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November 9, 2009 Section 4: Transportation and Land Use usually includes improvements around bus lanes to make access safer and comfortable for pedestrians and bicyclists.'g 4.3 Goal: Promote and accommodate alternative, environmentally friendly methods of transportation, such as walking and bicycling In order to make San Leandro more bicycle and pedestrian friendly, the City has established a goal for the bicycle system to provide access to all downtown streets, along with priority to streets accessing BART and BRT stations. To this end, the City of San Leandro completed a 2004 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Update to set a blueprint for completing a bicycle and pedestrian network, support facilities, safety, education and enforcement and a capital improvement plan. Since then, the bicycle network has been expanded and improved. Further improvements may include the addition of West Joaquin Avenue, Parrott Street, and Martinez Street as part of the downtown TOD project. The City is also looking into providing indoor and/or covered bicycle parking to further encourage bike ridership. The City also initiated two new projects in 200$ to encourage walking: a seasonal Downtown Farmer's Market and Downtown Lighting and Pedestrian Improvements, which included converting a portion of a parking lot into a plaza which has created an outdoor meeting space in a central downtown location. With respect to future development projects, the City has a commitment to improve pedestrian activity through enhancements such as sidewalk width, safety, landscaping and lighting. The Safe Routes to School (SR2S) program was established to increase the number of children that ride their bicycle or walk to school through increased funding for projects that include improvements in infrastructure and educational programs to promote walking and bicycling. The City of San Leandro has been involved in SR2S programs through partnerships from the City's Police Department and the Engineering &Transportation Department. The City has also been active in securing funding for these projects from state and federal grants. It received a SR2S grant and installed four lighted crosswalks at four schools. Through a partnership with a local transportation non-profit TransForm, the City has initiated two SR2S programs: one at 18 AC Transit's proposed BRT project would create an 18-mile corridor of designated bus lanes through three cities Berkeley, Oakland and San Leandro. Within San Leandro, BRT is estimated to reduce 780,000 vehicle trips annually which could result in savings of 503 tons of COz annually. The proposed 2.5 mile route could run from downtown San Leandro along East 14th St. to Bay Fair BART. The project is still in the planning stages and will probably begin construction in 2012. Within San Leandro, BRT is estimated to increase transit riders by 2,600 passengers daily ~~ '~!.,~! i£~ Page 30 ~ ~~ u e+ 4~1'L