I-880/SR-92 Reliever Route
Location
Whitesell Street between Breakwater Avenue to Depot Road, Intersection of West Winton Avenue and Hesperian Boulevard, Intersection of Hesperian Boulevard and Middle Lane and Southland Drive
City or County Responsible for Project
City of Hayward
Category
Complete Streets Projects
Author
Yama Farouqi, PE
City of Hayward
777 B Street, Hayward, CA 94541
510-583-4761
Project Description
The I-880/SR-92 Reliever Route project merits the Complete Streets award because it represents an impressive example of how the local community can benefit from more sustainable and forward thinking public transit infrastructure efforts. Located in an industrial area north of State Route 92 and west of Interstate 880 in Hayward, California, many of the streets in this area were constructed with a major emphasis on motor vehicle access only. While the Reliever Route project is intended to greatly improve access for motor vehicles, it also considers pedestrian and bicycle transportation modes, as well as environmental, safety and storm water quality considerations. Impressively, the project integrated bioretention areas that treat storm water runoff from upwards of one centerline mile of roadway. The project’s emphasis on a green and sustainable future achieved a Bay-Friendly Landscaping rating from Rescape California (formerly StopWaste.org) for the use of native and climate appropriate plants for the median islands and sidewalk planters. This represents a milestone in the City’s efforts to treat storm water and naturally filter contaminants of urban water runoff. Emphasizing the City of Hayward’s commitment to complete streets, residents and employees of the local businesses along the project limits now enjoy safe dedicated bicycle lanes and pedestrian walkways, where none existed beforehand. Vehicle traffic now flows through a well-lit, busy corridor with reduced risk to other modes of traffic because the project constructed new 8’ wide class II bike lanes and 4’ wide sidewalks. To provide pedestrians and bicyclists with a buffer from heavy truck traffic and to reduce congestion at the 880/92 interchange, right-of-way was acquired to widen 0.6 miles of Whitesell Street between Breakwater Avenue and Enterprise Avenue and extend Whitesell Street for 0.4 miles from Enterprise Avenue to Depot Road. The multi-modal project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing congestion on I-880, SR-92, and several major arterial streets, including, but not limited to: West Winton Avenue, Clawiter Road, Depot Road, Hesperian Boulevard, and Industrial Boulevard. Traffic signal and intersection improvements were implemented on the West Winton Avenue/Hesperian Boulevard Intersection and the Hesperian Boulevard/Middle Lane/Southland Drive Intersection, that included audible pedestrian push buttons with countdown signals, pedestrian crosswalk improvements and airport warning lights on poles within the Hayward Executive Airport approach zone. Additional key features of the project include: installation of eighty-seven street lights with energy efficient LED lighting, and the installation of one mile of non-potable water line. This non-potable water line originates at the City’s Water Pollution Control Facility and is the initial segment of a system that is intended to provide water for industrial and irrigation uses throughout this portion of the City.
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