The 40th Street Multimodal Project — Seniors vs. Cyclists

active• emeryville

Emeryville's most contested infrastructure project is pitting two of the city's core values — safe active transportation and accessible aging-friendly design — directly against each other. A large portion of the January 20 City Council meeting was dominated by emotional public testimony from residents and family members connected to 1440 By The Bay, an assisted living and retirement community at 1440 40th Street, who urged the city to reconsider elements of the proposed 40th Street Multimodal Project — warning that planned bike and traffic changes could create new safety hazards for seniors, reduce critical loading access for paratransit and emergency vehicles, and potentially violate disability access requirements. The project's CEQA review period ended in early 2026, moving it closer to a final approval decision. Emeryville has been a national leader on active transportation — including the first Bike to Work Day, an extensive greenway network, and a Safe Routes to School program — but the 40th Street project tests whether that commitment holds when it conflicts with the mobility needs of elderly and disabled residents.

Related cause: Traffic / congestion

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