Willow/San Antonio, Sherman/Clement/Atlantic, Main Street to be affected
It’s obvious to anyone who drives around town that the City of Alameda is busy making improvements to our streets (and sewers). As reported earlier this week, Cross Alameda Trail traffic signal improvements [1] are scheduled to begin construction in mid-January on Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway and Atlantic Avenue at five intersections between Wilma Chan and Way Main Street. The project will increase safety at each intersection.
[2]In addition, construction on Clement Avenue from Grand Street to Broadway is set to begin late this month or in February, with traffic calming elements and a two-way cycle track segment of the Cross Alameda Trail.
Improvements at Willow Street and San Antonio Avenue
As part of the City’s Fatal Crash Response Program [3], striping and signage improvements have been implemented at Willow Street and San Antonio Avenue, where a fatal crash occurred last March. This intersection, which formerly had no marked crosswalks, now has newly marked crosswalks on all legs. The Willow crossing has high-visibility “ladder” crosswalks as well as signage and pavement markings alerting drivers to the crosswalk. The full list of improvements includes:
- New high visibility “ladder” crosswalk markings across Willow Street.
- New “SLOW SCHOOL XING” markings stenciled on Willow Street in both directions approaching the intersection.
- New school crossing signage on Willow Street.
- New “shark tooth” yield lines for the crosswalk on Willow Street.
- New transverse crosswalk markings across San Antonio Avenue.
- New daylighting on San Antonio Avenue.
- New stop bar lines on San Antonio Avenue.
- New “Cross Traffic Does Not Stop” signs under the stop signs on San Antonio Avenue.
These changes respond to general conditions observed at the site, not necessarily what played a role in the collision.
[4]Sherman/Clement/Atlantic Improvements
The Sherman/Clement/Atlantic intersection—part of the Cross Alameda Trail—is currently undergoing updates as part of pavement restoration after East Bay MUD installed water mains. Crews are adding buffered bike lanes at some approaches, as well as new intersection pavement markings to define areas for people pedestrians, bikes, and vehicles.
The new intersection design will position drivers and manage auto turning speeds more effectively than the original mountable island—the “bump”—that caught drivers by surprise and has been removed. New concrete wheel stops and vertical delineators will be placed in the bike lane buffer areas to prevent vehicles from entering the bike lanes.
[5]Safer Main Street
The City’s 2023 Striping & Signage Maintenance program recently improved Main Street, a High Injury Corridor. In addition to refreshing faded striping along the corridor, the following changes were made:
- At Main Street and West Midway Avenue, the right-turn slip lane was removed, making it easier for pedestrians to cross safely at this high crash intersection near the Alameda Point Collaborative and other housing.
- The Main Street road diet was continued north of the Ferry Terminal to Navy Way, improving safety for all road users and adding a half-mile of new bike lanes.
- At Main Street and Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway, the right-turn slip lane—which crosses over a bike lane—was reduced to decrease bicyclist exposure while maintaining access for truck turns.
January 24: Fernside at the Transportation Commission
Six hundred people completed the Fernside Boulevard Traffic Calming & Bikeways Project [6] survey, with 93% listing speed and pedestrian safety as top concerns. On January 24, the project team will present the existing conditions analysis and compiled community feedback to the Transportation Commission.
The information and feedback will be utilized to develop design concept alternatives. An additional round of public outreach is planned this spring to solicit input on these alternatives. For more information, visit the City’s Fernside Boulevard Traffic Calming and Bikeways Project [7] web page.