Affluent Bay Area Suburb Adopts New 'Rethinking Mobility' Plan

"The Walnut Creek City Council unanimously approved a five-year transportation strategy plan this week that city officials say will encourage more residents to utilize public transit options in lieu of personal vehicles," reports Eli Walsh.

To reduce automobile trips and congestion in Walnut Creek, the "Rethinking Mobility" plan will leverage the city's location on the BART regional transit system, according to Walsh, along with other non-automobile options like scooters, buses, and ride-hailing services.

The plan comprises 13 goals, including "working with businesses to offer special discounts for transit riders, adding dedicated bus lanes that will cut down peak travel times, adding more amenities for cyclists like bike lockers and public bike repair stations, modifying parking pricing based on location and demand and reducing the number of parking spaces required for new housing developments," reports Walsh.

The approval of the plan was delayed from spring of 2020 due to public health concerns during the pandemic, according to Walsh. But associate city planner Ozzie Arce is quoted in the article saying that the city's outdoor dining program, created to respond to the economic needs of the pandemic, have already accelerated some of the goals of the transportation plan.