pages: CityCouncil/2013-09-25.pdf, 5
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CityCouncil | 2013-09-25 | 5 | The City Planner stated the policy also was based on the Tubes and bridges; widening roads would just allow cars to travel faster and then have to wait in line to get to the Tube. Mayor Gilmore stated road widening also impacts bicycles and pedestrians because people rush through town; that she receives many complaints about speeding now. The City Planner stated wide streets are the least pleasant for walkers to cross; the EIR transportation section addresses items which make it easier for cars; if something is done for cars, it asks what about pedestrians, bicyclists and transit and whether service levels would go down. Councilmember Daysog stated at some point, widening the end of the outbound Posey Tube would need to be evaluated in the event there is a left turn. The City Manager stated the intersection from I-880 to the Tube is a regional problem; Oakland has projects coming on line; the Chinatown neighborhood faces air quality problems; staff is focused on the exit from the Tube and how to make the egress easier without creating more Chinatown traffic; staff's intention is to come forward with projects and plans that absolutely minimize automobile trips; the City Planner laid out some of the balancing questions; building larger roads creates a less friendly, less urban built environment for pedestrians and bicyclists; a lot of diplomacy has occurred during the last four months; a lot of work remains to be done; the County wants to go forward with a measure on the 2014 or 2016 ballot to increase the sales tax in order to create more transportation infrastructure, which would be good for Alameda as long as the Broadway Jackson interchange and additional expenditures for ferries and boats are included; Alameda is going to have specialized infrastructure needs over the next 50 years because no solution creates another Tube or bridge; the City does not want to be over reliant on automobiles going forward in developing the former Base; the public will have the opportunity to weigh in when options are presented. President Burton stated that he appreciates the comments made about how everyone is involved in the traffic situation; he recently saw a billboard that said: "You are not stuck in traffic, you are traffic;" everyone needs to be part of the solution, which cannot simply be the responsibility of new people; the transportation management plan is one critical component missing from the EIR; significant mitigation is needed if the City decides to reduce residential traffic by 10% and commercial traffic by 30%, which is an achievable goal, instead of some of roadway changes discussed in the EIR which do not have a significant impact on car traffic but do have significant impacts on pedestrian and bike traffic; that he would also like to see a greater level of detail in the EIR traffic studies; the EIR compares scenarios; all the other development in town is going to have greater or at least as much impact as the traffic generated by Alameda Point; he would like to see a more direct comparison of the project impact to the project impact plus cumulative in order to clearly understand where problems lie and be able to determine the most effective manner going forward; solutions for Alameda Point might not effectively Joint Meeting Alameda City Council and 5 Planning Board September 25, 2013 | CityCouncil/2013-09-25.pdf |