Neighbors stopped by two pop-up activity stations on Saturday, April 19, to learn about and provide input on the Neighborhood Greenways slated for implementation along San Jose Avenue and Versailles Avenue by 2026. City of Alameda transportation staff joined consultants from Toole Design on San Jose Avenue near St. Joseph Notre Dame High School and Versailles Avenue near Edison Elementary School to present draft conceptual design plans for both corridors.
The Active Transportation Plan proposes 10 miles of Neighborhood Greenways to be implemented in phases across Alameda by 2030, and the existing Slow Streets along Pacific Avenue, San Jose Avenue, and Versailles Avenue will be the first to be converted to Greenways. Greenways are envisioned to be traffic-calmed, bicycle- and pedestrian-priority streets that encourage low-volume and low-speed vehicle travel.
To achieve these goals along San Jose Avenue between Morton and Oak streets and Versailles Avenue between Fernside Boulevard and Calhoun Street, a series of traffic-calming interventions are proposed to discourage speeding and improve pedestrian safety by shortening crossing distances and improving visibility at intersections. The draft concept plans propose a mix of curb extensions, traffic circles, and flashing beacons at intersections along both corridors, as well as speed humps on the straightaways of longer blocks.
“I like what I’m seeing, since it’s just traffic calming,” said Gayle Johnson, who lives on Versailles. “It’s not so drastic that people will need to change their route, like with those monster barricades in Berkeley.”
But Peggy Magarian, another nearby resident, disagreed and suggested Versailles is the wrong street on which to make these changes.
“Versailles is a main street, and it’s the safest street to reach Fernside if you’re a driver,” said Magarian. “There’s so little bike traffic. If you are going to block a street off, pick one with less [vehicle] traffic,” she added, as she reflected on the Slow Streets barricades that have been in place since 2020.
Much of the conversation focused on the proposal to separate the complicated, multi-way intersection of Gibbons Drive with Versailles and Central Avenue into distinct intersections, where traffic from Gibbons exits only onto Versailles and enters only from Central. The change is intended to address confusion and improve safety while maintaining access to and from Gibbons.
Senior Transportation Coordinator Susie Hufstader explained that while signalizing the intersection is unlikely due to low traffic volumes, everything else is on the table for the City to develop a “lower cost, quicker implementation to make things safer for people.”
“That would really help,” commented an attendee with a young child in tow. “Right now, there’s a danger with figuring out who has the right-of-way.”
At the San Jose Avenue station, Emily Noonan described that while she gives her nine-year-old twins the freedom to bike and meet with friends, she has some reservations stemming from concerns about vehicles she has seen speeding down San Jose and blowing past stop signs. She looked forward to the implementation of speed humps and roundabouts.
Tobin Fricke expressed similar sentiments but noted that he was a bit underwhelmed. “I’d like to see more roundabouts,” Fricke said, and suggested that the circles could feature plants or art. “And there should be more greenery on the Greenways.”
Residents are invited to use an online feedback form to provide comments on the draft concept plans for San Jose Avenue and Versailles Avenue by Sunday, May 4. Comments also can be added on an interactive web map regarding safety concerns and project needs along the entire proposed Neighborhood Greenways network.
Ken Der is a contributing writer for the Alameda Post. Contact him via [email protected]. His writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Ken-Der.
