Pinole officials discuss Complete Streets approach, traffic calming and senior-crossing concerns

Public Works Director Heba El Gindi presented a Complete Streets overview to the Pinole City Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee on June 11, saying the approach “considers the mobility needs of all roadway users, including people who walk, cycle, scoot, ride transit, and drive in a safe and equitable manner.”

The presentation explained why Complete Streets matter: they prioritize safety and access for all modes rather than designing streets solely to move vehicles. El Gindi used national and regional examples to show sidewalks, protected bike lanes, mobility hubs and quick-build traffic-calming measures that cities have used to change travel behavior.

El Gindi emphasized speed’s effect on safety during the presentation. She cited stopping distances and pedestrian fatality risk to illustrate trade-offs: at 40 mph a vehicle’s stopping distance and risk to pedestrians are substantially higher than at 20 mph. “For a vehicle traveling at 40 miles per hour, the chance of having pedestrian fatality is 80 percent, while it goes to about 10 percent if the vehicle is traveling at 20 miles per hour,” she said while displaying supporting graphics.

The committee heard that the CIP includes an annual traffic-calming program budgeted at about $200,000 in the first year for implementation of chokers, traffic circles, bulb-outs, speed humps and pavement-marking solutions. El Gindi said many traffic-calming measures are “easily implementable” as quick-build projects and that the city will pursue bundling opportunities with pavement rehabilitation and lighting programs.

During public comment, Officer Eubanks raised safety concerns near the new senior center on San Pablo Avenue at Roble Crossing. Eubanks said two residents told him they “felt like they were going to be hit by a vehicle when crossing from the new senior center on San Pablo Avenue.” He asked the city to consider “a very high visibility sidewalk that has flashing lights” or a pedestrian-activated crossing and suggested the city consider whether a HAWK (pedestrian hybrid beacon) might be appropriate depending on cost and warrants. El Gindi responded that staff would look into the crossing and whether a signal or other crossing treatment is warranted.

Eubanks also asked whether the protected-left-turn signal type used at Pinal Valley Road and San Pablo Avenue could be applied at San Pablo and Tennant, where left-turn conflicts and pedestrian-vehicle collisions have occurred. El Gindi said the signal phasing, queue lengths and right-of-way constraints would need review and that a protected phase may be feasible if traffic operations allow it.

Committee members expressed broad support for Complete Streets and for prioritizing traffic calming in neighborhood areas, near schools and senior facilities. The committee also asked for documentation that specific bottlenecks—such as a narrow northbound segment of Pinal Valley Road between Helena and Granada where a lane narrows to under 10 feet on a blind curve—will be included in corridor designs; El Gindi said that segment will be addressed in corridor-level complete-street design work.

El Gindi said the city is pursuing design guidance and federal grants (including Safe Streets for All) to support the complete-streets program and that some items—such as Safe Routes to Schools—are scheduled to start in fiscal year 2026–27 because Measure S funds are being minimized in year one.

The committee did not take formal votes on implementation details at the meeting; staff were directed to evaluate crossings, signal phasing and design approaches and return with more detailed proposals and community outreach plans for priority corridors.