Slow Street barricades to continue until Greenway conversion
On September 17, in an overflowing chamber, City Council approved a 30-meter pool and an activity pool for the forthcoming City Aquatic Center, voted to continue the Slow Streets program until Neighborhood Greenways are implemented (with the exception of removing Slow Street barricades at the Versailles and Encinal intersection), and heard speakers advocate for the Alameda Food Bank in the wake of a CEQA lawsuit challenging approval of their conditional use permit. (See the Alameda Post coverage of speakers on the CEQA lawsuit.)
Aquatic Center background
Alameda Recreation and Parks Department (ARPD) staff explored two designs for its $30 million budget for the future City Aquatic Center in Jean Sweeney Open Space Park—a 30-meter pool plus an activity pool, and a 50-meter pool.
Although Alameda does not have a 50-meter pool, which is necessary for long-course competitions and professional training, staff recommended the 30-meter pool and activity pool option, arguing that a majority of the community favored the layout, it maximized pool space for more program opportunities serving the broadest community, and offered the highest cost recovery.
Staff sought direction on whether to include additional design features such as full building electrification to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Electrification was not within the allocated budget, but staff identified potential funding sources.
Currently, ARPD operates programs at two Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) facilities, the Emma Hood and Encinal Swim Centers, through a joint use agreement. AUSD programs have priority at these pools during their sports seasons. Consequently, while the pools are available to the public throughout the summer, availability is limited for the rest of the year.
The new Aquatic Center is an opportunity for ARPD to operate aquatic programming seven days a week, year-round, greatly expanding the availability of swim lessons, lap swimming, classes, and camps.
Public comment
Starting in May, ARPD organized community workshops, aquatics stakeholder meetings, and online surveys to discuss the design choices and optional elements. Information on these is posted on the City of Alameda’s Aquatic Center web page.
Two surveys resulted in 3,087 community responses with 2,343 (75%) favoring Option A, the two-pool concept, and 744 (25%) favoring Option B, the single 50-meter pool. A third survey was related to preferred activities and amenities.
By contrast, approximately 75% of over 60 letters and comments submitted for the Council meeting supported Option B, the 50-meter pool, arguing it was an unparalleled opportunity to offer greater flexibility, attract competitions, and benefit advanced swimmers, including potential Olympic and college athletes.
Jonathan wrote, “Our young athletes are asking for this 50-meter option. They want to be Olympians and deserve a shot to be just that in their hometown.” Zebron added, “I regularly travel to neighboring cities to train for long course. I would prefer to keep my time and money in Alameda.” Darrah opined, “Come 2027, we will have three aquatic centers with the same design in a two-mile radius…You have been told this is what the community wants …does the community want it three times over?”
Many questioned the validity of the surveys. But speaker William shot back, “It’s insulting to hear again and again that the surveys were biased. People know what they’re saying. They want a facility where they can recreate and that’s not a 50-meter competition pool. That’s a pool with warm temperatures where people with disabilities, children, and the elderly can get in, in a safe and easy way.”
All agreed the ideal solution would be a 50-meter pool and an activities pool, but ARPD Director Justin Long noted that building both would cost $46 million, more than 50% over budget.
Council comment and vote
Councilmember Malia Vella supported Option A, arguing it was the most financially responsible. “We, as Council members, have to be the fiduciaries in this city,” she said. While some public comment had argued for securing more funding, she noted the City already has $800 million in deferred maintenance.
Councilmember Tracy Jensen also supported Option A, saying she wanted a public pool that serves all residents. She argued that a high-level competition pool is not the strongest need in the community.
Vice Mayor Tony Daysog said that Alameda wins whether the pool is 50 or 30 meters, but he was swayed by arguments that a 50-meter pool offers greater flexibility. While it might not work for young children, they would benefit from training in a larger pool as they look toward swimming in college and beyond.
Councilmember Trish Herrera Spencer said she grew up swimming in a 50-meter pool and that there’s nothing like it. “An Olympic-size pool is different,” she said. She argued that Alameda’s pools should be viewed as a complete system. “The goal is to offer flexible opportunities. Why do we have to have three of the same kind of pool?”
Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft supported electrification to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pushed for more shared parking with the local business park, whose lots are empty on weekends. She supported Option A, citing financial constraints and partially blaming Council’s recent vote against an infrastructure bond measure. She added, “We’re not duplicating pools because the AUSD pools are not available all the time.”
Herrera Spencer countered that blaming the recent vote was a “red herring,” noting the bond measure was for $150 million to address $800 million in deferred maintenance.
Councilmember Jensen’s motion to approve Option A with full electrification passed 3-2. Vice Mayor Daysog and Councilmember Herrera Spencer voted against it.
Neighborhood Greenways update
Rochelle Wheeler, Senior Transportation Coordinator, presented an update on the Neighborhood Greenways Implementation Strategy, requesting Council direction on removing Slow Street barricades as part of converting Slow Streets into Neighborhood Greenways.
Neighborhood Greenways are bicycle-and-pedestrian-priority streets designed to maintain low vehicle volumes and speeds. Greenways use more permanent traffic calming methods such as speed reduction, traffic circles, and turning restrictions instead of the temporary barricades of Slow Streets.
While Alameda does not have any Neighborhood Greenways today, the City’s Active Transportation Plan (ATP) includes nine Greenway streets, totaling 10 miles to be implemented by 2030. These include three existing Slow Streets.
Wheeler shared that the current implementation strategy, revised from the more ambitious schedule outlined in the ATP, approved in 2022, is as follows:
- Phase 1 (2024-2025): Convert Slow Street segments of Pacific Avenue, San Jose Avenue/Morton Street, and Versailles Avenue to Neighborhood Greenways. Pacific Avenue’s conversion will begin by the end of 2024 and finish in 2025. The other two Slow Streets will convert in 2025.
- Phase 2 (2026-2030): Implement the remaining six Neighborhood Greenways.
- Phase 3 (Post-2030): Implement connecting segments.
A significant goal of the ATP is to develop a low-stress bikeway network, of which Greenways will be a part, to connect people to schools, jobs, transit, shopping, and recreation while helping meet the City’s climate, transportation, and safety goals.
Slow Street barricade controversy
Staff recently completed a survey to educate the community about Neighborhood Greenways, soliciting feedback on potential design treatments and barricade removal. The survey received over 1,850 responses, with a plurality (42-50%) saying they would like to see Slow Street barricades remain in place until the Greenways are implemented, one-third wanting to see them removed soon, and a quarter having no opinion. These statistics belie strong opinions in the community both for and against barricades.
Given conflicting viewpoints, staff recommended removing barricades at lower-volume cross-streets along the Phase 1 Slow Streets, leaving all other barricades in place. This would have resulted in removing about half the barricades along these streets.
Council decision
Council, however, generally supported leaving all Slow Street barricades in place until the Greenways are implemented, citing increased safety and pedestrian-friendliness. Mayor Ashcraft said that you don’t have to be a bicyclist to benefit from others using the Slow Streets to navigate the city.
The mayor did want Slow Street barricades removed at the intersection of Encinal and Versailles, however, to accommodate parking and deliveries at the Encinal True Value Hardware store. Councilmember Herrera Spencer objected to Versailles as a Slow Street entirely, saying it resulted in increased hazards due to traffic diversion.
Vice Mayor Daysog’s motion to continue the Slow Street barricades on all streets except Versailles until they are converted to Neighborhood Greenways passed unanimously. His second motion to continue Slow Street barricades along Versailles except at the Encinal intersection passed 4 to 1 with Councilmember Herrera Spencer voting against it.
Contributing writer Karin K. Jensen covers boards and commissions for the Alameda Post. Contact her via [email protected]. Her writing is collected at https://linktr.ee/karinkjensen and https://alamedapost.com/Karin-K-Jensen.
