Following Governor Gavin Newsom’s announcement this week of $296 million in Clean California grants to underserved communities throughout the state, Caltrans will locally fund 16 projects in the Bay Area to remove trash, create jobs and engage communities to transform public spaces.
The grants are part of Governor Newsom’s Clean California initiative, a sweeping $1.1 billion, multi-year clean-up effort led by Caltrans to remove trash, create thousands of jobs, and engage communities to transform public spaces.
“The projects include a wide range of community enhancements for cities, counties, transit agencies, and tribal governments to beautify public spaces, such as litter removal, landscaping, and art installations, walking and bike paths, and other complete streets features that enhance safety and access to transportation.
The grants will generate 3,600 jobs statewide, and recipients must complete their projects by June 30, 2024. The Governor’s California Blueprint proposes an additional $100 million to fund another round of Clean California local projects”, said Caltrans District Four Director, Dina El-Tawansy.
Projects located in the Bay Area include:
- Alameda County District Attorney’s Clean Streets Initiative: The Alameda County DA’s office proposes to contract with homeless advocacy nonprofit Downtown Streets Team (DST) to provide continuous litter abatement through un-housed persons at three project areas: two in East Oakland and one in Hayward. One of the most complex challenges in addressing illegal dumping is dumping at or near homeless communities. By employing local unhoused persons to help beautify areas in and around those where they live, and by supporting job creation for the unhoused, this project will clean up areas and help create lasting change.
- Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park – Turtle Garden Project: The Project will convert the existing defunct fountain at Civic Center Park in Downtown Berkeley into a native and drought-tolerant plant pollinator garden with irrigation; install Native-designed bronze turtle and concrete medallion sculptures; install seating on the fountain outer ring; renovate the uneven flagstone terrace; renovate the Peace Wall tiles at the terrace; and install new benches, signage, and trash receptacles. The fountain is currently used as a super-sized public trashcan for trash, human waste, and is a lethal trap for birds. The new garden will be a highly-visible addition to the ten pollinator gardens recently installed in City parks.
- Gourmet Alley and Railroad Street Beautification and Litter Abatement: The project will involve the renovation and beautification of two pedestrian-only alleys in Downtown Gilroy: Gourmet Alley and Railroad Street. The project also involves public clean-up and litter abatement events publicized and facilitated by the City. The proposed litter abatement events will encourage local residents to take stewardship over the renovated alleys.
- Stack Center Site Work and Plaza: This project will demolish existing parking lots, chain-linked fences, and dilapidated structures around a community center. It will then create a new community event plaza, an “eco-island” bio-retention area, tot play yards for an affordable childcare center, reconfigured parking with trees, drought-efficient landscaping, bio-retention, and modern accessibility features. This project will also plant a line of trees on the northeast side to provide an appealing visual barrier to a neighboring commercial property.
- Courtland Creek Restoration The project will restore 140,000 square feet of public parkland including 950 linear feet of urban stream and 1500 linear feet of recreational trail.
- Oakland Mini Parks Beautification: The Project aims to beautify nine mini-parks in Oakland’s underserved communities.
- Living Green Pittsburg – Trail and Community Outreach Project: The project consists of initial kick-off efforts for a citywide “Living Green”. The infrastructure aspect is a pilot green space with bioswales, trees, shading, and a Class I trail that will lead to the transit center.
- Reviving the Heart of Pittsburg Pride: Building on the Railroad Avenue Specific Plan goals, The City of Pittsburg, with community input, designed our ‘Reviving the Heart of Pittsburg Pride’ project honoring our history, diversity, ecology and culture, by implementing landscape and park improvements along a local corridor leading into the historic downtown on Railroad Avenue from Civic Avenue to 10th Street.
- Richmond Communities clean collaborative: Richmond Communities Clean Collaborative consists of 2 Infrastructure projects, The Boorman Park Revitalization Project and the 7th Street Connection Project. Boorman Park was redesigned by the community and will reconstruct an existing park and change the site layout for safety and ease of maintenance. The 7th Street project consists of a sidewalk and bicycle facility gap closure and the transformation of an unpaved alley. The programs will engage and uplift youth, individuals impacted by the social justice system, unhoused neighbors, and other residents through: employment and volunteer service, dumpster days, clean-up and enhancement activities, outreach, and waste reduction education.
- Yellow Brick Road: Clean, Green & Beautiful: This project will clean and beautify the project site, and it will provide necessary place-making elements to complete the community’s vision to create a clean, green, and safe street for biking and walking in the Iron Triangle neighborhood.
- San Pablo Old Town Pocket Park & Illegal Dumping Outreach: This project provides a community benefit and a walkable park at a site that is currently plagued by illegal dumping and other illicit activity. Accessible parks and educational programs are desperately needed in disadvantaged communities, such as San Pablo, to provide healthy spaces for residents to live, work and play.
- The Centennial Tail Outdoor Recreation and Education Enhancement: The Centennial Trail Outdoor Recreation and Education Enhancement Project will improve, enhance and beautify a portion of the Centennial Way Trail trail system by transforming the underutilized land surrounding it into a community park with recreational features and outdoor educational space.
- Lake Dalwigk Park Improvements: This project proposes beautification of Lake Dalwigk Park and enhanced community connection via 11 decorative stamped crosswalks. Elements include 3.8 acres of drought-tolerant landscaping, a replacement pedestrian path; a restroom; a pathway, and park lightings. ADA access to the Curtola Park & Ride facility. Restore a non-ADA-compliant bridge. Replace the sidewalk along Lemon Street with decorative concrete and landscaping. Install monument signs at two locations. Picnic tables, drinking fountains, trash receptacles, and dog waste stations.
- Contra Costa County Illegal Dumping Initiative: This project will renovate Montilvan Park in San Pablo, 6-month Countywide Educational Public Outreach Campaign, 2-year Countywide Graffiti Abatement/ Abandoned and Derelict RV/Boat Abatement, Proper Waste Collection, Prevention and Report Illegal Dumping signage, Countywide Community Clean-Up Event, Wireless high-definition surveillance cameras for illegal dumping hot spot monitoring.
- Cleanup and Beautification of Kashia Tribal Lands: Litter Removal from Stewarts Point Rancheria. 562-acre property used as a dumping group by the surrounding community. Also, will remove a large derelict fence from Kashia Coastal Reserve property north of Salt Point Park on Hwy 1.
- South of Market (SoMa) Transit Gardens Connection Project: This project proposes to convert a highly visible blighted parcel at the 5th St/SR-80 interchange to an active tree nursery and education center. Funded improvements would include ornamental security fences and gates, public art pieces, driveways, and vehicle access, ground surface prep, and electrical and water service. The space would be utilized for growing and storing container plant material and hosting educational efforts.
The local projects announced this week are in addition to the $312 million for 126 beautification projects along the state highway system that were announced last month.
Since launching Clean California in July, Caltrans has removed nearly 7,400 tons of litter from the state highway system – enough to fill 134 Olympic-size swimming pools – and hired 623 new team members as part of Clean California, including 498 maintenance workers who collect litter and remove graffiti.
For a complete list of projects and more information about Clean California, visit CleanCA.com.
