The Cherry Street Class IV Separated Bikeways Project is ranked in Newark’s Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan as one of the five highest priority bicycle safety improvement projects for the City.  With anticipated completion in Fall 2023, the Project will add key bicycle safety improvements to Newark’s primary north-south corridor in the southern half of the City and upgrade a vital link in Newark’s bicycle network.

During community outreach for the Master Plan, Cherry Street was identified as a key north-south bicycle corridor with elevated traffic stress levels due to high vehicle speeds and truck volumes, and a lack of protected space for bicyclists.  The Project will upgrade existing bike lanes on Cherry Street between Central Avenue and Stevenson Boulevard to new Class IV separated bikeways.  Class IV separated bikeways differ from the existing Class II bike lanes in that they provide a horizontal buffer between the bike lane and adjacent traffic lane while also introducing a physical vertical element, flexible bollard posts in this case, to further minimize interactions between bicyclists and vehicles.  Safety improvements will also be installed at each intersection on Cherry Street by incorporating automatic bicycle detection and the high visibility “green” pavement markings that have become familiar throughout the Bay Area. 

The Cherry Street Class IV Separated Bikeways Project is partially funded by Measure B, the County half-cent sales tax renewed by voters in 2000, and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s (BAAQMD) Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA), a $4 surcharge on registered vehicles that provides funding to eligible projects which reduce motor vehicle emissions.  Both transportation funding programs are administered by the Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC). 

Questions about the project may be sent to Mr. Jayson Imai, Assistant City Engineer, at (510) 578-4671 or by e-mail at jayson.imai@newark.org.  For further information on Measure B and TFCA projects and programs, please visit the Alameda CTC website at www.alamedactc.org or the BAAQMD at www.baaqmd.gov.