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TransportationCommission/2014-07-30.pdf,1 | TransportationCommission | 2014-07-30 | 1 | Transportation Commission November 19, 2014 Item 4A Action Transportation Commission Minutes Wednesday, July 30, 2014 Commissioner Jesus Vargas called the Transportation Commission to order at 7:00 p.m. 1. Roll Call Roll was called and the following was recorded: Members Present: Jesus Vargas (Chair) Christopher Miley (Vice Chair) Michele Bellows Eric Schatmeier Gregory Morgado Thomas G. Bertken Staff Present: Alex Nguyen, Assistant City Manager Virendra Patel, Transportation Engineer Gail Payne, Transportation Coordinator 2. Agenda Changes None. 3. Announcements / Public Comments Commissioner Vargas announced that he recently visited Chicago and was able to easily traverse the city on a number of different transit modes. Staff Payne stated that Assemblyman Rob Bonta will hold a Town Hall Meeting Tuesday, August 12 at the Alameda Free Library. Page 1 of 10 | TransportationCommission/2014-07-30.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2014-07-30.pdf,2 | TransportationCommission | 2014-07-30 | 2 | 4. Consent Calendar 4A. Meeting Minutes - Special Meeting - December 11, 2013 4B. Meeting Minutes - March 26, 2014 4C. Meeting Minutes - Special Meeting - April 23, 2014 4D. Meeting Minutes - May 28, 2014 Commissioner Miley moved to approve Items 4.A., 4.B., 4.C. and 4.D. of the Consent Calendar. Commissioner Bellows seconded the motion. The motion was approved 6-0. 5. New Business 5A. Approve Installation of a Bulb-out at Park/Lincoln Northwest Corner Staff Patel said the plan was originally presented to the Commission on March 26 and the project's consultant would present the report. Joy Bhattacharya, Traffic Senior Project Manager, Stantec Consulting, presented the report. Commissioner Vargas opened the floor to public comments. John Knox White, Alameda Resident, said he supported staff's recommendations. Commission Schatmeier said he was glad that a review of the intersection took place and he was glad staff was able to make improvements. Commissioner Vargas moved to approve staff recommendations for Item 5A. Commissioner Schatmeier seconded the motion. The motion was approved 6-0. 5B. Review and Provide Comments on Ferry Terminal Access Issues and Potential Solutions Staff Payne presented the report and introduced Kevin Connolly, Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) and Becca Homa, AC Transit. Kevin Connolly, WETA Planning and Development Manager, presented the Alameda Terminal Access Plan results to date. Becca Homa, AC Transit Service Planner, presented AC Transit's a potential change to Line 31 route to allow for it to serve the Main Street ferry terminal. Staff Payne presented the next steps found on page 4 of the staff report and she requested recommendations from the Commission. Page 2 of 10 | TransportationCommission/2014-07-30.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2014-07-30.pdf,3 | TransportationCommission | 2014-07-30 | 3 | Commissioner Miley referred to page 3 of the staff report, where the last point made was for the WETA Board to adopt the plan. Thus, he wanted to know when the board would adopt the plan. Kevin Connolly replied the board would adopt the plan sometime in the fall between October and November. Commissioner Schatmeier asked Kevin Connolly to compare the Harbor Bay Ferry's ridership originating from Oakland and Alameda. Kevin Connolly replied the total breakdown of Alameda-Oakland ridership is 51 percent of riders are from Alameda and 49 percent of riders are from Oakland. He went on to say that 70 percent of Alameda passengers board during the AM peak commute and 70 percent of Oakland riders board during the midday to late evening hours. Commissioner Schatmeier wanted to know how many Harbor Bay Alamedans ride. He assumed that if there are 2,800 riders a day and roughly 1,400 a day are from Alameda, then roughly 70 percent or 900-1,000 riders are boarding during the AM peak commute. Kevin Connolly replied roughly, there are 992 riders from Harbor Bay. Commissioner Vargas opened the floor to public comments. Lucy Gigli, President and Co-founder Bike Walk Alameda, explained that there are a number of issues that should be addressed within the plan. Firstly, she said creating a crosswalk from the D'Club to the west of the dog park would allow pedestrians to get from their vehicles to the terminal safely. Secondly, she said reducing the speed limit to 25 mph along Main Street would increase pedestrian and bicycle safety. Thirdly, she noted that improving bicycle access along Main Street could be done by constructing a cycle track on the west side of the street. However, she explained the only issue would be that cyclists would ride down Main Street, cross over and then go up the cycle track and then cross over again. Also, she mentioned the option of including buffered bike lanes within 0.2 miles of the stretch on the east side between Singleton Avenue and the ferry terminal. Lastly, she felt asphalt paving dominated Al… | TransportationCommission/2014-07-30.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2014-07-30.pdf,4 | TransportationCommission | 2014-07-30 | 4 | Staff Payne replied the City was obligated to comply with the BCDC permit found under page 2 of the staff report. The BCDC prohibits parking on the Bay side, but short-term parking is allowed on the land side. Commissioner Bellows asked staff how willing would BCDC be to let the parking requirement go. Staff Payne replied that staff needs to work with BCDC to amend the permit. Commissioner Bellows asked staff if the parking restrictions were enforced, where would ferry riders park. Staff Payne noted that the landward side provides about 50 parking spaces. Commissioner Miley asked staff if the neighbors around Adelphian Way were notified about potential changes to the parking regulations. Staff Payne said residents have not been notified and all conversations are informal. Staff is disregarding the two-hour restriction for the time being. Commissioner Morgado said he drove by the area around 4:45 pm and there was one parking space in the parking lot and no parking spaces along Adelphian Way. He asked why a two-hour limit would be implemented. Staff Payne stated that BCDC works with the City anytime development is within 100 feet from the Bay. Their mission involves public access and making sure the view shed is visible, which may have triggered the parking restrictions. Sergeant Simmons, Alameda Police Traffic Division, explained that in the last 6-9 months they have received a number of calls from residents about the landward parking side. Community members at the end of Creedon Circle asked them to lift the parking enforcement because of increased ridership and the number of cars encroaching within their neighborhoods. Commissioner Schatmeier said enforcing the two-hour restriction on Adelphian Way would spark drivers to park in the surrounding neighborhoods. He mentioned that other cities have residential parking permits and that could be a solution for the area. He was also concerned that removing parking on Adelphian Way would lower ferry ridership. He noted that the curb coming out of Sweet Road onto Adelphi… | TransportationCommission/2014-07-30.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2014-07-30.pdf,5 | TransportationCommission | 2014-07-30 | 5 | Commissioner Bellows asked WETA if they ever considered implementing a parking fee. Kevin Connolly replied they discussed the idea and are willing to consider it. Commissioner Miley stated that there are other lots along Harbor Bay Parkway and he recommended WETA review those sites. He suggested reaching out to the existing shuttle at the nearby business park to see if they could expand their service to reach the ferry terminal. Commissioner Vargas stated that he paid more for parking in Chicago than San Francisco and in the densest areas motorists required a sticker. He asked WETA if there are sites where that scheme has been implemented. Kevin Connolly stated that the city of Vallejo owns a number of open surface lots around the Baylink Ferry Terminal and they now charge for parking. Commissioner Bellows asked staff if they looked at allowing for parking along McCartney Road. Staff Patel replied no. Commissioner Bellows asked if there was a way to accommodate parking along the road. Staff Patel replied they could investigate to see if parking would be possible. Commissioner Vargas mentioned that there was a park and ride on Island Drive near Doolittle. He then asked if the AC Transit bus that picks up at the park and ride could stop near the ferry terminal to accommodate additional ferry riders. Becca Homa replied that Line #21 does stop at the park and ride and near the terminal. However, she felt few people were taking advantage of the service, but she could investigate further. Staff Payne replied that the park and ride spaces were at capacity. Commissioner Schatmeier asked staff who parked there and where were they going. Staff Payne said the lot was owned by the City and charter buses utilized the lot. Kevin Connolly replied Google runs five buses a day at the park and ride and Apple runs three. Staff Payne replied that the Golf Parking Lot was a potential alternative; however, staff once executed the shuttle approach and only a handful used the service. Commissioner Miley replied that all agencies involve… | TransportationCommission/2014-07-30.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2014-07-30.pdf,6 | TransportationCommission | 2014-07-30 | 6 | also be contacted. Commissioner Bellows needed clarification on the plan to acquire additional parking and how that would tie into the Seaplane Lagoon improvements and future service at Seaplane Lagoon. Kevin Connolly replied that they are engaged with Alameda staff to look at the whole range of potential outcomes and variations. However, WETA's improvements are based on the short- term access study because they are not looking at making 20-year investments until they know the outcome of the Seaplane Lagoon Project. Commissioner Schatmeier stated that he wanted to speak about transit access issues. When he worked in Marin County, he traveled using the Alameda-Oakland and Golden Gate Ferries. He explained that Golden Gate Transit had a long history of feeder shuttles to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal and no one used the service. Regarding AC Transit, he was disturbed with the 66 percent on-time performance rating and he was doubtful that eliminating the last trip on Line # 21 to serve the morning ferry riders was helpful. Moreover, he said staff should review the ridership gain if they are going to re-route Line #31. Commissioner Morgado asked staff how far away was the O'Club lot from the ferry terminal. Staff Payne replied that there are 138 spaces at the O'Club parking lot and noted that the staff report displayed the parking lot as the blue rectangle. Commissioner Morgado stated that motorists usually park on the unregulated part of Main Street in the morning. Staff Payne replied that was correct. Commissioner Morgado asked staff how many people actually park there. Staff Payne replied they saw the total number of cars parking on Main Street come from all over the presented map from West Midway to the west gate/Navy Way, and they were willing to walk to the terminal. Commissioner Morgado asked staff if the City allowed people to park at the O'Club lot, would a crosswalk be present. Staff Payne replied a crosswalk was not present and that was one of the requests presented by Lucy Gigli of BikeWalk Alameda. She sai… | TransportationCommission/2014-07-30.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2014-07-30.pdf,7 | TransportationCommission | 2014-07-30 | 7 | Commissioner Vargas referred to Spirits Alley and wondered if the AC Transit Line #31 extension could cover that area. Becca Homa said during the last Commission meeting a few people requested service for the area. However, peak ridership occurs during the evening and weekend timeframe and service during that timeframe was expensive and long. She said that this was not a high priority service area. Commissioner Miley asked AC Transit if they are looking at any specialty transit service to accompany regular service. Becca Homa replied that AC Transit's Board approved the purchase of smaller vehicles SO that may be a possibility. Commissioner Vargas asked if there could be a modification of the loop if someone pushed a button near Spirits Alley. Becca Homa replied the action was called flexible service and staff was looking into the option, but staff would have to address union and driver training issues. Commissioner Schatmeier explained in the past WETA and AC Transit representatives talked about implementing bus service to and from San Francisco when the ferries turned people away. He also wanted to know if WETA used a contractor for the bus service. Alternatively, ferry riders could board AC Transit Line OX at the Temporary Transbay Terminal. He wondered if the 5:40 pm or 5:50 pm Line OX run could originate at the San Francisco Ferry Building then proceed to the Temporary Transbay Terminal. Becca Homa replied that would be difficult because layover, restrooms and tour bus spaces would be an ongoing issue. Therefore, they would like to concentrate their operations at the Temporary Transbay Terminal. Kevin Connolly said they contract out the backup buses. Regarding AC Transit and ferry service, WETA had conversations about a partnership between the two agencies and that was something they would like to see. Moreover, he mentioned that a regionwide Transbay corridor plan was enacted between AC Transit, BART and WETA for better integration between the entire system and establishing a partnership was an ongoing conv… | TransportationCommission/2014-07-30.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2014-07-30.pdf,8 | TransportationCommission | 2014-07-30 | 8 | Staff Payne replied that is unique to the City. Commissioner Miley asked how much the maintenance work costs the City. Staff Payne replied WETA reimburses the City for all maintenance work. Commissioner Bertken asked WETA why the improvement of the pedestrian crossing at Main Street was not the responsibility of WETA. Kevin Connolly replied that they raised the issue since the beginning of the effort and that it was not embraced by the City's Public Works Department. Commissioner Vargas said the project looked like a candidate for a joint public partnership. Alex Nguyen, Alameda City Manager, said he would like the Commission to come back in the fall to discuss the specific studies and present refined recommendations. Commissioner Vargas stated that a special committee should be put into place to review the plan. Commissioner Schatmeier offered to volunteer for the subcommittee and he stated that the Commission should express their requirements for the plan without committing them to a single solution. Alex Nguyen recommended that Bike Walk Alameda be part of the subcommittee and requested that staff look into the number of people who could be part of the subcommittee. Staff Payne felt that the subcommittee should sit down and include additions and deletions using the next steps part of the staff report as a starting point. Commissioner Miley said regarding the potential solution portion, he would like staff to explore available surface lots around the area, include additional bicycle parking under WETA's responsibility and study the effects of re-routing Line #31. Commissioner Bellows amended Commissioner Miley's statement to include staff to explore available on-street parking as well. Commissioner Schatmeier replied that the solution should also exclude enforcing parking restrictions on Adelphian Way. He also supported reviewing the effects of re-routing Line #31. Commissioner Bellows felt they should remove the signage that restricts parking on the landward side. She would also like the curb at Adelphian Way … | TransportationCommission/2014-07-30.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2014-07-30.pdf,9 | TransportationCommission | 2014-07-30 | 9 | Also, he would like to make sure pedestrians and cyclists travel safely along Main Street. Commissioner Vargas asked Sergeant Simmons for the speed limit along Main Street. Sergeant Simmons replied 35 mph. Commissioner Vargas felt that safety was an important issue. The Main Street pedestrian and cyclist crossing was high priority. Secondly, he said the Commission should work with the contract BCDC laid out since modifying the contract would be difficult. Moreover, he felt that parking restrictions were a revenue generator and if the City needed money then start giving tickets. Commissioner Miley replied WETA should look into implementing parking charges within their parking lot. 6. Staff Communications 6A. Potential Future Meeting Agenda Items The next Commission meeting will be Wednesday, September 24th. and potential items could include: Ferry Terminal Access Recommendations and Updates Northern Waterfront Development Projects Pedestrian Safety Program Update I-880/29th Avenue/23rd Avenue Interchange Improvement Project Proposed I-880/Broadway/Jackson Multimodal Transportation and Circulation Improvements 7. Announcements/ Public Comments Jim Strehlow, Alameda resident, said two months ago he spoke about the I-880/Fruitvale Avenue construction and how the left turn lane onto Elmwood Drive had an unnecessary 20-second delay. Yet, he found that two months ago the City striped Fruitvale Avenue with an extra lane and that alleviated some of the traffic. However, he said a 20-second delay continued to plague Elmwood Drive and he would like the Commission to talk to City about this issue. In addition, he was upset that he spent the last several meetings asking for a survey of traffic conditions and recently found out that the City conducted a study for Alameda Point. Thus, he wanted better communication between departments and the Commission. Also, before attending the Commission meeting, he attended the Del Monte Warehouse Project meeting at City Hall West. He said a number of transportation issues were brought up,… | TransportationCommission/2014-07-30.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2014-07-30.pdf,10 | TransportationCommission | 2014-07-30 | 10 | call this upcoming agenda item as "Northern Waterfront Development." Commissioner Schatmeier made the motion to include the topic within the existing future agenda items. Commissioner Bertken seconded the motion. The motion was approved 6-0. 8. Adjournment 8:55 pm Page 10 of 10 | TransportationCommission/2014-07-30.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf,1 | 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.pdf,2 | 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 1… | TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf,3 | 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 thi… | TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf,17 | 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.… | TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf,4 | 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 p… | TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf,5 | 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 bu… | TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf,6 | 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 na… | TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf,7 | 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… | TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf,8 | 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 sh… | TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf,9 | 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 Sher… | TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf,10 | 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 con… | TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf,11 | 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… | TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf,12 | 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 t… | TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf,13 | 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 wondere… | TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf,14 | 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… | TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf,15 | 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 Co… | TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2015-11-18.pdf,16 | 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/2008-11-12.pdf,1 | TransportationCommission | 2008-11-12 | 1 | TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MINUTES - DRAFT November 12, 2008 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: John Knox White Michael Krueger Jane Lee Kathy Moehring Members Absent: Robert McFarland Eric Schatmeier Srikant Subramaniam Staff Present: Obaid Khan, Supervising Civil Engineer Barry Bergman, Transportation Coordinator Lt. David Boersma, Alameda Police Department 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. October 22, 2008 These minutes will be considered at the December 10, 2009, meeting. 3. AGENDA CHANGES There were none. 4. COMMISSION COMMUNICATIONS Chair Knox White wished to discuss the traffic light at Park and Blanding at 8 a.m. on Friday morning. He noted that it was red in all directions for three to five seconds, and changed from green on Park to green on Blanding. He added that at the light at Santa Clara and High the City had previously had added one second to the red, but that it was not there now. Chair Knox White inquired about the establishment of a transit plan subcommittee. Staff Khan replied that staff was concerned about the resources needed to implement that request, and suggested revisiting the request in December. Chair Knox White requested that on future agendas, items brought for content be agendized for action as well. Staff Khan noted that staff would look into that request. Chair Knox White noted that the question was raised at the Alameda Reuse and Redevelopment Authority (ARRA) meeting whether comments represented consensus or 1 | TransportationCommission/2008-11-12.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-11-12.pdf,2 | TransportationCommission | 2008-11-12 | 2 | the opinions of individuals. a. Pedestrian Plan Task Force There was no report. b. Bicycle Plan Update Group There was no report. c. Alameda Point Advisory Task Force There was no report. 5. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS - NON-AGENDIZED ITEMS There were none. 6. OLD BUSINESS a. Monitoring of Oak Street and Central Avenue Intersection Staff Khan summarized the extensive staff report and detailed the background and scope of this item. He described the monitoring plan, and added that Public Works and Alameda Police Department (APD) coordinated the work with the community groups, addressing their concerns. In response to a request by APD, City Council approved the change to the Municipal Code on June 17, 2008 regarding the use of the garage by skaters and skateboarders. In response to an inquiry by Commissioner Moehring about additional bike racks in the area, Staff Bergman replied that there was not a current proposal for anything on the north side of Central near the theater. Staff Khan added that staff would continue to examine that issue, and that racks would be installed in Lot C. Commissioner Krueger noted that page 4 stated that there was a pedestrian crossing time of 4 to 7 seconds, and inquired why there was a maximum walk time. As a pedestrian, he expected that the flashing hand time should be equal to the crossing distance divided by the average walking speed, and that the green signal should last through the crossing time. He would like to see the crossing time maximized. Staff Khan replied that based upon the studies, 7 seconds at a signalized intersection was the maximum to coordinate with the cycle. Commissioner Krueger inquired whether it would be possible to have a white hand and countdown that changed to an orange flashing countdown as the crossing time ran out. Staff Khan stated that a $50 parking permit was being considered for Monday through Friday parking. Staff would consider the PSBA request to increase the parking time from four to eight hours. In response to an inquiry by Commissioner Krueger whether … | TransportationCommission/2008-11-12.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-11-12.pdf,3 | TransportationCommission | 2008-11-12 | 3 | marquee would affect the bulbout design, Staff Khan replied it would, but that the bulbout could not be extended to the alley because of the need for the commercial loading zone. In response to an inquiry by Chair Knox White whether peak commute hour traffic was measured, as opposed to peak use of the theater, Staff Khan replied that commute traffic was higher than traffic associated with the theater. Chair Knox White stated that the intersection of Oak and Central was identified as a problem in the negative declaration for the theater project. Staff Khan responded that changes were made to the signal timing at that location in conjunction with the opening of the theater to address those concerns. Chair Knox White requested that the staff report be clarified, as it appears to state that right turns from Central onto Oak were excluded from the analysis. Chair Knox White expressed concern about the bike and pedestrian right-of-way violations, and noted they were not mentioned in the report. He noted that he witnessed the violations frequently, and that many people double-parked in the bike lane. Lt. Boersma noted that double-parking data was collected by the Finance Department, and that the data could not be obtained. In response to an inquiry by Chair Knox-White whether the tree that was removed would be installed on the bulbout, Staff Khan replied that staff would look into that, and added that it may also be installed in Lot C. Open public hearing. Lucy Gigli noted that she was disappointed when she saw the flier that the City distributed regarding bicyclist and pedestrian safety. She noted that when this item went to the City Council, the Transportation Commission wrote a letter regarding its concerns with the right turn lane, and she was disappointed that she did not see any analysis of how it all worked. She noted that with respect to the bulbouts, which she generally favored, she did not completely understand the argument for having them, as the number of jaywalkers did not appear to be very high. She asked … | TransportationCommission/2008-11-12.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-11-12.pdf,4 | TransportationCommission | 2008-11-12 | 4 | Commissioner Krueger expressed concern about the traffic backup on the intersection at Park Street, which he assumed was based on the traffic predictions. He inquired whether the traffic volume was sufficient to justify the queuing. Staff Khan replied that staff did not see the traffic buildup when looking at the numbers. Commissioner Moehring noted that she would like to see bike parking in front of the theater. Chair Knox White agreed with that suggestion. He noted that bike parking in the garage was relocated without any input. The volumes were lower, and the long dropoff wasn't needed. He would like to see something in the City Council report about illegal use of the bike lanes for passing. He would also like to see bike parking in front of the theater. Staff Khan noted that the bulbout also helped by providing spaces for patron queuing at the theater. Commissioner Lee expressed concern about the $150,000 cost, and commended staff on the brochure, which could be modified and used for schools. Staff Khan said that staff could email her a copy of the file if the schools were interested in reproducing and distributing additional copies. Commissioner Moehring suggested sending it out through the Alameda Educational Foundation. Commissioner Krueger suggested that the City Council report mention how the bulbout will help with patron queuing and protection of the marquee. He believed the bike parking should be as close as possible to the theater entrance. No action was taken. b. Transportation Element Update Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) Staff Khan presented the staff report, and requested comments on the analysis, as well as the content of the Transportation Element. He noted that with respect to the flexibility of the Transportation Element, the guiding policies would go to the decision-makers who would make the final decisions based on specific conditions. He noted that the Transportation Element was a policy document, and was a program level analysis. Project level Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) … | TransportationCommission/2008-11-12.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-11-12.pdf,5 | TransportationCommission | 2008-11-12 | 5 | Commissioner Krueger inquired whether trip reduction related to transportation demand management (TDM) was considered in the analysis, or whether it did not reduce the trips sufficiently. Staff Khan replied that the anticipated reductions were not sufficient to mitigate the congestion resulting from the proposed policies, and that this analysis was conducted in response to the comments that had been received. Commissioner Krueger suggested that that language be clarified. With respect to flexibility, Commissioner Krueger inquired whether the policy as written could be overridden. Staff Khan replied that the General Plan would have to be changed. Commissioner Krueger inquired whether a Specific Plan could override the General Plan. Staff Khan replied that a Specific Plan must be consistent with the General Plan. Chair Knox White noted that the City Council has already accepted the EIR policies, and that the EIR does not approve or deny a project, it just describes the impacts. He believed that the proposed language for EIR-1 and EIR-2 essentially made their intent meaningless. He added that the CMA had never withheld gas taxes for deficiency issues. He noted AC Transit's comment C-4 about bikes and transit mixing relatively well. He suggested adding clarification that the primary and secondary transit street classification did not have to do with current or anticipated service levels, but how the streets were treated. He noted that the EIR policy allows a queue jump on secondary streets. Open public comment. Chair Knox White responded to a letter submitted from Ani Dimusheva. The letter expressed concern that the City would be instituting measures to force traffic toward particular streets. Chair Knox White noted that other than transitional streets, the Transportation Element does not propose change in the use of the streets. The letter also described the treatments employed on Fernside Blvd. and compared conditions to Grand Street. Chair Knox White noted that the speeds on Fernside and Grand were found to be sim… | TransportationCommission/2008-11-12.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-11-12.pdf,6 | TransportationCommission | 2008-11-12 | 6 | Transportation demand management (TDM) does not have to focus solely on trips generated by the project. For example, the bus rapid transit (BRT) proposed by SunCal for Alameda Point will largely serve other sections of the island. The TC had recommended that Mariner Square Drive include only two traffic lanes, not four. Chair Knox-White noted that he liked staff's proposed change to policy EIR-7 . Commissioner Krueger noted that he was concerned about the proposed changes, as completed projects do not always uphold what was stated in the General Plan. Staff Khan noted that if these policies had been in place previously, that elements from some project that the TC has object to could not have been constructed. For example, Atlantic would have a 25 mph speed limit, and there would be no soundwall. Commissioner Krueger moved to accept the three clarifications. Commissioner Moehring seconded the motion. Motion passed 4-0. Commissioner Krueger moved to accept staff's recommendation regarding the proposed modifications of selected street classifications. Commissioner Moehring seconded the motion. Motion passed 4-0. Commissioner Krueger moved to accept staff's proposed changes regarding policy EIR-7. Commissioner Moehring seconded the motion. Motion passed 4-0. Commissioner Moehring moved to accept staff's changes regarding policies EIR-1, EIR- 2 and EIR-6. There was no second. Commissioner Moehring moved to accept policy EIR-1 as written, and policy EIR-2 with the addition of exceptions for the addition of transit-exclusive or nonmotorized vehicle lanes. Commissioner Lee seconded the motion. Motion passed 4-0. Chair Knox-White invited a motion to extend the meeting to 11:00 p.m. Commissioner Krueger moved to extend the meeting to 11:00 p.m. Commissioner Moehring seconded the motion. Motion passed 4-0. Commissioner Krueger moved to recommend adoption of the Transportation Element with the previously stated changes. Commissioner Moehring seconded the motion. Motion passed 4-0. Commissioner Krueger expressed concern about… | TransportationCommission/2008-11-12.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-11-12.pdf,7 | TransportationCommission | 2008-11-12 | 7 | Commissioner Krueger moved to recommend approval of the EIR, with comments, with the provision that the environmentally superior alternative does not include the phenomenon of induced traffic, and does not include analysis of all the environmental effects, particularly emissions in reaching the conclusion of "environmentally superior," and only looks at the City's adopted significant criteria. Commissioner Moehring seconded the motion. Motion passed 4-0. c. Thresholds of Significance Scope of Work and Schedule Open public comment. There was none. Close public comment. Chair Knox-White noted that Phase I should be completed by March 2009, and would like it to become a priority. No action was taken. 7. NEW BUSINESS There was none. 8. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS a. Estuary Crossing Feasibility Study Staff Khan noted the study was expected to be completed in early 2009, and that the draft of the study would be presented to the Transportation Commission first. b. Broadway/Jacksor Update Staff Khan noted that the project study report (PSR) was submitted to Caltrans, and added that they did not have the funds available to review it. He noted that ACTIA was hiring a consultant for the study report. Staff Khan noted that the Pedestrian Plan would go to City Council in January 2009, and that ACTIA had indicated that it would regard the City as meeting its project deadline if the Planning Board approves the Transportation Element in November. c. Monitoring of Oak Street/Central Avenue intersection Staff Khan noted that there was no report. d. Upcoming development-related traffic studies and plans 7 | TransportationCommission/2008-11-12.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-11-12.pdf,8 | TransportationCommission | 2008-11-12 | 8 | Staff Khan noted that there was no report. e. Future meeting agenda items ADJOURN: 10:50 p.m. G:\pubworks\LT\TRANSPORTATIONICOMMITTEES\TC\2008\121008\111208minutes-draft.doc 8 | TransportationCommission/2008-11-12.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf,1 | TransportationCommission | 2008-04-23 | 1 | TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MINUTES April 23, 2008 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: John Knox White Michael Krueger Robert McFarland Robb Ratto Eric Schatmeier (arrived at 8:00 p.m.) Srikant Subramaniam Nielsen Tam Staff Present: Obaid Khan, Supervising Civil Engineer Barry Bergman, Transportation Coordinator Barbara Hawkins, City Engineer Michael Fisher, Division Chief, Fire Department 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. January 23, 2008 Commissioner Ratto moved approval of the minutes for the January 23, 2008, meeting and minutes as presented. Commissioner McFarland seconded the motion. Motion passed 5-0-1 (Commissioner Krueger abstained). Absent: Commissioner Schatmeier. b. March 26, 2008 Commissioner Krueger moved approval of the minutes for the March 26, 2008, meeting and minutes as presented. Commissioner McFarland seconded the motion. Motion passed 5-0-1 (Commissioner Ratto abstained). Absent: Commissioner Schatmeier. 3. AGENDA CHANGES There were none. 4. COMMISSION COMMUNICATIONS Chair Knox White noted that the Bicycle Plan Subcommittee had met briefly, during which the process for moving forward was discussed. Transportation Commission Page 1 of 15 04/23/08 Minutes | TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf,2 | TransportationCommission | 2008-04-23 | 2 | Chair Knox White noted that the Pedestrian Task Force had met, which will be discussed later in the meeting. 5. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Open public comment. Councilmember Doug DeHaan provided an informational update regarding the Esplanade project approved by the City Council within Harbor Bay and concerns expressed by some community members. Public concern had been expressed about the ferry service, and that the parking lot at the terminal was at 90 to 100% capacity every day, which limited the City's ability to add ridership to the ferry. The Council expressed an interest in looking at alternatives for improving ferry ridership. He noted that the commercial portion of the Harbor Bay Association had run a very successful shuttle service from BART and within the development itself. He added that it was a private effort, and in doing so, it had served their population well. The developer who sat on the Harbor Bay Board noted that he could not commit them to extend that, but that he would work with the rest of the community to look at extending a shuttle service into Harbor Bay. Councilmember DeHaan stated that another option that was suggested was developing a staging area near the beginning of Ron Cowan Parkway where people could park and take a shuttle to the ferry terminal. A third alternative would be to restripe the existing parking lot, which, he estimated, could create perhaps ten additional parking spaces. He encouraged the Commission look at the alternatives. Councilmember DeHaan discussed the farebox recovery ratio history for the service and noted that the Council wants the ferry to be successful. He noted that the additional activity from new development would be helpful to the ferry. He encouraged the Transportation Commission and Public Works to move forward on this issue and to provide an update. He noted that a shuttle service would benefit not only Alameda residents, but also people from other areas via the Ron Cowan Parkway. Bill Smith wished to discuss the fourth bore and fourth platform for BART, a… | TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf,3 | TransportationCommission | 2008-04-23 | 3 | Staff solicited input from residents, and received some comments in favor, some in opposition, as well as some suggested alternatives, such as allowing people to park on the sidewalks, as was done previously. The Fire Code required a 20-foot clearance for emergency vehicle access. The Fire Department indicated that they had some vehicles that were 9.5 feet wide, which so removing parking on one side of the street would be sufficient, as it would provide 16 feet of clearance. To mitigate the impacts, parking was removed on the even side of the street, as fewer spaces were impacted. He noted that the two-hour parking restriction on the other side of the street was removed to provide full- time on-street parking for four additional spaces. Staff Bergman noted that the decision was appealed, and that the appellant made several points. The appellant believed that there were alternative methods of providing access, such as sidewalk parking, that would allow the on-street parking to be retained. Staff noted that this recommendation was not made because it was prohibited by Section 22500(f) of the California Vehicle Code, which stated that "no person shall stop, park, or leave standing any vehicle, whether attended or unattended, except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic, or in compliance with the directions of a peace officer or official traffic control device on any portion of a sidewalk, or with the body of the vehicle extending over any portion of a sidewalk." In addition, the sidewalks are not constructed to support the weight of the vehicles, and there was concern about the impact that parking on the sidewalk would have on pedestrian traffic. The appellant submitted a letter subsequent to his initial appeal, raising additional points. One suggestion was to relocate the curb to widen the street, in order to provide emergency access. The Alameda Municipal Code required that public sidewalks be at least five feet in width; by removing the 18 inches from each side of the street, that would provide an a… | TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf,4 | TransportationCommission | 2008-04-23 | 4 | initial appeal, the subsequent letter from the appellant, and comments from residents. Given that the 18 spaces has been removed from one side of the street, and full-time parking has been restored at four additional spaces, there was a net loss of 14 full-time on-street parking spaces. Staff recommended that the Transportation Commission support the Public Works Director's decision to eliminate the parking on the odd side of the street. Commissioner Krueger noted that there appeared to be a pickup truck and a large boat trailer, and inquired whether staff had observed that on the site. Staff Khan replied that he had not seen it on the site. Commissioner Krueger inquired whether it was legal to park those large vehicles on the street, given the existing parking problem. Staff Khan replied that there was a restriction of commercial vehicles to be parked in residential areas, and there were some time limits as well. In response to an inquiry by Commissioner Krueger whether 10 feet would be enough width to fit the 9.5-foot-wide vehicle through, Michael Fisher, Fire Department, replied that it would be very impractical, and that the Fire Code required a minimum of 20 feet in width. An allowance was being made by bringing the width down to 16 feet. Open public comment Marc Voisenat, appellant, noted that the street was 24 feet wide, and noted that taking parking from one side of the street only created 16 feet. He believed that if 20 feet was needed, that the neighborhood should not settle for 16 feet. He had not realized that the Fire Department had made an allowance to 14 feet, and did not know how they came to that determination. He believed that if the Fire Department took the position that the Code should be followed, then it should be adhered to. He displayed a photo of the street, and noted that two vehicles were allowed to park on the sidewalk in a special parking designation. He believed that if they were allowed to make those accommodations there, and the Fire Department allowed accommodations to shorten the… | TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf,5 | TransportationCommission | 2008-04-23 | 5 | believed that people should use alternative modes of transportation. Karen Goddin, 527F Palace Court, inquired where the closest fire hydrant was located. Staff Fisher replied that it was on Central Avenue. She further inquired why an emergency response could not be made with a smaller vehicle than a fire truck. Mr. Fisher replied that the typical response to an emergency medical service call in Alameda required one engine company with three personnel (captain, driver and a paramedic), as well as a paramedic ambulance with two paramedics on it, for a total of five people. He noted that was the minimum County-required response within the City of Alameda. Matthew McHenry, 534 Palace Court, believed the permit parking should be examined, and that it would be the best and easiest solution. He would like to know why it was such an expensive and difficult solution. Close public comment. Chair Knox White reminded the Commission that this was an appeal hearing, rather than trying to solve the problem. The Commission may make recommendations to staff following the Commission's decision. Commissioner Krueger believed that more time should be given to the alternatives, and requested that staff answer the question about the parking permit, specifically about the break-even cost for the system itself. Staff Khan replied that Staff Bergman's research regarding cities such as Berkeley and Walnut Creek found that the cities had created a neighborhood parking program, which was subsidized by the General Fund. He understood that the question was whether the permit program could be fully paid by the residents. In order to make the program viable, the permits must be issued and tracked, and guest permits must be issued, fees must be collected and enforcement must take place. He noted the resources would be extensive Transportation Commission Page 5 of 15 04/23/08 Minutes | TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf,6 | TransportationCommission | 2008-04-23 | 6 | for a smaller program, and that this was viable on a larger scale; in that case, police officers and other personnel could be hired just for the permit program. Commissioner Ratto thanked the Fire Department for living in the real world and accepting the 16-foot-wide fire lane, rather than the 20-foot width required by Code. He noted that if that were not the case, the neighborhood would not have any parking on either side of the street. He noted that because the Commission was only dealing with the appeal, he would bring the public comment brought forth by Mr. McDowell regarding other streets to staff and request that they look into it. He noted that he had grown up in Alameda, and was aware of two different instances where houses had burned to the ground because the Fire Department did not have access to them. In those cases, parking had been changed to allow parking on only one side of the street. He was sensitive to public safety, and added that he would vote to deny the appeal. Chair Knox White echoed Commissioner Ratto's comments, and shared his concern about selective enforcement on other streets. He understood that some allowances could be made to the 20-foot lane widths, and believed the selective enforcement stemmed more from a desire to avoid this problem on other streets, rather than ill will. He believed this issue should be addressed on a policy level by the City. He noted that the Transportation Commission has generally supported parking permits, and that they were cited in the Transportation Master Plan currently in circulation. He noted that the permit program should be made in a cost-neutral way when 10% budget cuts were being made to every program. He noted that the program would become cost prohibitive almost immediately. He noted that the Public Works Director identified this as a safety hazard, and that was the primary concern of the City. He believed the Fire Department had provided documentation establishing the need to eliminate on-street parking, as identified in Condition 3. Commissione… | TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf,7 | TransportationCommission | 2008-04-23 | 7 | 7. NEW BUSINESS 7A. Review and Provide Recommendations on the Proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for Fiscal Years 2008/2009 and 2009/2010. Staff Hawkins presented the staff report, and reviewed the process for and projects in the Capital Improvement Program in detail. She noted that there was additional detail on the website at www.ci.alameda.ca.us. She noted that the CIP will go to City Council in June. In response to an inquiry by Chair Knox White whether the carryover projects used previously allocated funds, Staff Hawkins replied that the money will have been earmarked and would not come out of the new budget. She added that there had been insufficient staff for approximately four years to address the carryover projects. Commissioner Krueger inquired whether the website contained more details on the projects than what was available in the packet, Staff Hawkins replied that the data sheet for every project was available on the website. She added that there was generally a more detailed description of the proposed project, but that design plans were usually not included. She noted that further details could be obtained by calling the Lori Kozisek Public Works Department at 510/749-5840. Staff Khan wished to point out the annual projects described in the packet, and noted that page 204 listed the Bicycle Program and the Safe Routes to School improvements. Under the Bicycle Program, the bulk of the money in 2008/2009 will be spending in preparation of the Bike Plan; the City anticipated that some of the projects will be implemented in 2009/2010. The Safe Routes to School improvements will be continued, and the maps will be developed throughout the City. This program also funded any requests from the Alameda Unified School District for analysis and review of drop-off zones and parking. He noted that the Congestion Management Plan funded streets in the Congestion Management Program, and the staff wished to avoid a situation where a deficiency plan must be created. The City may conduct studies addressing signal… | TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf,8 | TransportationCommission | 2008-04-23 | 8 | Commissioner Schatmeier inquired whether the City had joined the Alameda County program Safe Route to School program. He inquired whether that would come out of the CIP. Staff Khan replied that if funding were to be provided to the County, it would not come out of this program, and that it provided salaries for employees. In response to an inquiry by Chair Knox White regarding the Tree Plan, Staff Hawkins replied that when a tree was removed, one was generally planted. She noted that staff intended to wait for the Master Tree Plan, and implement it as proposed. With respect to the unfunded projects, Chair Knox White inquired whether the long-range transit plan update would start in Fall 2008. Staff Khan replied that the City applied for grant funding for this project, and that it was unfunded because the City had not heard back from the funding agency yet. In response to an inquiry by Chair Knox White regarding the disposition of the program if the City did not receive the grant, Staff Khan replied that Public Works would need to remove the project. Commissioner Schatmeier noted that there was a great deal of need, with few resources. He expressed concern about government priorities in general, and was glad to see there was a list of unfunded projects, which highlighted the need. He noted that bus shelters, which the Transportation Commission had expressed an interest in, were listed under "Other," without a proposed funding source. He was curious about the allocation. Staff Hawkins replied that went towards the Citywide Development Fee, and that a study identified specific projects. She noted that 27% would be paid for by development, and 73% to be paid for by the City; the General Fund would offset it. Commissioner Schatmeier noted that the Long-Range Transit Plan update was listed in the unfunded category, and included language reading, "Pending approval of Caltrans Community-Based Transportation Planning. Staff Khan replied that was a grant that the City had applied for. Commissioner Krueger inquired whether … | TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf,9 | TransportationCommission | 2008-04-23 | 9 | Close public comment Chair Knox White noted that $250,000 had been identified in the two-year plan for the cross-estuary environmental project, which he believed was very good. However, he believed that the proposed project could become so large that it would not be able to move forward in three or four years. He suggested that with the tight City finances, that the money may be better used in other bike and pedestrian programs. He believed that the environmental study was very important, and that it should be done when possible. Staff Hawkins noted that was included because the projects that received capital funding had feasibility studies, environmental studies and often, designs completed. She suggested that as the Transportation Commission consider going forward with the City Bicycle Plan update, that some of the other projects that would be funded be prioritized. Commissioner Krueger noted that on page 7 in Unfunded Projects, the study for the Otis Reconfiguration caught his attention. He noted that the issue came up several times with the neighbors' concern about safety on Otis. Staff Khan noted that he was trying to get it funded through the TMP process, and that it was listed because it was presently unfunded. If the contingency money from the TMP is not used, these funds could possibly be used for the Otis Drive study. Commissioner Krueger noted that the bus shelters were listed on the unfunded list, and he recalled that the City would go forward with the bus shelter program. He had hoped to get some grants, which had fallen through. He inquired whether it would be taken back to Council. Commissioner Krueger moved to recommend that the City Council approve the CIP program, as well as the following: 1) bus shelter procurement and maintenance be brought back to City Council for direction on finding funding; 2) bicycle, pedestrian and transit projects be prioritized in the CIP; 3) if it appears unlikely that capital funding will be available for the cross-estuary bicycle/pedestrian crossing improvements, th… | TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf,10 | TransportationCommission | 2008-04-23 | 10 | Access. Staff Khan presented the staff report, and summarized the background and details of this item. He noted that representatives of the Police Department were available to answer questions. He noted that their goal was to provide a clear access for the Police and Fire Departments in front of the theater, particularly with the number of people accessing it. He noted that other cities provided loading/unloading zones in front of the theater with no parking allowed to ensure that the environment was safe. Commissioner Krueger recalled that there had been parallel parking and bike lanes prior to the construction project. Staff Khan confirmed that both were present in the recommended design. Commissioner Krueger inquired what would happen to the bike lanes if the parking was removed on one side. Staff Khan replied that the proposed design includes an eight-foot parking lane, a five-foot bike lane, and then the travel lane of 11-12 feet. Commissioner Krueger inquired whether traffic would have to pull into the parking area across the bike lane. Staff Khan replied that was in line with the standards, and was common in commercial zones. He noted that the speeds should not increase. The speeds would be controlled by the pedestrian and other activity near the street. Commissioner Krueger noted that right-turning traffic onto Oak would create a de facto right-turn lane. Staff Khan replied that staff considered a right-turn lane, but there was not enough space or justification. Commissioner Krueger inquired whether a bulbout could be considered to prevent that situation. Staff Khan replied that was not considered as part of this item, and that the request came after the construction was nearly complete. He added that it could be considered in the future. Open public comment. Bill Smith noted that it was important to protect the safety of the children, and that cameras were important to monitor safety. He suggested that volunteers with police- quality cameras would help maintain decorum when large numbers of children atte… | TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf,11 | TransportationCommission | 2008-04-23 | 11 | concept, and that it would be considered by the Park Street Business Association (PSBA) Board of Directors at its next meeting. Chair Knox White inquired where the 35 required bike parking spaces had gone. Staff Bergman replied that there were 40 spaces in the garage, including bike lockers and racks. Chair Knox White noted that this plan was similar to the Jack London Cinema - a big theater with no parking in front of it, and across the street from a parking lot with no way to cross the street. He did not believe this was a pedestrian-friendly area. He believed it was unfortunate that this plan was coming forward at this time, after years of planning in this area. He noted that the traffic and parking plan came to the Transportation Commission two years ago, which he believed was the time to make these recommendations. He agreed with Commissioner Krueger that the red curb would become a de facto right turn lane, which would be more dangerous for pedestrians and bike riders trying to navigate the intersection. He did not see how 270 feet of no-parking zone could be created without a bulbout. He noted that he was not against the dropoff zone, but questioned whether that much space was needed either for dropoff or emergency access. He believed there should be bike parking in front of the theater, that bicyclists would be more likely to use this than the parking in the garage. He noted that other cities provided bike parking in front of the theater, and believed that those spaces would be full of bikes on a summer evening. He was concerned that the City was trying to solve this problem quickly and cheaply, and did not believe this added to the area. He had not heard anyone justify the need to park four or five fire trucks in front of the theater at any given moment, and believed this created a very unfriendly environment for pedestrians. Lt. Dave Boersma, APD Traffic Division, noted that this was a compromise, and that from a public safety standpoint, he preferred a red zone in front of the entire area, without allo… | TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf,12 | TransportationCommission | 2008-04-23 | 12 | Staff Khan noted that when crosswalks are designed, staff look at pedestrian visibility and safety; staff did not want the pedestrians to be a place where motorists did not expect them. By putting white lines on the street, a safe environment would not be provided, especially at night. He believed that a crosswalk at this location may create more concerns. Commissioner Krueger inquired whether the alleyway met the standard to constitute an unmarked crosswalk. Staff Khan replied that the alleyway was an access point. He noted that between two signalized intersections, crossing would be considered jaywalking. Lt. Boersma understood that an unmarked crosswalk must be a prolongation of the sidewalk; that there was no sidewalk, only a driveway onto private property. Therefore, there was no unmarked crosswalk. Commissioner Ratto noted that a PSBA member who owned a restaurant across the street from the theater would request the PSBA Board to request that the City install a mid- block crosswalk with in-pavement crosswalk lights. He noted that as executive director of PSBA, he would work for this recommendation. However, as a Transportation Commissioner, he would vote against that recommendation. He noted that this could give a false sense of security to people crossing the street, and he did not believe that it was needed between two controlled lights. He understood the concern about the de facto right lane, and noted that PSBA would be against the bulbout at that corner, as it would negatively impact traffic flow. He inquired whether vehicles could turn left from Oak into the garage. Staff Khan replied that they could. Commissioner Ratto believed that while 40 bike parking spaces in front of the theater was excessive, he suggested that some bike racks be put in proximity to the theater. Staff Khan replied that this could be done, and added that the City could used some grant money for that purpose. They also considered putting some bike parking in the alleyway. Commissioner Krueger believed the priority should be putti… | TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf,13 | TransportationCommission | 2008-04-23 | 13 | Commissioner Ratto noted that this would not be set in stone, and that if there were problems, changes could be made. Chair Knox White responded that it would be better to get the plan right the first time. Chair Knox White noted that he would move against this, but did support removing the parking. He supported the creation of a dropoff zone, the commercial loading zone and the a red curb for sight lines. He opposed the creation of 270-foot-long de facto new lane along Central Avenue. He understood the sight line issue as described by the lieutenant, but was very concerned about drivers making right turns at the corner while pedestrians waited to cross. He would rather see a bulbout that would prohibit the quick right turn. He believed the proposed plan would not lead to good traffic flow and a vibrant downtown, but that the proposal could be changed to achieve that goal. Commissioner Ratto moved to approve the staff recommendation to approve Proposed Implementation of Parking Restrictions on Central Avenue in Front of the New Theater and Cineplex to Improve Traffic Circulation and Access. Commissioner McFarland seconded the motion. Motion failed 2-5 (Knox-White, Krueger, Schatmeier, Subramaniam, Tam opposed). Commissioner McFarland left the meeting at 10:00 p.m. Commissioner Schatmeier moved to extend the meeting to 10:30 p.m. Commissioner Subramaniam seconded the motion. Motion passed 6-1 (Ratto opposed). 7C. Review of Draft Pedestrian Plan Staff Khan presented the staff report, and acknowledged the hard work of Gail Payne in the preparation of the Draft Pedestrian Plan. This item will be brought back for action in the May meeting. He described the pedestrian plan in detail, and displayed the PowerPoint presentation on the overhead screen. He noted that it provided guidelines above and beyond the ADA guidelines. He noted that goals were recommended by the Transportation Commission as part of the TMP policies: circulation, livability, transportation choice and implementation. He noted that several public meetin… | TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf,14 | TransportationCommission | 2008-04-23 | 14 | that the Transportation Commission would hear this item for action in May. The final draft of the Pedestrian Plan will be created in May and June, and then taken to City Council for acceptance. Staff would like this plan to be adopted as part of the Transportation Element of the General Plan. Open public comment. Adrienne Langley-Cook noticed that the draft plan identified a walkway through her back yard, and requested that it be corrected to reflect that there was no such pathway. Chair Knox White noted that this comment was passed to staff, and that it would be removed from the plan. Tony Daysog complimented the Transportation Commission on its work, and wished to see Alameda become even more pedestrian friendly. He recalled past major pedestrian accidents. He noted that this was not only a quality of life issue, but also a safety issue. Bill Smith echoed Mr. Daysog's comments, described a recent serious pedestrian accident and re-emphasized the need for pedestrian safety. Close public comment. Chair Knox White commended Gail Payne on the quality of this plan. No action was taken. 8. Staff Communications. Staff Khan noted that a meeting was held earlier in the day on the Broadway-Jackson Study update. The project is moving forward as scheduled, and staff hoped to meet with the Chinatown community in May. He anticipated bringing it to the Transportation Commission for its June 25 meeting. The goal is that the project study report will be completed and submitted to Caltrans by the end of July. He noted that good feedback had been received from the Oakland and Alameda communities, and believed that consensus has been building towards the alternative in terms of providing access through Sixth Street, as well as providing new ramps as discussed. Chair Knox White believed that it would be good to have a public hearing in Alameda to make it more convenient to Alamedans, particularly since the City was paying for part of the project. Staff Khan noted that the Estuary Crossing Feasibility Study was moving forward, and d… | TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf,15 | TransportationCommission | 2008-04-23 | 15 | April 10 and April 12, one in Oakland and one in Alameda. More meetings will be held in May, at the Jack London Aquatic Center and at City Hall West. The Draft Report will be presented in the fall of 2008, and staff hoped to complete the project with a recommendation to City Council in early 2009. Chair Knox White inquired whether the Transportation Commission was involved in the process. Staff Khan replied that this item would be brought to the Transportation Commission one or two times. Staff Bergman noted that future agenda items included a presentation on AC Transit's Line 51 Task Force in either the June or July meeting. He noted that AC Transit was in the process of making staffing changes so that potential service changes on Line O are still being studied. Staff Khan noted that preliminary data from AC Transit indicate that few local riders were using Line O, so the elimination of local service on the transbay route that had initially been discussed may not be appropriate. Staff Khan noted that the universal transit pass program was being discussed for use by all City employees, which may be implemented by June. He noted that the passes would include the bearer's photo. Staff Khan noted that staff had been directed to work with AC Transit staff regarding the potential implementation of shuttle service between Alameda and BART. Chair Knox White wished to ensure that there would be sufficient notification for future appeals. He believed there should be a written procedure requiring noticing when a tentative agenda was set. Residents would be informed at least 20 days in advance if possible, and a staff report and additional information would be available a week in advance. Staff Khan noted that he had a video from Paden Elementary School that he had originally planned to show this evening, but would show at a later time. 9. Adjournment: 10:30 p.m. G:\pubworks\LT\TRANSPORTATIONICOMMITTEES\TC/2008\052808\042308minutes-draft-rev.doc Transportation Commission Page 15 of 15 04/23/08 Minutes | TransportationCommission/2008-04-23.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf,1 | TransportationCommission | 2012-01-25 | 1 | Transportation Commission Minutes Wednesday, January 25, 2011 Commissioner Kathy Moehring called the Transportation Commission to order at 7:01 p.m. 1. Roll Call Roll was called and the following was recorded: Members Present: Kathy Moehring (Chair) Jesus Vargas Thomas G. Bertken Christopher Miley Michele Bellows Staff Present: Obaid Khan, Supervising Civil Engineer Gail Payne, Transportation Coordinator Adrienne Heim, Administrative Assistant 2. Minutes Commissioner Vargas moved approval of the minutes for the December 14, 2011 meeting if "tree" in 4B were to be made plural. Commissioner Bertken seconded the motion. Motion passed 4-0. 3. Oral Communications - Non-Agendized Items / Public Comments Commissioner Vargas commented on Tom Remas, Bay Area Civil Engineer, who passed away recently. He called for a moment of silence. Commissioner Moehring welcomed two new commissioners, Michele Bellows and Christopher Miley. Jim Strehlow, Alameda resident and local employee, wrote a letter to the editor of the Alameda Sun at the end of 2011 regarding the I-880 project along 23rd and 29th Avenue bridges. He had not heard of project updates. Apparently, others saw problems concerning the bridges, especially construction, and most issues have been resolved. The website, I-880 corridor.com at Caltrans, shows the status of the projects including the 23rd and 29th Avenue bridge status. Citizens should know what is happening with the status and how it affects them. Page 1 of 13 | TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf,2 | TransportationCommission | 2012-01-25 | 2 | Commissioner Moehring stated that she took the I-880 project issue to staff and staff took the issue to Alameda City Council. Staff Khan responded that the project is funded by Regional Measure 2, and has other funding sources, totaling $100 million. Caltrans addresses some concerns regarding traffic that goes through residential areas to and from the freeway. The project raises 29th Avenue northbound off ramp, and creates better connections into Alameda by creating dual left turns and a signal. Staff's main concern was directed towards the 23rd Avenue interchange. Northbound drivers will be able to enter I-880 by driving on a combined on-ramp with a signal near the ramp. Staff negotiated the final design and brought their recommendations to the City Council, Alameda Transportation Commission and Alameda Planning Board. Staff and Caltrans addressed signal impacts at Clement and Park Streets intersection. Staff recommended that Alameda CTC provide or help find funding to create bus queue jump lanes on Park Street, which will allow transit priority from Buena Vista to the bridge, and will link the signals between Oakland and Alameda to the bridge. The queue build up may increase on Park Street, but only for a short period. Also, staff is working with Caltrans to fund signal priorities off the on-ramp at 23rd Avenue. All issues that were raised with the City Council have been looked at and been negotiated to minimize any impacts. If the Transportation Commissioners would like the Alameda CTC to come present about construction impacts, that would be good. Commissioner Moehring stated that she would love to have the Alameda CTC present and to include the presentation on the next agenda. Also, she requested to have this item on a semi- regular basis to keep the TC and public up to date. Staff Khan - There are two lanes coming into Alameda on 23rd and 29th Avenues. Therefore, it would be a great opportunity to have regular construction updates from the Alameda CTC and staff will add this to the March agenda. 4. New Busi… | TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf,3 | TransportationCommission | 2012-01-25 | 3 | Some are based on a citywide level; most are developed at a very large development, like Bishop Ranch in San Ramon, and the TMA in San Francisco's downtown. There are different levels of funding so it is difficult to pinpoint an exact funding source. It makes sense to develop a TMA with individual employers like Harbor Bay Landing and Alameda Point since the City does not have adequate staff resources. Staff Khan stated there is a concern for funding a citywide TMA. Staff is looking at ways to gather revenues and the best approach is under the MX zone developments that require a master plan, and that would be the catalyst to start a TMA. For example, Alameda Landing may need to start a shuttle program. Since there is already a shuttle program running, including Alameda Landing could be a potential funding source. The Estuary Crossing Shuttle currently operates to Wind River and College of Alameda. Now the City needs to provide revenues to sustain staff time to provide the shuttle service. Commissioner Moehring responded to Staff Kahn regarding targeting Webster and Park Streets, Harbor Bay Business Park and Harbor Bay Landing to partner and seek membership in a future TMA. She asked if staff contacted these groups to help expand the program or create a program that benefits everyone, understanding staff time. Staff Khan stated this is a good idea, but the City cannot impose this plan upon any existing bussinesss. The key for us is to bring the employers together with a potential localized grouping (South Shore, Webster and Park Streets, and Harbor Landing). The main goal is to create a program to help employers encourage employees to use mass transit and other shared commute options. Cliff Chambers - Staff pulled a meeting together to see how Alameda businesses felt about such TDM strategies. Around 12 employers participated and gave input; however, staff needs time and resources to pull it together, and to create a catalyst. Commissioner Miley asked whether carshare programs are part of the TDM strategy. Cliff C… | TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf,4 | TransportationCommission | 2012-01-25 | 4 | Commissioner Bertken asked about the staff report's findings regarding Alameda Point. The report mentioned transit availability is an important part of combating congestion, but in connection to Alameda Point the ferry service should be mentioned and service is important to future development. With regards to the report's findings, there is a similarity between Alameda Point and Treasure Island due to traffic congestion from drivers entering the tube heading towards Alameda Point and congestion when drivers exit the Bay Bridge towards Treasure Island. Therefore, that case should be looked into for similarities. Also, in regards to modeling the traffic congestion for Alameda Point, he questioned what staff used to obtain the congestion rates. Cliff Chambers explained that his colleagues at Dowling Associates are working with the congestion modeling. Staff Khan stated that the data was provided by the 2000 General Plan, under the Land Use Element and is still current. The Land Use Section includes household and employment data for Alameda Point. Commissioner Bertken announced the new ferry service in May 2012 between South San Francisco and Alameda, and staff should include this information in their report. Jim Strehlow, Alameda resident and local employee, stated that a TMA is wonderful idea, especially given his inside view of a national transit commuter program, where an employee could submit a voucher for an alternative travel subsidy of up to $220. He mentioned the program to his employer and it created a struggle for his employer to take on the plan and read through the red tape. Therefore, having a TMA to facilitate the program would be great. Jon Spangler, Alameda resident and a League of American Cycling Instructor, stated the TMA concept is great; however, he questioned whether it is possible to require businesses to join a TMA when they seek a business license in order for the City to legally gain momentum on a program. TSM/TDM depends on external funding through state and federal appropriations and they… | TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf,5 | TransportationCommission | 2012-01-25 | 5 | minimum number of employees needed to begin the TDM program. Staff Kahn - Staff would run a model using computer software to incorporate land use density, peak time trips, trip generation rates based on type of land use to estimate traffic generation and use TDM strategies to reduce the congestion. Commissioner Bertken asked how staff determines what goes into the model. Staff Khan explained that Institute Of Transportation Engineers trip generation rates are used in the model. Staff Bertken responded so mitigation is based on environmental significance. Commissioner Moehring agreed to the deadline again and acknowledged that the next meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 22. 4B. Bicycle Facility Design Guidelines - Summary of Comments Staff Khan summarized the staff report with a power point presentation and stated that he would like to present the final draft to the TC in March for final recommendations. Commissioner Bertken stated in the staff report, specifically in Appendix A and D, there is no case studies of where bicycle parking requirements and bicycle shower facilities are being implemented. Barry Bergman stated that there are general examples of bicycle parking policies and they are included in the report. Specific Appendix D thresholds can be included in the revised report. Commissioner Vargas asked if an extended time of input would be helpful. Staff Khan stated middle of February is the deadline to make final recommendations. Staff Moehring commented towards a financial burden upon employers to construct bicycle showers and lockers. Barry Bergman stated in the report, regarding Appendix D, if there is only one shower provided, the shower must be marked as unisex and for persons of disabilities. Staff Moehring asked about national safety guidelines that the City must follow for right turn lanes accommodating bicycles and automobiles. Staff Khan - Staff has worked on such an issue for example if you were to ride on Fernside today and cross High Street going west you will see that staff did not h… | TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf,6 | TransportationCommission | 2012-01-25 | 6 | Barry Bergman stated that it is not advisable to have bicycle lanes to the right of the turning car lane. Commissioner Moehring called for public comments or questions. Lucy Gigli, President of BikeAlameda, started off by saying thank you to staff for being so diligent in answering questions and calls that have come to draft the guidelines. Since there are new commissioners, it is important to re-iterate the need to implement these guidelines to make Alameda's streets safer and help more cyclists riding on the streets. According to well documented research reports, cycling activity increases when the city accommodates all types of cycling skills and creates separate facilities such as cycle tracks (Fernside Street by Lincoln Middle School), Class I bike paths and buffered bike lanes. Again, she appreciates staff's efforts to get the best facilities for the City. Jon Spangler, Alameda resident and a League of American Cycling Instructor, he has been a bicycle advocate since 1970. This month he took a bicycle tour on a Sunday afternoon in Oakland where he saw the bicycle lane within the right turn lane. Protection of the door zone is important, but it is not feasible to expand streets to accommodate cyclists without angering drivers. Regarding Figure 13, on page 24 of 46, if you were driving a car into that intersection you would not go straight through the intersection by driving through the right turn lane. Therefore, you should not ride your bike that way. I recommend in that intersection always take the thru traffic lane. Figure 11, page 22 of 46, should be the preferred design alternative. Mr. Spangler commends the City of Alameda on the positioning of sharrows on the road and the City should continue the tradition of positioning the point of arrow of sharrows safely outside of the door zone. Also, the City should include "Share the Road" signage for cyclists and drivers. Furthermore, the city should erect informational signs stating Alameda is a "Bike Friendly" city and educational signs for cyclists to " Sta… | TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf,7 | TransportationCommission | 2012-01-25 | 7 | street with drivers and not ride on the sidewalk. Staff Khan clarified one item within the presentation, when he said 6 inches versus 4 inches, he did not mean to reduce the bicycle lane width on the traffic side. He was thinking on the parking lane side. There is a requirement from Caltrans, which states that the bike lane stripe should be 6 inches. Also, including the T's at 7 feet instead of 8 feet is intriguing and he will look into it. Commissioner Moehring liked the T's in the bike lane from the door zone. Commissioner Bertken discussed his interest in the T's within the bicycle lane and how it encourages better parking. Staff Khan will come back for a final recommendation from the TC in March. 4C. Transportation Commission Bylaw Revisions Staff Payne summarized the staff report to revise the commission bylaws. Commissioner Bertken stated regarding the minutes to break the one paragraph that presents three different concepts into three paragraphs. Commissioner Moehring called for public comments or questions. Jon Spangler, Alameda resident and a League of American Cycling Instructor, objected to removing the monthly meetings to every other month and to the quorum definition for the rules of order section C, subsection M. To abandon the initial rule and to not define the quorum is unacceptable. In Section A, under meeting minutes, Mr. Spangler mentioned that the TC is as important as the Planning Board and this body should make its case with the City Council to meet every month depending on staff and commissioners' workload. Commissioner Moehring stated that for a long period Alameda TC would meet every month, but would cancel meetings because there was not enough on the agenda. It is stated in the bylaws that the TC must define the meeting periods. The TC can schedule special meetings when necessary and then publicize the meetings in a sufficient timeframe. Jim Strehlow, Alameda resident and local employee, did not have an objection of when meetings occur, but there must be list of dates publicized so the p… | TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf,8 | TransportationCommission | 2012-01-25 | 8 | Staff Khan stated that all City body meetings have an end time of 11 p.m. and to create consistency the bylaws included that end time. Commissioners can direct staff to look over the bylaws and revise as necessary. Commissioner Bertken asked to define the quorum. Commissioner Moehring stated the quorum is self-descriptive, and means four. Commissioner Bertken called upon the commissioners to approve the motion to have the Alameda TC meet bi-monthly based upon staff recommendations and considering staff time. Secondly, he called upon the commissioners and staff to publically advertise the exact meeting months on the City's website. Finally, he stated that the 11 p.m. end time should be set as is and if necessary, the meeting could be moved to an earlier start time. Commissioner Miley moved approval of the bylaw revisions with the revised minutes paragraph broken into three sections and explicitly stating "odd months" for the meeting times. Commissioner Bertken seconded the motion. Motion passed 4-0. 4D. Alameda Paratransit Program Modification Staff Payne summarized the staff report. Commissioner Miley asked about the total number of survey respondents. Staff Payne replied that 584 surveys were sent out and 142 surveys were completed. Commissioner Miley asked whether the $2.50 travel voucher cost, would curtail the budget problems for the next fiscal year. Staff Payne stated most likely not. Commissioner Miley asked about Measure B reauthorization and increased funding to keep the rate flat. Staff Khan stated 10 percent of service revenue comes out of Measure B for the paratransit program, but the reauthorized Measure B looks to double the revenue stream. If approved in November then staff would see increased funding. To clarify the first question, in the beginning (before the start of the shuttle service), the Alameda CTC stated that they would take the City of Alameda's Paratransit surplus away if the City did not use it. So, staff asked the City Council to approve the initiation of a city shuttle. The shuttle i… | TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf,9 | TransportationCommission | 2012-01-25 | 9 | Staff Payne stated both the Recreation and Park Commission and Commission on Disability Issues voted to increase the price up to $3.00. Also, the survey response option was changed to $2.50 because the premium travel voucher costs $2.50 for a $5.00 voucher. Commissioner Bellows asked staff if the amount of revenue received from the voucher increase would offset financial burdens. Commissioner Vargas commented on the fact that 7,000 residents are 70 years old, but only 60 out of 584 participants are currently active. He then questioned whether the program could sustain fiscally if more participants were to join the program. Staff Payne responded that we pay operators the same amount every month so it is easy to budget. For the taxi program, if participation increases, the City would have to turn them away, which is our budgetary challenge. We hope that the program remains stable. Commissioner Bellows asked staff to explain the difference between premium taxi service and MRTIP service and whether staff can re-direct services from MRTIP to premium taxi service. Staff Payne responded that the Premium Taxi Service is a much broader service and you would have to pay more because it allows for a 50 percent subsidy of taxi rides whereas MRTIP allows the elderly and disabled to return home from medical appointments for free. Staff Payne and Khan stated that staff limited the number of taxi vouchers and the distance taxis could travel to because they want to make slow changes to the service rather than eliminating it. Ultimately, staff does not want to drop the program so staff will review the budget and will report back next fiscal year on its progress. Commissioner Moehring explained that the next agenda item would propose a price change for the Premium Taxi Service. Commissioner Bellows moved to charge $3.00 per MRTIP travel voucher. Commissioner Vargas seconded the motion. Motion passed 4-0. 4E. Draft Prioritized Transportation Project List Staff Khan summarized the staff report. Commissioner Bellows stated there shoul… | TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf,10 | TransportationCommission | 2012-01-25 | 10 | Staff Khan responded that the ranking of projects does not change current workload priorities, but helps define what grant applications staff should pursue. Commissioner Bertken asked staff whether they have a rule of priority when conducting preliminary research within the list of projects. Staff Khan gave an example of a feasibility study conducted by staff in 2008 for the Estuary Crossing; the next step is to create the project study report, which is the next level of planning. Many grants have short deadlines, such as one that came across his desk that was due in four days. Commissioner Vargas stated there should be a cost estimated for the feasibility study and costs should be included within the list, especially when staff decides to apply for a grant. Staff Khan - Regarding the cost issue, it is a good point. Staff purposely did not include costs because sometimes we can receive earmarks. This list is a general plan policy, but staff needs to work with the community to see where the work is needed. As you look at the different funding pots, the cost issue is where we crunch the numbers and find funding revenues. Other projects have specific requirements and grants have specific criteria to dispense funds. Commissioner Miley explained that he is appreciative of the explanation of the ranking system, but would like a more detailed report. He also stated that projects that are not already funded could be leveraged by other projects being funded. Staff Khan - The ranking is a great start and if staff revises it ten different ways at end of the day staff can be flexible to go after a grant where a project fits the grant requirement. Commissioner Miley asked if staff adheres to a main objective when multiple projects are up for a grant at the same. Commissioner Bellows stated that you could apply several projects for the same grant, which usually has evaluation criteria. She stated that Commissioner Miley's point is valid. Staff Khan stated that considerable legwork must be done if staff decides to pursue a gran… | TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf,11 | TransportationCommission | 2012-01-25 | 11 | Staff Khan read a comment made by email from Lucy Gigli, President of BikeAlameda, regarding project ranking and when paraphrased she stated there are many ranges of transit benefits per project type and each project may be regionally significant or important to economic development. Since the City now has so many plans, this kind of a list is critical so that everyone can agree on how all the places and projects should be prioritized to align our plan goals. Jon Spangler, Alameda resident and a League of American Cycling Instructor, the precedent has always been in regards to categorizing projects based on opportunistic grant applications and staff should take advantage of the applications whenever they become available. One project in particular is the Estuary Crossing project. The list should show a project once with a subcategory of two action items within the projects to simplify the list. The City Council understands this is a laundry list, but the list should also show transit benefits, or combination of pedestrian, bicycle, and mass transit benefits, plus showing regional importance. Commissioner Miley made the motion to approve the list; Commissioner Bertken seconds motion. 4F. Safe Routes to School Draft Project Submittal - Grand Street at Wood Middle School Staff Payne summarized the staff report. Commissioner Moehring responded by asking whether staff spoke with residents surrounding the mid-block crossing. Staff Payne - Outreach was conducted to residents within a 300 feet radius of the mid-block crossing, and there is an overall positive outlook to the project. Commissioner Bellows commented on the fact that Grand Street is a confusing area and the plan is heading in the right direction. She also wanted to get a total cost estimate for the project. Staff Payne - The total grant fund from Caltrans is a maximum of $450K and the total project cost is a maximum of $500K. Commissioner Bellows explained that she would like to see additional landscaping for the area to look more attractive and to create a … | TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf,12 | TransportationCommission | 2012-01-25 | 12 | before nightfall, staff decided to not include lighting. Commissioner Miley - Staff should solicit letters of support for the project to help with the grant application. Staff also should encourage solicitation from Senator Hancock and Alameda County Supervisor, Wilma Chan. Commissioner Bertken - Getting rid of the left turn is a great idea, but removing the left turn may cause uproar from Wood School drivers. Staff Payne - It is a good point. Staff conducted a survey of turning movements. Within the morning peak hour, the removal of the left turn would only affect about 5 or 6 drivers. Commissioner Bellows stated that the school could arrange for parents to pick up their children further south on Grand Street near the staff parking lot. Staff Payne - In terms of landscaping, Caltrans usually limits funding for landscape improvements up to ten percent of construction costs. Commissioner Vargas - Several of Caltrans projects are advanced and funded when there are safety issues. Jon Spangler, Alameda resident and a League of American Cycling Instructor, stated he was a safe routes to school volunteer at Franklin Elementary School. He suggested limiting or prohibiting cars from making left turns and prohibiting the faculty area from becoming an ad hoc drop off zone. He also asked if the crosswalk would be lit. There should be lighting at the crosswalk, the median crossing should be extended to control turns and implement a road diet for the entire length of Grand Street. 5. Staff Communications Staff Payne provided a summary of the Alameda CTC's update to the Countywide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans. Staff Payne discussed future meeting agenda items, which will include the TSM/TDM draft plan and the paratransit program discussion about premium taxi service costs. Staff Khan called on commissioners to vote to call a special meeting in February. Commissioner Bellows made the motion to schedule a special meeting for February. Commissioner Vargas seconded the motion. Motion passed 4-0. Commissioner Miley also called to h… | TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf,13 | TransportationCommission | 2012-01-25 | 13 | Staff Payne stated she does have this down for the March meeting. 6. Announcements None 7. Adjournment 10:46 PM Page 13 of 13 | TransportationCommission/2012-01-25.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf,1 | TransportationCommission | 2008-02-27 | 1 | TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MINUTES February 27, 2008 Chair Knox White called the Transportation Commission to order at 7:35 p.m. He noted that a quorum was not yet present, so the Commission would address several discussion items that did not require action. 1. ROLL CALL - Roll was called and the following recorded. Members Present: John Knox White Michael Krueger Robert McFarland Eric Schatmeier (arrived at 7:50 PM) Members Absent: Robb Ratto Srikant Subramaniam Nielsen Tam Staff Present: Obaid Khan, Supervising Civil Engineer Barry Bergman, Transportation Coordinator 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES a. January 23, 2008 Chair Knox White noted that a full quorum was not present to consider the minutes, and that they would be addressed at the next meeting if a quorum was present. 3. AGENDA CHANGES Chair Knox White suggested that the agenda be taken in order until a quorum has been reached, if Item 7A comes up before that occurs, Item 7B would be heard. 4. COMMISSION COMMUNICATIONS Chair Knox White noted that the State Senate had a new bill number assigned to address the clean-up language for the establishment of the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA), but no actual language was associated with it. He noted that the TC had requested that Sen. Perata's staff be on hand for a public meeting regarding this matter. | TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf,2 | TransportationCommission | 2008-02-27 | 2 | Chair Knox White inquired what the City's policy was regarding parking in red zones and across sidewalks. He believed the City should investigate an education campaign regarding the new crosswalk lights. He has seen almost no change in driver behavior regarding the lighted crosswalks. 5. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS Open public hearing. There were no speakers. Close public hearing. 6. OLD BUSINESS 6A. Update on I-880/Broadway/Jackson Project Study Report. Staff Khan presented the staff report, and updated the I-880/Broadway/Jackson project. He summarized the history of the project, and displayed and described the proposed arterial changes and signals in detail. Staff was concerned that any change to the historical structures would cause structural and environmental issues. The speed required for the right turn would have to be no more than 25 mph. Caltrans did not support traffic slowing down abruptly coming out of the Posey Tube, which led to further options being studied for traffic coming out of the Tube in Oakland. A left turn onto the existing one-way Sixth Street was suggested, with further improvements intended for Sixth Street; he noted that option showed great promise. The feasibility study suggested that for northbound traffic on I-880, the Broadway off-ramp be eliminated and a new ramp be installed at Webster Street, which would improve access to Alameda by allowing people to make a left turn into the Webster Tube entrance. He noted that the final report was due to be completed in Summer 2008. Commissioner Schatmeier joined the Commission on the dais. He inquired what specific problem the project was intended to solve, and noted that while he used it during off-peak hours, he understood that it was cramped and awkward. Staff Khan replied that the northbound Jackson Street on ramp has a weave as it comes onto the I-880 freeway; and reduction in any traffic trying to use Jackson Street will improve the safety on the freeway. He added that the City was looking into further improvements to provide better circulatio… | TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf,3 | TransportationCommission | 2008-02-27 | 3 | Staff Khan replied that the hook ramp created the benefit of creating an arterial in front of the Pulte building. The City was interested in the alternative because of the importance of the southbound access. There were constraints with respect to the entrance to the Pulte building. No action was taken. 7. NEW BUSINESS 7A. Residents' appeal to Proposed Changes to Central Avenue Staff Khan presented the staff report, and detailed the background of this matter. He noted that parents and school officials had submitted concerns regarding circulation and drop-off zones in front of the school. Parents had been concerned about double-parking during the school drop-off time, people blocking entrances and children's safety. Staff's major concern was separating the vehicular traffic from the children exiting the cars. He noted that one goal was to remove parking on the west of the school driveway; he displayed the loading zone area at the school on the overhead screen. He noted that if the white zone were to be moved onto school property, the cars would also be moved. The double-parked cars would be addressed by removing the parking altogether west of the school entrance. The third action was to create a one-hour parking zone in front of the zone where an unrestricted zone had previously existed. He noted that cars could not remain in a white zone unattended. He added that it aided children with special needs and their parents. Staff Khan noted that his discussions with the school indicate that they have seen substantial improvements in this area as a result of the changes implemented to date. They also wanted to create a program at the school that would allow teachers or volunteers to receive the children, open the door and get them out of the cars, which would improve the traffic flow. Staff encouraged the principal and the parents to implement this. Staff conducted a survey of the parking supply as compared to demand. Christina Hanson, a resident, sent a survey to staff that she conducted at approximately 30 minute inte… | TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf,4 | TransportationCommission | 2008-02-27 | 4 | Staff Khan noted that the City had coordinated with local Eagle Scouts to perform some of the striping. In response to an inquiry by Commissioner McFarland whether the curb would be painted, Staff Khan replied that it would not be painted and because it was time-limited, there would be signs placed at those locations. A discussion of the details of the various parking zones ensued. Commissioner Krueger inquired which of the safe routes to school had been addressed. Staff Khan replied that the school did not yet have a safe routes to school map, and that Public Works began creating those maps last year. This year, the plan was to work on the West End for this school, Chipman, Encinal High and Ruby Bridges. He noted that it generally took time to engage the community and the parents, and staff felt that the drop-off zone would enable to parents to understand what was going on. Staff felt that the parents would be encouraged to continue their support to create a robust program to allow the drop-off zone, and then a walking school bus or a bicycle train. Open public hearing. Ms. Chris Hanson, 461 Central, appellant, noted that this had been a frustrating situation for herself and her neighbors. She felt the City had mishandled this process, and added that she had been a municipal employee for over 15 years, including for Alameda, and that she understood the public process and rationale. She noted that the length of the curb in front of the school was supposed to be a green curb with seven spaces for one-hour parking at 7 a.m. She noted that the situation was very stressful, and had tried to get information from Alan Ta, junior engineer with Public Works; she had been told it would be done. She was later told by Public Works Director Matt Naclerio that the notifications would be re-sent. She did not believe the City should cater to a specific interest group without considering the concerns of all the neighbors. She appreciated the marked improvement with the traffic flow, and noted that the week the school had monitor… | TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf,5 | TransportationCommission | 2008-02-27 | 5 | Ms. Robin Hewitt echoed Ms. Hanson's comments and frustration. She expressed concern that about growing congestion in the Tube, and noted that Alameda was losing parking spaces as it continues to grow. She noted that apartment buildings have fewer vacancies and more cars as the housing market crisis continues. She believed the parking enforcement at schools should have stronger enforcement. She has observed illegal U-turns, double parking and no place for children to cross the street except at the intersections of Central at Fourth and Fifth Streets. Close public hearing. Commissioner Krueger noted that Ms. Hanson's letter, parking counts and photos showed many empty spaces. He inquired why it would create a hardship if the other spaces were taken away in that case. Ms. Hanson replied that from the hours of 8 to 3, she demonstrated that there was ample parking. She inquired why there would be limited parking spaces during a time there was ample parking. She noted that in the event she did not have to leave her house until 9 a.m., she would have to get up earlier to move her car during the school drop-off hours before it was 8 a.m., when the limited parking started. She did not believe the neighbors should be subjected to that inconvenience. Commissioner Krueger inquired about the issue of special needs children, and whether it was a different scenario from a handicapped parking zone. He further inquired whether those children must be escorted to school, and whether the staff parking lot could be used for that purpose. Staff Khan replied that the handicapped parking inside the parking lot could be used. The school previously had two disabled parking spaces (blue and green lots on the overhead map), and they allow the children to be escorted to school without leaving the car unattended on the street. Staff believed this addressed the needs of the parents and the school. Commissioner Krueger inquired about the appellant's suggestion of creating more space within the off-street parking lot in order to create temporar… | TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf,6 | TransportationCommission | 2008-02-27 | 6 | walking or biking distance of the school. He noted that a lot of time has been spent on school drop-off zones. He suggested enacting an ordinance to enforce double fines in school zones, as is allowed by the state. He understood that staff had a difficult job in balancing many wants and desires in the City. He did not see any need to remove the parking at Paden school, and suggested adding a crosswalk in front of the school across Central Ave. He suggested encouraging walking to school, and strongly encouraged the neighboring residents to be notified of actions such as this near their neighboring school. He would like the personnel manual to include a requirement to inform the public of changes happening near their homes. He noted that residents should realize that it was not always possible to park directly in front of their house or school. Staff Khan noted that it was important for staff to work with the school principal, parents, school district and police. He noted that additional Police staff had been hired to increase enforcement in front of the schools, primarily for the children's safety. He noted that the intention was to remove the children from the path of traffic. He noted that they were working with the school to develop a safe routes to school map. Commissioner Schatmeier echoed Chair Knox White's comments, and did not see any compelling reason for the one-hour parking zone in front of the school. He noted that when his disabled child was school-age, she often took AC Transit when she was old enough. He noted that he had to fight for parking places like everyone else for parent-teacher conferences. He did not see a reason to grant a parking space for someone who would be at the school for an hour or less. He noted that people should be able to find some other place to park, or use the off-street lot, and did not agree with the staff report in that regard. Commissioner Krueger did not see a compelling need for the time-limited parking, but was concerned about the traffic flow and safety. He inquired… | TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf,7 | TransportationCommission | 2008-02-27 | 7 | In response to an inquiry by Chair Knox White regarding double fines in school zones, Staff Khan replied that that law would sunset this year. Chair Knox White suggested that double fines in school zones be considered. Commissioner Krueger suggested that the road diet issue be examined by staff. Commissioner Schatmeier moved to accept the staff recommendations to uphold the appeal, with the modification to remove time-limited parking. Two of the three white parking spaces would be preserved, and no stopping would be allowed in one space closest to the driveway from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Commissioner McFarland seconded the motion. Motion passed 4- 0. 7B. Conceptual Design of Mariner Square Drive Realignment and Park and Ride Lot/Transit Hub Staff Khan presented the staff report, and displayed and described a conceptual design of a proposed realignment of existing Mariner Square Drive to a former railroad right-of-way, and construction of a transit hub in the vicinity of the Posey Tube entrance. The existing Mariner Square Drive would be used to provide buses with direct access to the Posey Tube. The project includes a Class I separate bicycle/pedestrian path that would provide connectivity to the Bay Trail and the Posey Tube, a future estuary crossing for transit, bicyclists and pedestrians that is currently under study, and the proposed Cross Alameda Trail. He noted that there is the potential to explore shared parking opportunities with adjacent businesses and property owners. He noted that electronic bike lockers were being considered, and that bus line modifications could be considered to bring the W and 19 buses to access this site. Staff requested the Commissioners' comments about pedestrian, bicycle and transit circulation. In addition, there has been preliminary interest expressed in constructing a hotel on an adjacent City-owned site, so staff also invited comments from the Commissioners on the potential for the transit hub and potential hotel to share parking, given the needs of these types of uses. He … | TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf,8 | TransportationCommission | 2008-02-27 | 8 | City Council has shown strong interest in discussing shuttle service. Chair Knox White inquired how well the characteristics of this location match up with best practices for a Park and Ride lot, Staff Khan replied that staff was looking into that issue. Availability of land and access to the Posey Tube are very attractive features of this site, but that other consideration must be evaluated as well. Commissioner Krueger noted that in the Long Range Transit Plan, the College of Alameda was identified as a location for a transit hub. He asked if this project would be pursued as one of several transit hubs, or if it would preclude hubs at other sites. Staff Khan responded that this site could potentially enhance access to the college, and there may even be an opportunity to pursue funding jointly with the college. He estimated that the distance from the college to the transit hub is less than 1500 feet. Open public hearing. Hussein Khomani noted that he ran a daycare at 2100 Mariner Square Drive with 125 children, and he was very concerned about the safety of the children if this proposal were to be implemented. He was opposed to the proposal, and believed that general pedestrian safety would be impacted as well, especially in the morning and afternoon when 125 parents dropped off and picked up their children. He noted that the first dropoff was at 6:30 a.m., and children were picked up at 6:00 p.m., and believed the pollution and noise would affect the children. He was concerned about the elevation of the area, which was almost five feet above his property. He did not believe $12 million was sufficient to resolve the elevation. Staff Khan responded that as part of the proposal, new pipes would address the drainage issues. Philip Thorn noted that he lived in the Heritage Bay complex, that his children attended the nearby daycare center, and that his office location would also be impacted. He would like the Transportation Commission to be aware that the daycare center was a dedicated facility for the children, with … | TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf,9 | TransportationCommission | 2008-02-27 | 9 | Close public hearing. Commissioner Schatmeier noted that this kind of proposal concerns him as a transit user. He believed this project was an example of the best of intentions yielding the worst of results. He noted that it took 2¹/² to 3 hours for a transit bus to get from Santa Rosa to San Francisco because the bus must exit the freeway and wait for local transit. He added that it took twice as long for a transit user to make the trip than a driver in a car. He believed that routing the San Francisco buses to the transit hub site would be a significant diversion of a normally rapid route. He believed it would only benefit users of the park and ride lot, at the expense users further down the line. He inquired why shuttles were discussed when the AC Transit service was good. He believed that both directions must be served without delay, and that this would be a deterrence to transit ridership. He believed this would work only if it can be served efficiently without serious sacrifices in running time. Commissioner Krueger echoed Commissioner Schatmeier's concerns. He noted that while the idea seemed to be good, the location was not a hub of any kind. While it may be easy for the City to build on this site, he did not believe it was the right thing to do. He noted that he liked the queue jump concept for lines that we know are successful, not necessarily with reconfigured routes. In response to an inquiry by Chair Knox White whether Mariner Square Drive was on a map, similar to Mitchell Moseley, Staff Khan replied that it was currently included in the Draft Transportation Element. Chair Knox White shared the Commissioners' concerns. He believed the number of riders served would have minimal impact on Tube traffic. He was concerned that the City may need to reroute several bus lines, which would add run time even if funds were obtained. He believed this proposal would be a mistake to implement. Staff Khan noted that there would be funding from developers from Alameda Landing and Alameda Point, and that those develo… | TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf,10 | TransportationCommission | 2008-02-27 | 10 | very conceptual, he believed it would be important to stay in contact with the daycare owner, since they owned the building. He stated that this may not be the right location for a transit hub, and it is not the right time to be pursuing it, that there are many existing pressing needs for transit in the City. Commissioner Krueger noted that regarding the realigned road, he would like to see more detail, and added that shortening the route from Alameda Landing to the Tube made sense. He also believed that this use of the railroad right of way made sense. He did not believe that a four-lane route may be necessary. Chair Knox White did not see a transit hub with commercial spaces being a good match for shared parking. He would like to see this proposal again when the traffic model was done, with more specific numbers. Staff Khan noted that he would add the speakers to the email list for this proposal. Commission Communications (cont.) Chair Knox White noted that the federal grant for bus shelters that the City had applied for was denied. Staff Bergman noted that those funds were generally earmarked and were competitively awarded. Staff would continue to track that issue. Commissioner Schatmeier noted that the bike path near Mount Trashmore was overgrown with hedges, and would like it to be trimmed back. Chair Knox White noted that the bus route map at the southwest corner of Santa Clara and High was covered with graffiti. Commissioner Krueger noted that he had complained about it, and was told that all complaints about graffiti must be routed through AC Transit. Staff Bergman indicated that the City is responsible for graffiti on shelters, but that AC Transit is responsible for other bus route maps posted at bus stops. Chair Knox White noted that there was broken glass at the shelter at Webster and Santa Clara, as well as Willow and Santa Clara. 8. Staff Communications Staff Bergman provided an update on the Estuary Crossing Feasibility Study, funded by a $100,000 grant from ACTIA. ARUP was hired as the consultant, … | TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf,11 | TransportationCommission | 2008-02-27 | 11 | Staff Bergman noted that the March ILC would be rescheduled. Staff Bergman noted that the City received a grant to install bike lockers and racks at the Harbor Bay Ferry Terminal, as well as near key commercial areas. Staff Bergman noted that paratransit program enrollment had increased by 25% during the past year, and that enhanced marketing was being undertaken. Staff Khan noted that the Ecopass program was being finalized with AC Transit for all City employees. The program is anticipated to be in place by early summer. Staff Bergman updated the bus stop improvements which would be implemented in conjunction with AC Transit. Staff Khan noted that a Park Street redevelopment project was being initiated, and a charrette would be presented at the Alameda Library. Meeting adjourned at 10:40 p.m. G:\pubworks\LT\TRANSPORTATIONICOMMITTEESITC\2008\032608\packet\022708minutes-draft.d 11 | TransportationCommission/2008-02-27.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2017-07-26.pdf,1 | TransportationCommission | 2017-07-26 | 1 | DRAFT MINUTES REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY OF ALAMEDA TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 2017 Commissioner Vargas convened the meeting at 7:05pm. 1. ROLL CALL Present: Commissioners Vargas, Bertken, Soules, and Palmer. Absent: Chair Bellows, Vice-Chair Miley, Commissioner Hans. 2. AGENDA CHANGES Commissioner Soules made a motion to continue item 5-A to a future meeting. Commissioner Vargas seconded the motion. The motion passed 4-0. 3. ANNOUNCEMENTS/PUBLIC COMMENT 3A Laura Palmer - New Commissioner Introduction Commissioner Vargas welcomed the new member of the Transportation Commission, Laura Palmer. Commissioner Palmer introduced herself. She said she is a long-time resident, has three kids at different schools, commutes to work and wants to keep Alameda the great place that it is. She said she works at Google, and has been in technology for most of her career. 3B Transportation Commission Meeting: Wednesday, September 27 at 7:00 p.m. Staff Member Payne announced that there would be a meeting on September 27th. She said the November meeting would be on Wednesday November 15th, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. 4. CONSENT CALENDAR 4A 2017-4538 Approve Meeting Minutes - April 26, 2017 (Action) The staff report can be found at: ittps://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3097452&GUID=47F0E7 ED-DBEE-4D83-B289-C1FBFC7672B9&Options=&Search= Commissioner Soules made a motion to approve the minutes. Commissioner Bertken seconded the motion. The motion passed 4-0. 1 | TransportationCommission/2017-07-26.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2017-07-26.pdf,2 | TransportationCommission | 2017-07-26 | 2 | 5. NEW BUSINESS 5A 2017-4539 Elect Chair and Vice Chair (Action) Continued (see Item 2: Agenda Changes) *** 5B 2017-4540 Uphold Public Works' Decision to Not Install an All-Way Stop Control at the Intersection of Sixth Street and Haight Avenue and Approve the Removal of Four Parking Spaces on Sixth Street at Haight Avenue (Action) Staff Member Aghamir, City Engineer, introduced the item and gave a presentation. The staff report and attachments can be found at: ttps://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3097454&GUID=4F47F3B3- 28D0-48AD-9D28-C592568C504F&FullText=1 Commissioner Soules noted that the original request to the city was to improve visibility for vehicles at the intersection and was not related to pedestrian activity. Commissioner Vargas asked what the level of impact in injury and dollar value of the two collisions that occurred at the intersection in the previous five years. Staff Member Aghamir said he did not believe the injuries were severe, and that they were broadside collisions in 2011 and 2016. Commissioner Vargas suggested voting on the stop sign first and the having the parking discussion separately. *There were no speakers for public comment.* Commissioner Bertken said there was a similar issue at an intersection on Bay Farm. He said the police sergeant at the meeting explained that the driver has a right to pull forward into the parking lane at an intersection to improve visibility before entering an intersection. He said there should be more education of this fact due to the number of intersections in Alameda with this issue. Commissioner Bertken made a motion to NOT install a stop sign at the intersection. Commissioner Soules seconded the motion. The motion passed 4-0. Commissioner Soules asked if there were a viable no action alternative to removing parking spaces at the intersection. Staff Member Aghamir said there was not. He said there is poor visibility at the intersection that merits some action. 2 | TransportationCommission/2017-07-26.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2017-07-26.pdf,3 | TransportationCommission | 2017-07-26 | 3 | Commissioner Bertken said he does not recommend the staff proposal of removing parking spaces at all four corners of the intersection. Commissioner Soules asked staff to restate the details of the 2nd alternative recommendation. Staff Member Aghamir said it would result in the loss of three parking spaces and a sign limiting parking at one corner to vehicles under six feet tall. Commissioner Soules said much of the public correspondence was concerned that allowing vehicles under six feet tall to park at the corner would compromise pedestrian safety. Commissioner Soules made a motion to implement the staff recommendation that would remove four parking spaces. Commissioner Vargas asked if there were any plans for development in the area. Staff Member Aghamir said there was nothing in the immediate area. Commissioner Bertken seconded Commissioner Soules' motion. The vote was 3- 0-1 (Palmer abstained). Commissioner Vargas asked if a 3-0-1 vote constituted passage. Staff Member Payne's response was inaudible, but appeared to be shaking her head in the negative. Commissioner Palmer said she would therefore change her vote to aye. The motion passed 4-0. 6. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS 6-A 2017-4541 Review Quarterly Report on Activities Related to Transportation Policies and Plans (Information) Staff Member Ott updated the commission on upcoming projects and ongoing plans. The staff report and attachment can be found at: https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3097455&GUID=59058475- 5992-48F4-BB1D-EF75AB020C63&FullText=1 Commissioner Vargas asked how much the parking tickets would be for ferry riders parking in the Bay Farm neighborhoods with permit parking. 3 | TransportationCommission/2017-07-26.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2017-07-26.pdf,4 | TransportationCommission | 2017-07-26 | 4 | Staff Member Ott said the ticket would be the standard rate for parking violations around the city. Commissioner Bertken asked what the relation was between the Transportation Commission and the Citywide TMA Board. Staff Member Ott explained the role of the Transportation Commission as a citywide advisory body. She said the TMA will be an independent board that decides how to use their accumulated funds to reduce drive alone trips and meet our transportation goals. She said the TMA would report annually and be accountable to the city. Commissioner Vargas said that we should remember to plan for carpool, carshare, and autonomous vehicles. Commissioner Soules asked if the TMA has specific goals for seniors and the disabled. Staff Member Ott said that they do not specifically address that and are focused primarily on peak hour congestion issues, but will look at other areas as well. Commissioner Palmer asked if the TMA would be focusing at all on the car trips generated by the new development. Staff Member Ott said the TMA is focused on how to get people out of their cars, but the city considers vehicle capacity and congestion when planning new developments or changes in street designs. Commissioner Vargas suggested that the Transportation Commission agendas be shared with the TMA Board and that they be invited to listen and participate in meetings dealing with large projects in order to hear the dialogue from the community. Commissioner Soules asked what outreach channels have been used to get the word out about the Harbor Bay parking changes. She asked if the bus would be synched up with the elementary school dropoffs and still be able to make the 830am ferry. Staff Member Payne said the bus arrives at the ferry terminal at about 822am, which means the timing for school drop off is very tight. Staff Member Ott said they would continue to monitor the fine details and continue to report back on the results. Staff Member Payne explained the outreach that included press releases, flyers and person to person contact wi… | TransportationCommission/2017-07-26.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2017-07-26.pdf,5 | TransportationCommission | 2017-07-26 | 5 | 6-B Potential Future Meeting Agenda Items 1. Approve Draft Transportation Choices Plan 2. Update on 2014 Parking Occupancy Goal and Recommended Parking Improvements 3. Accept the Annual Report on the Alameda Landing and Marina Shores Transportation Demand Management Program and Progress on the Citywide Transportation Management Association Staff Member Payne listed the above items that will be coming up in future meetings. 7. ANNOUNCEMENTS/PUBLIC COMMENT Jim Strehlow, resident, said he does not like what he hears related to driverless cars because it will mean less jobs for people. He said he would prefer to pay people, not technology. He said he thinks that if there are votes on driverless vehicle policies that people who work for Google should recuse themselves. He said he thinks security will be an issue for driverless vehicles. He said he was worried about the delay created for right hand turning vehicles at Atlantic and Constitution with the proposed changes. He said he would like to see the traffic models that support the statistics that were quoted. Commissioner Soules asked if there was a bifurcation in the data for peak hours and off peak hours in the traffic study. Staff Member Ott said they will provide any information they have and ask the consultant for further information if necessary. Commissioner Vargas asked Mr. Strehlow if he was looking for an answer for just this one build alternative, or something more broad. Mr. Strehlow said he was looking for more details of how the model is conducted, not just what the final data is. Commissioner Palmer said these questions are prevalent in the community and putting out more information about this issue could be beneficial for the community. 8. ADJOURNMENT Commissioner Vargas adjourned the meeting at 8:15pm. 5 | TransportationCommission/2017-07-26.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2020-11-18.pdf,1 | TransportationCommission | 2020-11-18 | 1 | Approved Minutes Transportation Commission Meeting Wednesday, November 18, 2020 Time: 6:30 p.m. Location: Due to Governor Executive Order N-29-20, Transportation Commissioners was able to attend the meeting via teleconference. The City allowed public participation via Zoom. City Hall was NOT open to the public during the meeting. 1. Roll Call Present: Chair Soules, Vice Chair Nachtigall and Commissioners Hans, Yuen and Weitze. Absent: Commissioner Kohlstrand. 2. Agenda Changes - none 3. Staff Communications as shown in the web link here: https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4692141&GUID=8D171B30-7FE5-4F69-9740- AC133A1D805E&Options=&Search=&FullText=1 3A. Vacancy on Transportation Commission - To apply, please complete online form: www.alamedaca.gov/GOVERNMENT/Boards-Commissions/Online-Application 3B. Willie Stargell Complete Street Survey - www.Alamedaca.gov/stargel 3C. Potential Future Meeting Agenda Items 1. Annual Report on Transportation 2. General Plan Update 3. 10-Year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) 4. Active Transportation Plan Update 5. Intersection Access Equity - Traffic Signal Policy 6. Citywide Roundabouts Analysis 3D. Update on the Subcommittee for the General Plan Update and 10-Year CIP 3E. Future Meeting Dates for 2021 - Meetings start at 6:30 p.m. 1. Wednesday, January 27 2. Wednesday, March 24 3. Wednesday, May 26 4. Wednesday, July 28 5. Wednesday, September 22 6. Wednesday, November 17 3F. Alameda Active Transportation Plan: Latest info at www.ActiveAlameda.org 3G. Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools online resources, activities and webinars during coronavirus pandemic: http://www.alamedacountysr2s.org/covid-19 3H. Alameda Slow Streets program web page: http://www.slowstreetsalameda.org/ 3I. Alameda Commercial Streets program web page:www.alamedaca.gov/commercialstreets 3J. COVID 19 Get Around Safe Pledge: www.alamedaca.gov/AlamedaPledge 3K. Vision Zero Program: www.alamedaca.gov/VisionZero 3L. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) 2020 Trainings: ittps://www.alamed… | TransportationCommission/2020-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2020-11-18.pdf,2 | TransportationCommission | 2020-11-18 | 2 | 3M. Emergency Alerts for Alameda - Subscribe at AC Alert web page: https://www.acgov.org/emergencysite/ 3N. Regional Emergency Transportation Alerts - Subscribe: https://511.org/alerts/emergencies/511Alert 30. Clipper Card (adults) - order on line or at Walgreens or set up Autoload to add value automatically: https://www.clippercard.com/ClipperWeb/getTranslink.do 3P. Clipper Card Discounts for youth, seniors and people with disabilities - ittps://www.clippercard.com/ClipperWeb/discounts/index.do 3Q. FasTrak or new toll tag for upcoming I-880 Express Lanes scheduled to open late summer 2020: on line or at Walgreens (except not Park Street location) and then register on line: https://www.bayareafastrak.org/en/signup/signUp.shtm 3R. City Adaptation Project - web links www.alamedaca.gov/ShorelineWebsterPoseyTubes www.alamedaca.gov/ShorelineDoolittleDr www.alamedaca.gov/ShorelineVeteransCt 4. Announcements / Public Comments No public comment. 4A. Transportation Commissioner Appreciation of Service Resolution for Commissioner David Johnson (Information Item) Chair Soules recognized former Commissioner David Johnson's work on the Transportation Commission by reading the Appreciation Resolution as shown here: https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4692142&GUID=6E20E869-87B5-4AAA-9151- CF52B01073CF 5. Consent Calendar 5A. Approve Special Meeting Minutes - October 28, 2020 (Action Item) as shown here: https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4692143&GUID=6C38C6E2-F113-44B3-B7A OFBC34881B33&FullText=1 No changes proposed. Commissioner Nachtigall moved to approve as is. Commission Yuen seconded. The motion passed 5-0. 6. Regular Agenda Items 6A. Recommendation to Approve the Central Avenue Safety Improvement Project Final Concept (Action Item) Gail Payne, Senior Transportation Coordinator and Stefan Schuster of CDM Smith, gave a presentation. The staff report and attachments can be found at: https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4692144&GUID=26A3562E-9A47-432D-9624- 973193AAOB… | TransportationCommission/2020-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2020-11-18.pdf,3 | TransportationCommission | 2020-11-18 | 3 | Stefan Schuster also introduced: Jennifer Cheung of CDM Smith Michael Bjork of CDM Smith Szu-han Chen of CDM Smith Jake Gunther of CDM Smith Commissioner Clarifying Questions for #6A Commissioner Weitze asked questions about the plan overall. Chair Soules asked staff to clarify the current stage of the plan and what comes next. Staff Payne responded that the 35 percent drawings are complete. Staff is looking to obtain overall project approval before spending effort on developing detailed designs. Mr. Schuster added that more details will be developed for roundabouts with all stakeholders. At this time, the City is looking for approval of the corridor-wide concept with the roundabouts. Commissioner Weitze stated that there are points of friction that are not totally addressed such as in front of Encinal High School and at the transitions from two-way bike path to single-sided paths, and he is not sure why these choices were made. Staff Payne responded that Encinal School area is confusing today because drop off/pick up is under construction and there will no longer be a parking lot there. This project will create room for a center turn lane, and a bus pull-out for a bus to wait out of the traffic lane, just west of the jet and so we expect it to function better than it does now. The City team is coordinating with the school on the design. As for why there is a change from a two-way to bike lanes at Eighth Street, this was analyzed in 2015, and there are too many driveways east of Eighth St, which creates a visibility issue and takes away a lot of parking. The number of driveways also means the center turn lane is more valuable here. Also, this is Caltrans right of way, so the City needed to be more conservative. Mr. Schuster added that the width is constrained and there are large heritage trees that need to be protected. Commissioner Weitze clarified that he was talking about the change at Central/Pacific from two-way protected bike lanes to standard bike lanes. Staff Payne stated that on Main Street, one can use … | TransportationCommission/2020-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2020-11-18.pdf,4 | TransportationCommission | 2020-11-18 | 4 | Commissioner Hans asked what the estimated construction period is. Mr. Schuster stated that he estimates six to eight months, depending on weather, time of year and other changes. Chair Soules stated that she has heard that traffic circles can be problematic for the visually impaired and wanted to clarifications on the accommodations. She questions whether the lower operations and maintenance costs include the landscaping maintenance and irrigation systems. Mr. Schuster responded that accessibility measures are included for people with visual impairments, including tactile domes, refuges within the splitter islands, and shorter, high visibility crossings. He agreed that landscaping and irrigation would include operations and maintenance costs but less than signals. Landscape costs would be mitigated with carefully selected native plants and water efficient irrigation design. but any plants will still have an establishment period when watering is needed of up to the first three years. Staff Wikstrom added that while there are long term costs of roundabouts, the traffic signals have many more regular maintenance and replacement costs, like traffic signal bulbs. Commissioner Weitze asked why we are keeping some of the all-way stop intersections given the benefits of roundabouts. Staff Payne and Mr. Schuster responded that the roundabouts take up more space, so the City cannot install them in more constrained locations such as Fifth Street, Webster Street and Eighth Street. The City is considering one at Fourth Street but the budget needs to be considered. Commissioner Yuen asked what the planned treatment of trees is along the corridor, about the school coordination and concerns and about the selection of intersections for pedestrian-activated beacons. Mr. Schuster responded on the trees that it is a priority to save and protect the existing trees. Contractors will be required to protect the trees to avoid damage. The team is in the middle of a tree study, which is an inventory of every tree, including species, cond… | TransportationCommission/2020-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2020-11-18.pdf,5 | TransportationCommission | 2020-11-18 | 5 | Commissioner Yuen asked why there are no beacons at Fourth and Fifth Streets. Staff Payne responded that the project is hoping to include a roundabout at Fourth Street and that it is currently signalized. The Fifth Street intersection will be simplified and will include new curb extensions, high visibility cross-walks and refuge islands. At Ninth Street, the new beacon, as explained, is for Maya Lin students. St. Charles has been selected to have a flashing beacon since it is a future bike boulevard. Page Street will have a flashing beacon at the consolidation bus stop location. Lincoln Avenue by Encinal School will have one to give students a safer crossing. Vice Chair Nachtigall asked if the City is planning any pedestrian crossing improvements along Lincoln Avenue since the project is showing that traffic will divert to this street. Staff Payne responded that the City is having Kittelson Associates do a citywide review of roundabouts, and may add roundabouts to Lincoln Avenue since it is a wide street. In the Transportation Choices Plan, there is a corridor-long improvement project planned for Lincoln Avenue. Staff Wikstrom added that Lincoln Avenue is identified for short-term improvements since it is a high injury network corridor, which includes daylighting intersections, and possibly high visibility crossings. Mr. Schuster added that a flashing beacon and a high visibility crosswalk will be added where Lincoln Avenue and Central Avenue intersect. Chair Soules had a general question about diversion and what has been studied and how will that study continue during the design phase particularly for Webster Street given the planned limited turn options at Central Avenue/Webster Street intersection. Mr. Schuster stated that the diversion is covered in detail in the TOAR exhibit of the staff report, and it shows some diversion maps. Webster St. and Eighth St. to Constitution Way are the most preferred routes in the morning for those motorists trying to leave the island. The project may cause additional motorists… | TransportationCommission/2020-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2020-11-18.pdf,6 | 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 m… | TransportationCommission/2020-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2020-11-18.pdf,7 | TransportationCommission | 2020-11-18 | 7 | cul de sac or right turn only. The project will cause confusion and congestion in that there is a lot of traffic coming through here. Compressing to one lane in each direction will slow people down and she does not think a roundabout will work. She is very concerned about parking, too. There are many apartment buildings in this area, and some do not have garages or driveways. Some households have multiple cars. She thinks decreasing parking by 23 percent is pretty extreme. Cyndy Johnsen stated that it is a fantastic project and can't be built soon enough. It has safety for all, more efficient traffic and less engine idling. It is a win for everyone. She is glad the project is prioritizing safety and climate over parking. She commends staff on the virtual open house and hope to see more of these in the future. Jim Strehlow stated that earlier AC Transit said Webster Street and Central Avenue intersection would not work for them and asked why there is not more public input on it. Sherman Street looks horrible. He stated that motorists will become trapped in the middle of the roundabout with pedestrian crossings. He asked if all the residents have been notified, if the Fire Department has approved, and if the side streets been notified. The PDF on page 9 lists lost parking spaces as 70, but the PowerPoint shows 122. The numbers are misleading. The scanned text cannot be searched, and one font is not supported. He wants more public workshops. There is no participation panel during this meeting so it is unclear how many people are participating tonight. Christy Cannon stated that she supports roundabouts in that there would be less idling and less pollution. Commissioner Comments and Discussions for #6A Chair Soules stated that Staff should take steps to increase transparency and watch the fonts and to confirm community engagement. She asked if AC Transit and WABA have worked on this project in that they were not talked about in the presentation, and should be looped back in. She wants to see data on traffic diversion… | TransportationCommission/2020-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2020-11-18.pdf,8 | TransportationCommission | 2020-11-18 | 8 | Commissioner Hans stated that he is proud of City staff in that they have worked hard on this project, including community engagement, working with WABA and considering schools' needs. He fully supports the project. Commissioner Yuen stated that she is a big supporter of this project, and appreciates the focus on multiple goals: safety, Vision Zero, High Injury Corridors, climate, stormwater management, pedestrian and bicycling. She supports the roundabouts. The issues of parking and diversions should not slow down this project. She would like a chance to comment on the tree survey in the final concept. Staff Payne clarified that this is the final concept for approval, but staff will come back during next steps to talk about trees. About outreach, staff has done notifications to properties within 300 feet three times since 2015, and there are over 500 people on the Central Avenue email list serv. For parking, the project opens up some street parking west of Sherman Street where none currently exists. The 2045 projections are worst- case scenario, pre-covid, SO they probably are accounting for more traffic and they include cumulative impacts from new development expected in 2045. Chair Soules stated that if any Commissioners have concerns like parking, trees, diversions, we can request Council to address them. She requested a friendly amendment to have the tree survey come back to the Transportation Commission. She asked how many other east-west corridors are planned for a road diet. Staff Payne replied that there is a proposed project on Lincoln Avenue. Chair Soules expressed concerns about Lincoln Avenue also getting a road diet in that having road diets in multiple places could increase commute times, and we need to maintain service levels for transit. She requested before/after data to show that safer routes allow people to shift modes. Staff Payne stated that the cycle tracks on both Fernside Blvd. by Lincoln Middle School and on Shoreline increased bicycling. Chair Soules stated that high schoolers should be… | TransportationCommission/2020-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2020-11-18.pdf,9 | TransportationCommission | 2020-11-18 | 9 | Vice Chair Nachtigall thanked City staff for a comprehensive staff report. She supports the project's safety improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists, the roundabout recommendations and minimizing tree removals. Chair Soules stated that Commissioner Kohlstrand expressed a concern about increased traffic on Eighth Street, which would get heavy traffic diverted from Webster Street. Chair Soules also stated that the public street is not there for private parking storage. She expressed concerns about diversions and outreach to renters. Staff Payne replied that all residents along the corridor including renters received notifications as well as property owners. Public Comments for #6A Jeanine Gravem stated that the notification was not done well for Sherman Street in that she first heard of the project when she received the postcard for the recent workshop. Donna Gravem stated that the City should take into consideration the age of the Sherman Street area. Many of the houses were built before cars were common, so there is not a lot of off-street parking. Please take that into consideration. Cynthia Cooper appreciates that Chair Soules heard the parking concerns and she supports a parking permit idea. She agrees that Eighth Street can be challenging, and it can be tough to get off the island. Commissioner Comments and Discussion for #6A Vice Chair Nachtigall made a motion to support the final concept Chair Soules added the following friendly amendments: to minimize tree removals and maximize tree plantings, to look at ways to mitigate parking loss, to ensure that the outreach is sufficient, to mitigate traffic diversion and transit performance issues and to bring back traffic diversions, parking and the landscaping plan to the TC. Commissioner Hans seconded the motion. The motion passed 5-0. 7. Announcements / Public Comments Jim Strehlow stated that the current Atlantic Avenue and Constitution Way light timing is bad and need to wait a long time as a pedestrian and a bicyclist so the loop detectors need to work bet… | TransportationCommission/2020-11-18.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2013-07-24.pdf,1 | TransportationCommission | 2013-07-24 | 1 | Transportation Commission Minutes: Wednesday, July 24, 2013 Commissioner Jesus Vargas called the Transportation Commission to order at 7:05 p.m. 1. Roll Call Roll was called and the following was recorded: Members Present: Jesus Vargas (Chair) Christopher Miley (Vice Chair) Michele Bellows Thomas G. Bertken Sandy Wong Eric Schatmeier Staff Present: Staff Gail Payne, Transportation Coordinator Staff Alan Ta, Public Works Assistant Engineer Staff Heba El Guendy, Public Works Supervising Civil Engineer 2. Agenda Changes None. 3. Announcements / Public Comments Commissioner Vargas attended the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and Associated Bay Area Governments (ABAG) meeting on July 19th regarding the One Bay Area Plan and the adoption of the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). Ultimately, he was glad to see land use and transportation planning coming together. Alex Nguyen, Alameda City Manager, introduced Heba El Guendy, Supervising Civil Engineer, who is in charge of the City's transportation unit. Staff El Guendy said that she joined the City's Public Works Department a month ago and her 24-years of experience centers on traffic engineering, roadway design and transportation planning. She explained that she has experience as a consultant and has worked for several years in the public sector. Additionally, she said she is passionate about the implementation of complete streets. 4. Consent Calendar 4A. Meeting Minutes - June 26, 2013 Page 1 of 10 | TransportationCommission/2013-07-24.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2013-07-24.pdf,2 | TransportationCommission | 2013-07-24 | 2 | Commissioner Vargas called for a motion to approve the Consent Calendar. Commissioner Miley moved to approve the Consent Calendar. Commissioner Bellows seconded the motion. The motion was approved 5-0; 1 abstention. 5. New Business 5A. Resident Appeal of Public Works Staff's Decision to Not Install the No Parking Street Sweeping Signs on the 2600 Block of La Jolla Drive Staff Ta gave an overview of the item. Commissioner Schatmeier clarified with staff that their recommendation was to not recommend the signs. Staff Ta replied staff is recommending the signs not be installed. Commissioner Schatmeier asked if the installation of the signs have any influence on the number of times the streets are swept. Staff Ta explained that the residential streets have a set schedule and they are swept on a weekly basis. Commissioner Schatmeier asked if the signs are not installed, then occasionally cars will be in the way. Staff Ta replied yes. Commissioner Vargas said he spoke with a City sergeant about the fact that his street was swept across the street where there are signs and later into the day they swept the other side without signs. He then asked about the safety implications if the signs are not added. Staff Ta replied he is not aware of any safety impacts with the signs being present or not. Commissioner Vargas opened the floor to public comments. Ann Leonardo, resident of La Jolla Drive, created the petition because the street cleaner comes up Broadway, enters into the La Jolla and attempts to get into the cul-de-sac, which is 125 feet long, and cannot because of the parked cars. Consequently, the street cleaner continues up Broadway. She apologized to the staff and Commission for the amount of time that it has taken to review the issue. When she decided to execute the petition, she attempted to notify her neighbors by knocking on their doors. She felt the street around the cul-de-sac is used as a kind of catch all for parking. Robert Erdmann, resident of La Jolla Drive, reviewed the staff report, public comments and … | TransportationCommission/2013-07-24.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2013-07-24.pdf,3 | TransportationCommission | 2013-07-24 | 3 | visit on October 22nd. He sent an email the next day and thanked Staff Ta for coming out and made it clear that he was against the no parking street sweeping signs and parking restrictions on the 2600 La Jolla Drive block. Commissioner Miley asked the residents if the gutters and curbs are generally clean on their block. Ann Leonardo replied that she hired a gardener to clean the 80-foot strip in front of her house. The gardener clears the gutter and he blows underneath cars. However, she felt the residents should not have to do it if there is a street cleaning vehicle going up and down the streets. Robert Erdmann replied that he grew up on the block and his continued duty is to pick up some occasional leaves and soda cans. He stated tall trees are not present on their block and the wind blows some leaves from the other block, but he sweeps them up because it is not a huge issue. Periodically, on Thursdays, there are not many cars on the street so they could get into the street. Commissioner Schatmeier confirmed with Robert Erdmann that at times the street sweeper is unable to clean the gutter area. Robert Erdmann said he is usually at work, but his wife does occasionally see the street sweeper unable to get into the gutter area. Commissioner Wong referred to page 5 of the staff report where there are two pictures of a typical Thursday street cleaning morning compared to a non-street sweeping morning. Overall, the snap shots look like there are more cars. So, she asked if staff could look into moving the street sweeping day to a time when it is not as heavily used. Staff Ta replied staff has spoken to the maintenance department and asked if they could move the time, but the City's street sweeping schedule is a complicated matrix and to change it for a 125- foot cul-de-sac is not a reasonable use of staff time. Commissioner Wong asked staff what are the scheduled street sweeping dates for Broadway. Staff Ta replied the days are Monday and Thursday. Commissioner Wong explained since the opposite side of Broadway is… | TransportationCommission/2013-07-24.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2013-07-24.pdf,4 | TransportationCommission | 2013-07-24 | 4 | maintain the overflow and water quality of the Bay from the affluent running off during storms. She went on to say residents could request the signs, but 50 percent or more residents must agree with the need to erect signs and restrict parking. Ultimately, the City is meeting and exceeding the requirement to sweep the streets and the City does not have to sweep every street because the outflow to the Bay is far less. Commissioner Miley replied that the City has a broader standard and not just a block-by-block policy. Commissioner Miley moved to accept staff recommendations. Commissioner Bellows seconded the motion. The motion was approved 6-0. 5B. Encinal High School Improvements - Phase II Staff Ta presented the report. Commissioner Bellows asked if Taylor Avenue would still be two-way. Staff Ta replied yes. Commissioner Vargas asked staff based on the improvements initially there were 20 movements and in Phase II would there be far fewer movements. Staff Ta replied yes. Commissioner Vargas asked staff if there are warrants to be checked regarding the stop signs. Staff Ta replied that there are, but they are reviewing them qualitatively. Also, based on the geometry and the layout of the five-way intersection, if three cars appear it is hard to see which car goes first. Consequently, the intersection would not be a great candidate for an all-way stop sign. Commissioner Miley asked about the peak-hour traffic volumes and how many cars are coming from Central Avenue or Third Street and turning onto Taylor Avenue. Staff Ta said that the counts are found in the presentation. Commissioner Wong said that she understood the bus stop relocation, which makes sense. However, on the opposite side found on Figure 15, "Passenger Loading Zone", there is significant congestion in the morning compared to the afternoon. So, if they put the Passenger Loading Zone 4 right there, then that block or create congestion even though cars are pulling to the side. She felt one of the main issues are drivers who are coming from Central Aven… | TransportationCommission/2013-07-24.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2013-07-24.pdf,5 | TransportationCommission | 2013-07-24 | 5 | make sweeping turns onto Taylor Avenue. Staff Ta replied that they reviewed it and were thinking of a few other options, but their priorities were to improve pedestrian and bicycle access. Commissioner Wong asked staff to move the drop off point down to the corner near the student parking driveway and access to the bay because it is less congested. She emphasized not at the five-way intersection but nearby so only one crosswalk would be moved. Staff Ta replied that staff could review the benefits of relocating the passenger-loading zone to possibly two locations. Also, he noted they have been working with Encinal High School and Alameda Unified School District on the improvements. Staff Payne referred to Exhibit 3 in the staff report and asked Staff Ta if they were still working with the school district or is it on hold. She just wanted clarification because that passenger loading zone is east of the driveway. Staff Ta replied that it is still a recommendation. Commissioner Wong stated she understood that, but on the opposite side there are near misses when cars approach on Central Avenue going westbound from Taylor Avenue and Third Street. Commissioner Bellows stated that she supported Commissioner Wong's comments and asked staff with the projected future growth and warrant for the flashing beacon are these proposed improvements compatible with this structure. Staff Ta replied that he does not see them as being incompatible. Commissioner Bertken asked staff based on the illustration presented if the street narrows down as it approaches the other crosswalk at Lincoln Avenue. Staff Ta replied that the street opens at the crosswalk. Commissioner Vargas opened the floor to public comments. Jerry Juhala said for part of last year he helped Officer Yakas conduct crosswalk duties at the school in the mornings. He fully supported the Public Work proposal. He urged the Commission to do at least some of the items proposed before the school year begins. He recommended that they erect the portable signage that says "No left… | TransportationCommission/2013-07-24.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2013-07-24.pdf,6 | TransportationCommission | 2013-07-24 | 6 | but it is the parents that are in a hurry and want to drop their children off at the most convenient place. This recommendation is not the right solution. Kurt Peterson, Block Captain of 200 Santa Clara Avenue, said they had two community meetings and he attended the last meeting. He noted that the congestion problem is one hour of every weekday and the overwhelming issue is speeding cars headed towards Third Street. He found over 90 percent of the residents did not want to see Taylor Avenue closed, but the staff wants to recommend partially closing Taylor Avenue. Police presence of one hour of every day would help. He complained that the City did not provide an email with the community comments after the meeting. Debbie Jennings, Taylor Avenue resident, created the petition and obtained the signatures to object to the change. She said that the intersection does not meet the qualification for traffic signals, but does that mean that the state of California would not allow the City to install the lights or does that mean if the City installed the lights then the City must pay the bill. She recommended having a no left turn at anytime during the AM and PM school rush, but closing Taylor Avenue is not going to solve the problem. Wendell Stewart, Santa Clara Avenue resident, said he supported Kurt Peterson's comments, and that only one hour each day is a problem. Sonja Christianson considered herself an expert because she has lived in the area for over 18 years and walked across that crosswalk to take her child to Paden Elementary every morning. She felt that the traffic speed is one of the biggest issues and it is not addressed in the presentation. Also, occasionally she crossed the intersection going on a walk, and they have not addressed the most dangerous intersection is Lincoln Avenue and Central Avenue due to the curves and the speeding. She requested a traffic signal. Harold Jennings, disagreed with blocking entry onto Taylor Avenue and during the school hours, he supported a crossing guard or a police presenc… | TransportationCommission/2013-07-24.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2013-07-24.pdf,7 | TransportationCommission | 2013-07-24 | 7 | for eight warrants that are needed to erect a traffic signal. However, even if all eight warrants are met, the final approval is subject to engineering judgment. She stated that staff provided significant information in the report with two alternatives to address the communities' concerns. She also explained the cost for a full signal at the five-legged intersection would equal to $500,000 or more, and the City would be responsible for the bill. Also, if they were to install signals that are not warranted that would subject the City to liability if a collision were to occur. Unwarranted stop signals increase certain types of collisions such as car rear and right angle collisions. Commissioner Schatmeier referred to Jon Spangler's comments about restricting left turn movements during peak hours and that is already done on Park Street. He asked staff if it could be considered an alternative rather than closing Taylor Avenue. Staff Ta replied that some of the signage already has been addressed, and staff wanted to maintain the westbound Central Avenue left turn for people who live east of the school to access the back of the school. Also, staff wanted to allow motorists coming down Third Street to bypass congestion at the crosswalk on Central Avenue. Commissioner Schatmeier said he was sympathetic to the sweeping turns that were presented in the report. However, he understood the residents' concerns of closing off the street. Ultimately, he was looking to find an alternative to address both issues and restricting access during peak periods on Central Avenue coming from the base onto Taylor Avenue might help. Staff Ta explained that the improvement provided a refuge and visibility to the motorist and allowed them to creep out without concerns of the sweeping movements. Staff addressed Taylor Avenue residents' concerns in the alternative proposal. Alex Nguyen asked Staff Ta to go over the alternative proposal with the Commission. Commissioner Vargas asked staff to go over the public's response of the alternative propo… | TransportationCommission/2013-07-24.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2013-07-24.pdf,8 | TransportationCommission | 2013-07-24 | 8 | Staff El Guendy replied that high schools are eligible for federal Safe Routes to School grants. Also, there might be some regional funds available. Staff Payne stated that Measure B does not have a competitive grant program. Commissioner Miley felt that the best thing was to have physical presence to oversee activity, but that requires funding. He supported the alternative to the recommendation and staff should identify grant opportunities. Commissioner Bertken stated that if they are forming the motion that they should include recommendation two. Commissioner Wong asked staff how long would they study affects after implementation and would the study look at the population increases. Staff El Guendy replied that the study would be dictated by the school season and staff could conduct additional observations for the stop control. Commissioner Schatmeier said the concern is the left hand turn from eastbound Central Avenue onto Taylor Avenue and staff presented it as a sweeping turn that caused safety concerns. So, signs limiting the turn during peak hours would be erected, but he did not hear about a stop sign being installed in that direction. Staff El Guendy replied installing a stop sign for Central Avenue would require both directions. Thus, warrants would have to be evaluated for the overall intersection for all approaches. Commissioner Schatmeier asked if staff was proposing a stop sign on Central Avenue. Staff El Guendy said no. Alex Nguyen asked for clarification before the Commission made a motion. He asked the Commission if staff should not go ahead with the big loading zone until they studied the possibility of moving it down across the other loading zone. Commissioner Wong recommended the alternative to staff's recommendation with further study of moving the loading zone. Commissioner Bertken said Donald Lum Elementary School has yield markings located before the crosswalk where motorists are supposed to stop and wondered if that could be included in this proposal. Staff Ta replied they are "Yield here… | TransportationCommission/2013-07-24.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2013-07-24.pdf,9 | TransportationCommission | 2013-07-24 | 9 | current location further down to Lincoln and Central Avenue. He also added that staff should review Commissioner Bertken's comment to add "Yield to pedestrian" markings painted on Central Avenue. Commissioner Schatmeier commented that staff should study the traffic volumes for the sweeping turn, which was one of the differences between staff's recommendation and the alternate. Commissioner Vargas asked Sergeant Simmons his opinion about staff's recommendation one and the alternate based on a safety perspective. Sergeant Ron Simmons, Alameda Police Traffic Section Supervisor, felt the first recommendation was the safest recommendation based on pedestrian and bicycle movements, and he appreciated alternative two, but he would like to see "No stopping anytime" signs on the curve of the sweeping turn from westbound Central Avenue to eastbound Taylor Avenue because he noticed when painted red the parents stop at that intersection to drop-off their kids. Commissioner Miley moved to approve the alternative to staff's recommendation and review Commissioners Wong, Bertken, and Shatmeier's comments as well as exploring future funding. Commissioner Bertken seconded the motion. The motion was approved 6-0. 5C. Quarterly Report on Activities Related to Transportation Policies and Plans Staff Payne presented the report. Commissioner Bertken asked staff about the conclusion of Neptune Park pathway after they approved the IN and Out Burger development. Staff Payne stated that is under Alameda Landing Remnant Parcel Updates under item #6. 6. Staff Communications Changed Date for Next Regular Transportation Commission Meeting - Tuesday, September 24 at 7 p.m., City Council Chambers Special Transportation Commission Meeting with the Planning Board on Monday, September 30 at 7 p.m., City Council Chambers (Main Item of Discussion - Revised Draft Regional Transit Access Study) Alameda Landing Remnant Parcel Updates - Went to the Planning Board on Monday, July 22. The use permit for the Chase Bank, In and Out Burger driver thru aisle, … | TransportationCommission/2013-07-24.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2013-07-24.pdf,10 | TransportationCommission | 2013-07-24 | 10 | pedestrian signal at that leg and the establishment of the crosswalk. Overall, the site plan has been revised and a fence in the center median on Stargell Avenue was included to prevent jaywalking and mid-block crossing. AC Transit Line OX - Opening to Local Riders BART Strike Updates and Lessons Learned - There may be a BART Strike on Monday, August 5. - Commissioner Bellows said she received positive comments on how the City handled the BART strike because residents said it went smoothly. - Commissioner Shatmeier said that two days ago, he was catching the bus towards the coliseum and usually he takes the Harbor Bay Ferry. He saw a sign that says City of Alameda shuttle to the ferry and he was not aware of it. He would like to know how the City is getting the word out about the service. - Staff Payne replied that she sent out an announcement to the Commission email list serv about the shuttle and staff set up a City webpage about the BART strike, which included information about the shuttle. Moreover, she linked the shuttle to the 511.org website. Posey and Webster Tube Rehabilitation Project - Next Steps Potential Future Meeting Agenda Items - Revised Draft Regional Transit Access Study - AC Transit Line 51A Performance Initiative Grant - Alameda Point Planning Document - AC Transit Comprehensive Operations Analysis - Alameda Ferry Terminal Station Access Plan - City of Alameda Transit Disruption Plan - Port of Oakland's Ron Cowan Parkway Proposed Class I Path - Traffic Control and Contingency Plan during Construction for I-880/29th Ave./23rd Ave. Interchange Improvement Plan in Oakland: Public Information Program and Transit Impacts 7. Announcements/ Public Comments Jon Spangler wanted to say the BART Pilot project looks good, but the July BART strike did slow things down because it took away their first 5-days. Yet, they are working on getting the bikes through and the BART Board is scheduled to evaluate the outcome in October. 8. Adjournment 9:04 pm Page 10 of 10 | TransportationCommission/2013-07-24.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2018-01-24.pdf,1 | TransportationCommission | 2018-01-24 | 1 | APPROVED MINUTES REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY OF ALAMEDA TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2018 Chair Bellows convened the meeting at 7:00pm. 1. ROLL CALL Present: Chair Bellows, Vice-Chair Vargas, Commissioners Bertken, Soules. Absent: Commissioners Hans, Miley, Palmer. 2. AGENDA CHANGES *None* 3. ANNOUNCEMENTS/PUBLIC COMMENT Jim Strehlow thanked Public Works for keeping on top of the leaves in the streets. He asked what the detour signs near Otis and Fernside were for. He said a flashing crosswalk is needed at Harvard and Fernside. Staff Member Payne said there would be some night time closures of the Bay Farm Bridge to do maintenance work and the announcements are on the website. She said residents could use SeeClickFix to request traffic calming efforts. She said the city hired a new engineer, Robert Vance, to work on the city's traffic calming and capital improvement plans. Staff Member Vance introduced himself to the commission. 3A Transportation Commission Meeting: Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. 3B 2018-5117 Upcoming Grant-Funded Bicycle Safety Education Classes: February 12 and February 28, 2018 The flyers can be found at: https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3309108&GUID=6599A16A- CAAF-4DAC-8696-E1A464857057 4. CONSENT CALENDAR 4A 2018-5118 Approve Meeting Minutes - November 15, 2017 (Action) Vice-Chair Vargas noted that he was absent from the November meeting. Chair Bellows said that we did not have a quorum to approve the minutes and would have to wait until the next meeting to approve them. 1 | TransportationCommission/2018-01-24.pdf |
TransportationCommission/2018-01-24.pdf,2 | TransportationCommission | 2018-01-24 | 2 | 5. NEW BUSINESS 5A 2018-5123 Approve the City of Alameda Transportation Program Plan for Seniors and People with Disabilities for Fiscal Year 2018/2019 (Action) Victoria Williams, Paratransit Coordinator, gave a presentation. The staff report and attachment can be found at: ttps://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3312459&GUID=A99E4217- 6663-4E87-B5F6-D4FD2OFD2A63&FullText= Chair Bellows asked if the Measure BB funding will continue and be able to sustain the program into the future. Staff Member Williams said she thinks they will be able to continue to provide their services, noting that the large capital expenditures would not be necessary in the future. Commissioner Soules asked how many stops are co-located with AC Transit stops. Staff Member Williams said about ten stops were co-located. Commissioner Soules suggested getting the service added to the transit feature of Google Maps, which could help ridership. Chair Bellows opened the public hearing. Pat Potter, CASA and Bike Walk Alameda, asked if tricycles had been considered by the program to provide for seniors who would like to get outdoors. Commissioner Vargas asked how the Cross Alameda Trail would help the program. Staff Member Williams said it would help provide options for seniors to safely get places and get exercise, and said it connects some shuttle stops. Staff Member Payne said the separate trails and mid-block crossing near Independence Plaza would be assisted by this funding. Commissioner Vargas said that the connection may need a little more explanation to justify that connection. He asked why there was a planned drop in the outreach cost. Staff Member Payne said that they are doing the big push for outreach now and that by next year will be able to reduce that number. Commissioner Bertken asked if the vouchers were still available. 2 | TransportationCommission/2018-01-24.pdf |
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