pages: TransportationCommission/2020-11-18.pdf, 6
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TransportationCommission | 2020-11-18 | 6 | Ruth Abbe stated that she is with Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda, and is active on CASA's transportation committee. She is very supportive of this project both for its safety and climate benefits. She really thinks the emphasis on increased safety for walking and biking, and on reducing this as a corridor for traffic is great. She wants to commend staff and to provide full support. Christopher Buckley stated that he is a City planner and a tree advocate. He wants to go to bat for preserving the maximum number of trees and for adding more trees. He understands that trees will be planted, and discussed options for adding trees even at narrow sidewalk locations with Staff Payne. He wants to ask the Commission to support these efforts that staff and consultants are doing for tree preservation and to maximum tree plantings, and to recommend them to Council. Amos White stated that he is the Founder of 100,000 Trees for Humanity. He is committed to planting this many trees in Alameda, and to help Alameda meet its 2030 climate goals. He commends the work that the Commission is doing on this project. He stated that there is no indication in the concept plans of where trees will be located, but there is talk in the staff report of removing trees, which is concerning. He asks the Commission to emphasize maximizing tree planting, such as at roundabouts and landscaped areas, and to minimize any tree removal. He asked the Commission to avoid or minimize as much as possible the removal of trees and to maximize planting of new trees to support CARP. John McCabe thanked staff and the consultants. He thinks that this will be a great project. He runs and bikes in the area. The bike lanes will help him drive less, and the students will be able to bike to school instead of being driven. The increase in visibility is a big issue for turning on and off Central Avenue. He is looking forward to the project. The roundabouts are new, and he lives close to a proposed one. These intersections proposed for roundabouts are really messed up right now, and are really confusing for motorists, and worse for pedestrians. Roundabouts will make traffic flow better, and will make businesses more accessible to pedestrians. His only concern is the timing of the project, and he wants to see this get done faster. Cynthia Cooper stated that she lives at the corner of Encinal Avenue and Sherman Street. She is pro bike and trees; however, she is a renter. She expressed that it is very challenging to park. When the economy was doing well, parking is more difficult. Eight people live in the building, and there are many apartments and condos in this vicinity. She loves the idea of bicycling but she works in Livermore so she needs to drive. The project is very concerning. She has lived here since 1994, and has had to sometimes park 2-3 blocks away, which is hard with groceries and at night. It makes for a difficult lifestyle. She requested to please consider this more. The project is eating up too much parking, and she wanted to know if there is a way to do this without losing so much parking. Trish Spencer thanked the Commissioners for comments about the visually impaired people using roundabouts and does not think it was adequately answered. Regarding impacts on Webster Street and Central Avenue, she is interested in changes here due to COVID. She is not sure if any changes were made in the bike/pedestrian/transit/car projections for the project because of COVID. She would like to know more about the assumptions. She would like to see the increases in bike and pedestrian use and the decreases in transit be considered and is wondering about changes in driving due to people working at home now. Jeannine Gravem stated that she is a resident on Sherman Street. She is extremely concerned about the roundabout at this intersection and is unclear why the project is reducing traffic on Sherman Street with a Transportation Commission Meeting Minutes - November 18, 2020 6 | TransportationCommission/2020-11-18.pdf |