El Cerrito officials and safety advocates urge CTC to keep State Route 123 repaving on schedule
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Summary
City officials and local advocacy groups told the California Transportation Commission the proposed delay of the State Route 123 (San Pablo Avenue) rehabilitation would risk public safety; speakers described recent collisions, requested more multimodal safety features, and said the city is ready to break ground within six months.
Multiple public commenters at the California Transportation Commission’s Northern SHOP hearing urged Caltrans and the commission not to delay the State Route 123 (San Pablo Avenue) pavement rehabilitation project and said the repaving includes essential safety elements.
Steve Price, a member of the El Cerrito Richmond Annex Walk and Roll advocacy group, said the San Pablo Avenue corridor acts as a barrier to safe non‑motorized travel and asked the state not to delay the SR 123 pavement rehabilitation. 'Please don't delay the State Route 123 pavement rehabilitation project,' Price said, describing the corridor’s effect on travel between El Cerrito and the Richmond Annex and noting the project’s proposed street‑design improvements to slow cars and improve lighting and crossings.
Janet Byron, also representing El Cerrito Richmond Annex Walk and Roll and the county bike/pedestrian advisory committee, recounted a recent collision in which a woman was struck in a marked crosswalk on San Pablo Avenue, later dying after weeks in intensive care. Byron framed the repaving and safety measures as urgent: 'How many more people need to die or be seriously injured before Caltrans does something to slow down traffic on San Pablo Avenue?'
Ethan Nagler, speaking for the city of El Cerrito, said the SR 123 CAPM paving project had been expected to move forward but 'would be delayed under the proposed SHOP reprogramming,' and he urged the commission to proceed because the city is prepared to break ground within six months. Nagler described the project as a foundational safety improvement that aligns with regional plans and complete‑streets policy.
Other commenters addressed broader policy priorities affecting multimodal investments. Kenneth Cowell of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission asked Caltrans to prioritize projects that leverage multiple funding sources so competitive funds are not put at risk by delays. Jared Sanchez, policy director at CalBike, reading a coalition letter from 20+ organizations, said the draft SHOP 'falls well short' of implementing 10‑year complete‑streets and climate targets in the 2025 State Highway System Management Plan and asked the commission to request clearer reporting on exemptions under 'SB 9 60' as presented in the comment.
The hearing record shows strong local advocacy for moving SR 123 forward and for clearer prioritization of multimodal and safety investments in SHOP. The commission did not vote at the informational hearing; it will consider adoption of the 2026 SHOP at its March meeting, at which time the timing of projects such as SR 123 will be further clarified in the commission’s decision.