The City of El Cerrito has released the updated Richmond Street Complete Street Project plan—dated Monday, June 9, 2025—and the implications for neighborhood parking are serious.
Under the proposed plan, 160 of the 247 current on-street parking spaces along Richmond Street will be permanently removed to make way for dedicated bike lanes. Only 88 spaces will remain across 8 blocks, leaving residents and their guests scrambling to find parking—not just on Richmond, but throughout adjacent residential streets.
What’s Changing?
Here’s a block-by-block breakdown of the proposed changes:
| Blocks | Parking Before (West) | Parking Before (East) | Parking After (West) | Parking After (East) | Parking Reduction (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hill St. to Blake St. | 22 | 19 | 15 | 0 | 63% |
| Blake St. to Potrero Ave. | 11 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 70% |
| Potrero Ave. to Gladys Ave. | 14 | 20 | 3 | 13 | 53% |
| Gladys Ave. to Donal Ave. | 17 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 67% |
| Donal Ave. to Manila Ave. | 13 | 14 | 4 | 6 | 63% |
| Manila Ave. to Schmidt Ln. | 19 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 65% |
| Schmidt Ln. to Portola Dr. | 13 | 21 | 0 | 12 | 64% |
| Portola Dr. to Moeser Ln. | 15 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 81% |
| Total | 124 | 123 | 35 | 51 | 65% reduction |
This isn’t just a shift in design—it’s a dramatic reduction in livability for the people who call Richmond Street home.
ACTION NEEDED NOW
The City Council will vote on the plan in July. The **next—and potentially last—chance to speak out is at the Council meeting on:
📅 Tuesday, June 17, 2025
🕕 6:00 PM (arrive by 5:45 PM to sign up)
📍 El Cerrito City Hall, 10890 San Pablo Avenue
🚨 Your voice matters. Whether you’ve spoken at Council meetings before or not, now is the time to show up. Prepared remarks (2–3 minutes) are recommended. The Richmond Street Neighbors Association will be there and can help coordinate if you’d like to attend with others.
El Cerrito residents deserve infrastructure improvements that serve everyone—not solutions that worsen parking shortages and force existing residents to bear the brunt of poor planning.
We urge you: show up, speak up, and stand up for your neighborhood.
See you June 17 at 6 PM. LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD.
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 