Staff unveils waterfront adaptation concepts focusing on elevated bike/walk spine and phased ‘quick wins’

Timmy Bolton, the city sustainability staff lead, told the Transportation & Circulation Committee that the waterfront adaptation effort is a three‑year, Coastal Commission– and Conservancy‑funded planning program to protect the three‑mile low‑lying shoreline from coastal storms, erosion and sea‑level rise while preserving beach access, boating and habitat. “Our guiding light is to develop practical solutions to address coastal flooding and coastal erosion for at least the next 30 years while enhancing beach access, recreation, boating, and habitat,” Bolton said.

The presentation laid out a three‑tiered approach. Quick wins include restriping to separate bikes and pedestrians from cars, minor drainage fixes and temporary floodproofing. Core measures—described as the foundational responses for the next 30 years—include a raised walking and biking path designed to provide both a safe, continuous circulation facility and a vertical backstop to keep ocean water from flooding inland areas. Future options that would fundamentally change the coast, such as groins, headlands or offshore reefs, were presented as costly,…