The Corridor Access Plan builds upon years of public input into locally adopted plans and policies, which articulate each community’s vision for future development and public investments. It is the next step of a multi-year collaborative effort between BART, Berkeley, and El Cerrito to develop the Ashby, North Berkeley, and El Cerrito Plaza BART stations for much-needed housing. Here has been our process and timeline for developing the Corridor Access Plan:
2021
Spring
- Introduce plan
- Develop vision and review goals
- Collect data
Summer
- Define needs
- Phase 1 community outreach and input
- Understand access opportunities
Fall
- Identify menu of access strategies
- Set BART parking maximum for El Cerrito Plaza station
2022
Winter
- Set BART parking maximums for Ashby and North Berkeley stations
- Continue reviewing access strategies
Spring/summer
- Phase 2 community outreach and input
- Confirm access options
- Determine funding and financing options
Fall/winter
- Evaluate access strategies
- Develop Draft Corridor Access Plan
- Phase 3 community outreach
- Finalize Corridor Access Plan
As shown in the timeline above, there have been three phases of community engagement and feedback for the Corridor Access Plan:
- Phase 1 (spring 2021 through summer 2021) – Your Needs: BART collected data and input to understand access needs across the corridor.
- Phase 2 (fall 2021 through summer 2022) – Initial Access Strategies: BART presented initial access options and the maximum number of on-site BART rider parking stalls. We received community feedback on an initial set of strategies for area-wide station access.
- Phase 3 (summer 2022 through winter 2022/2023) – Corridor Access Plan: We are asking you to review the draft plan, which summarizes your needs; confirms and prioritizes the set of strategies for station access and parking; and identifies funding opportunities to implement these strategies. We will finalize the plan after receiving input.
What are the timelines for the Ashby, North Berkeley, and El Cerrito Plaza TODs?
The developments at El Cerrito Plaza, North Berkeley, and Ashby BART stations are on different timelines, as shown below.
Ashby and North Berkeley stations
BART has been working with the community and the City of Berkeley for years to plan TOD at the Ashby and North Berkeley BART stations. With extensive input from a Community Advisory Group, the Transportation Commission Corridor Access Plan Subcommittee and other members of the public, the City, and BART approved their Joint Vision & Priorities for Transit-Oriented Development for Ashby and North Berkeley BART Stations in June 2022. BART released the North Berkeley BART TOD requests for qualifications (RFQ) in Summer 2022 and the BART Board selected the developer December 2022. The Ashby BART TOD RFQ and developer selection are anticipated in 2023.
El Cerrito Plaza station
Work to plan the El Cerrito Plaza BART TOD project has been underway since 2019, when BART, the community, and city of El Cerrito began developing Goals and Objectives. These were approved by the El Cerrito City Council and BART Board. BART selected the development team of Holliday Development and Related California in November 2020. BART, the city of El Cerrito, and the development team have been working with the community to advance the design.
In July 2022, the developer hosted an in-person pop-up event at El Cerrito Plaza to receive feedback from the community on the project and updated design. In September 2022, the developer presented the design and community feedback to the El Cerrito Design Review Board and Planning Commission in a Joint Study Session. Construction will be phased and is anticipated to begin in 2024.
More information about the development project and future meetings hosted by the development team can be found here.
Leave a Reply