2024 Year In Review
Published on February 07, 2025
The City of Albany is committed to providing a healthy, safe, and accessible city, and strives to lift every voice in our community.
In 2024, the City completed major initiatives and achieved significant accomplishments in:
The City of Albany worked diligently on a wide range of projects and programs in 2024. The collective efforts resulted in major initiatives and significant accomplishments intended to enhance the quality of life for our community members. Albany is committed to providing a healthy, safe, and accessible city, and strives to lift every voice in our community. We look forward to continuing to serve the Community in 2025.
Albany's Public Works Department completed Phase 9 of the Sidewalk Repair Program, addressing the final “critical repair locations” as identified by the 2021 Citywide sidewalk survey. This included 5,500 square feet of sidewalk repairs at 40 locations. 2,333 sidewalk hazards were addressed through the completion of annual sidewalk shaving. This work helps improve the safety of our sidewalks for all users.
The City implemented key projects to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety, including the Ohlone Greenway Signalized Intersection Improvements at Solano and Marin Avenues and Jackson Street bicycle-pedestrian upgrades in University Village. These improvements help to make it safer and more enjoyable for residents and visitors to travel around Albany. The City also conducted Citywide pavement repair and rehabilitation on several streets citywide under the Annual Street Rehabilitation Program, including one project covering approximately 125,000 square yards.
An update to the City’s Active Transportation Plan was also started, which will provide a framework for the City’s medium- and long-term investment in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure that will make Albany’s streets more inviting and improve safety for all modes of transportation throughout the City.
In addition, the City completed the Citywide Streetlighting Evaluation Project and began upgrading deficient lighting across the City.
Significant improvements to dated sewer infrastructure were also completed as required by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. This work helps prevent potential overflows of wastewater into local creeks and the San Francisco Bay.
Enhancements to parks, open spaces, and creeks were made throughout the year. The Lower Codornices Creek Phase IV project was completed, which included the construction of a multi-use path from 8th Street to 10th Street to fill a gap in the multi-use path paralleling Codornices Creek, as well as other amenities, habitat management, and safety improvements. Improvements were made to the Masonic Intersections/Ohlone Greenway Trail, which improved pedestrian safety at two key intersections and helped to maintain and enhance the natural environment through composting and mulching efforts along the Ohlone Greenway.
Completion of the Ocean View Park Pickleball Court Conversion provided pickleball amenities at Ocean View Park including resurfaced and painted courts, new nets, posts, windscreens, LED light fixtures and additional seating.
Additionally, the City initiated an update to its Watershed Management Plan to direct future years of watershed stewardship and improvement in Albany including analysis for how to improve water drainage during major storms.
An ongoing focus remains on forest health and fire prevention maintenance activities on Albany Hill. To further this work, the City hosted a Community Design Session, presented a draft Forest Management and Habitat Restoration Plan for review and discussion. A Habitat Restoration Internship Program was founded to invest in young people who are exploring careers in related fields. In addition, a total of 155 trees were planted as part of the Urban Forestry Program.
The City facilitated two Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) classes, training over 40 residents in disaster response. Additionally, Albany received a GOLD level award from Lexipol for Excellence in Law Enforcement Policy Management. The Police Department organized the 19th Annual National Night Out on August 6th visited over 30 block parties and engaged with more than 1,500 residents. Six Coffee with a Cop community engagement events were also organized throughout the year at different locations throughout the City. On October 12th, over 800 community members attended the Fire Department’s annual Pancake Breakfast and Open House. These community-building events aim to further positive connections and strengthen the relationship between neighbors and public safety.
Temporary public assistance programs funded by the American Rescue Plan Act continued to be implemented, providing support through grocery distribution, recreation program subsidies, and rental assistance to residents. 35 residents have received rental assistance or debt relief, 46 afterschool and camp subsidies have been provided, and 2,305 grocery bags/cards have been distributed.
Community events included a Community Expo, engaging over 500 participants and showcasing services for residents and businesses. In addition, Albany and the San Francisco Opera hosted " Bohème Out of the Box", an outdoor opera on Solano Avenue. An audience of over 600 enjoyed a one-hour version of Puccini’s famous La Bohème. Four free concerts at Memorial Park were enjoyed by well over 2,000 community members in August and September. These efforts helped strengthen local connections, provide essential resources to the community, and offered unique, enriching community experiences.
Significant strides in housing development were made by the City supporting Verana Hill - the 62-unit affordable housing project, the City's most significant in affordable housing. Move in of residents is underway.
The City has also updated the Planning and Zoning Code facilitating the development of housing in the community, including modernization of accessory dwelling unit standards, elimination of off-street parking requirements in most areas of the City, and updates to the state-mandated density bonus zoning regulations. Additionally, the City launched a soft story retrofit program to improve the resilience of housing for residents that live in older multi-family housing in the Community.
Economic development was supported by continuing to implement grant programs focused on business attraction as well as parklet improvements, awarding seven grants and continuing to work with applicants through the process. The City also introduced a Business Façade Improvement Grant Program to incentivize building upgrades and supporting Albany’s existing businesses and property owners wanting to freshen up their storefronts and signs. These programs work to attract and grow businesses in Albany, fill vacant commercial spaces, improve business spaces, and enhance the visual appeal and safety compliance of our commercial areas. In addition, City staff consistently provided businesses with one-on-one assistance using an individualized approach to problem-solving.
The City initiated the preparation of a street tree management plan to better manage and expand the tree canopy in Albany, successfully negotiated a new solid waste hauling and disposal agreement with Waste Management required for implementation of significant new state laws, and adopted a sustainable foodware ordinance to reduce plastic waste in restaurants.
The City also provided rebates for heat pump HVAC conversions to 22 households, including 9 moderate- and low-income households, provided 260 cubic yards of free compost to residents through the compost hub and compost giveaways, and began work on a gas line decommissioning pilot project.