Emeryville Paid Contractor $818,000 For an Unusable Bike Path

If You Wear Dentures, Don't Use the New Christie Ave Bike Path

Bone Jarringly Bumpy Asphalt: "Meets CalTrans Specs" 

An important heretofore missing bike path section of the Bay Trail through Emeryville has been completed along Christie Avenue earlier this year but City officials admit the path isn't being used as much as they had hoped, probably because of its extremely rough surface as a result of "poor workmanship" by the construction contractor according to the City engineer.  Even though the work was signed off by the City, numerous City staffers and Council members are complaining about the terrible condition of the asphalt there.  Bike East Bay, the premier local bike advocacy group agreed the path is too bumpy and they suggested City Council members consider redoing the path after receiving complaints about it from their members.  However the Tattler has learned the City paid the contractor who built the path, Tiburon based Redwood Engineering, the final payment in full in April and no recourse for a fix or restitution exists at this point. Any additional fixes would have to be born exclusively by the taxpayers said the City engineer.  The Mayor Scott Donahue refused to comment to the Tattler about any plans to repair the path.

The City engineer and head of Public Works, Maurice Kaufman told the Tattler he's not happy with the low quality of the work done by Redwood, "It wasn't the best" he said after he indicated the bumpy surface nonetheless meets CalTrans specifications, still "It would have been nice to have a smoother path" he said.  Mayor Donahue disagreed, "It's a little bit lumpy" he said but he thought it would serve a useful function for bike safety as a speed inhibitor. Leaving that aside, several bicyclers were observed using the street rather than subject themselves to the bone jarring ride along the new bike path recently as the Tattler filmed the experience from a bicyclist's perspective for this story (below).

Redwood Engineering, originally the lowest bidder out of five contractors originally bid $739,125 for the job but bumped up (so to speak) that number by $79,445 due to "unforeseen additional work" bringing the total to $818,570.  After the added costs unforeseen by Redwood Engineering, their bid price ended up being the fourth highest.
The bids delivered to the City listed lowest to highest:
1. Redwood Engineering Construction $739,125  ($818,0570 actually charge to City)
2. Phoenix Electric Company $749,687 
3. Bauman Landscape and Construction $775,846 
4. Sposeto Engineering Inc. $786,460 
5. Ray’s Electric Inc. $913,650

The City received a grant from Alameda County for $550,00 to put towards the job (funds from voter backed Measure B) leaving Emeryville with a bill for $269,000.
The City made the final payment in April but not before Mr Kaufman rode the path himself to check on the quality of the work, "I wish it rode better"" he acknowledged after he approved the last payment.  Regarding the poor workmanship done by Redwood Engineering on the Christie Avenue bike path, the City engineer added, "I wouldn't want them to do another paving job in town".

Emeryville / Bay Bridge Trail Connection Opens

Cal-Trans has opened the first segment of the Bay Trail bike/pedestrian connection over the new Bay Bridge to Treasure Island.  Tomorrow at noon, the final section right up to the bridge itself will be opened. The trail takes off from the western end of the 40th Street Shellmound Bridge across from Ikea.  Walkers and bikers will be able to use the new bridge after a portion of the old bridge blocking the connection is removed, possibly as long as two years from now. Below are photos of the initial section now open.
For more info go to the East Bay Bike Coalition HERE.

The trail has a decomposed granite walking path on the right side and LED lighting. 

Informational signage and benches line the way.  

One leg of the path loops under the 40th / Shellmound Bridge for the benefit
of westbound 40th Street bikers/walkers.  Caltrans originally fought this connection 
in favor of a dangerous at-grade level crossing, covered by the Tattler HERE.

This is what a Democratic super majority in Sacramento looks like.
With a de-fanged Republican Party, we get stuff like this.

Caltrans Plans Dangerous 'At-Grade' Crossing For Bikes/Peds At 40th Street

DOT Overrides Emeryville Bike Committee

State Runs Roughshod

Over Emeryville

After more than a year of careful staff assisted design work, the Emeryville Bike/Pedestrian Committee recently finished their plan to safely link bikers and pedestrians on the Bay Trail to the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge only to have the State swoop in and disqualify the whole design for a cheaper but inherently dangerous link. The committee's plan is safer since one arm of the path sweeps under the 40th Street bridge in order to avoid a dangerous 'at-grade' crossing; mixing high speed vehicles with the bikes and pedestrians. The committee vote was unanimous.

The 40th Street bridge has already seen at least one near fatal bike auto collision and an at-grade crossing as part of what is expected to be a popular bike/ped destination is a certain recipe for more car bike/ped collisions. The dangerous situation is further exacerbated by the fact that Caltrans plans on this crossing of 40th Street at a curving section of roadway with limited visibility.

The Caltrans proposed link will funnel all pedestrians and bicyclists from Emeryville, North Oakland, Berkeley and cities to the north who wish to cross the new Bay Bridge through the at-grade crossing.

After diverting off from Shellmound/40th Street at the contentious crossing, a new path will head south alongside the freeway. From there it will turn west and wind its way through the freeway support columns under the elevated freeway interchange and over some infrequently used railroad tracks before emerging alongside the south side of I-8o. There it will join up with the new bridge slated for completion in 2013. The connection to the Bay Bridge has been in the works for years as a premier part of the not yet completed Bay Trail; a bike/ped path circumnavigating the entire bay.

Caltrans announced the rejection of the Emeryville plan to the Bike/Ped Committee at their regularly scheduled October 4th meeting, citing budgetary concerns for the cheaper albeit more dangerous crossing. Long time committee member Scott Donahue, chagrinned with the Caltrans proposal, spoke for the group, "We as a committee feel that this crossing is unnecessary and dangerous; it will put pedestrians and bicyclists at a safety risk for no reason other than a lack of Bay Area governmental regional planning. Additionally, it will slow down vehicle traffic on 40th/Shellmound".