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Brisbane unveils new public stairway with integrated artwork, funded in part by CCAG
Summary
Brisbane officials and regional CCAG representatives on hand for a morning ribbon-cutting unveiled a new durable stairway connecting San Benito and Alvarado, aimed at improving safe routes to school; the project incorporates mosaic and custom handrails funded with CCAG/TDA Local 3 support.
Brisbane officials on hand at a morning ceremony unveiled a new public stairway that converts a former dirt pathway into an accessible connector between two streets, improving safe routes to school and neighborhood walkability.
"The stairway serves as a vital connection between two streets, improving accessibility and strengthening neighborhood connectivity," said Noreen Leek, Parks and Recreation Director, who opened the event and invited Mayor Colleen Mackin to speak. Leek said the project prioritized safety, long-term usability and an integrated public art element.
Mayor Colleen Mackin called the project "exceptional," praised the combination of public works and public art and thanked the artists and community members who pushed for the project. "This is a legacy project for Brisbane," she said, adding, "Dorothy in Kansas with her yellow brick road she's got nothing on us."
The city credited funding from the City and County Association of Governments (CCAG) following multiple Transportation Development Act (TDA) grant applications. "This project was made possible in part through our TDA Local 3 program," said Stacy Jimenez, vice chair of CCAG, who described the work as an example of local vision paired with regional funding to make walking and biking safer and more connected.
Former council member and past CCAG representative Karen Cunningham described safety concerns that motivated the effort. She said she pressed for a stairway between San Benito and Alvarado to get children off a stretch with no sidewalks and criticized the length of time required to secure funding, calling the delay "bitterly disappointing."
Project delivery also included upgrades beneath the surface: Leek noted critical waterline improvements were completed in advance to ensure the subsurface infrastructure could support the new stairway. She thanked Public Works staff by name for their role and acknowledged Mike Lehi Construction as the lead contractor responsible for construction.
The stairway includes artwork created by mosaicist Angelina Duckett and custom handrails and lighting by Scott and Madeline McGrath of McGrath Arts. Leek invited the artists and members of the Public Art Advisory Committee to the ribbon cutting and framed the installation as a piece that celebrates Brisbane's geography, local flora and community identity.
Organizers invited attendees to walk the stairway, speak with the artists and enjoy refreshments after the ceremony; Leek also said the adjacent street would be reopened shortly to minimize impacts on neighbors.
The unveiling highlighted a multi-year effort using repeated TDA grant applications (2017, 2019 and 2021) and CCAG funding to combine safety and design. City officials encouraged residents to return in bright sunshine to see the art and lighting at their best.
