City of Alameda transportation staff partnered with consultants from Toole Design Group on Saturday, September 28, to host pop-up events introducing the future of traffic calming efforts on Pacific Avenue and other Slow Streets in Alameda.
The three stations, set up along Pacific Avenue at St. Charles Street, Littlejohn Park, and Chestnut Street, invited neighbors to learn more about Neighborhood Greenways. Known in other cities as “bicycle boulevards,” Neighborhood Greenways are bicycle- and pedestrian-priority streets that are intended to facilitate low-volume and low-speed vehicle travel. The Active Transportation Plan proposes 10 miles of Greenways to be implemented in phases across Alameda by 2030. Existing Slow Streets along Pacific Avenue, San Jose Avenue, and Versailles Avenue are slated to be the first streets to be converted to Greenways.
The pop-ups prompted residents to share concerns about walking and biking along Pacific Avenue and view concept plans with block-by-block details of proposed infrastructure improvements. Between Ninth and Oak streets, several types of traffic-calming interventions could be installed to discourage speeding and improve safety by shortening pedestrian crossing distances and enhancing visibility at intersections. The early draft concept plan pulls from a design toolkit that includes elements like curb extensions, speed cushions, traffic circles, flashing beacons, and more.
“I think this is wonderful that the City is doing this,” said Candace, who lives near St. Charles Street. “I am really concerned about increased speeding on our street, so we just want to be mindful of what our choices are, and the future of keeping it safe for cyclists, children, and pedestrians.”
Andrea was more skeptical. “Seems anti-car,” she said.
As children played baseball in the background, Kyle Navis and his six-year-old son, Vigo, stopped to peruse the plans at Littlejohn Park. They use Pacific Avenue every day as part of their bike ride to Maya Lin Elementary School.
“We’re very wary of cars. I’ll ride in the street on our bike, but [Vigo] will take the sidewalk, even with the barricades,” said Navis. “What we’re hoping to see is more physical barriers that disincentivize [Pacific] being used as a major transit artery.”
At Chestnut Street, Kevis Brownson voiced support for the traffic circle proposed at the intersection, and suggested going even further. “I would like to have a Neighborhood Greenway that would be more of a curvy, wiggly street that would have traffic circles at every intersection. I have very specific desires!” she chuckled.
Residents are invited to use an online feedback form to provide comments on the early draft concept plan for Pacific Avenue. A new interactive web map also allows users to add comments about safety concerns and project needs for each corridor on 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.
