Milpas Street Crosswalk Safety and Sidewalk Widening Project

The Project includes the following safety enhancements: new curb extensions, high visibility crosswalks, additional lighting, accessibility improvements, widened sidewalks at street corners and transit stops, leading pedestrian intervals at signalized intersections, mast arm mounted Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons, and a median refuge island at one non-signalized intersection. Three-foot-wide buffers will be added to the existing bike lanes between Cota and Canon Perdido Streets to improve cyclist safety, and additional bicycle parking on Milpas Street will improve cyclist access.

Milpas Street is a busy arterial street in the Eastside neighborhood with five lanes of traffic carrying over 23,000 vehicles per day. Milpas ranks #2 in the City for the highest number of pedestrian-involved collisions. As a result, City Council designated Milpas as a Vision Zero Priority Corridor. 

In 2016, the community advocated for a bicycle boulevard parallel to Milpas along Alisos Street for neighborhood cycling mobility. In 2019, the City returned to the Eastside to receive feedback on the walking experience on Milpas. In 2019 and 2020, the City worked with the community to develop a project scope to addresses concerns.  

The City applied for an ATP Cycle 6 grant for the Milpas Street Crosswalk Safety and Sidewalk Widening Project (Project) in 2022 and was successful, with nearly $8 million awarded to the City for final design and construction. 

Design and environmental review commences in 2023 with construction anticipated to begin in 2027. 

Surveys
The City recently hosted both online (video recording) and in-person community engagement meetings for the Milpas Street Crosswalk Safety and Sidewalk Widening Project (see below). We sought the community's feedback via a survey early November 2024 on design preferences. Here are the survey results:

We value your input in shaping the future of this vital corridor!

Community Meetings

The most recent public meetings were held online on October 15, 2024, and in person at Franklin Elementary on October 17, 2024. To learn more about the Project, click here to watch the webinar recording.  

Click here to review the presentation from the meeting. 

Past public meetings took place on October 4, 2023, and October 18, 2023, to review the project scope from the awarded Active Transportation Grant. Click here to view the webinar recording of October 4, 2023. 

Additional community meetings for this project were held online on February 16, 2022, and in person at the Franklin Neighborhood Center on February 19, 2022. Click here to view the webinar recording of February 16, 2022. 

• Perspective Renderings for Milpas Street Crosswalk Safety and Sidewalk Widening Project
• Strip Map Plan for Milpas Street Crosswalk Safety and Sidewalk Widening Project

Of the 95 street trees in the project area, 82 will be protected.

In January 2025, the City’s Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC) approved the removal of 13 trees, including the 8 Ficus trees identified as safety obstructions, and planting 37 new canopy street trees. PRC approved four replacement canopy tree species, including Water Gum, Sydney Red Gum, New Zealand Christmas, and African Fern Pine.

The PRC approval was appealed, and on March 11, 2025, City Council heard and denied the appeal of the Parks & Recreation Commission’s motion to remove 13 street trees associated with the Milpas Street Crosswalk Safety and Sidewalk Widening Project (Project) allowing removal of the trees. 
On April 15, City Council approved the Project and authorized the filing of a Notice of Exemption in compliance with California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15062.

The removal of the 8 Ficus trees began the week of July 7, 2025. In advance of the tree removals, a certified biologist conducted a nesting bird survey and confirmed there was no nesting activity.

Coinciding with the 8 tree removals, 25 new canopy street trees will be planted ahead of the Project construction.

The 5 remaining trees approved for removal and planting of the additional 13 new canopy street trees will be completed during Project construction, now anticipated to begin in Fall 2026 (ahead of schedule).

A total of 38 new canopy trees will be planted along the Project corridor. The planting of the new canopy street trees will be coordinated with the City Arborist. 

Tree Exhibits for Milpas Street