Alameda CTC Awards $23.4M Greenway Contract as Residents Defend Truck Ban
Commission • Alameda County Transportation CommissionSeptember 24, 2026
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The Alameda County Transportation Commission voted 17-0 on Sept. 24, 2026, to award a $23.4M construction contract for the East Bay Greenway's Oakland North segment, a protected bike corridor between Lake Merritt and Fruitvale BART stations. Bids came in below the engineer's estimate. Six residents also urged the commission to oppose any repeal of the I-580 heavy-truck ban, and the commission settled a lawsuit tied to a $500,000 payment lost to cyber theft.
- $23,425,608 contract to Bay Cities Paving and Grading moves Oakland North Greenway toward construction near year end
- Six residents press commission to defend I-580 truck ban as Caltrans studies the restriction
- Hesperian and Llewellyn boulevards named top priorities in Central County plan; costs still unknown
- $539,500 settlement with Rocky Ridge LLC resolves suit over a payment lost to cyber theft
Greenway's Oakland North Leg Clears Final Vote
The basics: The East Bay Greenway is a regional walking and biking project along the BART corridor. Alameda CTC leads portions of a 16-mile route from Lake Merritt to South Hayward. The roughly 10.6-mile north segment through Oakland and San Leandro is split into four construction packages.
Why it matters: This is the second of four packages to reach construction. It brings protected bike lanes, crossing improvements, street trees and stormwater features to East 10th, East 8th and East 12th streets in Oakland.
"As everyone knows, the East Bay Greenway is a high priority project for our commission," said Commission Chair David Haubert.
Where things stand: Staff member Matthew Bomberg walked through a fast timeline. The package reached ready-to-list status in April. It won grant funding from the state's Solutions for Congested Corridors program in June. The package was advertised July 7, and bids opened Aug. 20.
"Six different bids were received, all of which were closely clustered and below the engineer's estimate," said Bomberg.
Bay Cities Paving and Grading was the lowest responsible and responsive bidder. The firm reported no conflicts under the Levine Act, the state law limiting officials' participation in decisions involving campaign contributors. The contract is in the agency's FY26-27 budget. The San Leandro package was awarded in July.
The other side: No one spoke against the contract, and there was no public comment. Commissioner McCorriston asked whether price was the only difference among bidders: "Were all the contractors pretty tight in their capabilities?" The agency's construction manager, Mike Chan, credited market conditions. "The bidding environment right now is very favorable for bids," he said.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: Commissioner Carroll Fife made the motion, citing the residents along the corridor. "There are a lot of immigrant communities, a lot of senior citizens," she said. Commissioner Jenkins seconded. The motion passed on a roll call vote (For: 17, Against: 0, Absent: 5). The absent commissioners were Nikki Fortunato Bas, Gary Singh, Nate Miley, Jack Balch and Mark Salinas.
The winners are cyclists and pedestrians traveling between two East Oakland BART stations, along with the neighborhoods Fife named. Taxpayers also benefit from a competitive market that pushed bids under estimate.
What's next: Construction is expected to begin near the end of the year. The San Leandro package breaks ground Oct. 14 at 1 p.m., and the chair invited commissioners to attend.
Oakland Residents Ask Commission to Defend I-580 Truck Ban
Why it matters: Caltrans is studying whether to lift the heavy-truck restriction on I-580 through Oakland. Speakers argued that Alameda CTC and Oakland will carry significant weight in the outcome.
Where things stand: Every one of the six non-agenda public commenters addressed the truck ban. Several were organized under the banner of No Big Rigs. The first speaker said a majority of the Oakland City Council and its president oppose repeal. That speaker also read from a state senator's letter: "I do not support lifting the semi-truck restriction on I-580, and I will not author legislation in the state Senate to repeal it."
"Please stand with us. Preserve our Oakland neighborhoods, our quality of life," the speaker said. The speaker also noted that Oakland lacks traffic enforcement.
Public commenter Diane Russell targeted Caltrans' noise model, which she said does not account for echo off the hills. "They only measured noise for an hour," she said.
The study under fire: Another speaker said Caltrans reported impacts as percentages rather than the number of people affected. The speaker said the study skipped safety, maintenance and street-damage costs. The speaker also noted that 2,100 parcels were taken to build I-580, with the truck ban serving as mitigation.
A No Big Rigs researcher said environmental justice questions that commissioners raised in July were never answered. The researcher offered the group's demographic research to the commission.
Public commenter Susan Gilkey, who lives near the freeway, framed the fight as residents versus the trucking industry. She warned of trucking campaign money in the Legislature. "I ask you as public servants to stand for the people and not for the money," she said.
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: The commission took no action and did not respond, because the issue was not on the agenda. The turnout signals organized Oakland opposition before the Caltrans study concludes. Hillside and freeway-adjacent residents sit on one side, and the trucking industry sits on the other.
What's next: No date for the Caltrans study's completion or for commission action was announced.
Central County Plan Puts Hesperian, Llewellyn First
The basics: The Central County Community Connections Plan, known as 4CP, covers parts of San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Ashland, Cherryland, Castro Valley and Hayward between I-880 and Castro Valley BART. A $705,000 Caltrans sustainable transportation planning grant, awarded in 2024, funds the plan.
Why it matters: The plan targets corridors where freeways and creeks divide neighborhoods and where speeds routinely exceed safe levels.
Where things stand: Planning staff member Shannon McCarthy presented the needs findings. "We found that over three quarters of study area streets have speed limits that exceed recommended targets," she said. Staff also found slow buses, bus stops without amenities, corridors in flood zones with little shade, and streets lacking placemaking.
Two rounds of outreach with six community-based organizations produced more than 950 comments and surveys from more than 500 people. Hesperian and Llewellyn boulevards emerged as top priorities. Both sit on the High Injury Network, and together they include six freeway ramp intersections and three underpasses. Alameda CTC has applied for a spot in the 2028 Capital Improvement Program.
Cost is the open question. "We won't have draft cost estimates until we put out the final draft plan," McCarthy told the chair.
The other side: Commissioners pushed for speed rather than raising objections. Vice Chair Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft said Hayward officials are enthusiastic: "This project can't come a minute too soon." Commissioner Juan González III cited safety and conditions on the ground. "We had a fatality on Spring Lake a couple of years ago," he said, adding that "the Llewellyn at 880 underpass is disgusting."
Decisions and stakeholder impacts: This was an information item, so no vote was taken. Unincorporated communities like Ashland and Cherryland, which are often divided by freeway infrastructure, stand to gain the most if funding follows.
What's next: Staff plans a smaller third round of outreach with community-based organizations. Final plan approval is expected in early 2027.
Commission Settles Cyber-Theft Lawsuit for $539,500
After a closed session, the commission reported unanimous approval among members present of a settlement in Rocky Ridge LLC v. Alameda CTC et al. (Superior Court No. 26-CV-17596).
Deal terms: Alameda CTC will pay $500,000 owed to Rocky Ridge under a mitigation agreement. That payment had been stolen through cyber theft. The agency will also pay $39,500 in attorney's fees. In exchange, Rocky Ridge agreed to dismissal with prejudice, mutual releases and reimbursement if it recovers the loss elsewhere. Rocky Ridge will also cooperate in Alameda CTC's lawsuit against its own insurer.
Why it matters: The deal ends the litigation, but the agency is out the money unless its suit against the insurer succeeds. No per-member roll call was announced.
Minor Items
- Consent calendar: Items 6.1 through 6.11 passed with no comment (For: 17, Against: 0, Absent: 5).
- Student Transit Pass: The program now reaches 160 schools and more than 32,000 students, with over 2 million free bus trips last year.
- Construction pipeline: The executive director reported more than $1B in construction this fiscal year. Bids for the first San Pablo Avenue parallel bike project come to the commission in October.
- Independent Watchdog Committee: Chair Damian Park reported 11 of 17 seats filled and Tom Rubin elected vice chair. A subcommittee is drafting a resolution on the committee's scope, and a majority of members feel past projects have not been reviewed critically.
- PAPCO: Chair Sandra J. Johnson reported a July 27 joint meeting with ParaTAC on a mobility needs assessment. The committee meets next on Oct. 26.
Looking ahead: The commission will see San Pablo Avenue bike project bids in October. The San Leandro Greenway groundbreaking is set for Oct. 14.