Advocacy

Advocacy

Walk Bike Walnut Creek advocates for streets where walking, biking, rolling, and taking transit are safe, practical, and normal ways to get around.

Outcomes

  • Safe streets: No one should be killed or seriously injured while walking, biking, rolling, taking transit, or driving in Walnut Creek.
  • Useful everyday mobility: People should be able to reach schools, parks, BART, downtown, errands, jobs, medical appointments, and after-school activities without needing a car for every trip.
  • Safe routes for kids, seniors, and disabled residents: The people most exposed to unsafe streets should be centered in street design.
  • A thriving downtown: Downtown should be calmer, safer, more walkable, and better connected to BART, trails, shops, restaurants, and public life.
  • Cleaner, healthier neighborhoods: More walking and biking means less traffic stress, less noise, cleaner air, and healthier residents.

Campaigns

Fix Walnut Creek's Most Dangerous Streets

Walnut Creek should focus first on the corridors where crashes are most likely to kill or seriously injure people. Safety should come from street design: slower speeds, better crossings, better visibility, and enforcement tools where physical design alone is not enough.

  • Fund physical safety improvements on the High Injury Network.
  • Add lighting, raised crossings, bulb-outs, median refuges, and traffic calming where risk is highest.
  • Use automated enforcement where legally available.
  • Use targeted police enforcement on high-injury roads and trails.
  • Treat Ygnacio Valley Road as an urgent safety corridor.

Projects

Targeted Police Traffic Safety Enforcement

Focus police traffic enforcement where dangerous behavior puts people walking and biking at the greatest risk.

Cost
Low
Responsible agencies
City of Walnut Creek, East Bay Regional Park District

Walnut Creek should use targeted, visible police traffic enforcement on Ygnacio Valley Road and other high-injury roads, including speed traps where speeding is a recurring safety problem.

Enforcement should also cover the Iron Horse and Canal trails, especially people riding electric or gas-powered motorcycles where they put people walking and biking at risk.

Add Red Light Cameras at Ygnacio Valley Road and Walnut Boulevard

Reduce red-light running next to one of Walnut Creek's largest middle school campuses.

Cost
Medium
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

This intersection is directly adjacent to Walnut Creek Intermediate. Impatient drivers frequently run the red light, putting students, families, district staff, and other bystanders at risk.

Join the Statewide Speed Camera Pilot Program

Use automated speed enforcement to reduce dangerous speeding on Walnut Creek's deadliest streets.

Cost
Low
Responsible agency
California Legislature

Speed cameras are legal in six California cities and have resulted in massive reductions in excessive speed. SFMTA reported speeding is down 79% at intersections covered by the pilot program in April 2026.

During the last 10 years, 30% of Walnut Creek's traffic deaths and injuries have happened specifically on Ygnacio Valley Road, and speeding is the biggest contributing factor. Automated speed enforcement would give the city a 24-hour tool for reducing dangerous speeds on its highest-risk corridors.

Fund High Injury Network Safety Improvements

Move Walnut Creek's highest-risk safety corridors from plans into funded design and construction.

Cost
High
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

The city should fully fund and construct physical traffic calming on the High Injury Network corridors: Ygnacio Valley Road, Civic Drive, Broadway, California Boulevard, and Mt. Diablo Boulevard.

Treatments should include speed tables, raised crosswalks, bulb-outs, median refuges, hardened centerlines, safer crossings, and related improvements that reduce crash risk through street design.

Improve Lighting on Dangerous Corridors

Make people walking and biking more visible at night on Walnut Creek's most dangerous streets.

Cost
Medium
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek should install high-visibility intersection lighting and pedestrian-scale segment lighting across the highest-risk corridors, especially where nighttime crashes and poor visibility are recurring problems.

Designate Safety Corridors

Formally identify the city's highest-risk roads so safety improvements and enforcement can focus where they are most needed.

Cost
Low
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek should formally designate and sign safety corridors on high-risk roads. Safety corridor designation can help communicate risk, focus traffic safety work, and unlock tools such as doubled fines where allowed.

Implement Speed-Sensitive Signals

Use signal timing to discourage dangerous speeding during off-peak and nighttime hours.

Cost
Medium
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek should evaluate reprogramming traffic lights on major arterials to rest in red during off-peak and nighttime hours. Drivers traveling at safe speeds could receive a green phase, while speeding drivers would be forced to slow down.

Complete Safe Routes to School and Neighborhood Sidewalks

People should be able to walk safely in their own neighborhoods, especially near schools, parks, apartments, senior housing, medical offices, and transit stops. Missing sidewalks and unsafe crossings turn basic trips into car trips.

  • Audit and prioritize sidewalk gaps near schools and everyday destinations.
  • Build the highest-risk missing sidewalk segments.
  • Add safer crossings where people already need to cross.
  • Help residents and neighborhoods navigate sidewalk design, funding, and permitting.

Projects

Build a Sidewalk on San Miguel Drive Between Milton and Margaret

Fill the most dangerous gap between the San Miguel CDP, Murwood, and the Iron Horse Trail.

Cost
High
Responsible agency
Contra Costa County

This stretch has no shoulder, frequent car traffic, and blind corners at either end. A continuous sidewalk would make a basic neighborhood trip feel possible on foot.

All of the people who live in the red area would use this sidewalk to get to Murwood Elementary or downtown.

San Miguel Drive lacks a continuous sidewalk on either side.
Homes in the red area would use this sidewalk to reach Murwood Elementary and downtown.
Add a Crosswalk at San Miguel Drive and Newell Hill Place

Create a safer crossing near apartments, doctors' offices, senior housing, and school walking routes.

Cost
Medium
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

There are a lot of apartments, doctors' offices, kids walking to school, and a senior living facility in the vicinity of this intersection, but the nearest marked crosswalk is 400 feet downhill with no sidewalk.

Revolving Loan Program for Sidewalk Improvements

Help homeowners pay for sidewalk construction with low-cost city loans secured by a property-tax lien, recycling repayments into the next sidewalk.

Cost
Medium
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

Lack of capital is a key constraint preventing the construction of new infrastructure that everyone can benefit from. The city is in a unique position because it can borrow money for about 4% per year, and has a longer time horizon than most homeowners.

Imagine if someone wanted to build a sidewalk, and Walnut Creek could loan them up to $20,000. The loan would be secured through a property tax lien, and repayable over 15 years (about $1900 per year).

The nice thing about a program like this is it pays for itself - over time, you can finance new loans through the payment streams you are getting from your existing loans.

There is a lot of precedent - Central San offers a $12,500 loan to homeowners to replace their sewer lateral, secured by a 15 year lien.

One of many road shoulders that could benefit from a sidewalk.
City Coordination for Sidewalk Design

Help homeowners and neighborhoods get practical design guidance before building sidewalk improvements.

Cost
Medium
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

The city is able to build infrastructure for a reasonable cost by employing people with experience designing infrastructure, and also pooling discrete, small projects together to attract many bidders. This also helps bidders keep costs down by ensuring that crews and concrete trucks do not get wasted on a small, half-day or half-truck project.

The city could help provide design feedback to homeowners looking to build infrastructure improvements in the right of way:

  • Cost feedback - how much does a 4 foot wide sidewalk cost per square foot? A catch basin? Drain pipe under the sidewalk, how big, what material, roughly how expensive?
  • Design feedback - what choices in the design drive up cost? What can be value engineered, removed, or changed to keep costs down?

Finally, the city could pool interested homeowners once a year, and help them put their projects out for bid together. This could attract a wider pool of bidders at more competitive prices.

Recently, the city had lots of success with a liaison for outdoor dining improvements - a dedicated staffer to answer questions about the process and permitting. It would be great to implement a similar program for sidewalk improvements.

Upgrade Unsignalized School-Area Crossings

Make school-area crossings safer where kids and families need to cross without a traffic signal.

Cost
Medium
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek should install Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons, high visibility crosswalks, advance stop bars, daylighting, and other crossing improvements near schools where warranted.

Build a Low-Stress Bike Network

Biking should not require bravery. Walnut Creek needs routes that normal people can use comfortably: kids, families, commuters, downtown visitors, and people connecting to BART or the Iron Horse Trail.

  • Build connected low-stress bike routes between neighborhoods, schools, downtown, BART, parks, and trails.
  • Use protected bikeways or shared-use paths on higher-speed streets.
  • Designate slower neighborhood streets as Class III bike routes, with bike route signs and sharrows where they help make the network legible.
  • Update the city's bike plan so Walnut Creek has shared priorities and stronger grant applications.

Projects

Designate Walnut Boulevard and Other Slow Streets as Class III Bike Routes

Make slower streets near downtown and schools legible as comfortable bike routes.

Cost
Medium
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek should identify slower streets such as Walnut Boulevard and other school- and downtown-adjacent routes as Class III bike routes. Bike route signs, pavement markings, and sharrows can help people find lower-stress streets and make the bike network easier to understand.

This should be treated as a connected network project, not a one-off sign request. The goal is to give people clear alternatives to higher-speed arterials when biking to schools, downtown, parks, BART, and trails.

Create Low-Stress North-South and East-West Bike Routes Through Downtown

Give people biking a simple, predictable way to reach downtown destinations without mixing with fast traffic.

Cost
High
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

Today, there is not an easy way to get to downtown destinations by bike. The bike lane on California Avenue is sandwiched between parked cars and two lanes of 35 mph traffic, and Broadway Plaza recently banned bikes on its low-stress roads.

One designated low-stress route through downtown, in each direction, would make the network legible for everyday trips, and substantially simplify BART access.

Potential low-stress routes across downtown Walnut Creek.
Low-Stress Bike Path South of Ygnacio Valley Road

Connect southeast Walnut Creek neighborhoods to Shadelands, the hospital area, parks, restaurants, and after-school programs.

Cost
High
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

As the crow flies, Shadelands - home to kids activities, a brewery, restaurants, and other amenities - is about a 15-minute bike ride from the San Miguel and Walnut Heights neighborhoods. In practice, parents and kids often only feel comfortable making the trip by car. Ygnacio Valley Road is a frequent source of traffic complaints for residents and many trips just do not happen as a result.

There are no paved paths crossing the red lines on the map, which means trips from southeast Walnut Creek to Shadelands or the hospital area require long detours on roads that frequently lack a shoulder.

There are no paved paths that intersect any of these red lines.
Update the City's Bike Plan

Align Walnut Creek around biking priorities and make the city more competitive for grants.

Cost
Medium
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek's bike plan has not been updated since 2011. An updated plan is crucial for planning future infrastructure improvements - for example, a low-stress route through downtown, or a route linking Shadelands to southeast Walnut Creek.

Some grant applications also require an updated bike plan as a condition of funding, so the current plan limits the city's ability to compete for regional, state, and federal dollars.

Build a Two-Way Protected Bike Lane on Rudgear Road

Create a low-stress route from Broadway to Vanderslice for people traveling between San Miguel, Walnut Heights, and the Iron Horse Trail.

Cost
High
Responsible agencies
City of Walnut Creek, Caltrans

Rudgear is a key connection for anyone who lives in the San Miguel CDP and wants to reach the Iron Horse Trail. Today, the route forces riders into stressful crossings, curb gaps, and fast turning traffic.

  • There is no curb cut at Bishop Lane for sidewalk riders.
  • Cars turning left from Rudgear onto side streets often travel at high speeds.
  • Eastbound riders have to cross at the park and ride, then cross back across three lanes of traffic.

Rudgear Road is very wide. One possible configuration keeps four driving and turning lanes, a parking lane, and two bike lanes within 72 feet of right-of-way; the road itself is roughly 75 to 80 feet wide.

Concept rendering of a two-way protected bike lane.
Example cross-section showing how the street could fit bike lanes.
Add Automatic Bike and Pedestrian Detection at Iron Horse Trail and Mt. Diablo Boulevard

Give trail users an automatic call phase at one of the busiest trail crossings in Walnut Creek.

Cost
Medium
Responsible agencies
City of Walnut Creek, East Bay Regional Park District

Walnut Creek already uses automatic detection for approaching pedestrians and bicyclists at Walden Road and Hillgrade Avenue. The same treatment would be useful at Mt. Diablo Boulevard.

The center median used to have a pedestrian crossing sign, but it was destroyed by a car and has not been replaced.

The Mt. Diablo crossing today - the center median's pedestrian crossing sign is missing.
Add a Bikes OK Sign at Milton Avenue and San Miguel Drive

Clarify that people biking may legally use the existing gap where cars are banned from turning from San Miguel Drive onto Milton Avenue.

Cost
Low
Responsible agency
Contra Costa County

There is a sign banning cars from turning from San Miguel onto Milton. While a wide gap exists for pedestrians and cyclists, no signage indicates it is a legal turn. As a result, Google Maps and other tools encourage cyclists to take Rudgear, which has more traffic and higher vehicle speeds.

County staff indicated they could not put a sign here, but California MUTCD section 9B.02 indicates that an EXCEPT BICYCLES sign can be placed underneath DO NOT ENTER signage.

The Milton/San Miguel intersection where an EXCEPT BICYCLES sign could go.

Make Downtown Safer, Calmer, and More Walkable

Downtown should be Walnut Creek's most walkable place. It should be easy to reach from BART, comfortable for families and seniors, good for restaurants and shops, and safe for people crossing streets or arriving by bike.

  • Improve the walk and bike connection between BART and downtown.
  • Add pedestrian-first signal timing and restrict dangerous turns where needed.
  • Remove or redesign high-conflict slip lanes.
  • Create people-centered downtown streets and public spaces.

Projects

Better BART to Downtown Connectivity

Make the trip between Walnut Creek BART and downtown obvious, comfortable, and safe.

Cost
Medium
Responsible agencies
City of Walnut Creek, BART

Walnut Creek BART is close to downtown, but the connection can still feel fragmented, uncomfortable, or unclear. There is practically no nice way to walk or bike from the station into downtown today. The city should improve crossings, wayfinding, bike access, lighting, and the walking environment between the station and downtown destinations.

Better BART-to-downtown connectivity would help residents, workers, visitors, and transit riders reach shops, restaurants, offices, events, and housing without needing a car for the last mile.

Turn a Block of Locust Street Into a Downtown Promenade

Create a car-free downtown block for walking, biking, outdoor dining, and public life.

Cost
Medium
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek should study turning one block of Locust Street into a downtown promenade where people walking and biking have priority and cars are not allowed through.

Restaurants and cafes could use more of the street for tables and chairs, with room for a small play space where kids can stay busy while adults sit nearby. The goal is a lively downtown street that supports local businesses and gives families a comfortable public place to spend time.

Add Leading Pedestrian Intervals and No Turn on Red Downtown

Give people walking a head start and reduce conflicts with turning vehicles.

Cost
Low
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek should implement Leading Pedestrian Intervals and No Turn on Red restrictions at signalized intersections in the downtown core where turning conflicts create recurring risk.

Eliminate or Redesign High-Risk Slip Lanes

Remove or redesign downtown turn lanes that create high-conflict crossings.

Cost
Medium
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek should audit downtown slip lanes and physically close or redesign the highest-conflict locations. Slip lanes can encourage fast turns and make crossings longer and less predictable for people walking and biking.

Improve Downtown Crossing Lighting and Visibility

Make downtown pedestrians easier to see, especially at night.

Cost
Medium
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

Downtown crossings should have strong visibility, clear pedestrian waiting areas, and lighting that helps drivers see people in and near crosswalks.

Make Safe Street Delivery the Default

Walnut Creek should not need to refight the same safety conversation project by project. City policy, planning, paving, budgeting, and grant work should make safer street design the normal outcome.

  • Make Safe System design the baseline for street projects.
  • Include walking and biking improvements in repaving and capital projects.
  • Publish project status so residents can see what is proposed, funded, designed, or under construction.
  • Coordinate across the City, County, Caltrans, East Bay Regional Park District, BART, and state agencies.

Projects

Adopt Safe System Design as the Default

Require Walnut Creek street projects to start from the city's adopted Safe System approach.

Cost
Low
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek should use its adopted Safe System approach as the baseline for future roadway and street design projects. Safety should be designed into the street rather than depending on perfect behavior from drivers, pedestrians, or cyclists.

Adopt Protected Bike Infrastructure by Default

Make protected bikeways or shared-use paths the expected treatment on appropriate arterial projects.

Cost
Low
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek should adopt rules requiring Class IV separated bikeways or shared-use paths on arterial repaving and redesign projects where traffic speed and volume make painted bike lanes insufficient.

Track and Publish Project Delivery Status

Let residents see whether safety projects are proposed, funded, designed, under construction, or completed.

Cost
Low
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek should publish clear project status categories so residents can understand what is proposed, being studied, funded, designed, under construction, or completed without digging through staff reports.

Fund Local Road Safety Plan Priorities

Move adopted safety priorities into budgets, grants, design, and construction.

Cost
High
Responsible agency
City of Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek should fund the Local Road Safety Plan's priority projects and include walking, biking, and traffic safety upgrades in routine paving, maintenance, and capital projects.