The City of Emeryville developed the 40th Street Concept Plan to improve conditions for bus riders, pedestrians, and cyclists. The Project will reduce travel time for buses by creating bus-only lanes in both directions along 40th Street. A two-way separated bikeway on the north side of the street will improve access and safety for cyclists. It will also provide bicycle and pedestrian intersection improvements, bus stop passenger boarding areas, and streetscaping including green infrastructure (natural storm water treatment) and public art.

On March 3, 2020, the Council approved the 40th and San Pablo Bus Hub Project Final Report and added items to the approval resolution for consideration in the final engineering design phase.

In 2021, the City received $3,174,000 for the Design Phase from Alameda CTC for transit improvements and from the statewide Active Transportation Program for pedestrian and bicycle improvements.

In 2022, the City received $3,800,000 from the statewide Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program for construction of a transportation project to support infill and compact development that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In May 2023, the City received notice that they will be awarded $8,376,000 from Alameda CTC's Comprehensive Investment Program 2024 which covers the remaining construction funding gap for the Part 1 portion of the Project.

Since the initial approval in 2020, the Council has considered and approved, in concept, certain modifications to the plan. At the July 18, 2023 City Council Meeting, the City Council approved the concept of closing the unsignalized intersections of Hubbard Street and Haven Street on the north side of 40th Street, and the concept of partial closures at the unsignalized intersections of Holden Street and Watts Street on the north side of 40^th Street as a part of the 40th Street Multimodal Project. The partial closures allow right-turn access from 40^th Street to Holden and Watts, and no right turns from these streets to 40^th Street. These concepts have been developed into final design plans with traffic and safety analysis that supports the proposed closures.

The Traffic Analysis for 40th Street Multimodal Project Part 1 (link here) describes the impacts and safety benefits of the full and partial closures. A Traffic Analysis has also been prepared for 40th Street Multimodal Project Part 2 (link here), along Shellmound Street, between the IKEA entry and Christie Avenue.

On 40th Street between San Pablo Avenue and Adeline Street a centralized bus hub area on both sides of the street will facilitate transfers by transit riders using the buses that travel along 40th Street as well as those that stop nearby on San Pablo Avenue. Like the stops to the west along 40th Street, the sidewalk on the south will be widened and the north side will have a long transit island between the two-way bikeway and the dedicated bus lane. This will provide space for multiple shelters, pedestrian-scaled lighting, and bicycle parking. Wayfinding signs, other transit signs, and transit kiosks will help people who are not familiar with the transit service to find connections and get on buses that will take them where they want to go, as well as find their way to walk to nearby destinations.

The median on 40^th Street extends through the unsignalized side streets of Hubbard, Holden, Haven, and Watts. Currently, these streets have access to and from the west bound lanes on 40^th Street. The Project proposes to limit motor vehicle access to and from 40th Street, except for emergency vehicles. By restricting side street access, potential conflicts between turning vehicles and pedestrians, cyclists, or buses are minimized, which reduces the risk of collisions and injuries. Likewise, less intersection stops for bus and bicycle traffic will help to maintain the continuity and speed of buses and bicycles, allowing for faster and more predictable travel times. For motor vehicles, the expanded Traffic Analysis findings show an overall delay of 55 seconds or less along 40^th Street during the weekday PM peak hour with the Project, including unsignalized side street modifications.

These improvements will make walking, cycling, and taking transit more attractive, helping Emeryville achieve its climate change, air quality, and collision reduction goals.

On Holden and Watts Streets, westbound traffic, including large trucks will maintain access to those side streets from 40^th Street. Park Street access remains unchanged.

On Hubbard and Haven Streets, the intersection between each block segment and 40th Street will be closed, except for emergency vehicles. Access from Park Street will remain open.

These changes will affect how residents, customers, deliveries, and other users access sites along these side streets and the surrounding areas to the north. Full access will be maintained from signalized intersections north to Park Avenue and from the north along 45th Street via Horton and Hollis Streets.

The Traffic Analysis further shows that the operations along Park Avenue and Hollis Street would have the same delay of 20 seconds or less whether or not the 40^th Street Multimodal Project includes the proposed partial and full closures along 40^th Street.

Additionally, the closures create an opportunity to repurpose the ends of the streets north of 40^th Street into new community gathering or green space with landscape and trees that visually buffer the streets and adjacent uses from high levels of activity along 40^th Street as well as create the opportunity to manage and improve the water quality of storm-water runoff.

The Project Team engaged with nearby businesses and residents to collaborate on these proposed changes. For instance, through discussions with residents along Haven Street, the proposed closure design reflects community input to provide for residents’ open space and informal meeting space desires. While the designs of the partial closures are limited to new landscaping given input from surrounding businesses..

A small plaza with seating and pedestrian amenities will provide a meeting spot and improved access point to the Bay Trail will be built to the southeast of the southern Ikea entry.