1910 N. Broadway, Walnut Creek
Thanks to those who sent word that the Walnut Creek DMV closed for good last month. According to the East Bay Times a new office will open in Pleasanton and stay tuned for a, “multi-family apartment complex on the lot” in the future. Check out the Concord DMV for a nearby office.
Thanks to everyone who pointed out that the San Mateo-based bikeshare company called LimeBike is now operational at Shadelands in Walnut Creek. One reader sent the above photo at the bus stop on Wiget Lane near Mitchell Drive. Interestingly, it’s dockless so after scanning it from an app it can be dropped off anywhere.
From the Shadelands bike share page:
Dockless bike sharing has rolled into Shadelands with an easy-to-use, high-tech bikeshare program through LimeBike, a San Mateo-based firm that is deploying 500 smart-bikes throughout the 267-acre Shadelands business center enabled with GPS, 3G wireless technology, and self-activating locks.
LimeBike is revolutionizing mobility in Shadelands by empowering people with a fast, healthy, and affordable transportation option. The bicycle has the potential to solve the first and last mile problem in mass transportation, and by utilizing modern mobile technology and a dockless program, LimeBike makes bike sharing universally affordable and available.
The Shadelands Bikeshare Program is free to Shadelands employees. Get ready to hop on: Download the LimeBike app now on your iPhone or Android and sign up with your Shadelands business domain address.
Would you believe me if I said this Vietnam War-era Huey helicopter was parked on Hartz Ave. in downtown Danville?
Avalon, Walnut Creek
The Pleasant Hill BART station leased a corner of the Avalon apartment complex in Walnut Creek directly across from the tracks to put a new self park bike station for 230 bikes which will also offer retail and maintenance services.
From the BART bicycle capital plan:
The bike station at Pleasant Hill will be the first wholly self-park facility to provide retail and maintenance services. It will include a controlled access 230-bike self-park area, which will be accessible 24/7 and an adjacent bike retail/maintenance shop. The retail facility will be staffed each morning, which will also allow bikes to be maintained and parked in the BikeLink area for pick up at the owner’s convenience. BikeLink cards will also be sold there.
Last spring we asked about the impending I-680 express lanes running from Alamo to Dublin and it’s now open and in-effect from 5am – 8pm on weekdays. It’s free for carpools and qualifying clean-air vehicles but a new FasTrak Flex toll tag is required for high occupancy vehicles in which the number of passengers can be set. For solo drivers it will be possible to pay a toll which changes based on traffic conditions. Check out the I-680 express lanes information sheet here. Has anyone had a chance to use the new system? Does it help with traffic? Or does it feel like an additional tax ?
Walnut Creek BART Station
Thanks to a reader for sending word about the new Walnut Creek Transit Village at the Walnut Creek BART station. First up is a new BART parking garage. For more information on the transit village, which will feature 600 apartments plus retails shops and restaurants, click here.
From the project website:
Construction of the new parking garage at BART will begin in September 2017 featuring:
- 900+ parking stalls- 100 more than current capacity
- Upgraded bus facility
- New BART police station
- New passenger drop-off area
- Enhanced bike and pedestrian paths
- Artwork by Dan Corson
Prior to building the new garage, access adjustments will be made to the existing BART parking garage and the North parking lot. During this time, there will be temporary closures of access roads and entrances to the existing garage and parking lots.
The project will add 100 additional parking spaces and improve access and safety for pedestrians, cyclists and buses. There will be no loss of parking during construction.
Thanks to a reader for sending photos of the new high -security bike racks at the Pleasant Hill BART station. Anyone use them yet?
Moraga talked about getting a new Canyon Road bridge connecting Oakland over four years ago and since last month it is now permanently closed due to structural weakness. Is this poor planning or just typical bureaucracy at work?
From the original project:
In May 2013, the Town submitted an application for Federal Highway Bridge Program funding for the bridge replacement and was approved. Following approval from Caltrans, the Town retained a civil engineering consulting firm to provide design, surveying, geotechnical engineering, environmental, and right of way services to the Town. In October 2013, the Town Council awarded a contract to NV5 to provide these services.
A third and final community outreach meeting is anticipated prior to the start of construction to inform the community of the plan for construction staging and to introduce the construction management team, who will be on-site during construction and available for any questions throughout the duration of the project while in construction. Construction is currently scheduled for 2018.
From the new bridge closure page:
On Monday April 17, 2017, Town staff was notified by EBMUD that their engineers had observed conditions that may affect the Canyon Road Bridge. Town staff responded to the bridge and saw a separation of the pavement from the south side of the bridge and soil movement away from a cement abutment at the southeast corner of the bridge.
The bridge reopening timeline is yet to be determined, but could still take months to get all permits approved; stabilization work completed; the existing bridge demolished; and a temporary bridge purchased, delivered, and built.
Let BART help you ring in the New Year! BART will extend service on New Year’s Eve to get you home safely from festivities. BART will run a normal weekday evening service schedule which will extend until 3 am. Trains will run every 20 minutes after midnight with extra trains standing by in downtown San Francisco after the fireworks show.
To further ease platform crowding at our busiest stations, Embarcadero, Montgomery, and West Oakland, beginning at 8 pm, BART will utilize a “skip-stop” train pattern into and out of San Francisco:
Going into San Francisco- After 8pm:
• Trains from the Pittsburg/Bay Point and Richmond lines heading into San Francisco will not stop at Embarcadero Station. The San Francisco stop closest to the fireworks show for customers on the Pittsburg/Bay Point and Richmond lines will be Montgomery Street Station.
After the fireworks end:
• Passengers bound for Pittsburg/Bay Point and Richmond must use Montgomery Street Station. Trains on these lines will not stop at Embarcadero Station on their way out of San Francisco.
Anyone know what’s going on with the temporary orange fences at 680S between Walnut Creek and Danville?
From a reader:
The fences go from Danville to Walnut Creek and in some places are pretty elaborate-like at the Alamo onramp to I-680 South. I can’t figure out why they need these things.
