A major streetscape project planned for southeast Bakersfield aims to make the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard corridor safer for pedestrians and cyclists while adding hundreds of trees and other environmental improvements.
The project, which will stretch from California Avenue to Brundage Lane, is part of the Southeast Strong initiative funded through California’s Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) program. The City of Bakersfield received about $22 million through the program to support multiple projects designed to improve environmental conditions, transportation safety and quality of life in historically underserved neighborhoods.
Gavin Grimes, a representative with the City of Bakersfield, said the MLK Corridor project is one of several efforts included in the broader Southeast Strong plan.
“It’s really a culmination of community outreach and community partnership, specifically in the southeast part of Bakersfield,” Grimes said. “We’re looking at a very underserved community.”
The TCC program funds projects across California that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while investing in disadvantaged communities. Bakersfield’s award, announced in late 2023, is being used towards a variety of community-based improvements in southeast neighborhoods through partnerships between the city and local organizations.
The MLK corridor improvements will span a little more than a mile and focus on two primary goals: urban greening and safer active transportation.
Plans include planting between 200 and 250 trees along the corridor to provide shade and improve air quality, while also helping reduce urban heat in the neighborhood.
The project will also include several street design changes intended to improve safety for people walking or biking. These include rapid rectangular flashing beacons at crossings, curb extensions, improved pedestrian crossings, and new roadway striping.
The goal, Grimes said, is to make the corridor safer and encourage residents to take short trips without needing a car.
“One is to provide additional pedestrian safety,” Grimes said. “But also to encourage people for those short trips to the store or to a friend’s house — instead of taking your car — we want you to feel that the street is safe enough for you to walk, bike, or get there however you want.”
The project is currently about 60 percent through the design phase. Engineers recently discovered that additional roadway analysis and grading would be needed, which slowed the design process slightly.
Grimes said the design team, including the engineering firm Tool Design Group, is now moving forward toward completing final construction plans.
Once the plans, specifications, and cost estimates are finalized, the city will open the project to a competitive public bidding process to select a contractor.
Construction is expected to begin in late 2026 or early 2027.
City officials recently hosted a Southeast Strong open house where residents could review design concepts, ask questions, and provide feedback on the proposed improvements.
Community members were also invited to complete surveys through a QR code to share their input while the project design continues.
“We want to answer questions about the design and the plans and see how people feel,” Grimes said. “We want to make sure we’re doing something the community will be proud of and that they’ll think is effective.”
