LA COLONIA GREEN ALLEYS
Oxnard, California
Project Background:
As a result of a city-wide ‘green alley’ master planning process, alleys in Oxnard’s La Colonia neighborhood of were chosen as the pilot project to convert vehicular alley spaces into safe pedestrian & cycling zones. The project is funded by the State of California Natural Resources Agency’s Urban Greening Program (Senate Bill 859) that seeks to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and biomass through reinvestment in disadvantaged communities. The project scope called to connect residents to existing community resources and city services in downtown Oxnard through the implementation of two, five block long in-alley ‘bike boulevards’.
In 2018, Pacific Coast Land Design was hired to lead a team of designers including civil engineers, traffic engineers, water quality, and lighting specialists for design development through the completion of construction documentation of this project. Extensive community outreach including several ‘Workshop in a Box’ events were held in La Colonia. The primary design intervention will convert portions of the alleys to one-way traffic, freeing up extra space for design interventions such as protected pedestrian lanes in the alleys and traffic-calming midblock bulb-out crosswalks that increase connectivity, safety, and also facilitate stormwater treatment. Additional improvements include rapidly flashing beacons at busier vehicular midblock crossings, new light fixtures, and the planting of 40 new street trees and hundreds of shrubs throughout the project. Lastly, PCLD identified an opportunity to permanently close the alley outside of the historic La Colonia Boxing Gym that will create a new community space for kids and families from the local vicinity to enjoy. This space will include ground games, a new sports court, murals, and shaded places for people to sit and gather.
Client:
City of Oxnard