Walnut Creek Transportation Commission Special Meeting – 2050 General Plan Update (October 15, 2026)

The Walnut Creek Transportation Commission held a special meeting on Thursday, October 15, 2026, from 6:00 to 6:59 p.m. in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 1666 N. Main Street, Walnut Creek. The Transportation Commission is an advisory body to the City Council. The meeting was a study session on the 2050 General Plan Update, covering the Mobility Existing Conditions Report, the draft General Plan vision and guiding values, and community feedback received to date. It was for discussion only; no formal action or recommendation was requested or taken. Roll call showed Chair Charles Kreling, Vice Chair Laura Patch, Commissioners Edward Guerrero and Ryan McMahon, and Student Commissioner Adam Zelin present; Commissioner Jared Asch was absent. Chair Kreling left at 6:51 p.m.

Note: The agenda packet lists a different commission membership (Kevin Wilk, Chris Hansel, Danny Milks, Thomas O'Toole, Melissa Ward) than the minutes/transcript roll call (Charles Kreling, Laura Patch, Jared Asch, Edward Guerrero, Ryan McMahon, Adam Zelin). The raw transcript opening says "October 13th, 2026" while the agenda and minutes state October 15, 2026.

Consent Calendar

• None.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Because this was a special meeting, public comments were limited to agenda items and were received during the Commission's consideration of the item.
• Michael Vecchio commented that many mobility report themes—such as improving multimodal connectivity, creating low-stress bike connections, and addressing limited east-west bicycle facilities—were also in the 2025 General Plan adopted about 15 years earlier. He suggested extending the 16-foot multi-use path on the north side of Ygnacio Valley Road east of California to the Einharst Trail, and noted that a five-story building at the southwest corner of Ygnacio Valley Road and Civic could connect to the Iron Horse Trail and BART by crossing Ygnacio Valley Road. A written public comment was also received, provided to the Commission, and posted online as part of the meeting record.

Discussion Items

• Staff and consultants presented the update process and existing conditions. Erika Vandenbrande, Community Development Department Director, introduced the item; Eric Kirkevich, Principal at Alta Planning and Design, presented the draft vision and guiding values; and Sara Chan of Fehr & Peers reviewed the Mobility Existing Conditions Report.
• The previous General Plan 2025 was adopted in 2006 with an emphasis on keeping traffic moving efficiently while expanding walk, bike, and transit networks.
• The draft guiding value on mobility calls for a safe, connected, and accessible mobility network supporting convenient and comfortable travel for all users, including walking, biking, rolling, transit, shared mobility, and driving.
• Demographics: Walnut Creek had about 71,000 residents in 2025, a 4% increase since 2015, and about 33,000 households, a 7% increase; household size is declining. The population of 25- to 34-year-olds grew 31% from 2015 to 2024, while youth declined and older adults increased. The city is becoming more diverse by race and ethnicity; in 2015 about 14% of residents identified as Asian or Pacific Islander.
• Mobility existing conditions: Walnut Creek has about 200 miles of streets; Ygnacio Valley Road and Treat Boulevard are regional routes and are on the high-injury network. Total collisions increased from 2020 to 2024, and killed or seriously injured collisions rose from 6 to 25. Unsafe speed is the leading cause of injury collisions, while DUI and pedestrian-involved collisions are prominent among severe and fatal crashes.
• Commute patterns changed sharply: driving alone fell from about 60% of commutes in 2019 to about 50% in 2024, working from home tripled from about 9% to 30%, transit fell from 19% to 6%, and walking/biking stayed around 4%.
• About a third of all local trips are short enough to walk or bike, and about 30% of car trips by Walnut Creek residents and about 30% of downtown visitor trips are under two miles, yet very few of those trips are walked or biked. About 50% of BART travelers drive alone to the station; about 30% walk or bike to Pleasant Hill Station compared with about 20% to Walnut Creek Station, likely reflecting Iron Horse Trail access.
• The city has over 50 miles of bike facilities, but most are shared lanes and only about one mile is separated bikeway; east-west and low-stress connections into downtown and BART are limited. There are over 240 miles of sidewalks and more than 800 marked crossings, with gaps near some elementary schools and parks. Transit includes two BART stations and County Connection routes, including free Routes 4 and 5 between BART, downtown, and Creekside; highest ridership is at BART/downtown stops and school routes.
• Community feedback themes included improving walkability near centers of activity, improving traffic flow on corridors such as Ygnacio Valley Road, maintaining high-quality infrastructure, improving multimodal and low-stress bike connections, increasing transit ridership, and managing parking and curbside space.
• State law now requires VMT-based transportation impact analysis and, under SB 932, a safe system approach and implementation of identified projects within two years of General Plan adoption. The city also recently adopted a curbside management plan.
• Commissioners asked questions about crash trends despite increased working from home, data collection methods, Ygnacio Valley Road peaking and potential use of spare lane capacity, bike facility usage by type, and the share of residents who work in Walnut Creek. Staff said some data would need follow-up.
• Chair Kreling urged looking at what is behind the data, including school siting, BART design and ridership changes, employers requiring return-to-office, Silicon Valley commutes, and weather-related barriers to walking and biking.
• A commissioner raised concerns about regional transit funding uncertainty and coordination with Concord on signal timing, especially on Treat Boulevard. Another commissioner asked whether Vision Zero has reduced serious crashes; staff said the policy guides project decisions but the recent crash data does not yet show that result.
• Student Commissioner Adam Zelin expressed support for more frequent bus service and transit signal priority, noting Routes 1 and 9 run only once an hour. Another commissioner called for more comfortable and enjoyable travel environments, greater investment in non-auto modes, bike parking that fits modern family bikes, and willingness to try innovative options such as a tram. Another commissioner supported more engagement with residents under 18.
• Vice Chair Patch invited public comment, and commissioners gave their comments to the consultants.

Key Outcomes

• No formal action, vote, or recommendation was taken; the item was a discussion-only study session.
• Staff will use commission comments as the General Plan Update continues. The online feedback form and virtual workshop remain available until October 25, 2026.
• Upcoming milestones: Arts, Planning, and Design Review commission sessions next week; City Council consideration of vision and guiding values on December 15, 2026; next regular Transportation Commission meeting on November 19, 2026.
• Staff indicated they would follow up on data questions, including the number of Walnut Creek residents who work in the city and bicycle facility usage by type.