body,date,page,text,path
LibraryBoard,2015-11-18,1,"CITY
of
of
MINUTES OF THE
ALAMEDA FREE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2015
The regular meeting of the Alameda Free Library Board was called to order at 6:03 p.m.
ROLL CALL
Present:
Catherine Atkin, President
Kathleen Kearney, Board Member
Nancy Lewis, Board Member
Suzanne Whyte, Vice President
Gertrude Woods, Board Member
Absent:
None
Staff:
Jane Chisaki, Library Director
Lori Amaya, Recording Secretary
Each Library Board member gave a brief introduction for the two new board members.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, AGENDA (Public Comment)
None.
CONSENT CALENDAR
An asterisk indicates items so enacted or approved on the Consent Calendar
*A.
Report from the Library Director Highlighting Activities for the Months of September and October
2015.
*B.
Draft Minutes of the Regular Library Board Meeting of July 8, 2015.
*C.
Library Services Report for the Months of June, July, August, and September 2015.
*D.
Financial Report Reflecting FY15 Expenditures by Fund for July, August, September, and October
2015.
*E.
Bills for Ratification for the Month of July, August, September, and October 2015.",LibraryBoard/2015-11-18.pdf
LibraryBoard,2015-11-18,2,"Page 2 of 4
Minutes of the
Alameda Free Library Board
November1 18, 2015 Meeting
Director Chisaki reported that a City Council member had received an official complaint regarding the out
of service computers at the library. A short power blip had caused one of the two servers dedicated to the
public computers to fail. The Library had a third party provider switch to a virtualization system, but the
results were unsatisfactory. It was discovered that if some machines were shut down, it allowed the other
machines to run more efficiently. Since the computer lab machines are on a different network, the library
kept the computer lab open to allow patrons more access. The patron mentioned that the Berkeley Library
had just installed 1 GB internet access. Director Chisaki will respond that the library is implementing a
desktop solution and is moving away from the virtualization system. The card catalog was down for two
hours while the library was migrating to the new 1GB fiber network. The new desktop computers should
be implemented within the next few weeks. Director Chisaki noted that each location will have 1GB of
speed. This will create opportunities to have programs with authors out of state.
The Shakespeare Hamlet program was well attended. There were approximately 78 attendees, compared
to 10 attendees the first year of the program.
The draft Request for Proposals for the Integrated Library System was sent to the City Attorney's office.
It will be presented to the City Council for release on December 15, 2015. Proposals will be due back
at
the end of January. Installation should be done by the end of June 2016.
Alameda Reads is doing great work with little funding. They have been able to find volunteers to assist in
many areas to keep the program running.
The Library's Annual Report presentation was included in the Board packet. There will now be a
presentation every September.
The Services Report shows circulation numbers have slightly increased at the branches. Director Chisaki
said that booksellers are noting an increase in purchases of hard copy books. The electrical for the door
counter at the back door of the Main library has been installed, but the counter itself still needs to be
installed. Door count numbers are beginning to increase.
Vice President Whyte moved to approve the Consent Calendar. Board Member Lewis seconded the
motion, which passed with a 5-0 vote.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A.
None.",LibraryBoard/2015-11-18.pdf
LibraryBoard,2015-11-18,3,"Page 3 of 4
Minutes of the
Alameda Free Library Board
November 18, 2015 Meeting
NEW BUSINESS
A.
City Email Accounts for Board and Commission Members (J. Chisaki)
Management in the City want to move toward all Boards and Commissions having city email accounts,
which would assist gathering information for Public Records Act requests. There will be some training on
how it the system works and will be implemented in different stages. Director Chisaki suspects the
Library will be at a later stage.
B.
Circulation Trends (J. Chisaki)
Director Chisaki explained the various charts and graphs of the circulation trends report. Director Chisaki
is pleased with the direction of the trends as numbers are either staying the same or increasing.
C.
Alameda Free Library Foundation (J. Chisaki)
The Friends and Foundation had a joint meeting and are moving toward the merge. Both groups are
looking for members to be on the Executive Board. The merge committee has been meeting with an
attorney for help on the new bylaws. They have started the process to dissolve the 501(c) status for the
Foundation and moving the funds into the Friends accounts. The Executive Board will set the meeting
calendar which determines how often they will meet. The Foundation's last concert of the season is on
November 21 at the Rhythmix Cultural Works, and is sold out.
D.
Friends of the Alameda Free Library (J. Chisaki)
The Friends had their book sale and netted approximately $20,000. Director Chisaki noted that the
Friends need help on the Sunday of the book sale to clean up and box up left over books. The Friends
voted on and approved the staff request for program funding in the amount of approximately $41,000.
E.
Patron Suggestions/Comments (Speak-Outs) and Library Director's Response
A patron requested more books by Margaret Frazer. The response informed the patron that we currently
own six titles and the latest book was published in 2012. Since the series is so old, the Library will not be
purchasing more to complete the series. Two options include checking out from the San Francisco
Library or purchasing from Amazon Kindle.
A patron requested more Playaway books and headphones to go along with them. The response was that
the library is looking for more titles, but unfortunately are very expensive and are not always available.",LibraryBoard/2015-11-18.pdf
LibraryBoard,2015-11-18,4,"Page 4 of 4
Minutes of the
Alameda Free Library Board
November1 18, 2015 Meeting
LIBRARY BOARD COMMUNICATIONS
None.
DIRECTOR'S COMMENTS
Director Chisaki informed the Board that staff members have been harassed by a phone caller that calls
between 20 - 30 times a day and asks for information on Section 8 housing, that is normally updated once
a week. The Housing Authority suggested referring him to them. It became an issue when he began using
bad language and calling them names. The police have been involved and instructed staff to be courteous
and try to help him, but if he becomes difficult, they can hang up and call the non-emergency number at
the Police Department.
Director Chisaki distributed copies of the Alameda Reads book, ""I Believe,"" and CLA Summer Reading
shirts.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS, NON-AGENDA GENERAL
None.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:12 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Jane Chisaki, Library Director and
Secretary to the Alameda Free Library Board",LibraryBoard/2015-11-18.pdf
TransportationCommission,2015-11-18,1,"Transportation Commission Special Meeting Minutes
Wednesday November 18, 2015
Commissioner Michele Bellows called the Transportation Commission to order at 7:00 p.m.
1.
Roll Call
Roll was called and the following was recorded:
Members Present:
Michele Bellows (Chair)
Eric Schatmeier (Vice Chair)
Jesus Vargas
Christopher Miley
Michael Hans
Gregory Morgado
Members Absent:
Thomas G. Bertken
Staff Present:
Staff Patel, Transportation Engineer
Staff Payne, Transportation Coordinator
2.
Agenda Changes
None.
3.
Announcements / Public Comments
3.A. Transportation Commission Meeting: Wednesday, January 27, 2016 at 7 pm
Commissioner Schatmeier stated that AC Transit has been actively compiling a service
enhancement plan that impacts the City. Commissioner Schatmeier provided a memo
summarizing the items that were discussed. He explained three priorities came about from the
discussion: 1. funding should stay local; 2. maintain existing AC Transit Line O on Santa Clara
Avenue and if they shorten the route as originally proposed by AC Transit then savings should
stay local; and 3. in the absence of transfers, AC Transit should maintain direct service to
Fruitvale BART Station on the current lines despite the additional cost of doing SO. He
recommended that the topic be agendized for the January 2016 meeting so the Commission can
discuss the priorities.
Staff Payne stated that the City has been working with AC Transit and the City supports their
expansion plan. She further explained that the biggest priority is the restoration of the Line 19,
Page 1 of 17",TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf
TransportationCommission,2015-11-18,2,"which is in the northern waterfront area and a new development will be built in the area. She said
last week she went to an AC Transit hearing and summarized the need for restoration of the Line
19.
4.
Consent Calendar
4.A. Transportation Commission Minutes - Approve Meeting Minutes - May 27, 2015
Commissioner Schatmeier stated he had a change to Item 5b discussion of the Central Avenue
Complete Streets proposal. He said that the minutes state Webster Street and Central Avenue
eastbound traffic on Central Avenue has a large amount of vehicles turning right onto Webster
Street. He explained that he meant to say was westbound traffic on Central Avenue has a large
number of vehicles turning right onto Webster Street and he was concerned about how that
would be treated.
4.B. Transportation Commission Minutes - Approve Meeting Minutes - July 22, 2015
Commissioner Miley moved to approve the minutes of May 27, 2015 with the corrections
provided by Commissioner Schatmeier and approve the minutes of July 22, 2015. Commissioner
Schatmeier seconded the motion. The motion was approved 6-0.
5.
New Business
5.A. Review Quarterly Report on Activities Related to Transportation Policies and Plans
Staff Patel presented the quarterly report and introduced Rochelle Wheeler, Alameda Public
Works, to present an update on the Cross Alameda Trail.
5.B. Recommend City Council Approval of the Central Avenue Concept Including Safety and
Other Street Improvements
Jennifer Ott, Chief Operating Officer for Alameda Point, presented the report and introduced
Staff Payne to discuss the public outreach, staff recommendations and next steps. Jennifer Ott
also presented Jean Finney, Deputy District Director of Caltrans District 4, who spoke at the end
of the presentation.
Commissioner Vargas said having worked with Caltrans there are design manuals and guidelines
and there are design exceptions for similar facilities that Caltrans has granted with lane widths of
10.5 feet.
Jean Finney replied yes and the standard width for this type of roadway is 11 feet, so there will
be a design exception for the 10.5 feet lane widths. She also reiterated the fact that traffic
engineers looked at the conceptual plans and gave conceptual approval for the 10.5 feet width.
Sean McPhetridge, Superintendent of Alameda Unified School District (AUSD), stated that he
was glad that the City and staff worked with the District. He explained that school leaders
Page 2 of 17",TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf
TransportationCommission,2015-11-18,3,"support a walk and roll event every year to show and emphasize the need to be healthy and safe.
He also said the City of Alameda has worked hard to partner with them on numerous fronts and
he along with his colleagues support the plan.
Commissioner Schatmeier stated that he thought staff did a good job on outreach and the
presentation was conducted well. He said Jennifer Ott talked about safety improvements and the
disproportionate number of collisions the corridor is responsible for and he felt that was an
interesting case. He wanted to know if there will be a report on the before and after statistics as a
result of the project.
Staff Payne replied she would like to report back about the impacts after construction.
Commissioner Schatmeier stated that the presentation commented on the delays in traffic in the
year 2035 and he wondered how much of the delays and growth attribute to traffic growth that
would take place if the City did nothing. He wondered if that would be a similar level of delay
and growth. He also wanted to know if staff attributes the delay growth to the project or the fact
that the City will get bigger and there will be more traffic in the year 2035.
Staff Payne replied the numbers for the year 2035 do assume that all the planned development is
within the estimate including no mode shift and the project is built.
Commissioner Schatmeier replied the data reflects the assumption that the project is built, but
does the data also assume growth delays in the corridor if the project was not built so there
would be no net impact on delays.
Laurence Lewis, Associate Planner Kittelson and Associates, said the comparison that Staff
Payne mentioned was in addition to the growth that would happen from upcoming development.
He explained there was a comparison with the same level of traffic in the year 2035 meaning
existing conditions and with what was proposed without mode shifts.
Commissioner Schatmeier said the benefits listed included the improvements to bus access and
he wanted more detail regarding this.
Staff Payne replied the west end of the island where there is the two-way bikeway on the west
side of the street would have bus islands on the west end of the street to accommodate the
existing bus stop and staff would move the island a little bit north to the far side of that
intersection. She also mentioned that on 8th Street there would be a bus bulb-out for the
westbound bus stop with benches and shelters and that type of improvement along the corridor.
Commissioner Miley stated that looking at the Encinal High School side, he was happy to see
staff partnering with the school. He confirmed with staff that the reconfiguration of the school's
parking lot, which is the staff parking lot, will have no loss to parking spaces.
Staff Payne replied there is no parking loss.
Commissioner Miley replied since the parking lot is the staff's parking lot, where would the rest
of the encroachment of the existing school's facilities take place.
Page 3 of 17",TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf
TransportationCommission,2015-11-18,4,"Staff Payne replied that would be the lawn space and they would be moving to the two kiosks
further south out of the path of the bikeway.
Commissioner Miley asked about the Webster and 8th Street intersection. He explained the
intersection is where the highest pedestrian incidents were observed. He wondered if there were
any treatments or improvements made within the 10 years.
Staff Payne replied there were four pedestrian injuries at Webster Street and Central Avenue over
the past 10 years and since that time staff has improved that intersection. She said staff created a
new marked crosswalk on the east side and they felt that would improve the intersection moving
forward. She went on to say that half of the injuries occurred before the intersection
improvement and half occurred afterwards, but she felt that did not occur on the eastern side.
Commissioner Miley inquired about Washington Park from Page Street to 8th Street, where the
bike lane would discontinue. He wondered if staff looked at going into the park to accommodate
a lane there.
Staff Payne replied staff reviewed the option and decided not to pursue that because park space is
very limited and they weighed that as a higher concern.
Commissioner Bellows opened the floor to public comments.
Kyle Long, Alameda west end student and east end resident, said he took a bicycle safety class
and obeys all traffic laws. He said he feels unsafe when bicycling and feels safer when there is a
dedicated bike lane.
Jay Katter, Alameda Community Learning Center (ACLC) student, said his friend who also
bicycles was hit by a car when riding to school. He felt having bike lanes on Encinal Avenue
would be very nice.
Jay Lucy stated that he does not support the project. He felt the elimination of the parking spots
and road access at the intersection of Central Avenue and Webster Street will be a business
negative and poor use of City funds. He asked for a loading and unloading study to be conducted
and he said West Alameda Business Association (WABA) does not support this project. He
pointed out that at the public meeting when the new cross walks were installed at the intersection
of Central Avenue and Webster Street staff stated that over 20,000 vehicles were crossing daily
and now the numbers have mysteriously dropped due to a different agenda even with the growth
pattern being 2.9 percent from 2009. He said with population density growing, limiting a major
arterial makes no sense when a back path exists on Santa Clara Avenue. He requested that an
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) be considered on such a significant proposal. He also
requested that a Shore Line Drive usage survey be considered to see how the people living along
Shore Line Drive feel about the change. Having been to every meeting on this topic, he felt
disappointed by the changes that were made since the last meeting. He heard that the schools are
drawing from outside the area like the city of Oakland. He asked that the bulb-outs not be used
because they are a hazard and are not maintained.
Page 4 of 17",TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf
TransportationCommission,2015-11-18,5,"Kathy Neilson, Central Avenue resident and parent to an Encinal High School student, said she
was surprised by the low collision incidents reported at the corner of Encinal Avenue and St.
Charles Street because she felt there are more collisions that took place than was actually
reported. She was happy to hear about the inclusion of curb extensions and crosswalks because
they will be effective. She felt that the loss of one parking spot in front of her home makes up for
increasing community safety. She was also happy to see the Sycamore trees would stay and
beautify the street. She wondered if the plan includes redirecting activity to go from Santa Clara
to Central Avenue. She also wondered if the school district considered changing the school
hours. She thought potentially staggering school start hours would reduce the traffic.
Colin Wainmain, Academy of Alameda student, said he rides his bike to school 3.5 miles each
way. He said he likes to ride in the bike lanes because they do not honk at him and the bike lanes
allow him to focus on riding safely and follow the laws. He explained that after school, he often
rides down to Webster Street to get a snack and then rides over to soccer practice at Alameda
Point. He said he would ride along Shore Line Drive after soccer practice, but his coach would
not let him ride in the dark because it is too dangerous.
Jim Strehlow, Alameda resident, stated that plans have changed from initial presentation from
workshop to workshop to tonight. He said what was shown tonight was new material not
previously shown to the public so #1, 2, 3 and 4 became 1, 2a, 2b and 3 from sections A-K. He
felt there should be more meetings on the project now that there are new revisions and the
community should review and have the opportunity to present questions and receive answers. He
asked staff how many citizens along sections A-F have stated that they want a cycle track in
front of their house or business, especially since it will be more difficult for them to enter and
exit their home or business. He also said, the parking widths on sections F, G, H, I, and K are 7
feet wide, not 8 feet wide and he wondered if staff would move the disabled off the street. He
noted that Section J, slide 48 on the presentation packet is something the community has not seen
before and public input was not received. He believed that was a bait and switch. He asked the
Commission about Commissioner Schatmeier's ideas and why they were not included in the plan
other than 8th Street. He said he bikes along 19th Avenue near Stern Grove in San Francisco and
San Francisco would never suggest taking away one traffic lane because that would make it
difficult for vehicles and emergency access vehicles to maneuver. Overall, he said some portions
of the plan he agreed with, but he did not approve this vastly changed project.
Todd Waimain, Central Avenue resident on the east end, said he and his children bicycle to the
west side of the island. He felt the City needs to have a safe way to get across the island and his
children have told him about unsafe drivers and how they are following the rules of the road. He
went on to say that he lives on a portion of Central Avenue that contains sharrows and the drivers
do not understand exactly what they are. He asked that staff construct dedicated bike lanes
because most drivers understand what that is and it is safer for cyclists. He explained that he
would cycle more frequently to the west end to Alameda Point for soccer games and Spirits
Alley if there were safer options to do SO. He noted that when coming out of Crab Cove cyclists
are spit out on a sidewalk and there is signage saying ""Do not bike on the sidewalk."" He also
pointed out that the plan has no loss of parking, so he does not understand why this plan cannot
be approved as it stands because the presentation was quite thorough.
Page 5 of 17",TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf
TransportationCommission,2015-11-18,6,"Susan Sperry, Alameda resident, asked the Commission to reconsider the plan and carefully look
at the issues of the street. She came before the Commission because she was devastated to see
what happened to Shore Line Drive. She carefully gathered newspaper editorials about Shore
Line Drive and she is a property owner on Shore Line Drive as well. She said in the past she was
able to see the ocean from her window and now there is parking lot.
Bruce Kibbe, Santa Clara Avenue resident, felt the plan is excellent and to go ahead with it
because this plan is looking towards the future. He said every bicycle equals one less car and one
less parking space that needs to be provided by merchants.
Commissioner Miley said it was great to see so many young kids out tonight to speak and attend
the meeting and he said they were brave to bike to school.
Commissioner Bellows replied it was great to see the Alameda Unified School District (AUSD)
produce such articulate children.
Matt Winn, Central Avenue resident, said one of his kids attends Franklin Elementary School and
he does not see the school on the study. He went on to say that there is a whole subset of parents
who live on the north side and have kids who attend Franklin Elementary School. He stated that
there are four traffic lanes and when crossing the intersection you have to wait 30 seconds or so
until one of the lanes notice and stop. However, by that time motorists start getting impatient
because there are three other lanes that need to stop and you must wait for all four lanes to stop
in order to go. He explained that he uses Central Avenue to get across the City as a motorist and
he would gladly give up a lane to see this plan go through, so he recommended the plan.
Scott Mace, Central Avenue resident between Webster Street and 8th Street, said he bicycles a lot
throughout the island. He felt bikes belong on the street because they are traffic too and motorists
need to respect that and most motorists do. He explained that some of the proposed bike lanes are
too narrow on Santa Clara Avenue because there is a 7 foot parking lane and a 6 foot bike lane
and this gives cyclists a foot or more to avoid the door zone. He pointed out that on Central
Avenue staff proposed a 7 foot parking lane and a 5 foot bike lane and that is a legal engineering
minimum. However, the bike lane is a door zone bike lane. He requested that staff either widen
the bike lane or revert to sharrows. He noted that some statistics are lacking in this presentation
such as staff say conflicts occur at intersections, but separated facilities do not make it safer. He
stated that they do not know what the cyclists were doing when they were injured. He felt road
diets are good for pedestrians, but signage must state that cyclists are not mandatory, and then
perhaps sharrows could be painted next to the separated bike lanes. He wanted to see new
resources devoted to pedestrian, cyclist and driver education. Ultimately, he was not in favor of
the plan as currently proposed because of door zone issue.
Gerald Bryan, Alameda resident, stated that the concerns are at the intersection of 6th Street and
Central Avenue because it is a choke point across the entire island. He said if you have an
accident at the intersection, you will stop traffic going in each direction and that was proven last
week at the busiest time of the day. He felt if you cut off that line 6th Street does not go around
the corner except for Palace Court and that does not go anywhere. He said realistically staff
should look at the area a little differently such as reviewing the crosswalks on the corner and the
lack of proper driving and poor riding on the part of cyclists. He recommended erecting
Page 6 of 17",TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf
TransportationCommission,2015-11-18,7,"stoplights especially by the school to regulate traffic. He said currently, there are two poles with
bright orange flags and that is the only way to get across the street safely. He exclaimed that
safety is the most important thing.
Commissioner Bellows asked that the speakers with children line up so she can pull their speaker
slips in light of the current time.
Cosma Hatragi, Maya Lin School student, said he bikes to school every day. He said he
sometimes ride his bike after school to Franklin Park Pool to his sister's swim lessons. He
explained during his ride there are many fast moving cars and he rides on the sidewalk, which is
not safe for pedestrians. He thinks there should be bike lanes on Central Avenue.
Deena Hatragin, mother, cyclist and Alameda resident, said she moved to Alameda because it is
a bike able town and she uses her bicycle for everyday transportation. She felt very strongly to
have her children ride bicycles as well and she hopes that more people will get out of their cars
and onto bicycles. She heard over and over again that the City needs to make the island safe
enough for everyone to ride, SO she approved the plan.
Marissa Wood, Alameda Community Learning Center student, said she regularly shops at the
farmer's market and Webster Street businesses. She explained when coming from the west end
and approaching onto Webster Street she attempts to bike onto Santa Clara Avenue, but the part
of Santa Clara Avenue west of Webster Street has many stop signs and the road is hard to share
with cars. So, she stated that when she does not bike down Santa Clara Avenue, she will bike
down Central Avenue which is very dangerous. She felt the project would help all members of
the community because there will be parking spaces for motorists and the plan will reduce speed
limits benefitting pedestrians.
Jerry Cevente, 5th Street resident, thanked the Commission and staff for embarking on the study.
He said he and his wife have been to all of the public workshops and he has lived on 5th Street
for 25 years. He went on to say that he drives, walks, and bicycles on Central Avenue and it is
harder to walk across and along Central Avenue. He said he likes seeing the amount of cyclists
increasing, but on Central Avenue the cyclists end up on the sidewalk. He noticed the vehicle
speeds along Central Avenue are a lot faster than the speed limit sign. He believed the bulb-outs
and the flashing beacons at the crosswalks will create an advantage for pedestrians and make
traffic flow better. He noted that the traffic signal installed at 3rd street is good, but that will
bend the end of Taylor Avenue and eliminate the right turn lane with the ability to turn right onto
3rd Street. He explained that the report stated that a traffic signal on 5th Street may be erected
and he felt it would be advantageous to have the signal sooner than later and possibly not run it
as a true traffic signal all day, but during peak hours and then have it as a flashing red the rest of
the day. He brought up the fact that Webster Street and the way that you see the traffic signals
work on Central Avenue one light is available and then there is a turn coming up Webster Street
going south has its own signal and coming up Webster north it has its own signal. Thus, each
direction should have its own signal. He requested that the City work with the merchants on the
northwest corner of Webster Street and Central Avenue about the impact to deliveries in the
morning. Overall, he felt the plan is a real benefit because of the bicycle lane and narrow streets
to have complete streets.
Page 7 of 17",TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf
TransportationCommission,2015-11-18,8,"impacts on traffic going into the tube even with the development of the adjacent housing project.
He wondered how the planners figured there would not be a problem going into the tube. He
recommended that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) be conducted in order to look at the
number of items that have not been pushed here. He also said that a study of the changes to
Shore Line Drive has not been published.
Jerry Harrison, Alameda resident, stated that he supports the proposal. He also explained that he
has cycled from coast to coast and the one place that makes him uncomfortable is riding on
Central Avenue between Sherman and Webster Streets.
Diane Brock, west end resident, said she is concerned about recommending the plan without the
research data. She explained that staff at the last public workshop said the Planning Department
would conduct a traffic study on what is happening at Southshore. She asked that the study be
done before moving forward with this plan because the public does not need vague statistics. She
also felt a project of this size should have an EIS and she needed data before any
recommendation should be considered.
Dave Maxi, Bay Street resident, said he is not against cyclists, but he is wary of the narrow
traffic lanes and the behavior of cyclists. He went on to say that cyclists would arrive at the
Chestnut Street and Central Avenue stop sign and not stop. The cyclists would then go off to the
sidewalk or crosswalk and then back onto the bicycle lane. He questioned whether the narrow
lanes would create congestion for truck, delivery and vehicular traffic because many delivery
trucks double park. He also stated that it is illegal to enter the center lane to pass cars and the
extra street trees will take up the car space and create more maintenance issues.
Dan Wood, Alameda resident, said he is in favor of the project and he heard a lot of people who
are in support of the project. He also heard the community speak about issues which are relevant
as well. However, he felt that the City should start with what they have proposed and they can
tweak it to make it even better.
Griff Neal, Alameda resident, stated that 450 homeowners who live on the south side of Central
Avenue between Burbank and Sherman Streets are fiercely opposed to the plan. He said he does
not drive much, but he has to leave the island for work and family obligations. He went on to say
that during rush hour it will be difficult to get onto Central Avenue and the plan does not
consider the south side residents. He brought up the fact that there is little support from people
attending Franklin Elementary and Saint Joseph Elementary Schools; many of whom ride their
bicycles on San Antonio Avenue and go over to Grand Street.
Klose Slidernagers, Shore Line Drive resident, stated that tonight's meeting addressed similar
issues made during the Shore Line Drive proposal. He stated that the Shore Line Drive project
was a godsend for people bicycling or walking to the beach. He explained that before the project
was implemented pedestrians had to cross four traffic lanes and now speeds are much lower and
cars are not overtaking an already stopped car. He said the outcome of the project created a huge
impact on bicycle and pedestrian safety. However, he was surprised by the number of cyclists
Page 8 of 17",TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf
TransportationCommission,2015-11-18,9,"riding on Fernside Boulevard after including the cycle track there and he felt Central Avenue
will have the same outcome.
Bernie Matthews, west end resident, gave a shout out to Jennifer Ott because she's a true
professional. However, he felt there are many similar issues to Shore Line Drive where parts of
the community, especially renters, feel the plan is ugly and inefficient. He felt Appazatto Way is
a freight train coming down the track and the project is like my way or the highway. He said he
has been a resident of the west end for 18 years and cycles often. He encouraged the Commission
and staff to take a look at the traffic on Central Avenue because he does not trust the data. He
also pointed out that the bike group must have partnered with this project, which felt like a
conflict of interest.
Kelly Jackson, Central Avenue and 8th Street resident, stated that she generally supports the
project, but she has a problem with the plan along the Central Avenue and 8th Street segment.
Last year, she wrote the City about the intersection and she was surprised with the relatively low
number of reported accidents. She felt it was a step backward for this intersection and people
will speed to jockey past each other to get ahead because there is a quick merge ahead of the
intersection. She also felt this is an effort to compromise, but this is putting everyone at risk
including residents and visitors.
Julie Connor, Bay Street resident, said she understood the variety of interests and circumstances
that come into play. Were it not for the road diet proposed at 4th and Sherman Streets, she would
be in support and she felt the Commission should have more information about this intersection.
She referred to slide 7 of the presentation and noted there were three injuries on Sherman Street
within a 10 year span and one accident within the 10 year span. She said only Lincoln and
Central are thoroughfares and to cross Central Avenue is already difficult. She brought up the
survey data and noted that 25 percent of 4th and Sherman residents were not in favor. Also, she
stated that the streets along San Antonio Avenue and Sherman Street will have unintended
consequences of extra traffic.
Bonnie Waimain, bike safety instructor, thanked staff for their work and explained that the
benefits of bike riding connects to better health and reduces the need for parking spaces. She
explained that more people would bike if they felt safe. She said the separated bike lane creates
visibility and predictability for cyclists and motorists. Overall, she supported the plan.
Scott Milston, Bay and San Antonio resident, said he is pro bike, pedestrian and kids on bikes,
but he opposed the plan because he needs good data. When he read the literature he was
disheartened by what he saw was one minute increases to traffic time and that memo did not
support the statistic at all. He also explained that the memo readily admitted that no study was
done on the spillover affects to the side streets. He pointed out that the majority of tonight's
meeting was very pro and at the November meeting there were plenty of dissenters in the crowd.
He felt it was the responsibility of the Commission and staff to think of the macro effects of the
pro-growth initiative occurring within the island. Yet, the City is restricting one of the main
arteries on the island.
Rein Clostenter, Bay Street and Central resident, said he rides his bicycle to work daily to go to
work and supports the road diet. He explained that his mother-in-law lives on Shore Line Drive
Page 9 of 17",TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf
TransportationCommission,2015-11-18,10,"and he can now ride his bicycle with his family. He stated that his children will start Franklin
Elementary and crossing Central Avenue is a barrier to get to the school. He also explained that
he would patronize the businesses on Webster Street more, but he does not want to take the car.
Overall, he supported the plan.
Karen Ratto, Caroline Street near Central Avenue resident, said she rides her bike around and
felt the grant money could cover the EIS. She also feared that San Antonio Avenue will take on
more traffic and she didn't hear much about the viability of using Santa Clara Avenue as a
bicycle route.
Dave Kimball, Advocacy Director for Bike East Bay, said safety is a huge reason to support this
project and the community receives a net gain of parking which is a first. He explained if the
City received an endorsement from Caltrans then that says something, so they need more
partnerships like that including working with the schools. He said his organization conducted
shopper intercept surveys to see how modes of travel relate to consumer spending when
consumers walk, bike or take public transit. There were two studies conducted locally in
downtown Berkeley and Oakland's Temescal neighborhood in order to have local shopper data
which support projects like this.
Jeffrey Berneford stated that two lanes in both directions offer a lot of flexibility for garbage and
delivery trucks to move around vehicles. He felt once the project is in place, a 1.6 minute delay
will produce a domino effect because there are three 20-second traffic signal cycles. He
suspected that the plan will be very unusable and he did not support the plan.
Benty Peterson, Burbank Street resident, said she has two children and she enjoys living in
Alameda because they can bicycle. Therefore, she supported the plan, but she had concerns with
the gap.
Carol Gottstein, disabled Alameda resident, said she was struck by staff's lack of outreach
towards the disabled community. She explained that the disabled rely heavily on vehicles and
she had concerns about the 7 foot wide parking strips. She wondered what the City would do if a
disabled resident requests a blue curb in front of their residence. She explained the City would
have to construct a bulb-out of their parking space into the bicycle lane because that is what the
resident is legally entitled to have. She also agreed with the other speakers who said the data and
reference to the data were vague.
Michele Elson, Bike Walk Alameda Board Member and south side of Central Avenue resident,
said she is the parent of Franklin Elementary and Academy of Alameda students. She said she
supports the plan and felt staff did the work to show the plan is needed. She felt the plan should
be focused on safety because where Central Avenue comes into Sherman Street she observed
motorists flying through the traffic signal as soon as the light turns green. She stated if motorists
could slow down and drive the speed limit that may be easier to get off Bay Street or St. Charles
and get on to Central Avenue or Sherman Street. Also, the plan will help young and older
pedestrians cross the street easier. Additionally, she said having dedicated bike lanes will provide
a continuous route on an arterial that is best equipped to handle it. Overall, she supported the
plan.
Page 10 of 17",TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf
TransportationCommission,2015-11-18,11,"Lisa Foster stated that she does not live far from tonight's meeting location and she bikes with
her 1 and 5 year olds frequently. She said she regularly goes west towards Washington Park, the
library and other establishments. However, when she hits Sherman Street they have to go over to
Santa Clara Avenue, a busy street with buses, so she would love to stay on Central Avenue. She
also said when going past Webster Street and staying on Central Avenue she is okay with that,
but the cars that are stuck behind her are probably not okay because they have to negotiate
around her. Overall, she felt the proposal is a step in the right direction.
John Spangler, Alameda resident and a League of American Cycling Instructor, stated that he
rides his bicycle, drives, walks and takes public transit. He explained that he lived on San
Antonio and Encinal Avenues so he understood the different perspectives. He said Monday
through Friday from 6-7 am and 6:53 pm he has been stuck in the tube going to the Capital
Corridor Station in Oakland. He said the intersection of 8th Street and Central Avenue is the
chokepoint, but if they can save 16 people from being killed or injured over the next few years,
then 96 seconds is not a big price to pay. He was disheartened to hear former chief of police
Bernie Matthews say that traffic was more important to him because he was sure his heart bled
every time someone was in a collision or victim of a crime. He felt there are too many
preventable collisions and injuries and he supported the project. Yet, if the plan had to be revised
and there are no bikes lanes created the safest thing is to take the curb side lane, which is the
same thing as having a bike lane.
Lucy Gigli, Director of Advocacy for Bike Walk Alameda, stated that Central Avenue is not
Alameda's main highway it is a neighborhood because the corridor contains housing, schools,
parks and businesses. She said currently it is a four lane roadway with an average of seven
collisions per year. Staff has done an incredible job composing a detailed packet addressing the
diverse community and their needs. She felt it was an iterative process with many people
involved. She pointed out that the result and package seen before the Commission does not
match Shore Line Drive, but instead matches Atlantic Avenue, Broadway and Fernside
Boulevard. As the report showed, the middle turn lane will make it easier for people to turn onto
Central Avenue from San Antonio Avenue and Bay Street. She explained that the Commission
received over 200 letters and postcards of support and 72 people came that night from Franklin
Elementary and other schools, so let's support this project.
John Knox White stated that a previous resident spoke about how the flags were put up on the
corner of Central Avenue and if that intersection is broken and not working than there it is. He
exclaimed the question that should be asked is how many people are acceptable to hit on this
street because if the answer is greater than 0 feel free to shoot it down. He said the City must
create a safe environment and this is a best compromise plan. He went on to say that the City has
a 20-year experiment happening, which is Broadway. The corridor carries more vehicular traffic
and has neighborhood streets that cross into it including driveways that enter on to the street. He
said they don't have to wait for Shore Line Drive to be evaluated when they know there have not
been major accidents or backups. He brought up the fact that this will be the first bike lanes west
of Webster Street and if that is not a call for equity on the west end then that is it. He asked the
Commission to please move forward with the project.
Brian McGuire stated that there was a well-publicized article within the last couple of weeks
about two kids walking in the San Francisco Marina District with an almost identical road setup
Page 11 of 17",TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf
TransportationCommission,2015-11-18,12,"(four lanes of traffic and uncontrolled crosswalks) as the area around Maya Lin School. He said
kids think it is safe to go and someone driving 35 mph can take them out. He felt two lanes with
a center turn lane is a big difference than a two lane road. He explained that he use to live south
of Central Avenue and motorists only have to go across one lane to get into the center lane and
merge. He went on to say if Caltrans approved a project it is not a takeover of the bicycle groups.
Ultimately, he supported the project.
Karen Bay, 5th Street and Taylor Avenue resident, said she is a 15-year ferry rider. She explained
that she attended a transportation meeting on November 16 and was told that the ferry
experienced a 30 percent increase in the last two years and she has seen it. She has also seen a lot
of people riding their bikes to the ferry and a lot of children riding their bikes to school. She said
the problem with Santa Clara Avenue is that it is not safe infrastructure for cyclists. So, she
approved the project because it is important for students and commuters going to the ferry and
for Alameda Point as whole.
Peter Baron stated that he organized the first bicycle symposium in Cambridge Massachusetts in
the 1970s and he spent his career doing waterfront redevelopment and restoration. He said he has
never seen a town with more bikeway and pedestrian potential unrealized than Alameda. He felt
the potential for the Alameda Point circumference trail is extraordinary and people will be
coming across the island and around the state to go there.
Lee Huo, Bay Trail Project Planner, said he supports completing the trail along Central Avenue.
He explained that the idea of the trail is to get along the shoreline on a Class I separated trail as
often as possible. He pointed out that you do see alignments such as Central Avenue where the
project essentially completes the trail between Pacific Avenue and Crown Drive. He thanked
City staff and the consultants who worked diligently with the concept. Furthermore, he said the
trail is a regional recreation trail and significant commute alignment adopted in the Metropolitan
Transportation Commission (MTC) regional bicycle plan and Alameda County Transportation
Commission (ACTC) bicycle and pedestrian plan.
John McKeenan stated that the Commission studiously paid attention to all the speakers and he
does not see that often. He said Indianapolis, Indiana known for motor cars and racing has put
together a tremendous complete street program in the last five years and has gone from
completely no infrastructure to trend setting infrastructure. He cited cities such as Copenhagen in
Denmark having 55 percent of its commuters bicycling and the rest commuting by public transit
or private vehicles. He felt bicycling and public transit is the way the community can survive on
this planet. He ultimately supported the project.
Commissioner Miley stated that he would like staff to respond to a few statements made by the
speakers. He explained that the last speaker hit the nail on the head about the fact that
multimodal communities are the future. He said he heard the concerns about loading zones
within the business district and the loss of travel lanes on Central Avenue. He understood that
people may double park on Webster Street more often when loading, SO he asked staff to address
and explain the plan moving forward.
Staff Payne replied the area of concern is along Webster and Page Streets and the northwest
corner, which was mentioned. She referred to page 4, cross-section I, which is right next to the
Page 12 of 17",TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf
TransportationCommission,2015-11-18,13,"establishment that needs the loading zone or has a lot of loading. She explained that the merchant
is not interested in having a loading zone because that would restrict parking. So, she said double
parking occurs and that can still happen with this cross-section. She went on to say that
loading/unloading would occur in the bike lane in the painted buffer and motorists could go
around. She understood that this configuration is not ideal, but it happens all the time and staff
felt having the bike lane blocked every now and then to load and unload was the tradeoff for
having a bike lane. She also mentioned that this is a corner establishment so they could still have
loading and unloading occur southbound on Webster Street.
Commissioner Miley asked staff if the bulb-outs at the corner of Webster Street and Central
Avenue will impact delivery vehicles from being able to turn whether they are going north or
south on Central Avenue from Webster Street.
Staff Payne replied staff does not believe SO and the plan was designed to accommodate trucks.
Commissioner Miley recommended that staff work with the business district in order for the
streetscape to be designed appropriately for that intersection.
Staff Payne replied staff can do that, but they are not at that level of design. Additionally, from
what she has heard the area was designed a little tight so it is hard to get in and out when trying
to park on Webster Street.
Commissioner Miley said people shop online a lot and as a result FedEx and UPS double park
and take the travel lane. He asked Alameda Police Department if a car double parked is in the
travel lane is it against the law to go around using the center lane.
Commissioner Bellows repeated the police officer's answer and said a vehicle cannot drive into
the center lane just to pass a double parked vehicle, the vehicle must wait.
Commissioner Miley asked Staff Payne what is the cost of conducting an EIR for the project. He
also explained that this plan is talking about paint and curb extensions. So, he wondered if an
EIR was required and has an EIR been done for other projects similar to this plan.
Farima Brown, Alameda Attorney's office, stated that there will not be an EIR for this project
because after a lot of due diligence by staff including City Planner Andrew Thomas and herself
the plan is the poster child for a CEQA exempt bicycle project. She explained there are several
grounds for its exemption outlined in the staff report, but the strongest one is public resources
code 21080.20.5, which was specifically designed for this type of project in urbanized areas. She
went on to say the plan is statutorily exempt, which is a contrast to projects that are categorically
exempt. Furthermore, the project is also exempt from a variety of categorical exemptions, which
are outlined in page 15 of the staff report under Environmental Review, 15301C and section
15304H.
Commissioner Miley stated that other speakers compared Central Avenue to other roads such as
Shore Line Drive and Broadway. However, he felt this project is similar to Fernside Boulevard
and Broadway, which he drives on every day. He asked staff to talk about the door zone within
the bicycle lanes and how they reviewed that and came up with the width.
Page 13 of 17",TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf
TransportationCommission,2015-11-18,14,"Staff Payne replied they are under constrained situations and curb to curb it is 56 feet in width for
most of the corridor. She explained that was the best they could do and this is not a best practice
bike way due to the door zone. Therefore, staff will have to implement public education around
this issue. Additionally, she felt having a separate bike space is much better than what is
available today.
Commissioner Miley asked staff about the 7 foot parking spaces and the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) concern raised by Carol Gottstein. He said when he viewed the map he
saw some blocks with 7 foot and 8 foot spaces and he understood that some portions along
Central Avenue are constrained. He wondered if there will be ADA parking spaces added to the
plan.
Staff Payne replied there would be six ADA parking spaces added and staff has looked at the
corridor and they believe six would be most appropriate. The parking spaces would be located
west to east in front of Encinal High School, Patton Elementary, two parking spaces near the
Webster Business District, one parking space by Washington Park and one by the Weber
Commercial District.
Commissioner Miley asked staff how many ADA parking spaces are currently present within the
corridor.
Staff Payne replied none.
Commissioner Miley replied so this is an addition and they would be 8 feet.
Staff Payne replied when the area is 7 feet they would encroach into the landscape strip.
Commissioner Miley replied so staff would not encroach into the bike lane or into traffic it would
be into the landscaping.
Staff Payne said she met with WABA and they liked the two ADA parking spaces at the foot of
Webster Street on the east and west sides. She explained that would be accommodated without
any change and staff has not produced an exact placement, but that is the direction and their
highest priority is to place the spaces at the foot of Webster Street.
Commissioner Bellows made a motion to continue the meeting since the time was now 10 pm.
Commissioner Schatmeier seconded the motion. The motion was approved 6-0.
Commissioner Schatmeier asked staff if the disabled parking space issue was done in
consultation with disabled advocacy groups.
Staff Payne replied no.
Commissioner Vargas stated that the comments raised by Jean Finney (Deputy District Director
of Caltrans District 4) as part of her comments explained the need for additional traffic analysis
that was also brought up by a few community members. He asked staff if it is possible to find out
Page 14 of 17",TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf
TransportationCommission,2015-11-18,15,"what studies are needed and he wanted to hear from Staff Patel about his perspective on some of
the technical issues that are involved.
Jennifer Ott replied that they hired Kittelson and Associates who performed the traffic analysis.
So, Staff Patel could talk about what Caltrans might inquire about, but she would like Kittelson
and Associates to talk about what analysis was performed.
Commissioner Vargas stated that Caltrans was looking for additional traffic studies in order to
grant the City design exceptions. He explained they only cover the part between Webster and
Sherman Streets, which is a state route, and the rest does not need approval but falls on the City.
However, for continuity sake he asked staff to talk about the studies Caltrans is inquiring about
and the studies that have been done so far, including what are the challenges this project has
from an engineer's perspective.
Staff Patel replied since this project is only a study they have not done detailed traffic operation
analysis. However, from Caltrans' or the City's standpoint staff is conducting analysis on each
and every traffic signal along the route and the proposed signals along the route. Yet, that level
of detail Kittelson and Associates may have done as an overview. He explained that design
exceptions usually go to the headquarters, which is why staff ended up having this route under
the City because they were asking for a standard shoulder width and the City did not have the
standard width.
Commissioner Miley asked staff if the traffic and operational analysis include a review of shifts
in vehicle traffic or only show the Central Avenue traffic or also movements to other streets.
Staff Patel replied that staff would look into the shifts in vehicle traffic.
Commissioner Miley asked staff when the plan would go over to engineering for detail design.
Staff Patel replied staff reviewed the conceptual plan and made comments, but the plan is turned
over to engineering for detail design when the final plan is approved by the Transportation
Commission and City Council.
Commissioner Bellows said what was happening tonight was reviewing and making a motion for
the conceptual plan and that was all that was funded. She said until additional funding is
identified they are not going forward with the design.
Jennifer Ott stated that staff has reviewed the conceptual plan with City and Coastal engineers,
Stantec Engineering, Staff Patel, Kittelson and Associates and Caltrans engineers. She also said
there will be additional analysis and engineering when they get into the design phase.
Laurence Lewis, Kittelson and Associates, stated that an overview of the analysis looked at seven
key intersections on Central Avenue and one limitation that would be addressed is looking at the
minor intersections as well. He said they looked at locations that have traffic signals with the
highest traffic volumes going west to east and during the design phase all the side streets would
be analyzed. Additionally, they looked at AM and PM peak hours to understand the existing
traffic volumes level of service and existing conditions to understand the impact. Overall, they
Page 15 of 17",TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf
TransportationCommission,2015-11-18,16,"discovered there was a 1.2 minute increase in travel time going 25 mph from one end of the
corridor to the other stopping at all the traffic signals and experiencing delays there. He pointed
out that the limitations did not account for people shifting to cycling or walking or account for
people diverting to other routes. He heard several comments about the 8th and Webster Street
intersection and some of the compromises made for the bike lanes were for vehicular operations
and level of service. When he met with the Commission earlier in the year there was a level of
service identified at the location. He said they reviewed the intersection in consultation with the
community and the City and revised the concept so the intersection could operate at the level of
service.
Commissioner Schatmeier stated that several intersections were called out as needing attention.
He wondered how staff analyzed those intersections, specifically whether traffic signals or new
treatments were necessary. He said one speaker stated there should be a light at 6th Street and
Central Avenue another speaker stated a traffic signal is needed at 5th Street and yet another",TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf
TransportationCommission,2015-11-18,17,"Commissioner Miley said to follow up on Commissioner Schatmeier's comments about 8th Street
and Central Avenue the intersection is tricky and he lived on 8th Street growing up. Overall, he
felt the project improves safety throughout the corridor, but staff could look to do more. He
wondered if staff could look at having the bike lane encroach into the park because it is
concerning what driver behavior would be like at the intersection, especially making that right or
left turn onto 8th Street going northwest.
Staff Payne replied staff looked at this option. She said the advantage is a more protected space,
but the disadvantages are conflicts with bicyclists getting into the park because there is a park
facility with a preschool and after care with a lot of parking activity at that intersection.
Commissioner Bellows replied staff could move the right turn lane over further and keep the
orientation the way it is and that could provide more room for the westbound traffic to not
merge.
Staff Payne replied there is also a concern when you get to the 8th Street intersection as a cyclist
how would you get across since you would not be orientated to go eastbound again.
Commissioner Miley said the lineup would not be ideal.
Commissioner Miley made a motion to accept staff recommendations with additional requests
and move the plan to City Council for review. He requested that staff conduct additional analysis
at the 8th Street intersection and to further review the short merge or if there is any way to extend
that. He also requested that staff provide the City Council with some analysis that shows what
encroaching into the park would look like, so they have some options in front of them.
Additionally, he asked that when the project is eventually implemented staff would present an
annual review to the Commission. Commissioner Schatmeier seconded the motion.
Commissioner Vargas made an amendment to the motion that included having the engineering
department review the concept as it evolves, so they are officially in the loop. The motion was
approved 6-0.
6.
Staff Communications
6.A. Potential Future Meeting Agenda Items
-
Cross Alameda Trail - Atlantic Segment
-
Main Street Ferry Terminal Improvements
7.
Announcements/Public Comments
None.
8.
Adjournment
10:21 pm
Page 17 of 17",TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf