, and related design work to improve safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers traveling on city streets based on safety assessment studies. The Local Road Safety Plan currently under development will guide the prioritization of corridors and improvement measures.

Other capital projects budgeted for $250,000 or less in 2027 (and subsequent years) include Del Norte Transit-Oriented Development, San Pablo Avenue Pavement Rehabilitation, I-80/Central Avenue Undercrossing Bikeway, San Pablo Avenue Complete Streets, Active Transportation Program, and Traffic Signal Upgrades. (Below, funding sources for El Cerrito’s 5-year CIP budget.)

Members of El Cerrito/Richmond Annex Walk & Roll are encouraged to view or attend the El Cerrito city council’s June 16 meeting, when the biennial budget (fiscal years 2026-27 and 2027-28) will be adopted, to share views on city spending for transportation-related capital projects; and write to the council at cityclerk@elcerrito.gov before 2 p.m. on June 16 (include “Public Comments” in your subject line). 

View this chart in El Cerrito’s Budget Book to learn more about the biennial budget.

Confusing pedestrian-activated signals: Many motorists don’t understand what to do at pedestrian-hybrid beacons (also known as HAWK signals [High-Intensity Activated CrossWalKs]). Once the red light starts flashing, they think they don't need to stop. The pedestrian-hybrid beacon at San Pablo and Eureka avenues (top) needs a better explanatory sign, like one sign in Union City (above).

BEST OF EL CERRITO — VOTE FOR US!: El Cerrito/Richmond Annex Walk & Roll is nominated in the El Cerrito Chamber of Commerce’s Best of El Cerrito contest in the “Best Nonprofit Groups (El Cerrito focused)” category, listed under “Lifestyle and Leisure.” Click here to vote for El Cerrito/Richmond Annex Walk & Roll!

PLEDGE TO TRY TRANSIT FOR A FREE $25 CLIPPER CARD: Looking for an extra incentive to walk or roll to BART instead of driving? 511 CCTA is giving eligible El Cerrito and Richmond Annex commuters a preloaded $25 Clipper card or $25 loaded to your Clipper mobile app just for pledging to swap a solo drive for the bus or BART. Skip the I-80 gridlock, save cash, and support a cleaner, greener community. Apply online and claim your $25 card here. Source: 511 CCTA

CCTA TRANSPORTATION SURVEY: Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) plans, funds, and delivers transportation projects that connect communities across the county. The authority wants to hear about your transportation experiences, including what’s working and what needs improvement, to help shape the future of transportation in Contra Costa County. Fill out this questionnaire to share your experience, and learn more and record a voice or video message here. Source: Contra Costa Transportation Authority

CONNECT BAY AREA COLLECTS 300,000+ SIGNATURES: The Connect Bay Area campaign announced on May 26 that it submitted more than 305,000 signatures to qualify a regional transit funding measure for the November ballot — blowing past the 186,000 valid signatures required. The signatures will now be officially counted and validated by the Departments of Elections for each of the five counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara) before the measure can be placed on the November ballot. More than 80 elected officials and 90 labor groups and advocacy organizations — including El Cerrito/Richmond Annex Walk & Roll — signed on in support of the measure, and the campaign mobilized more than 1,000 volunteers and advocates across the five counties. Thanks to everyone who collected signatures! Source: Connect Bay Area

REPORT TRAFFIC CONCERNS TO EL CERRITO PUBLIC WORKS: If you see a traffic hazard or problem of any type — such as potholes, trees down, maintenance needs, lights/signals out, bad sidewalks, illegal dumping, or graffiti — the best way to take care of it is to report it to El Cerrito Public Works Department via their traffic request page. Things can only get fixed if the city knows they need fixin’!

REPORT ROAD HAZARDS TO RICHMOND AND BEYOND: To report debris in bike lanes and other transportation-related road hazards, be a squeaky wheel here; and for up-to-date links for reporting systems in every East Bay jurisdiction, go to Bike East Bay’s hazard reporting page.

Our mission: El Cerrito/Richmond Annex Walk & Roll promotes walking, bicycling, and other low-carbon multimodal transportation alternatives and builds community for safer, more joyful, and inclusive streets for all.

To sign up for our monthly newsletter, visit our website at ecrawalkroll.org (scroll down for sign-up) or write to us at info@ECRAWalkRoll.org.

Please submit traffic safety requests to El Cerrito’s online traffic request form.

Newsletter edited by Janet Byron