body,date,page,text,path
TransportationCommission,2005-02-23,1,"TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MINUTES
February 23, 2005
Chair Knox White called the Transportation Commission to order at 7:35 p.m.
1.ROLL CALL - Roll was called and the following recorded:
Members Present:
Jeff Knoth
Patianne Parker
John Knox White
Michael Krueger
Eric Schatmeier (arrived at 7:50)
Staff Present:
Barbara Hawkins - Supervising Civil Engineer, Public Works
Barry Bergman - Program Specialist II, Public Works
Carol Beaver - Division Manager, Development Services
Andrew Thomas - Supervising Planner, Planning and Building
2.APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Commissioner Parker moved approval of the December minutes, which was seconded by
Commissioner Knoth. Motion carried by unanimous voice vote - 4.
3.AGENDA CHANGES
4.COMMISSION COMMUNICATIONS
4A.
TMP Subcommittee Appointment: Grid System and Strategies for Implementation
Chair Knox White proposed that the existing subcommittee that developed the draft TMP
policies remain in place for the implementation portion of the Multimodal Circulation Plan. The
Commissioners supported this recommendation.
5.ORALCOMMUNICATIONS-NON-AGENDIZEDI - ITEMS
None.
6.OLD BUSINESS
1",TransportationCommission/2005-02-23.pdf
TransportationCommission,2005-02-23,2,"6A. Updated TMP Schedule
Staff Bergman presented the staff report and described staff's recommended revisions to the
previously approved TMP schedule. He noted that the bicycle plan update would be the first of
the modal plans to be undertaken, and suggested that the effort be coordinated with the Alameda
County Congestion Management Agency (CMA) effort to update the countywide bicycle plan.
He stated that CMA staff have indicated that the City's project recommendations for the
countywide plan would have to be submitted by the summer, so it would not be possible to
complete the City's plan update in time. Therefore, staff recommended that the bicycle plan
update proceed on two tracks: 1) identify projects to be recommended for inclusion in the
countywide plan, and 2) undertake the complete update of the plan. This would enable the
timely submittal of the City's project recommendations for the countywide plan, which would
help enhance Alameda's efforts to compete for grant funds.
Chair Knox White indicated that he would appoint a subcommittee of two commissioners to
oversee the development of the bicycle plan update. He also requested that staff prepare the new
TMP schedule in a revised format, so that all tasks would be in chronological order. Staff
Bergman responded that this would be done.
Commissioner Parker moved approval of the staff recommendation to revise the TMP
schedule, which was seconded by Commissioner Knoth. Motion carried by a unanimous voice
vote - 4.
6B. Task Force Recommended Draft TMP Policies
Staff Bergman stated that the draft Transportation Master Plan (TMP) policies had been prepared
by the TC subcommittee - consisting of Chair Knox White, Commissioner Schatmeier, and
Commissioner McFarland. The subcommittee received input from the TMP Task Force and City
staff. Staff comments were listed in the draft document, below the subcommittee's
recommended policies. Staff Bergman stated that the draft document is now being brought to the
full TC for additional input and approval of a final set of policies.
Commissioner Schatmeier arrived.
Chair Knox White asked that the final version of the draft policies be brought back to the
Transportation Commission after other boards and commissions have had a chance to comment,
prior to being forwarded to the Planning Board and the City Council.
The Commission reviewed the policies and staff comments. Staff was directed to make the
changes to the draft document as recommended by the Commission.
Chair Knox White Opened Public Comment
Jon Spangler recommended a modification to Policy C-3.2. Rather than making improvements
only to routes identified in the bicycle plan, the City should look to promote equitable access for
bicyclists on every street in Alameda. Mr. Spangler also recommended that the TMP process be
2",TransportationCommission/2005-02-23.pdf
TransportationCommission,2005-02-23,3,"enhanced by providing more opportunities for the public to voice its comments, rather than have
it be an agenda item at a single Transportation Commission meeting.
Chair Knox White stated that this issue would be addressed as part of the bicycle master plan.
Public Comment Closed
Commissioner Parker moved acceptance of the TMP policies as modified by the Commission.
Commissioner Schatmeier seconded the motion. Motion carried by a unanimous voice vote -
5.
7.NEW BUSINESS
7A. Alameda Point Land Use Impacts on Transportation
Staff Thomas gave a presentation on the anticipated transportation system impacts of the
proposed land uses at Alameda Point. He noted that the Alameda Point Advisory Committee
would be hosting two upcoming meetings: 1) on March 3, which would focus on land use issues,
and 2) March 23, which would be co-hosted by the Transportation Commission and would focus
on transportation issues. Both meetings will be televised. Two additional workshops will be
scheduled before June.
Staff Thomas noted that if the conveyance process with Navy goes smoothly, that starting in the
summer of 2005, the City will enter an 18-month entitlement and environmental review process
for Phase lof the project.
Staff Thomas noted that the policies for Alameda Point were established in the mid-1990s in the
community reuse plan. The policies were incorporated into the General Plan in 2003, but in
accordance with the housing element and concerns about transportation through the tubes, a
greater proportion of the project now consists of housing. The revised development concept also
reflects the improvement in the residential housing market.
Staff Thomas cited two major policies driving the Alameda Point project: 1) reintegrating
Alameda Point into City; 2) the project would not rely on General Fund, so the development
needs to pay for itself. He noted that the costs of the development would be considerable, for
example, there is an estimated $300-350 million to upgrade or replace infrastructure. There will
also be significant environmental remediation required, due to soil and groundwater
contamination.
Staff Thomas summarized the preliminary development concept. Some of the major features of
the project are:
1.2 million square feet of adaptive reuse, not including civic buildings
662,000 square feet of new non-residential development
615 affordable housing units (out of a total of approximately 1900 total units
159 acres of open space
streets would be laid out as a grid system
3",TransportationCommission/2005-02-23.pdf
TransportationCommission,2005-02-23,4,"the ultimate location of the ferry terminal has not been determined
The transit center would probably be at the Main Street terminal, at least in the early phases of
the project. In addition to the ferry, various transportation options are being considered:
shuttle between Alameda Point and the 12th Street BART station, operating on 15-minute
headways during peak hours
""eco-pass"": a portion of homeowners fees will go toward transportation, so people will be
able to use shuttles or other services it without paying an additional charge
water taxi service to Oakland
queue jump/HOV lanes for bridges or tubes
transit barge
Commissioner Krueger asked if the shuttles would be integrated into the regional transit
network, rather than being stand-alone services.
Staff Thomas noted that the City has begun discussions with AC Transit, BART, the City of
Oakland and the Port of Oakland to explore a range of options. Options include:
BART extension from downtown Oakland to Jack London Square to Alameda
Light rail across Alameda to Fruitvale BART - While alignment in Alameda is mostly
available, connecting to the BART station will be a significant problem. Also, this will not
serve people traveling from Alameda Point to San Francisco.
Aerial tram to West Oakland BART - This may not work well, as BART trains to San
Francisco are generally filled by the time they reach West Oakland. Also, if the tram
connects to the BART platform, Oakland will not benefit from the project, so it may be
difficult getting this option approved.
Staff Thomas stated that there are currently too many options in terms of both modes and
alignments. The City hopes to narrow down the list of options to one or two of the best
candidates by June and study the feasibility of those options.
7B. Work/Live Regulations
Commissioner Krueger asked if any data were available regarding parking and trip generation
for work/live development as opposed to purely residential
Staff Hawkins indicated that she was not aware of any such data.
Commissioner Parker stated that the work/live regulations have been in place for several years,
but no such projects have actually been implemented. She indicated her support for keeping the
regulations in place to enable the City to see the impacts of project implementation.
Chair Knox White stated that the regulations seem to support the City's transportation goals.
Chair Knox White Opened Public Comment
4",TransportationCommission/2005-02-23.pdf
TransportationCommission,2005-02-23,5,"Jon Spangler expressed his support for the work/live regulations, and urged the TC to support
maintaining the current policy.
Public Comment Closed
7C. Cross Alameda Trail Feasibility Study
Staff Bergman provided an overview of the Cross Alameda Trail Feasibility Study, which was
funded by a grant from the Association of Bay Area Governments. The Rails-to-Trails
Conservancy received separate funding for work on this project, and has been taking the lead on
the public outreach component. Staff Bergman noted that the Trail would consist almost entirely
of facilities identified in the General Plan and the Bicycle Master Plan. The proposed Trail
would be largely located within the corridor formerly served by the Alameda Belt Line railroad,
extending from Main Street to Tilden Way, and include the following features:
serve a variety of users by utilizing both on-road and off-road facilities
enhance access to key destinations, including planned development at Alameda Point,
former FISC (Fleet Industrial Supply Center) site, proposed development in the Northern
Waterfront area, and the renovated Bridgeside Center
design would permit the potential development of a rail corridor
land acquired and bike lanes constructed in conjunction with extension of Clement Avenue,
which the City hopes to develop as a continuous route from Tilden Way to Atlantic Avenue
Commissioner Parker asked if the proposed routes would undermine the ultimate goal of
shoreline route. Staff Bergman responded that the
Staff Bergman noted that the City has applied for funding from the Metropolitan Transportation
Commission for funding for the first phase of the Trail, from Main Street to Webster Street.
Staff Bergman stated that Lucy Gigli of BikeAlameda had expressed concerns regarding the
proposed striping and lane widths on Clement Avenue. He distributed the letter from Ms. Gigli
to the Commissioners.
Mr. Spangler noted that there is an additional former railroad right-of-way east of Constitution
Way that connects to the former FISC site, which could potentially connect to the Cross Alameda
Trail.
Chair Knox White suggested that the Commissioners e-mail comments to staff prior to the April
meeting, and the comments would be brought to the Commission at that time for approval.
7D. West Alameda Neighborhood Improvement Plan
Carol Beaver of the City's Development Services Department introduced the West Alameda
Neighborhood Development Plan, which addresses the area bounded by Appezzato Memorial
Parkway, Main Street, Pacific/Marshall/Lincoln, and Webster Street. She noted that in February
2004, the City began discussions with neighborhood stakeholders regarding the types of
improvements they would like to see. The resulting concept plan addresses safety
5",TransportationCommission/2005-02-23.pdf
TransportationCommission,2005-02-23,6,"result, numerous recommendations of the Plan focused on establishing pedestrian connections
through the school property and the adjoining park. The completion of these improvements
would require coordination and the potential exchange of property between the City and the
school district. Other improvements recommended for the area near Chipman Middle School
include the realignment of the Pacific/Marshall intersection, and the re-design of the school's
drop-off area and parking lot.
Mr. Smiley noted that the feasibility of implementing a raised crosswalk across Pacific Avenue in
front of Chipman Middle School would depend on the traffic volumes utilizing this corridor to
access the planned development Alameda Point.
Commissioner Knoth noted that for pedestrians there are important connections between this
neighborhood and the proposed school in Bayport and to Encinal High School. He asked about
the possibility of an elevated pedestrian crossing over Appezzato Memorial Parkway. Staff
Hawkins responded that people tend not to use such facilities if they create a less direct route for
crossing the street.
Mr. Smiley noted that the Plan called for enhanced pedestrian and bicycle circulation along the
northern boundary of the neighborhood (south side of Appezzato Memorial Parkway) through
the establishment of a linear park. The City's Long-Range Transit Plan also identifies this route
as a potential transit corridor.
Chair Knox White noted that the illustrations in the Plan include marked crosswalks at several
locations where crossings are currently prohibited. He recommended that the City attempt to
make intersections as pedestrian-friendly as possible and look for opportunities to permit legal
crossings. Commissioner Krueger agreed, and recommended installation of new crosswalks
where possible.
6",TransportationCommission/2005-02-23.pdf
TransportationCommission,2005-02-23,7,"Chair Knox White Opened Public Comment
Jon Spangler stated that staff had insisted that two travel lanes would be required in each
direction along Pacific Avenue/Marshall Way/Lincoln Avenue. Therefore, by adding a median,
the existing wide curb lane would be eliminated, making this route more difficult for bicyclists to
use. He noted that an earlier version of the proposed design called for three lanes - one through
lane in each direction with a shared turn lane in the center - and bike lanes.
Public Comment Closed
Chair Knox White and Commissioner Knoth both indicated that they supported Mr. Spangler's
recommendation of one travel lane in each direction on Lincoln/Marshall/Pacific.
Commissioner Parker said that the configuration recommended by staff, with four through lanes,
is required to accommodate the anticipated traffic demand associated with the development at
Alameda Point.
Chair Knox White suggested that the three-lane configuration with striped bike lanes be
implemented until the actual traffic demand warranted the additional travel lanes. Commissioner
Krueger agreed, and stated that long-term needs should not limit near-term improvements. Staff
Hawkins stated that Public Works had determined that two travel lanes would be required in each
direction to accommodate the future traffic at Alameda Point, but that staff did not specifically
preclude the installation of bike lanes.
Commissioner Parker asked if the developer of the Harbor Island Apartments could be required
to relocate the sidewalk so that it would no longer be behind the parking area.
Staff Hawkins responded that the carports will be removed as part of the renovations. She noted
that since the existing buildings are only being modified, the City cannot compel the developer to
make such changes. She also noted that Poggi Street is privately owned, but there is a public
easement for the sidewalks.
Commissioner Krueger noted that the bus routes depicted in the Plan need to be updated. Mr.
Smiley agreed that any recent changes needed to be incorporated into the Plan, and stated that
transit improvements may also have to be modified if the locations of the major transit stops
have changed.
Commissioner Parker moved to continue the meeting. The motion was seconded
by
Commissioner Schatmeier. Motion carried by a unanimous voice vote - 5.
8.STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
March 23 Joint Meeting with APAC: Estuary Crossing Workshop, 6:30 Start Time
9.ADJOURNMENT
7",TransportationCommission/2005-02-23.pdf
TransportationCommission,2005-02-23,8,"The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 AM.
G:\pubworks\LT\TRANSPORTATIONICOMMITTEES\TC\2005\0305\022305minutesfinal.do
8",TransportationCommission/2005-02-23.pdf