Double your giving power with NewsMatch. Donate Now!

Envisioning a Multimodal Future for Stargell Avenue

About 20 neighbors convened for an open house at the Bayport Recreation Center on Wednesday, September 18, to learn about and provide comments on the Willie Stargell Complete Street project. The project will bring major multimodal safety and connectivity improvements to the corridor between Main Street and Mariner Square Loop.

Alameda Post - two people stand at the front of a room and give a powerpoint presentation to a crowd of about 20
About 20 people gathered to learn about the project. Photo Ken Der.
Alameda Post - attendees of the Willie Stargell Complete Street project open house examine a table full of maps and figures
Attendees reviewed and posted comments on large printouts of the corridor. Photo Ken Der.

The venue featured tables with large maps and printouts on which attendees could write down concerns and suggestions for Stargell Avenue, which has been described as hostile and unsafe by many who frequently use the street.

“We live at Shinsei Gardens and our students really can’t cross the streets safely to get to school,” Jasmine Edwards, who owns a daycare center, told the Alameda Post. “It’s pretty dangerous, and I want to make sure they’re addressing it.”



Alameda Post - a map of part of Alameda, including Stargell Avenue, highlighted in red
Willie Stargell Complete Street project extents (orange). Map courtesy of the City of Alameda.

Senior Transportation Coordinator Rochelle Wheeler validated those concerns in a presentation on existing conditions, noting that the 85th percentile speed—the speed at or below which 85 percent of drivers travel, and is a metric used to gauge speeding—has increased over the years to 40 mph, which is significantly higher than the 25 mph speed limit.

To enhance the visibility of pedestrians in crosswalks, the project proposes concrete medians and rapid rectangular flashing beacons (RRFBs) at the Mosley Avenue and Coral Sea Street intersections, which students and families use daily to reach Ruby Bridges Elementary School and Bayport Park. The project would also construct separate walking and biking paths along the undeveloped, City-owned land on the north side of Stargell.

Alameda Post - a bird's eye view map of the intersection at Stargell Ave and Coral Sea Street, and some of the surrounding area, with notated improvements
Proposed improvements at the intersection of Stargell Avenue and Coral Sea Street. Screenshot from City of Alameda concept plan.

Crystal Wang, an AC Transit transportation planner, took the stage to detail the transit agency’s ongoing Realign planning process. Under Realign, a rerouted Line 20 is proposed to deviate into West Alameda and Alameda Point, and serve Stargell Avenue before continuing on its existing route to Downtown Oakland. The service, which could begin in spring 2025 pending approval of the final service plan, could serve three new bus stops on Stargell Avenue in both directions, located at Mosley Avenue, Coral Sea Street, and Fifth Street.

Alameda Post - an annotated map of Alameda
Under Realign, Line 20 could deviate into West Alameda and serve three new stops (red) along Stargell Avenue. AC Transit map modified by Ken Der.

“I’m all for reducing overall traffic with buses and transit,” said Randy Chin, who is on the board of directors for the Bayport neighborhood. But he questioned whether the deviation of Line 20 would generate ridership and asked AC Transit to provide more information about existing ridership levels in the area.

With sufficient funding, two roundabouts could also be installed at the Fifth Street and Mariner Square Loop intersections. Some attendees wondered how the roundabouts could impact frequent vehicle backups stemming from the In-N-Out drive-through as well as the monthly Antiques Faire in Alameda Point. In response, Mike Alston, a senior engineer with Kittelson & Associates, explained that the project is intended to address the day-to-day issues of speeding and safety, noting that 11 severe-injury collisions occurred between these two intersections in the last 10 years.

“I think there are more pros than cons,” said Mike Pucci. “Concerns include future traffic, because there is going to be future development in Alameda Point. We need to accommodate everybody, but with plans like this, it’s hard to do that.”

The City of Alameda is in the process of seeking grant funding to implement the project in phases. Meanwhile, members of the public can continue to provide comments through an online survey.

Ken Der is a contributing writer for the Alameda Post. Contact him via [email protected]. His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Ken-Der.

KQED Curated Content
Thanks for reading the

Nonprofit news isn’t free.

Will you take a moment to support Alameda’s only local news source?
During November and December, double your giving power with NewsMatch!