Richmond Street has quietly become a test case for street redesign, and residents are feeling the consequences. The city moved forward with dramatic changes — including:
- Reducing on-street parking in multiple blocks, impacting most households for on street parking
- Installing barriers and diverters that restrict local access
- Doing all this without a comprehensive community consensus
Despite months of public comment, emails, and neighborhood meetings, residents’ concerns were minimized or ignored. Feedback about senior accessibility, visitor parking, service vehicles, and overall street safety didn’t meaningfully alter the plan. For many, it feels like the outcome was pre-determined.
What This Means for the Rest of El Cerrito
If you live on Norvell, Elm, Navellier, Ashbury, Colusa, or even smaller connector streets — pay close attention.
The City’s adopted Active Transportation Plan includes similar concepts throughout El Cerrito. What happened to Richmond Street could set the stage for:
- Your block becoming a one-way street
- Your parking eliminated or drastically reduced
- Traffic patterns changing with little input or flexibility
- Increased congestion on nearby streets as drivers reroute
All in the name of “complete streets” — with limited local adaptation or nuance.
The Bigger Issue: Ignoring Public Input
Perhaps the most concerning part of the Richmond Street project wasn’t just the design, but how the decisions were made. Despite vocal, repeated public opposition — including formal letters, petitions, and testimony — the concerns of residents were largely brushed aside.
What’s the point of public engagement if the outcome doesn’t change?
We’ve heard it before: “This isn’t final.” “We’re just piloting.” “It can be adjusted later.” But once infrastructure is poured and policies are adopted, rolling them back is rare. And expensive.
This Affects All of Us
Even if you don’t live on Richmond Street, you should care — because your neighbors do.
If we don’t speak up for each other now, who will speak up when it’s your block next?
What You Can Do:
- Review the Active Transportation Plan for your area
- Contact your City Councilmembers to express concerns
- Attend public meetings and speak out early in the process
- Share what’s happening with your neighbors
This is about transparency, process, and whether El Cerrito remains a community where residents have a meaningful say in how their streets are shaped.
Because if it happened to Richmond Street — it can happen to yours.
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 