County officials defend Castro Valley Boulevard restriping as business owners seek more local review

Alameda County public works staff defended recent resurfacing and restriping on Castro Valley Boulevard as a safety‑driven implementation of the county’s bike‑and‑pedestrian master plan, while local business advocates and advisory‑council members urged more notice and a parking study.

“There was adequate off‑street parking afforded by that area that is warranted to put in a class 2 bike lane,” Daniel Wodesenbeth, director of public works, told the Board of Supervisors Transportation Planning Committee during the April 7 meeting, summarizing staff analysis of parking availability and driveway safety along the corridor.

Staff presented block‑by‑block counts showing small, dispersed removals of on‑street parking — including clusters of 9 and 12 spaces near commercial properties and several single‑space impacts near neighborhood businesses — and said much of the demand could be accommodated in nearby lots. The restriping followed a planned resurfacing and, staff said, can be reversed if future conditions justify restoring parking.

Public comment split along expected lines. Several callers and online speakers praised the county for closing a safety gap along a continuous bike route to BART and area schools. “This was a major gap … a big win for everybody,” said a caller who identified himself as a regular cyclist on the corridor.

But the Castro Valley Eden Area Chamber of Commerce and multiple MAC members said local businesses and mobile‑home residents were surprised by the changes and lack of direct outreach. “We have heard from several businesses … that parking has become a concern and that no business knew this was happening beforehand,” said Gary of the Castro Valley Eden Area Chamber of Commerce. Some small retailers and residents asked for the restriping to be reviewed at the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council and for a public hearing on alternatives, including minor stripe adjustments that could restore one or two spaces for affected businesses.

Committee members pressed staff on process. A committee member sought clarity on when resurfacing projects trigger extra public engagement; staff replied that routine overlays are treated as maintenance opportunities to implement the board‑adopted bike master plan, but said Public Works can present upcoming overlays to the Castro Valley MAC and that notices of street overlays are mailed to affected households.

The committee took no formal action because Item 1 was informational, but members directed staff to provide the overlay schedule and to bring future resurfacing/restriping proposals to the Castro Valley MAC for advisory review when impacts are likely to be concentrated in small commercial or residential areas.

Staff also flagged legal and safety constraints they considered in the analysis — including driveway sight lines, fire hydrant access, bus stops and recent daylighting law requirements cited in the presentation — and emphasized the county’s ability to remove striping if parking needs change.

The county did not hold a new county‑level vote on the project during the meeting. Staff said the surfacing and restriping work has been completed in the corridor and that they will evaluate requests from businesses or residents to restore parking on a case‑by‑case basis.