Transportation Commission approves grant to better Iron Triangle
on December 13, 2015
The California Transportation Commission approved a $6 million grant for a plan to improve Richmond’s Iron Triangle neighborhood.
Known as the Iron Triangle Yellow Brick Road Walkable Neighborhoods Plan, the project aims to improve streets notorious for high crime and blighted conditions. Pedestrians and bicyclists would get safer, cleaner pathways to schools, parks and churches.
The paths would be marked by stencils of yellow bricks, fulfilling a vision teenagers came up with during a 2008 summer youth program.
City planners made a point to emphasize community involvement, and offered only the initial ideas to get things started. Then, a model was created in the neighborhood to engage residents and spur community involvement in the plan’s design.
The youth went beyond any wooden model or plastic diorama. Potted plants and a tiki statue were placed in the center of one intersection. Crosswalks were painted. While this was going on, the roads remained active, with the AC Transit 76 line moving through a lane marked by orange cones.
The first stage of the planning focused on creating a safe way to get between the Elm Playlot and Peres Elementary School. Now, the funds approved by the commission will go toward making improvements on additional significant routes.
Moving forward, the city hopes to draw additional community input—and funds to pay for more routes.
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To read more about Elm Playlot, click here.
6 Comments
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[…] in partnership with Pogo Park, received a $6.2 million grant in October for the so-called Yellow Brick Road, a project to create safe walking and biking routes in the Iron Triangle. But Maher said Pogo Park […]
Hello Richmond Confidential,
While we deeply appreciate your coverage of this story, your article fails to mention Pogo Park’s critical role in securing this grant for the city of Richmond. Working with transportation engineers Fehr & Peers and the city of Richmond, Pogo Park spent two brutal months writing this 300+ page grant on behalf of the city.
Thank you,
Toody Maher
Executive Director
Agree with the comment above. Pogo was instrumental in getting this grant for the city! Way to go Richmond!
I commend all those involved in securing these funds for the Yellow Brick Road project. I just hope that the City of Richmond does not try to redirect these funds to fix their budget foes, which city officials create. Please be watchful.
[…] Richmond’s Iron Triangle neighborhood gets CTC grant for sidewalks, paths (Richmond Confidential) […]
The city is continuing to improve because people are willing to the heavy lifting. Keep up the good work. Its a shame that so much of the improvement in our city leads to higher rents by absentee landlords.