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Important updates about street safety in Alameda:
The City has announced the third traffic fatality of 2023, a solo crash in which a person driving lost control of their vehicle and crashed into a tree on Marina Village Parkway. Every traffic collision death affects loved ones and the community, and we mourn for each loss. As further information becomes available, it will be added to the Fatal Crash Response page.
As part of our Fatal Crash Response Program, striping and signage improvements have been implemented at Willow St and San Antonio Ave, where an auto passenger died after a driver crashed into their car at high speed. This intersection, which formerly had no marked crosswalks, now has new marked crosswalks on all legs. The Willow crossing has high-visibility "ladder" crosswalks as well as signage and pavement markings alerting drivers to the crosswalk. The full list of improvements is here. These changes respond to general conditions observed at the site, not necessarily what played a role in the collision.
Cross Alameda Trail traffic signal improvements are scheduled to begin construction in mid-January on Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway and Atlantic Avenue at five intersections between Wilma Chan and Way Main Street. The project will include a combination of new bike signals, left and right turn arrows, and “no right turn on red” restrictions as needed to increase safety at each intersection. In most cases, bicyclists on the Cross Alameda Trail will be automatically detected to eliminate the need for them to use pushbuttons.
In addition, we expect construction on Clement Avenue from Grand St to Broadway to begin late this month or in February, with traffic calming elements and a two-way cycletrack segment of the Cross Alameda Trail. Watch for an announcement from the City in the coming weeks. Find more information at alamedaca.gov/clement.
Also part of the Cross Alameda Trail, the Sherman/Clement/Atlantic intersection is currently undergoing updates as part of pavement restoration after East Bay MUD installed water mains. Crews are adding buffered bike lanes at some approaches, as well as new intersection pavement markings to define areas for people pedestrians, bikes, and vehicles.
The new intersection design will position drivers and manage auto turning speeds more effectively than the original mountable island (the "bump") that caught drivers by surprise and has already been removed. New concrete wheel stops and vertical delineators will be placed in the bike lane buffer areas to prevent vehicles from entering the bike lanes.
The City's 2023 Striping & Signage Maintenance program recently improved Main Street, a High Injury Corridor. In addition to refreshing faded striping along the corridor, we made a few changes:
- At Main St and W Midway Ave, removed the right-turn slip lane, making it easier for pedestrians to cross safely at this High Crash Intersection near the Alameda Point Collaborative and other housing.
- Continued the 2019 Main St road diet north of the Ferry Terminal to Navy Way, improving safety for all road users and adding a half-mile of new bike lanes.
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At Main St and Ralph Appezzato Memorial Pkwy, decreased the right-turn slip lane, which crosses over a bike lane, reducing bicyclist exposure while maintaining access for truck turns.
Thank you to the many people who participated in the first round of public outreach for The Fernside Boulevard Traffic Calming & Bikeways Project! Of the 600 people who filled out the survey, 93% listed speed and pedestrian safety as top concerns.
On January 24, the project team will present the existing conditions analysis and compiled community feedback to the Transportation Commission. After this, we will use this information and feedback to develop design concept alternatives. An additional round of public outreach is planned this spring to solicit input on these alternatives. More information is at alamedaca.gov/fernside.
In October 2023, Governor Newsom signed AB 645 into law, allowing six California cities to pilot automated speed enforcement cameras. The City of Alameda supported this legislation as part of our Legislative Agenda, as called for in our Vision Zero Action Plan. While Alameda isn't among the first six cities, we hope this legislation opens a pathway for other California cities to use this technology in the future. Unsafe speed is one of the top two behaviors associated with fatal and severe injury crashes in Alameda (along with failure to yield to a pedestrian), and speed cameras are used successfully in other states.
The City of Alameda is creating a citywide Strategic Communications and Engagement Plan to ensure residents and businesses are well-informed with timely and transparent information. We’ve created a quick community survey, and your feedback will play a critical role in helping us enhance our ongoing communication efforts.
Join us at these upcoming events!
You can always check the transportation webpage for a list of upcoming events.
Contact us
VisionZero@alamedaca.gov
www.AlamedaCA.gov/VisionZero
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