Contra Costa County proposes new Bike Lanes on Treat Boulevard

Contra Costa County and the City of Walnut Creek are planning to construct bike lanes on Treat Blvd between North Main Street and Jones Road. This $6 million project will carve out bike lanes along 3 blocks of a road with carries over 40 thousand vehicles a day. The proposed project is redundant in that it parallels the existing Canal Trail dedicated to both bicycles and pedestrians which is two blocks South of the proposed path. The Eastern end of the proposed path abuts, but does not connect with, the Iron Horse Trail, which is elevated as it crosses Treat Blvd. leading to the Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Centre BART station. At the West end, the proposed bike lanes offer no dedicated paths either North or Sough along Main Street and only a narrow, unprotected, bike path further West along congested geary Road.

Bike paths are great, but surely $6 million in sparse funds for bike paths could be better employed in other, safer, areas rather than that being proposed. Area biker groups, none-of-which to our knowledge, advocated for this project, are encouraged to suggest a better use for these funds. Those who are concerned with this project's cost and the safety of both bikers and drivers, are encouraged to notify the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, the Mayor of Walnut Creek, District 16 Assembly member Rebecca Bauer-Kahn, District 9 State Senator Timoth Grayson and Congressman Mark deSaulnier.