OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Walnut Creek Transportation Commission Regular Meeting - March 19, 2026

City Council — Thursday, March 19, 2026
BodyWalnut Creek, California
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, March 19, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:45:53

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

All right.

0:02

Welcome to the Thursday, March 19th, uh, 2026, regular meeting of the Walnut Creek Transportation Commission.

0:11

Will the Secretary please take a roll call?

0:15

Uh Student Commissioner Kirsch.

0:18

Absent.

0:19

Commissioner Ash.

0:21

Here.

0:21

Commissioner Guerrero.

0:24

Present.

0:25

Commissioner McMahon.

0:27

McMahon here.

0:29

Commissioner Patch.

0:32

Vice Chair Crowling.

0:34

Present.

0:36

All right.

0:36

Thank you.

0:37

Okay.

0:38

Next item is public communications.

0:41

And this is for items that are not on the agenda.

0:45

And so I'll just read a little bit of official verbiage.

0:48

The portion of the meeting is reserved for comment on items not on the agenda.

0:52

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

1:06

So I'm opening up.

1:08

Is there anyone in the room who would like to address the Transportation Commission?

1:15

We have no members of the public waiting to provide comments.

1:17

Now how did you know everyone here was not in the public?

1:20

I didn't know that.

1:21

I know them.

1:21

They're all awesome people.

1:23

That's why.

1:25

Okay.

1:27

Thank you very much.

1:28

All right.

1:29

We will uh close public communications then.

1:34

All right.

1:35

Consent calendar.

1:36

The only consent item we have is approving the minutes of the January 15th meeting.

1:43

Before we do that, does anybody on the commission or the audience wish to pull the meetings off of consent as a discussion item?

1:54

Seeing none.

1:56

Does anybody on the commission have any edits or corrections to the minutes?

2:01

Commissioner Ash.

2:03

I am good.

2:04

Thanks.

2:05

Okay.

2:06

Motion to approve.

2:14

Don't want to hear if the rest of the commissioners have any edits or corrections.

2:19

I'm good with my motion.

2:21

I'd like to ask to delay the motion.

2:24

I'd like to ask Commissioner Patch if she has any corrections or edits to the meeting minutes.

2:31

I do not.

2:32

Okay.

2:33

Would you like to make your motion again?

2:35

I lost track.

2:36

Yes, I'd like to move to approve the minutes.

2:40

We have a second.

2:41

All right.

2:42

Motion made and seconded.

2:43

You can do a roll call vote, please.

2:45

Sure.

2:45

Commissioner Ash.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Transportation Safety██████████████████████████████30%
Engineering And Infrastructure████████████████████████████28%
Procedural████████████████16%
Active Transportation███████████████15%
Community Engagement█████5%
Public Transit█████5%
Economic Development█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Walnut Creek Transportation Commission Regular Meeting - March 19, 2026

The Walnut Creek Transportation Commission held its regular meeting on Thursday, March 19, 2026, from 6:01 PM to 7:47 PM in the Council Chamber at City Hall. The meeting included approval of prior minutes, election of officers, a detailed presentation on multiple transportation capital improvement projects, and committee appointments. No public comments were made. Note: The printed agenda listed a different commission roster (Chair Kevin Wilk, Chris Hansel, Danny Milks, Thomas O'Toole, Melissa Ward), but the actual roll call and minutes identified Charles Kreling as Chair, Laura Patch as Vice Chair, and Commissioners Jared Asch, Edward Guerrero, Ryan McMahon, and Student Commissioner Diego Kirsch. This discrepancy is recorded but not resolved.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes (January 15, 2026): Motion by Commissioner Asch, seconded by Commissioner Guerrero, carried unanimously (5-0) to approve the minutes. Commissioners Patch and Student Kirsch arrived late.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No members of the public addressed the Commission during the public comment periods.

Discussion Items

  • Election of Chair and Vice Chair: Commissioner Asch nominated Charles Kreling for Chair and Laura Patch for Vice Chair. Motion seconded by Commissioner Guerrero, carried unanimously (6-0) to elect Kreling as Chair and Patch as Vice Chair.

  • Transportation Capital Project Update: Senior Engineer Alex Wong and five CIP engineers presented an update on transportation projects in the Capital Improvement Program. Key projects included:

    • Ignacio Valley Road Rehabilitation: Repaving from Oak Grove to city limits with safety improvements (speed feedback signs, rumble strips, optical speed bars, reduced lane widths, slip lane modifications, and speed humps 15-20 feet before crosswalks). Federally funded, awaiting federal approval; construction scheduled spring 2027.
    • Unsignalized Pedestrian and Trail Crossing Improvements: Adding rapid flashing beacons at 13 pedestrian crossings (Civic Drive, Tice Valley Boulevard, Bancroft Road, North Main Street, Mount Diablo) and trail crossings (Contra Costa Canal Trail at Jones Road, Briones to Mount Diablo Trail at Larkey, Buena Vista, San Luis Road). Currently in construction.
    • 2026 Slurry Project: Slurry sealing approximately 43 streets in Tampico, Diablo Shadows, and Valavista areas; adding buffer-separated bike lanes on Montego Road and flashing stop signs at Oak Grove intersections with Deer Park and Vela Vista. Funded by Measure J and gas tax; construction spring/summer 2026.
    • Walker Avenue Pedestrian Improvement Project: Sidewalk extensions, curb cuts, raised crosswalk, reflective paint, upgraded striping, and an additional streetlight east of the Iron Horse Trail crossing. Awarded contract March 17; construction late spring/early summer 2026. Funded by Measure J Transportation for Livable Communities Grant.
    • Safe Routes to School Project (OBAG3): Closing sidewalk gaps on Walnut Boulevard (1,500 ft), Cedro Lane (200 ft), and Parkside Drive (170 ft); installing bulb-outs, streetlight at Bellows Court, and rectangular rapid flashing beacon at Fraser Drive. Awaiting Caltrans federal approval; construction summer 2027. A second phase at Newell Avenue and South Broadway will add a pedestrian scramble (diagonal crossing) for the Iron Horse Trail, concrete bulb-outs, and raised bike lanes on Newell Avenue to California; construction estimated spring/summer 2028.
    • Highway Safety Improvement Project: Installing protected left-turn phasing at Ignacio Valley Road and Walnut Boulevard, Wimbledon Road, Wiggett Lane, and Villamonte intersections; ADA curb ramp upgrades. Construction summer/fall 2027.
    • Ignacio Valley Road Intersection Safety Project: Constructing a roundabout at Marchbanks Drive and Kinross (primary goal), protected left turns at three other intersections (pending funding). Construction summer/fall 2027.
    • San Miguel Drive Pedestrian Path Project: Joint project with Contra Costa County to close sidewalk gap from San Miguel to Norris Road (5-ft sidewalk, 8-ft parking, 10-ft travel lanes). Funded by traffic impact fees; construction summer 2027.
    • North Broadway Improvements: Redesign of North Broadway from Civic to Central with new sidewalks, bulb-outs, class IV bikeways, and reduced travel lanes. Funded by Affordable Housing and Sustainability Grant; construction spring/summer 2028.
    • South Main Bridge Replacement: Two-phase Caltrans bridge program project – phase one (spring 2027) building a pedestrian/utility bridge; phase two (summer 2028) demolishing and replacing the main bridge over Las Trampas Creek. Construction constrained by seasonal creek restrictions (October–May).
    • Bus Stop Improvement and Shelter Project: Installing shelters, real-time digital signage, and ADA improvements at six locations (Ignacio Valley Road/Marchbanks, Civic/Ignacio, Locust Street/Mount Diablo, South Main/Lilac, North Main/Civic, and a mini-plaza at North Main/Bonanza). Funded by Measure J and AHSC grants; construction spring 2027.
    • Parkside Drive Multimodal Improvements: Providing east-west bike/pedestrian connection from Iron Horse Trail to BART station by converting one lane on Parkside Drive (North Main to Civic Drive) to multimodal use. Beyond 2028, still in analysis.
    • Oakland Boulevard Multimodal Improvements: Improving multimodal access from west downtown to transit; design challenges include grade differences. Funded by state transportation funds; beyond 2028.

    Commissioners asked questions about project details, traffic counts, timing, and design choices (e.g., speed humps vs. raised crosswalks, passive detection, landscaping, bus stop benches). Several commissioners expressed support for the projects but raised concerns about cumulative traffic impacts on downtown and potential economic consequences. Chair Kreling recommended a holistic traffic impact analysis across all projects. Commissioner Asch noted the risk of cars jumping the curb at Oakland Boulevard/Ignacio and requested interim safety measures. Commissioner Patch requested tree planting at Newell/Broadway. Commissioner McMahon supported passive detection. Commissioner Guerrero inquired about hydrant relocation.

  • Commission Committee Appointments:

    • CCTA Citizens Advisory Committee: Commissioner Asch had served for 5-6 years and originally offered to step down but then agreed to continue after encouragement. Motion by Chair Kreling, seconded by Vice Chair Patch, carried unanimously to reappoint Commissioner Asch.
    • Vision Zero Working Group: Vice Chair Patch expressed interest in continuing; Commissioner McMahon volunteered. Motion by Chair Kreling, seconded by Commissioner McMahon, carried unanimously to appoint Vice Chair Patch and Commissioner McMahon. Student Commissioner Kirsch declined due to graduation uncertainty. Staff noted the group will meet about twice in 2026.

Key Outcomes

  • Elected Officers: Charles Kreling as Chair and Laura Patch as Vice Chair for the upcoming term.
  • Consent Calendar Approved: Minutes of January 15, 2026, approved unanimously (5-0).
  • Committee Appointments:
    • Commissioner Jared Asch reappointed to Contra Costa Transit Authority Citizens Advisory Committee (unanimous).
    • Vice Chair Laura Patch and Commissioner Ryan McMahon appointed to the Vision Zero Working Group (unanimous).
  • Directives to Staff:
    • Chair Kreling requested a cumulative holistic traffic impact analysis of all capital projects to assess potential economic impacts on downtown.
    • Commissioner Asch requested interim pedestrian safety measures at Oakland Boulevard/Ignacio Valley Road (curb protection).
    • Several commissioners requested inclusion of total project costs and Streetlight data in future presentations.
  • Staff Announcements:
    • Measure J compliance checklist approved by CCTA board.
    • Traffic Engineering addressed approximately 280 public inquiries in both 2024 and 2025.
    • County Connection Route 4 (downtown shuttle) will have a streamlined Sunday schedule.
    • General Plan Update has officially kicked off.
    • Bike to Wherever Day activities planned for May 14, 2026, including a tabling event at Newell and Broadway and a bike rodeo at Civic Park.
  • Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 7:47 PM.

Meeting Transcript

All right. Welcome to the Thursday, March 19th, uh, 2026, regular meeting of the Walnut Creek Transportation Commission. Will the Secretary please take a roll call? Uh Student Commissioner Kirsch. Absent. Commissioner Ash. Here. Commissioner Guerrero. Present. Commissioner McMahon. McMahon here. Commissioner Patch. Vice Chair Crowling. Present. All right. Thank you. Okay. Next item is public communications. And this is for items that are not on the agenda. And so I'll just read a little bit of official verbiage. The portion of the meeting is reserved for comment on items not on the agenda. Under the Brown Act, the Commission cannot act on items raised during public communications, but may respond briefly to statements made for questions posed, requested clarifications, or refer the item to our esteemed staff. So I'm opening up. Is there anyone in the room who would like to address the Transportation Commission? We have no members of the public waiting to provide comments. Now how did you know everyone here was not in the public? I didn't know that. I know them. They're all awesome people. That's why. Okay. Thank you very much. All right. We will uh close public communications then. All right. Consent calendar. The only consent item we have is approving the minutes of the January 15th meeting. Before we do that, does anybody on the commission or the audience wish to pull the meetings off of consent as a discussion item? Seeing none. Does anybody on the commission have any edits or corrections to the minutes? Commissioner Ash. I am good. Thanks. Okay. Motion to approve. Don't want to hear if the rest of the commissioners have any edits or corrections. I'm good with my motion. I'd like to ask to delay the motion. I'd like to ask Commissioner Patch if she has any corrections or edits to the meeting minutes. I do not.

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