Transportation Commission Considers Safety Improvements to Central Avenue

 

COMMUNITY ADVISORY

Contact:

Gail Payne, Transportation Coordinator

(510) 747-6892

gpayne@alamedaca.gov

 

Transportation Commission Considers Safety Improvements to
Central Avenue

 

The City invites you to attend a Transportation Commission meeting on Wednesday, November 18 in the City Council Chambers (2263 Santa Clara Avenue) at 7:00 p.m. At this meeting, the staff/consultant team will present a conceptual recommendation to the Transportation Commission for the Central Avenue study area between Main Street/Pacific Avenue and Sherman Street/Encinal Avenue (Exhibit 1).  Staff worked with constituents, schools, and advocacy groups through a considerable community input process.  All options were reviewed and a preferred alternative was identified through this collaborative input process.  The Transportation Commission will now consider the final recommendation. For concept details, go to the project web page: http://alamedaca.gov/public-works/central-avenue-complete-street


This recommended concept achieves key community goals, including:

  • Allows for a safer street within a neighborhood heavily concentrated with schools, and includes a center turn lane, which the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) deems has substantial safety benefits when reducing travel lanes from four lanes to three lanes.
  • Installs a continuous bikeway for 95 percent of the 1.7 mile study area compared to only 12 percent currently.  Bikeways are recommended along the study area except near some parts of Webster Street and Eighth Street intersections to minimize delays for motorists.
  • Makes it easier and safer for people to walk across Central Avenue with curb extensions, rectangular rapid fire beacons and high visibility, ladder crosswalks at key intersections.
  • Improves the streetscape with maintained and improved street trees, a gateway treatment at Webster Street and improved water quality treatment within the streets.
  • Improves bicycle and pedestrian access along the San Francisco Bay Trail on both Central Avenue in the west end to east of Fifth Street and on Boat Ramp Road.
  • Minimizes motorist delay with end-to-end travel time for the study area during peak congestion expected to increase up to 1.2 minutes today and up to 1.6 minutes in 2035 assuming that all the new citywide development including Alameda Point is built as planned.  During off-peak times, no additional travel time is expected.
  • Provides a net gain of 40 on-street parking along the study area with the highest gain in the west end by Alameda Point, on Boat Ramp Road and on the west side of Fourth Street.  The parking spaces near Webster Street would not change.

 

Exhibit 1: Central Avenue Concept Project Location