San Leandro 2050 wants to share our thoughts with the community about why the closure of the damaged section of Lake Chabot Road (LCR) is not only necessary but also a tremendous opportunity for our City.
Lake Chabot Road: Not a Critical Evacuation Route
One common misconception is that LCR is an important evacuation route for Bay O Vista residents. However, a GIS analysis conducted by San Leandro 2050 shows that for nearly all residents in the area, the quickest evacuation path to the Benedict and Estudillo intersection does not involve LCR. For the very few exceptions (3 households), taking an alternative route only adds 300 feet to their journey. It’s important to remember that the real fire risk is the park itself, where most of the burnable fuel exists. In the event of a fire, residents would be moving away from LCR, not toward it.
Creating Space for Walking and Biking: A Growing Need
Our organization has spent four years engaging with the communities of Mulford Gardens, Washington Manor, Davis East & West, and Floresta – areas known for the worst air quality in San Leandro. In these discussions, biking and walking emerged as the top priority for many residents. For some, these are essential for transportation, including commuting to work, while for others, they are a source of recreation and exercise. Both groups deserve more safe spaces to do so.
With 81% of San Leandro’s land covered by impervious surfaces—roads, parking lots, or buildings—residents are hungry for more green spaces. People want places where they can connect with nature, enjoy their community, and escape the noise and isolation of car-centric life. The Estudillo/Chabot Park is already incredibly popular, as is the Chabot Marina Area, and the opportunity to not rebuild LCR is a low-cost way to expand these beloved green spaces. By keeping LCR closed, we are providing much-needed room for bikers and walkers, showing that San Leandro is willing to prioritize the well-being of all its residents.
Spending Public Funds Wisely and Equitably
Another important consideration is how we spend public funds. With limited resources, does it make sense to spend more than an entire year’s budget on rebuilding a road that may very well slide again in the next storm? Do we want to prioritize convenience for a small, well-served group over addressing more pressing needs in underserved communities?
To illustrate this, we’ve compiled data on the number of households living on city streets with poor pavement conditions. The table below shows that a significant portion of San Leandro’s population lives on streets that are categorized as having "red" or "orange" pavement conditions, meaning they are in urgent need of repair.
Why the Permanent Closure of Lake Chabot Road is the Right Move for San Leandro
On behalf of the San Leandro 2050 steering committee, we want to share why the closure of the damaged section of Lake Chabot Road (LCR) is not only necessary but also a tremendous opportunity for our community.
Lake Chabot Road: Not a Critical Evacuation Route
One common misconception is that LCR is an important evacuation route for Bay O Vista residents. However, a GIS analysis conducted by San Leandro 2050 shows that for nearly all residents in the area, the quickest evacuation path to the Benedict and Estudillo intersection does not involve LCR. For the very few exceptions (3 households), taking an alternative route only adds 300 feet to their journey. It’s important to remember that the real fire risk is the park itself, where most of the burnable fuel exists. In the event of a fire, residents would be moving away from LCR, not toward it.
Creating Space for Walking and Biking: A Growing Need
Our organization has spent four years engaging with the communities of Mulford Gardens, Washington Manor, Davis East & West, and Floresta – areas known for the worst air quality in San Leandro. In these discussions, biking and walking emerged as the top priority for many residents. For some, these are essential for transportation, including commuting to work, while for others, they are a source of recreation and exercise. Both groups deserve more safe spaces to do so.
With 81% of San Leandro’s land covered by impervious surfaces—roads, parking lots, or buildings—residents are hungry for more green spaces. People want places where they can connect with nature, enjoy their community, and escape the noise and isolation of car-centric life. The Estudillo/Chabot Park is already incredibly popular, as is the Chabot Marina Area, and the opportunity to not rebuild LCR is a low-cost way to expand these beloved green spaces. By keeping LCR closed, we are providing much-needed room for bikers and walkers, showing that San Leandro is willing to prioritize the well-being of all its residents.
Spending Public Funds Wisely and Equitably
Another important consideration is how we spend public funds. With limited resources, does it make sense to spend more than an entire year’s budget on rebuilding a road that may very well slide again in the next storm? Do we want to prioritize convenience for a small, well-served group over addressing more pressing needs in underserved communities?
To illustrate this, we’ve compiled data on the number of households living on city streets with poor pavement conditions. The table below shows that a significant portion of San Leandro’s population lives on streets that are categorized as having "red" or "orange" pavement conditions, meaning they are in urgent need of repair.
District | Households | Households with Red Pavement | Households with Orange Pavement | Total Households with Red or Orange Pavement | Percentage of Households with Poor Pavement |
Viveros-Walton (D1) | 7,502 | 1,014 | 928 | 1,942 | 26% |
Azevedo (D2) | 6,554 | 1,338 | 1,009 | 2,347 | 36% |
Aguilar (D3) | 6,105 | 1,982 | 814 | 2,796 | 46% |
Simon (D4) | 5,453 | 1,396 | 593 | 1,989 | 36% |
Bowen (D5) | 6,134 | 1,042 | 1,027 | 2,069 | 34% |
Ballew (D6) | 6,560 | 993 | 855 | 1,848 | 28% |
Total | 38,308 | 7,765 | 5,226 | 12,991 | 34% |
This data highlights the importance of ensuring that our funds are used equitably, focusing on repairing streets that serve a much larger portion of our community. The permanent closure of LCR allows us to better prioritize the needs of all San Leandro residents, not just the
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