Planning Commission backs Bayshore mobility upgrades but rejects proposed road‑diet

The Brisbane Planning Commission on July 23 recommended that the City Council adopt portions of the Bayshore Mobility Plan that improve circulation for the Brisbane Baylands project, but it rejected the plan’s road‑diet lane reductions. Chair Gooding moved the recommendation and the motion passed 4–1 after commissioners debated emergency access, freight movements and feasibility in constrained right‑of‑way segments.

Commissioners and staff focused on which mobility measures were strictly necessary to serve the Baylands and which changes should be studied further at the council or in the development agreement. The commission asked traffic consultants and staff to confirm whether a continuous Class‑1 multiuse path (west side of Bayshore) could be provided without reducing Bayshore from four lanes to two in certain stretches. Traffic consultant Matt Goline told the commission that in the wider segments a sidewalk or path could likely be fitted, while constrained locations would require additional engineering, right‑of‑way acquisition or other tradeoffs.

“On balance I think we can keep two lanes each way and pursue engineering feasibilities for a Class‑1 sidewalk on the west side of Bayshore,” the chair said during deliberations, urging a targeted approach to recommendations to council. Commissioners who opposed the road diet said they feared lane reductions could impair emergency egress and truck access; one commissioner expressed philosophical support for complete‑streets concepts but registered a symbolic no on the motion.

The commission directed staff to revise the draft planning commission resolution to (a) recommend the mobility measures that aid Baylands circulation, (b) exclude the road‑diet lane reduction proposal, and (c) request additional engineering study and council consideration of a citywide approach to providing continuous sidewalks where right‑of‑way permits. The commission recorded the vote as 4 ayes and 1 no and asked staff to transmit the amended resolution with the recommendation to council.