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Record of Proceedings

Treat Boulevard Bicycle & Safety Project Review - July 24, 2025

City Council — Thursday, July 24, 2025

BodyWalnut Creek, California

SessionCity Council

DateThursday, July 24, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:00:00

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0:00

Items not on the agenda.

0:02

Under the Brown Act, the Commission cannot act on items raised during public communications, but may respond briefly to statements, made or questions posed, request clarification or refer the item to staff.

0:15

At this time, I will open this item up for public comment.

0:19

Do we have any members of the public wishing to comment on items not on the agenda?

0:30

We have no members of the public wanting to provide public comment not on the agenda.

0:37

Okay.

0:40

We will move on to item number three, the consent calendar, approval of the minutes from the May 15th, 2025 meeting.

0:50

Do I have a motion for the approval of the minutes from the May 15th, 2025 Commission meeting?

0:55

So moved.

0:57

Second.

0:58

Okay.

1:00

The Secretary can please call roll.

1:03

Student Commissioner Kirsch.

1:05

Hi.

1:08

Commissioner Reese, absent.

1:11

Vice Chair Crowling.

1:13

Aye.

1:15

Chair Brightman.

1:16

Aye.

1:18

I think you skipped Commissioner Patch, right?

1:21

Commissioner Patch.

1:22

Aye.

1:24

I should and Commissioner Ash.

1:25

Oh, sir.

1:26

I'm sorry.

1:27

Great.

1:28

All right.

1:29

We're both on board.

1:34

Okay.

1:36

Now on to uh some of the meat of the meeting here.

1:40

Items for consideration.

1:41

A is the Treat Boulevard bicycle project.

1:45

At this time, I would like to invite staff to uh provide their presentation.

2:00

Sounds good.

2:03

So evening commissioners.

2:06

Uh my name is Brianna Byrne.

2:07

I'm an associate traffic engineer here at the city of Walnut Creek.

2:11

And presenting on the Tree Boulevard Corridor Improvements is Mo Nasser with the County.

2:17

And to help with the presentation, he has brought a consultant as well, David.

2:25

All right.

2:38

Just getting situated.

2:45

Hello, everybody.

2:47

My name is Mousser, and I'm the project engineer on this project, and I work with Contra Costa County Public Works, Transportation Engineering Division.

2:57

I hope everybody can hear me.

2:58

Well, okay.

2:59

Awesome.

3:00

So yes, today we'll be presenting the Treat Boulevard Corridor Improvements Project.

3:06

We'll start with project background.

3:09

So as you can see here, um the absence of bicycle facilities along Treat Boulevard between North Main Street and the city of Walnut Creek and Jones Road and unincorporated Contra Costa County presents barriers for access to and from the Contra Costa Center Transit Village, particularly for bicyclists and pedestrians.

3:29

To address these barriers, the Contra Costa County Department of Conservation and Development developed the I680 Treat Boulevard Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan in 2017.

3:42

And the Tree Boulevard Corridor Improvement Project really implement implements the feasibility study by constructing context appropriate class four separated bikeways along Treat Boulevard between Jones Road and North Main Street in both directions, as well as improving pedestrian refuge islands, crosswalks, traffic signal timing, and signage.

4:09

The project is on Contra Costa County's list of approved projects and is in the city's 10-year capital improvement program.

4:17

Approximately 20% of the improvements are within the city's jurisdiction, and we will start looking at these proposed improvements in the next slide.

4:26

So this is really the section of the project that is within the city's jurisdiction, and that is between North Main Street.

4:34

Um I wonder if this is a laser pointer.

4:37

Oh, perfect.

4:37

Or doesn't work.

4:41

Yeah, I guess I'll just uh do you know if we can point any anything on the oh yeah the mouse, perfect.

4:49

Thank you so much.

4:49

Thank you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Engineering And Infrastructure██████████████████████████████████████████42%

Active Transportation███████████████████████████████31%

Transportation Safety██████████████14%

Procedural████████8%

Community Engagement██2%

Zoning and Planning██2%

Public Engagement█1%

Summary of Proceedings

Walnut Creek Transportation Commission Meeting - July 24, 2025

The commission reviewed a major bicycle and pedestrian safety improvement project for Treat Boulevard, presented by Contra Costa County and city staff. The main focus was a detailed presentation and commissioner questions regarding the design, traffic impact, and safety features of the proposed corridor improvements.

Consent Calendar

Commissioners unanimously approved the minutes from the May 15, 2025, meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

One member of the public, Mary Lee Martinez, began to speak, but the transcript cuts off before her full comment is recorded.

Discussion Items

Treat Boulevard Corridor Improvements Project Presentation: Staff from Contra Costa County Public Works (Mo Nasser) and consultant DKS (David Mahama) presented the 65% design plans. The project aims to construct Class 4 separated bikeways, improve crosswalks and pedestrian islands, remove hazardous free-right-turn lanes, and narrow travel lanes to calm traffic along Treat Boulevard between Jones Road and North Main Street.
Commissioner Questions & Positions:
- Student Commissioner Kirsch inquired about the differences between bike lane classes and expressed concern about increased traffic delays impacting emergency responders.
- Commissioner Ash questioned why the project was prioritized over an existing nearby trail network and raised concerns about coordination with a separate, funded Caltrans project (Innovate 680) to improve the I-680 interchange. City Engineer Smither Boardman clarified that the Caltrans project would not conflict and would likely improve conditions.
- Commissioner Patch sought detailed traffic analysis for specific movements at the Oak Road intersection, particularly regarding increased housing and pedestrian safety. The consultant confirmed the 2040 traffic model included projected growth and that signal timing would be optimized for all users.
- Vice Chair Crowling, a frequent user of the corridor, raised several concerns: the elimination of a crosswalk (though acknowledged it was dangerous), the lack of a pedestrian walkway on the Treat Boulevard bridge, the removal of vehicular lanes, and the operational priority of pedestrian/bicycle push buttons versus maintaining traffic flow. Staff clarified that signal timing would prioritize a "green wave" for vehicles while accommodating side movements.
- Chair Brightman asked for clarity on the existing alternative trail, inquired about pavement markings and beautification, questioned plans for advanced signage for lane changes, and asked about stakeholder outreach. Staff indicated outreach was conducted during the earlier feasibility study phase but not during current design.

Key Outcomes

The project presentation was received and discussed. No formal vote on the project itself was taken during this portion of the meeting.
Commissioners directed staff to ensure advanced signage for new lane configurations and to continue coordination with Caltrans regarding the Innovate 680 project.
The project is proceeding to 95% final design, expected in December 2025, with construction anticipated in Fall 2026, pending utility relocation and additional funding.

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