The initial phase of implementing Alameda’s first Neighborhood Greenway on Pacific Avenue is now a reality, with new four-way stop signs on Willow and Walnut streets at their intersections with Pacific Avenue.
These new four-way stops will improve safety for people walking and biking across these busy streets, including Love Elementary School students. To improve visibility for all roadway users, daylighting with new red curbs and painted bulbouts were also added at both intersections.
Neighborhood Greenways are local, traffic-calmed streets designed to give priority to people walking and biking, so bicyclists and motorists can safely share the road and busy street crossings are safer. New to Alameda but used in many other cities, these low-stress bikeways also improve pedestrian safety and calm traffic.
The second phase of the Pacific Avenue Neighborhood Greenway, between Lafayette and Oak streets, will be constructed in late summer/early fall as a pilot of new traffic-calming treatments on a continuous corridor. The Slow Streets barricades will be removed and the following will be installed:
- A neighborhood traffic circle at Chestnut Street.
- Painted curb extensions at Lafayette and Oak streets.
- Six asphalt speed humps between Chestnut and Oak streets.
- Daylighting at all intersections.
- Paint and bollards added in the new bulbouts at the Willow and Walnut street intersections with Pacific Avenue.
The City will also work with property owners to bring overgrown landscaping at corner properties into compliance with City code, to further improve visibility for all.
Planning is underway for the third phase, which will convert the following Slow Streets segments to Neighborhood Greenways:
- Pacific Avenue from Lafayette Street to Ninth Street.
- San Jose Avenue/Morton Street and Versailles Avenue.
Draft concept plans for these segments were presented at two well-attended pop-up events on April 19, and are now posted on the project web page with comments being accepted through May 4. The concept plans use traffic calming treatments similar to the first two phases, with the possibility for modifications to be made based on lessons learned from the Pacific Avenue pilot. Construction for this third phase is expected by fall 2026, depending on funding availability, at which time the Slow Streets barricades will be removed.
Learn more and comment on the San Jose and Versailles draft concept plans at the City of Alameda’s Neighborhood Greenways web page.
Funding for planning and constructing Neighborhood Greenways comes from your transportation sales tax dollars, Measure BB. More information is available on the Alameda County Transportation Commission website.
