In 2002 the City of Berkeley decided to allocate funding received from the TLC/HIP program of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to the construction of a multi-use path on West Street (the former Santa Fe Railroad right-of-way) between University Avenue and Delaware Street. The project is aimed at implementing the central segment of a multi-use path route that is intended to eventually connect the Ohlone Greenway to the north and Strawberry Creek Park to the south; the path also provides an important linkage between this revitalizing area of University Avenue with the North Berkeley BART Station. The project includes a mid-block crossing across University Avenue, which improves safety for children accessing the Berkeley Montessori School. Community Design + Architecture lead a team that included Hood Design - landscape architects, LCC, Inc. - civil engineers, and Fehr & Peers – transportation planners and traffic engineers. Aside from the Public Works Engineering Division, which managed the project, the City’s Transportation, Planning, and Park and Recreation Departments, as well as the Fire and Police Departments were closely involved with the project.

The project included a series of three Community Workshops, which helped the Team to determine the communities concerns, expectations, and ideas regarding design and operations of the path and its associated landscaping. In addition, two rounds of separate meetings were held with adjacent property owners to discuss concerns and possible solutions to particular access and privacy issues along West Street. The scope of the project included the design of a gate at University Avenue, which had been requested by several West Street neighbors. They have strong concerns that the path provides the potential of a return of previous illicit activities in the area. The final gate design by Hood Design combines the visual, functional, and operational qualities requested by staff and neighbors. The project furthermore included the challenging design and traffic engineering for a signalized mid-block crossing across busy University Avenue, as well as unsignalized crossings at three residential streets. The path itself combines pedestrian and bicycling uses on an 18-foot wide path with a striped centerline that distinguishes the two directions of travel. Pedestrian-scale lighting and landscaping that focuses on trees and ground covers rather than shrubs create an environment that combines sense-of-safety and visual attractiveness. The southern end of the path is integrated with an adjacent neighborhood pocket park.

The project is currently undergoing Caltrans review and is expected to commence construction in spring of 2005.