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Helene  Fried  Associates  in  cooperation  with  Community  Design  +  Architecture   <br />Final  Artistic  Enhancement  Strategy  [July  2013  Update]  ±  Integrating  Artistic  Enhancements  with  BRT  Station  Design   <br />July  11,  2013   <br />Page  1  of  19 <br /> <br />Artistic Enhancement Strategy [July 2013 Update] <br />Integrating Artistic Enhancements with BRT Station Design <br /> <br />Introduction <br />Consultant Helene Fried, principal of Helene Fried Associates (Fried), has prepared this Strategy for <br />artistic enhancements of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) stations associated with the East Bay BRT, a project of <br />the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit). Fried advised and worked in cooperation with <br />Community Design + Architecture (CD+A) and Parsons Transportation Group (PTG) on the development <br />of these recommendations. Fried conducted in-person and telephone interviews with key stakeholders, <br />engaged in discussions with members of the BRT consultant design team, and participated in AC Transit <br />sponsored public meetings to garner community input that frame the recommendations. <br />It should be noted that technical details related to the alignment of the BRT stop locations and station <br />design elements reflect the status of their design at the time this report was written and are s u b j e c t to <br />pot e n t i a l c h a nge as t h e p r o j e c t is d e v e lop e d f u r t h e r . <br />Overview <br />The East Bay Bus Rapid Transit is a high quality, high capacity rapid transit system that improves upon <br />traditional bus transit systems. Vehicles travel in dedicated lanes and passengers walk to comfortable <br />stations, pay their fares at the station, and board through multiple doors. Safety and comfort are important <br />goals and the service is fully ADA compliant. The 9.5-mile route will begin at the 20th Street Uptown <br />Station in Oakland; follow Broadway to 11th and 12th Streets, and continue around Lake Merritt on E <br />12th Street. From there, the route will follow E 12th Street and International Boulevard to 14th Avenue <br />and continues on International Boulevard through East Oakland. At San Leandro, it continues along East <br />14th Street to downtown San Leandro, then along Davis Street to the San Leandro BART station. The <br />East Bay BRT is scheduled to open for service in 2016. <br />In preparation of the environmental documents and the associated locally preferred alternatives, AC <br />Transit committed to including artistic enhancements in the project. This is the principal basis for <br />inclusion of such enhancements in the Preliminary Engineering and Final Design phases of the BRT <br />project. The integration of artistic enhancements with the design of the BRT stations will provide a <br />significant public amenity for the cities of Oakland and San Leandro and future transit users of the BRT. <br />Art enhancement is a demonstrated and proven opportunity for public engagement, positive community <br />identity, greater civic pride, and long-term and increased use of public transit. <br />Framework <br />This Strategy makes specific recommendations to: <br />1. Integrate artistic enhancements with the design of the East Bay BRT, a transit improvement <br />project. <br />2. Identify specific opportunities for the integration of artistic elements. <br />3. Allocate 1.5 % of eligible construction dollars towards the cost of art enhancement.