In 2009, City staff worked with regional transportation agencies, other cities and transit operators along the I-80 corridor on a concept of operations for local street and transit improvements to go hand in hand with improvements planned along the freeway and to support the City’s vision for San Pablo Avenue not just as an auto thoroughfare. This included transit and pedestrian improvements at the intersection of San Pablo at Cutting Blvd. 

In 2011-12, City staff worked with the Alameda County Transportation Commission, who was leading the project, WestCAT and other transit operators to implement the eastbound bus only lane on Cutting Blvd that leads to the BART Station. However, given, the scope of that project, the pedestrian improvements were not incorporated as other area circulation improvements were needed.

In 2012, the City applied for a CCTA Measure J Transportation for Livable Communities grant to develop a Complete Streets Plan that would be integrated into the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan to enhance the interaction between private and public investments in developing a multimodal corridor. The development of the Complete Streets Plan was guided by a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), consisting of Caltrans, the cities of Albany and Richmond, AC Transit, BART, Bike East Bay and Contra Costa Health Dept and City's Police and Fire. 

After the Plan was adopted by the El Cerrito City Council, the City applied for federal and Measure J TLC grants to design and construct the project with the goal of implementing multimodal transportation improvements to catalyze and support transit-oriented development (TOD) in the San Pablo Avenue del Norte Area.