But no funds for improvements on James Donlon Blvd. or W. 10th Street

By Allen D. Payton

During their meeting on Tuesday, August 8, 2023, the Antioch City Council voted 4-0 to change the speed and spend $1.5 million on traffic calming improvements on several streets. District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson was absent.

The first item the council addressed was changing and maintaining the speed on several city streets. (See related article)

The council voted to reduce the speed on Laurel Road and Wild Horse Road by five MPH from 45 to 40.

District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock requested one more change, to reduce the speed on James Donlon Blvd. from 40 to 35 MPH.

“By law we’re only permitted to reduce the speed based off the 85 percentile,” said Consultant Traffic Engineer Charmine Solla. “We’re permitted to round down to 45 and reduce that by 5 miles per hour. James Donlon is outside of that range. Assembly Bill 43, the new addition to the law, allows us to maintain speed limits that would otherwise decrease.”

The 85 percentile for James Donlon is more than 7 MPH over the posted speed, she continued. However, in 2024 the City can change the speed not based on the 85 percentile.

If the City changed the speed limit outside the boundaries of state regulations, “It means not being able to shoot radar or laser, there which would prevent us from enforcing traffic laws,” District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica explained.

The motion passed 4-0.

Traffic Calming Improvements

The council then voted to spend $1.4 million on traffic calming improvements to James Donlon Blvd., Sycamore Drive and W. 10th Street. They include lane narrowing, low-cost medians and “pork chop” islands formed with delineators, buffered bike lanes, buffered lanes to allow for parking, high-visibility crosswalks, advanced yield lines, warning signs with flashing beacons, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons and speed feedback signs. (See city staff presentation) (See related article)

The improvements were approved by both the police and fire departments, Solla stated during the staff presentation on the item.

The costs for the improvements will be $425,000 for Sycamore Drive, $865,000 on James Donlon Blvd. and $220,000 on West 10th Street for a total of $1.51 million. There are currently no funds in the budget for the improvements on James Donlon Blvd. and W. 10th Street. The improvements on Sycamore Drive will be paid for from the City’s gas tax revenue.

Only four residents spoke on the item, two concerned about narrowing lanes on Sycamore Drive.

Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker was the first to speak during the council discussion of the item saying, “I agree with every change that’s been suggested, here, tonight. Believe it or not, there are a lot of children and families along Sycamore Drive.”

She spoke of the lack of crosswalks on the street.

“That’s a huge challenge,” she said. “Is it possible to put a crosswalk on Manzanita…and Spanos?”

“There’s been complaints of speed on Mahogany,” Torres-Walker continued. “My concern is people will loop to avoid the traffic calming improvements.”

Solla responded, “The additional crosswalks, that’s something we can definitely look at. The state has requirements…pretty high pedestrian demand. We can look to see if the demand is there. It’s not uncommon for people to try and find other routes. So, we do have a way of studying if people are choosing new routes. We can definitely do that after a few months after the improvements are implemented.”

“Or we can go ahead and stripe Mahogany,” Mayor Lamar Thorpe said. “Mahogany runs parallel to Sycamore. Let’s not be fools. People use that, already.”

“Let’s start with a restriping. A study is going to take a long time. You can determine it,” he responded to a question from Acting Public Works Director Scott Buenting, narrowing the lanes to 11 feet as will be done on Sycamore Drive.

The motion passed on a 4-0 vote with the addition of the striping on Mahogany Way.

Take the 1-minute survey to share your input on the future of the Hwy 4 corridor.

The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is developing the State Route 4 (SR-4) Corridor Vision Study in order to develop a long-term, comprehensive transportation plan for SR-4 that addresses congestion, safety, and other mobility concerns in Contra Costa County. SR-4 is the primary east-west highway in the northern portion of Contra Costa County, beginning in Hercules in the west and continuing into San Joaquin County in the east. This work is being done in partnership with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).

With this new vision established, CCTA will be able to make forward-thinking investments along SR-4 and the surrounding local roads, railways, waterways, transit systems, and bike and pedestrian connections.

What is a Comprehensive Multimodal Corridor Plan (CMCP)?

This study is a crucial step in CCTA’s efforts to fund transportation infrastructure investments by meeting Senate Bill (SB) 1 Congested Corridor Program requirements for a Comprehensive Multimodal Corridor Plan (CMCP). A CMCP is developed with state, regional, and local partners and is consistent with the Regional Transportation Plan.

A CMCP aims to:

• Provide holistic guidance for transportation investments.
• Reduce congestion in highly traveled corridors.
• Provide more transportation choices for residents, commuters, and visitors while balancing the character of the local community.
• Create opportunities for neighborhood enhancement projects.

State Route 4 Corridor Vision Study Goals

For more information and to take the survey visit State Route 4 Corridor Vision Study – Contra Costa Transportation Authority (ccta.net).

By Kelly Kalfsbeek, PIO, Contra Costa County Public Works Department

The Contra Costa County Public Works Department will install one-way traffic control on Marsh Creek Road from approximately 1.3 miles northwest of Deer Valley Road near the Clayton Palms Community to approximately 0.6 miles west beginning on Monday, August 7, 2023, through April 2024, barring unforeseen circumstances.

The traffic control will include installing a temporary traffic signal system to allow one direction of traffic at a time through the Marsh Creek Road Bridges Replacement Project work area for the public’s safety. Message boards and signage will alert drivers about the traffic control. Drivers should expect delays up to 15 minutes.

The project will replace two (2) bridges on Marsh Creek Road with two (2) new concrete bridges. Work will take place on Marsh Creek Road at Bridges 143 and 145. Bridge 143 is located approximately 1.5 miles northwest of Deer Valley Road near the Clayton Palms Community. Bridge 145 is located approximately 3.0 miles east of Deer Valley Road near the road transition to Camino Diablo. Work also includes reconstruction of the bridge approach and construction of drainage facilities. The temporary traffic signal system to allow one direction of traffic will be installed at the Bridge 143 site only.

Funding for this project is provided by the federal Highway Bridge Program and local Gas Tax funds. To learn more about this project, please visit: www.contracosta.ca.gov/MCR-Bridge

About Contra Costa County Public Works Department:

Contra Costa County Public Works Department (CCCPWD) maintains over 660 miles of roads, 150 miles of streams, channels, and other drainage and over 150 County buildings throughout Contra Costa County. CCCPWD provides services such as Parks and Recreation, Sandbag Distribution and Flood Control throughout the unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County. CCCPWD operates two airports, Buchanan Field Airport in Concord, and Byron Airport in Byron. For more information about CCCPWD, please visit us at: www.cccpublicworks.org Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @cccpublicworks

But will discuss potentially hiring retired cops to supplement depleted force

Council will also consider adding traffic calming improvements, approving speed limits from 15 to 50 MPH on some streets

By Allen D. Payton

After issuing a Notice of Public Hearing, last Friday, announcing a discussion by the Antioch City Council of directly hiring the police chief during their meeting next Tuesday, August 8, the only police matter on the agenda is a discussion of potentially hiring retired officers to supplement the depleted force. District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica requested the agenda item at the end of the last council meeting on July 25 in response to the 16 current vacancies out of 115 sworn approved in the budget and the 35 officers on paid leave for the two investigations. The matter is listed as Item 9, the last one on the agenda. (See agenda packet)

UPDATE: Mayor Lamar Thorpe said he pulled the item since District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson will not be attending Tuesday night’s meeting. In addition, the second reading of the tenant anti-retaliation and harassment ordinance on the Consent Calendar will require District 3 Councilwoman Lori Ogorchock’s vote to continue the item or the process to pass it will be required to start over. That’s because it passed on a 3-1-1 vote with Wilson’s voting yes, Ogorchock voting no and District 2 Councilman Mike Barbanica, who owns a rental property management company in Antioch, recusing himself during the July 25th council meeting. He said he will have to request it be pulled from the so he can vote on the other Consent Calendar items, requiring a separate vote on the new ordinance.

Before the regular meeting which begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 200 H Street in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown, the council will meet in closed session to, among other matters, once again, conduct the performance evaluation of the city attorney.

Proposed Speed Limit Changes

The meeting’s agenda includes other public hearings such as Item 1 for adopting an Ordinance amending the Antioch Municipal Code “Special Speed Zones” in order to change the speed limit on certain streets. City staff is proposing approving the speed limits from as low as 15 MPH to as high as 50 MPH on certain streets. See list on chart, below:

No Increases to Street Light and Landscape Maintenance District Assessments

Another public hearing, listed as Item 6, will be to adopt a resolution ordering improvements and levying annual assessments for Street Light and Landscape Maintenance Districts for Fiscal Year 2023-24 with no increases from the current 2022-23 Fiscal Year

In addition, the council will consider under Item 2, approving the proposed traffic calming improvements for Sycamore Drive, James Donlon Boulevard and West 10th Street. That item was carried over from the July 25th meeting. The proposal is to spend $1.4 million but no infrastructure such as speed humps are included.

City Council meetings are televised live on Comcast channel 24, AT&T U-verse channel 99, or live stream on the City’s website. In order to speak during the meeting members of the public must attend in person.

Payment plan for low-income customers, penalty waivers for all bridges, Express Lanes

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)’s Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) today launched a public information campaign to raise travelers’ awareness of two new programs available through the Bay Area FasTrak® customer service center to help people with overdue tolls, penalties and fees get out of debt.

Bay Area FasTrak® now offers a payment plan program for individuals with outstanding toll debt whose household income is no more than 200 percent of the federal poverty level (about $60,000 for a family of four). The Bay Area Toll Payment Plan is open to all who have received toll violations on Bay Area bridges or express lanes. For those who qualify, violation penalties will be waived and any remaining balance of at least $100 can be paid off over time in the payment plan.

This program is intended to provide a way for people with overdue tolls, fees and penalties to get out of debt, and it is not limited to Bay Area residents.

Eligible participants may apply at the program website at bayareatollpaymentplan.org or by mailing or faxing a paper application. Both the website and the paper application are available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese.

To ensure those who are income eligible are aware of and have assistance applying for Bay Area Toll Payment Plan, BATA is conducting extensive outreach to social services and housing agencies, as well as to dozens of community-based organizations and other human services programs.

BATA and partner toll agencies last month also began offering full or partial one-time violation penalty waivers that are available to all customers, regardless of income. BATA, the Golden Gate Bridge Highway & Transportation District and MTC’s Bay Area Infrastructure Financing Authority unit will waive all penalties associated with toll violations on their facilities on a one-time basis. The Alameda County Transportation Commission, the San Mateo County Express Lanes Joint Power Authority and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) each will waive one penalty per customer for toll violations on their Express Lane facilities.

The one-time penalty waivers will be available to customers through September 2024. To obtain a waiver or to find out if you have overdue toll violations, customers must call the Bay Area FasTrak® Customer Service center at 877-BAY-TOLL (877-229-8655) and pay all outstanding tolls and any DMV fees owed. Eligible customers who choose to enter into a payment plan must make their first payment to receive the penalty waiver.

MTC is the regional transportation planning, financing and coordinating agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. BATA manages the Bay Area’s FasTrak electronic toll payment system and administers all toll revenue from the Bay Area’s seven state-owned toll bridges.

Will cost $1.4 million for Sycamore Dr., James Donlon Blvd. and West 10th St.; no roundabouts or other infrastructure included

By Allen D. Payton

During their Regular Meeting on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, the Antioch City Council will discuss approving traffic calming devices to several major roads in the city. At an estimated cost of $1,410,000, if approved, devices will be added to Sycamore Drive, James Donlon Blvd. and West 10th Street between A and L Streets. The matter is in response to requests from the public. But they will not include roundabouts as previously proposed, as there’s not enough room in the intersections and would require the purchase of private property.

The Sycamore Drive improvements requires an increase to the Fiscal Year 2023/24 Operating Budget of $425,0000 from the Gas Tax Fund.

Also, according to the City staff report, “the proposed improvements do not include any permanent infrastructure, such as concrete median islands, to provide the opportunity for all to try the improvements, first and allow flexibility for future modifications, if needed. Additionally, the proposed improvements are lower cost with shorter turnaround times, affording the City the chance to implement the improvements quicker in the near-term future.”

In addition, the report reads, “The intersections were studied to determine whether all-way stop signs or signalization were warranted and no intersection met all the warrants.”

The Regular Meeting in the Council Chambers at 200 H Street begins at 7:00 p.m. The meetings can be viewed livestream on the City’s website, on Comcast Channel 24 or AT&T U-verse Channel 99. See the agenda item details, here and the complete meeting agenda, here.

Between Lone Tree Way and Sand Creek Road Saturday, July 8 through Sunday, July 9, 2023

For Mokelumne Trail Overcrossing construction

By Ivan Ramirez, Contra Costa Transportation Authority

BRENTWOOD, CA – In partnership with the City of Brentwood, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is constructing the Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing to provide safe access to cyclists and pedestrians for commuting and recreational travel, reconnecting two sides of the trail that were separated by the expansion of State Route 4.

This overnight closure will facilitate the removing of the temporary structure that was used to support the bridge and will impact State Route 4 in the eastbound direction. CCTA and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) have scheduled the closure during the early morning hours in order to minimize impacts to the motoring public.

In order to ensure crew and public safety during the planned construction work, a temporary nighttime freeway closure in the eastbound direction of State Route 4 will occur between Saturday, July 8 and Sunday, July 9, 2023 on the following schedule (weather permitting):

Eastbound Highway 4 will be closed between Lone Tree Way and Sand Creek Road from 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 8 until 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, July 9, 2023. 

Detours
Detours will be in place to reroute drivers around the closure and are planned as follows:

Eastbound traffic will be directed to exit at Lone Tree Way, go eastbound to Shady Willow Lane, then southbound on Shady Willow Lane to Sand Creek Road, before proceeding westbound on Sand Creek Road to the eastbound State Route 4 on-ramp.

Future Freeway Closures

Additional overnight closures will be needed over the course of the next several weeks (weather dependent) to facilitate ­­­­construction work­­­­­­­­ of the future Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing. Additional information regarding dates and detours will be provided once the schedule is confirmed. This project is anticipated to be complete in late summer or early fall of 2023.
About the Contra Costa Transportation Authority

The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is a public agency formed by Contra Costa voters in 1988 to manage the county’s transportation sales tax program and oversee countywide transportation planning efforts. With a staff of twenty people managing a multi-billion-dollar suite of projects and programs, CCTA is responsible for planning, funding and delivering critical transportation infrastructure projects and programs that connect our communities, foster a strong economy, increase sustainability, and safely and efficiently get people where they need to go. CCTA also serves as the county’s designated Congestion Management Agency, responsible for putting programs in place to keep traffic levels manageable. More information about CCTA is available at ccta.net.

For Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing

By Linsey Willis, Director of External Affairs, CCTA

BRENTWOOD, CA – In partnership with the City of Brentwood, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is constructing the Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing to provide safe access to cyclists and pedestrians for commuting and recreational travel, reconnecting two sides of the trail that were separated by the expansion of State Route 4.  The overnight closure will enable the contractor to pour concrete for the superstructure as part of the construction work installing the pedestrian and bicyclist crossing over State Route 4.  This closure will impact State Route 4 in both the Eastbound and Westbound directions.  CCTA and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) have scheduled the closure during the early morning hours in order to minimize impacts to the motoring public.

Overnight Freeway Closure of State Route 4 between Lone Tree Way and Sand Creek Road

In order to ensure crew and public safety during the planned construction work, a temporary nighttime freeway closure in both directions of State Route 4 will occur between Friday, May 19, 2023 and Saturday, May 20, 2023 on the following schedule (weather permitting): Eastbound and Westbound Highway 4 will be closed from 9:00pm on Friday, May 19 until 6:00am on Saturday, May 20, 2023. 

Detours

Detours will be in place to reroute drivers around the closure and are planned as follows:

Eastbound traffic will be directed to exit at Lone Tree Way, go eastbound to Shady Willow Lane, then southbound on Shady Willow Lane to Sand Creek Road, before proceeding westbound on Sand Creek Road to the eastbound State Route 4 on-ramp.

Westbound drivers having to detour will exit on Sand Creek Road and go eastbound on Sand Creek Road to Shady Willow Lane, then northbound on Shady Willow Lane to Lone Tree Way, and proceed westbound on Lone Tree Way to the westbound State Route 4 on-ramp.

Future Freeway Closures

Additional overnight closures will be needed over the course of the next eight weeks (weather dependent) to facilitate concrete pours for the stem and soffit and deck of the future Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing.  Additional information regarding dates and detours will be provided once the schedule is confirmed. This project is anticipated to be complete in late summer or early fall of 2023.

About the Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing

In partnership with the City of Brentwood, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is constructing the Mokelumne Trail Bicycle and Pedestrian Overcrossing to provide safe access to cyclists and pedestrians for commuting and recreational travel, reconnecting two sides of the trail that were separated by the expansion of State Route 4.

When completed, the overcrossing will provide access to the future East County Intermodal Transit Center and BART Station in Brentwood, as well. It is part of the larger Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail which also includes the Delta de Anza Regional Trail that runs through Antioch and Oakley,  that will, when completed, connect six counties across California from the East Bay to the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

The cost to design and build the bridge is approximately $13 million, with funding provided through Measure J taxpayer dollars, the State Route 4 Bypass Authority, and bridge toll funds.

About the Contra Costa Transportation Authority

The Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) is a public agency formed by Contra Costa voters in 1988 to manage the county’s transportation sales tax program and oversee countywide transportation planning efforts. With a staff of twenty people managing a multi-billion-dollar suite of projects and programs, CCTA is responsible for planning, funding and delivering critical transportation infrastructure projects and programs that connect our communities, foster a strong economy, increase sustainability, and safely and efficiently get people where they need to go. CCTA also serves as the county’s designated Congestion Management Agency, responsible for putting programs in place to keep traffic levels manageable. More information about CCTA is available at ccta.net.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.