The City of Pittsburg entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) and Eastern Contra Costa Transit Authority in connection with the development of a high quality rapid transit service to east Contra Costa County. Other cities participating in the MOU include the City of Antioch, City of Brentwood and City of Oakley.
The MOU required that all participating cities create a Ridership Development Plan focused on increasing ridership near the station through development intensity and increased pedestrian and transportation linkages in the area within a ½-mile radius around the proposed eBART station. According to the Agreement, the City of Pittsburg must implement the Ridership plan through the preparation and adoption of a new specific plan.
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) provided a grant totaling approximately $308,000 to complete the Ridership Development Plan, the Railroad Avenue Specific Plan, and related studies.
The General Plan sets forth goals and policies that support the location of an eBART station at the intersection of Railroad Avenue and State Route 4. In addition, the General Plan calls for development of a specific plan for the area surrounding the proposed eBART station that encourages mixed-use activities with extensive pedestrian amenities.
The City hired consultants MIG to develop the Ridership Plan, the Railroad Avenue Specific Plan and the Civic Center Block Master Plan. MIG explored opportunities for transit-oriented development in the study area through intensification of activity and density in the study area and increased pedestrian and alternative transit linkages between the study area and the City.
The final Railroad Avenue Specific Plan inventoried existing conditions within the Planning Area, articulated the community’s vision for the planning area, defined planning principles and development framework for the area, offers land use policies and regulations to guide development and design guidelines, and provides development standards for new development in the area.
The Railroad Avenue Specific Plan was developed through an extensive community engagement that included a Transit-Oriented Development Education Seminar, stakeholder meetings, community meetings, and Planning Commission and City Council Hearings.
