Alameda City Council
October 4, 2022

From: timbeloney.gmail.com
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Item 7B, Grand Street
Date: Tuesday, October 4, 2022 4:30:13 PM
As I stare out my front window at our Re-Elect Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft for Mayor sign I'd like to thank the mayor and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation and climate issues in Alameda, and for your continued support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project. These issues are very important to the 4 voting members of my household and I know we are not alone.

I would once again like to reiterate that the streets of Alameda belong to everyone, not just the people who live on any particular street - no matter who their neighbors are or how much their house costs. Contrary to what many seem to believe, the streets are also intended for moving people
, no matter what mode of transportation
they decide to take, and certainly not just for cars and SUVs.

During the last city council meeting on this item it was mentioned that protected bike lanes don't increase safety - they just slow down traffic. I would like to refer you to this article posted by the City of Pasadena that cites a Science Daily article in which it was confirmed that protected bike lanes not only make those streets safer for cyclists, but they make them safer for drivers and pedestrians as well due to the traffic calming effect.

From the article:

Fatalities fell by over 38% in Chicago, 40% in Denver, nearly 50% in San Francisco, 60% in Seattle, and a whopping 75% in Portland, OR. What these cities had in common were protected bike lanes. The researchers concluded that:
“…building safe facilities for cyclists is one of the biggest factors in road safety for everyone. Bicycling infrastructure -- specifically, separated and protected bike lanes -- leads to fewer fatalities and better road-safety outcomes for all road users.” I am certain tonight's meeting will include a lot of empassioned yet biased, uninformed, and frankly dangerous comments. The people complaining about slowing down traffic are the exact people we should be taking into consideration when we think about engineering safe streets for all users.

For the people complaining about the effectiveness and value of protected bike lanes (side note that a bike/ped safety focused city helps raise all our home values), the articles above are just a sliver of what's available to help you make the right decision if for some reason you are on the fence.

My family is counting on you to continue your great efforts to make Alameda a better place for everyone.

Thank you,
Tim Beloney
510-731-8703
10/4/22
RE:

Item

7B

regarding

proposed

modification

of

Grand

Street
Honorable

Mayor

and

Councilmembers,
I

am

writing

to

suggest

an

alternative

to

the

proposed

modification

of

Grand

Street

currently

under

consideration.

The

plan

proposed

for

the

modification

of

Grand

Street

appears

to

have

been

largely,

though

probably

not

exclusively,

a

result

of

cyclists

advocating

for

enhancing

their

feeling

of

safety

when

travelling

along

this

street.

Unfortunately,

the

Staff’s

knee-jerk

and

in-the-box

response

has

been

to

recommend

and

advocate

for

modifying

the

bike

lanes

and

throttle

the

flow

of

motor

vehicle

traffic.

This

is

unfortunate

as

the

simpler

and

less

disruptive

solution

would

be

to

encourage

cyclists

to

use

the

parallel

streets

-

Union

and/or

Paru.

There’s

no

need

to

encourage

the

continued

use

of

Grand.

And

switching

to

one

of

the

parallel

streets

would

be

even

safer

than

modifying

Grand.

One

or

both

of

the

parallel

streets

could

be

to

designated

as

quiet

streets.

Afterall,

isn’t

the

enhancement

of

safety

for

cyclists

and

pedestrians

the

original

argument

put

forward

by

Staff

for

imposing

this

designation

on

seemingly

randomly

selected

streets

in

the

first

place?
There,

of

course,

would

have

to

be

the

incorporation

of

safety

features

such

as

flashing

lights

at

selected

intersections

and

crosswalks,

optimizing

signage,

and,

possibly

the

incorporation

of

traffic

flow

and/or

pushbutton

triggered

traffic

lights

at

selected

intersections.

These

are

details

that,

for

the

most

part,

can

be

fairly

easily

worked

out.

In

the

event

that

this

alternative

plan

turns

out

to

be

less

costly

than

the

current

plan

under

consideration,

the

found

funds

might

be

used

for

the

construction

of

a

traffic

circle

at

Otis

and

Grand.

The

proposed

alternative

approach

of

using

parallel

streets

for

bike

traffic

is

used

in

many

cities,

including

Berkeley

as

one

example.

The

alternative

plan

presented

here

would

result

in

safer

bike

routes

while

at

the

same

time

allowing

for

the

continued

use

of

Grand

Street

as

an

avenue

for

crosstown

motor

vehicle

traffic.

This

latter

consideration

becomes

even

more

significant

when

we

consider

the

limited

routes

available

to

us

for

crosstown

evacuation

in

the

event

of

one

or

more

of

the

natural

hazards

that

Alamedans

may

one

day

have

to

confront.

I

would

encourage

Staff

and

the

Council

to

think

outside

your

usual

box

and

stop

using

sledgehammers

to

drive

finishing

nails.

Jay

Garfinkle

1 Lara Weisiger
From: Jennifer Alameida <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 4, 2022 4:02 PM
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Safety Improvement
Thank you Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation and climate, and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project. I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project. We would love to see this improvement for our children riding bikes along shoreline and connecting back through our Gold Coast neighborhood.

Let's make it happen!!
Regards,
Jennifer Alameida

Jennifer Hunziker Alameida | 415.308.7871
From: Kate Brennan
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Safer streets for bikes and pedestrians! Date: Tuesday, October 4, 2022 3:54:33 PM
We support the final vote and approval for the Grand Street Improvements! The staff recommendation is the best path forward. Please do the right thing for Alameda.

Kate Brennan
Mother to 3 children - students at Wood Middle School and Franklin Elementary From: Shane Tzen
To: CityCouncil-List; City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Improvements support
Date: Tuesday, October 4, 2022 3:35:10 PM
Just wanted to write in and voice my support for the Grand Street Improvements project and the additional enhancements!
As an Alameda resident and parent w/ three children (one currently biking to Wood), the pedestrian and safety improvements can't come soon enough! Thank you Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation and climate, and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project. I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.

From: Stefani L
To: Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft; Trish Spencer; Tony Daysog; John Knox White; Malia Vella Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Improvements
Date: Tuesday, October 4, 2022 3:02:03 PM
Thank you, Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Council members for your leadership on transportation and climate. Every better bike lane in town is a gift to me, primarily a bike commuter/errand runner. I'm writing in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project. I strongly urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move this very important project forward.

Stefani Leto
From: Nathan Lasche
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Alameda resident urging continued support of Item 7B (Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement)
Date: Tuesday, October 4, 2022 3:00:33 PM
Thank you Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation, biker safety and climate, and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project.

As a parent of children in Alameda, having safe places for my children to bike (especially as drivers seem to be getting more hazardous in Alameda and more accidents seem to be occurring) is critical to my happiness as a resident.

I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.

Thank you for making Alameda a better place for families and bikers! Sincerely,
Nathan Lasche
2986 Northwood Dr, Alameda, CA 94501
1 City Clerk
From: Carol Gottstein <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 4, 2022 2:53 PM
To: Robert Vance; City Clerk; Lara Weisiger
Cc: Gail Payne; Andrew Thomas; Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft; Erin Smith; Nancy Bronstein; Trish Spencer; Tony Daysog; Malia Vella; John Knox White
Subject:
[EXTERNAL] Re: CC Agenda Item 7-B . Name of the City's ADA Consultant? Dear Robert:

Thank you so much for this information! It just so happened that a very nice Bureau Veritas ADA Specialist was at Mastick Senior Center today and I was able to introduce myself and discuss my thoughts about the placement of a few new "accessible" blue spaces near, but not on, Grand Street; while the City removes so much of the accessible parking already in existence in this exclusively residential neighborhood.

The last time Grand Street was on the Council agenda was June 21. BV was only hired as the consultant on July 5, well after that council meeting. As far as I know, no further outreach was done for the primary stakeholders of this project, which are of course, the actual residents of Grand Street who will be losing their curbside parking.

It seems like it would have been better due diligence for the BV consultants to have been allowed to meet with affected Grand Street residents BEFORE tonight's meeting for final approval of the alleged ADA accessibility "improvements". Are the ideas for shoehorning in blue spaces on the side streets from Bureau Veritas, or
just the City repeating its 2015 Shoreline Drive
realignment errors on its own?

Carol Gottstein
1114 Grand Street

On Tue, Oct 4, 2022 at 11:15 AM Robert Vance <[email protected]> wrote:

Hello Dr. Gottstein,
The City’s consultant for the Grand Street ADA review is Bureau Veritas. They are also contracted with the City to develop the Americans with Disabilities Act self‐assessment and transition plan. For your reference, that contract was awarded at City Council on July 5, 2022:
https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=5707759&GUID=3B3CD92F‐9196‐40DD‐ACA0‐EF54BDC73216 2 Please let me know if you have further questions.

Best regards,
Robert
Robert Vance, P.E.

Deputy Director/City Engineer
City of Alameda Public Works
510‐747‐7972 (office)
510‐225‐5920 (mobile)

From: Carol Gottstein [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Tuesday, October 4, 2022 10:36 AM
To: Robert Vance <[email protected]>; Gail Payne <[email protected]>; Andrew Thomas <[email protected]>; Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft <[email protected]> Subject: [EXTERNAL] Name of the City's ADA Consultant?
Dear Gail and Robert:

The staff report for the Grand Street Safety Improvement Project [File #:
2022-2380] states that the City has a consultant providing expert review of the ADA accessibility aspects of this project, but that consultant is not identified by name. What is the name of the consultant and/or the firm they are associated with?
Hopefully one of you can provide the information I am requesting as early as possible today before the council meeting tonight. Thanks, Carol Gottstein
1114 Grand Street
510.930.4471
From: Jeremiah Bonsmith
To: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Quick letter of support for Grand St improvements Date: Tuesday, October 4, 2022 1:57:02 PM
In case I can't dial in tonight, I wanted to write a quick letter of support for the recommendations on improving Grand St. for cyclists.

I've been an Alamedan for a year now, and I love biking my kids around. But the unprotected bike lanes sometimes feel more dangerous than no bike lanes at all, and there are few North- South cycling routes.

I do hope for the detailed design the engineers look at the safety issues along Shoreline, where cars frequently angle into the bike lane while parked or maneuvering.

Thank you,
Jeremiah Bonsmith
From: Nuala Creedon
To: City Clerk; CityCouncil-List
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Resurfacing & Safety Improvement Date: Tuesday, October 4, 2022 1:37:47 PM
Dear City Council Members,

RE: Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project

We are 20+ year residents of Grand Street, homeowners, pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and parents of children who attended Franklin and Wood schools. We travel along and across Grand Street every day and we are writing to urge you to vote NO on the proposed plan for Grand Street.

There are some positive aspects of the plan, but the overall concept will not achieve the goals of making Grand Street safer for all.

Currently, bike lane striping of any sort is virtually non-existent on Grand from Otis to Encinal; this proposal veers wildly in the opposite direction. A more balanced approach is needed here, one that boosts pedestrian and cyclist safety and also includes a robust plan for traffic enforcement other than simply narrowing traffic lanes & hoping drivers will slow down. Safety is a huge concern for everyone - people who oppose this plan and those who support it alike - and it centers on driver behavior. The City’s Vision Zero and Active Transportations Plans promote safety for pedestrians and cyclists, but those goals will not be achieved without addressing motorist behavior.

As a reminder, this project was presented as a repaving and restriping project at the first town hall in December 2021. It then ballooned into a bike lane project for the second town hall in May 2022. Now, in the draft Active Transportation Plan we see that all of Grand Street is designated to have separated bike lanes. Have the residents of Grand between Encinal and the estuary been consulted/ advised about this? (Probably not.) There are more apartments and multi-family homes on that part of Grand, many with limited on-site parking. Residents in that area will be severely impacted if this plan is adopted, and will have less input on bike lane design if it’s already in place between Otis and Encinal. This is a terrible procedural failure, and should be enough to halt this project as proposed.

In May, approximately 100 neighborhood residents signed a petition to express their opposition to this plan when it was presented to the Transportation Commission. Those concerns and objections are still valid and should be taken into consideration when making your decision.

Thank you,
Nuala Creedon & Matthew Anderson
924 Grand Street

From: Sherrie Deguzman
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Improvements
Date: Tuesday, October 4, 2022 12:46:58 PM
Hello -
I live in the new Bay 37 condos near Target. Anything that makes Alameda easier to walk/bike around has my full support.

Thank you Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation and climate, and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project. I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.

Sherrie Deguzman
Creative Director
sherriedeguzman.com
linkedin.com/in/sherriedeguzman/
From: Ben Ulrey
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Bike Lanes
Date: Tuesday, October 4, 2022 12:14:49 PM
Hello City Council,
I write to urge the City Council’s support for fully protected bicycle lanes along the length of Grand (and anywhere else in the city, to be honest). If we are to be the community we say we are — one which values small town living, equality, and sustainability — we must provide fully protected and high quality bicycle infrastructure. Anything less would betray our values. Anything less would sacrifice the safety of our citizens. Anything less would promote the continued rise in greenhouse gas emissions.

We know from case studies around the US and around the world that cars and bicycles need full separation to be truly safe. We know that building quality bike infrastructure incentivizes bike trips and gets people out of their cars. We know how to design roads for a more equitable, sustainable, and quiet street networks. All we need now is the political will.

We cannot compromise on this. To meet the challenges of the future means embracing new ideas and new ways of living. Let’s have that courage.

For the safety of our citizens and a continued life on our planet, I strongly urge you to support fully protected bike lanes along Grand.

A lifelong Alamedan,
Ben Ulrey
From: Chris Levesque
To: CityCouncil-List; City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] support of Item 7B
Date: Tuesday, October 4, 2022 11:07:57 AM
Mayor Ashcraft and Councilmembers,
My daughter and I ride Grand Street together.

Now she is old enough to do it with her
friends or on her own.

It’s important to me that she be able to ride safely.

Thank you

for your support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project. I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.

Regards,
Chris Levesque

Alameda Resident since 2011
From: Anthony DiSalvo
To: CityCouncil-List
Subject: [EXTERNAL] [email protected]
Date: Tuesday, October 4, 2022 5:34:16 AM
Thank you Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation and climate, and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project. I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.

As a daily bike commuter Grand Street is part of my route.

Thank You
Anthony DiSalvo
From: JSF
To: John Knox White
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand street proposal
Date: Monday, October 3, 2022 3:00:47 PM
Honorable Council Member Knox-White,
I will be short and to the point on this matter. I live on Palmera Court and use Grand Street all the time as a pedestrian and a driver.

No solution is perfect and everything is a compromise. The current plan over-rotates to provide separated bike lanes at the expense of pedestrian safety and resident usability. Please ask planning staff to work with us to find a better compromise approach.

Than you.

Sent from my iPhone
From: Julie Robbins
To: Julie Robbins Kim
Cc: [email protected]; CityCouncil-List
Subject: [EXTERNAL] PLEASE support protected bike lanes on Grand Date: Monday, October 3, 2022 2:55:34 PM
Thank you Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation and climate, and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project. I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.

We bike on Grand everyday and have supported our Safe Routes to School programming over the years. Additionally, I am a small business owner in Alameda who uses my bicycle to commute (on Grand) for work.

Please, please consider the needs of the entire community, not just a few, vocal, lucky folks who were able to buy on Grand and who want to keep excess street parking available.

This is about Vision 0, health and safety for our kids, our local environment, and continuing to create an Alameda that people like me want to stay in, move to, and are proud community members of.

Thank you,
Julie Robbins
Alameda home owner, small business owner, and parent
From: Jar Jar
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Protected Bike Lanes
Date: Tuesday, October 4, 2022 12:05:50 AM
Thank you Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation and climate, and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project. I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.

From: Robin Oliva-Kraft
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk; Bike Walk Alameda
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Support for Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project Date: Monday, October 3, 2022 10:04:47 PM
Dear Mayor Ashcraft and Councilmembers,
I am writing to voice my strong support for Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project.

I have seen the beauty of protected bike lanes on Clement, near my home, where my young daughters now bike and scoot regularly for fun or on their way to preschool (see attached photo). We are now able to replace car trips to school, and with a cargo bike, some car trips running errands with the kiddos. This is possible thanks to Alameda's excellent network of bike lanes.

But there is one major gap: north-south travel. For my family, getting to Southshore shopping, the beach, or Wood Middle School by bike requires dodging pedestrians on sidewalks, braving the dangerously narrow Willow St., or crossing our fingers in the Grand bike lane next to speeding traffic. Or we could just give up and drive, contributing to the traffic and parking problems across the island.

Protected bike lanes on Grand would make a huge difference. This is a rare opportunity to safely connect other parts of the Alameda bike lane network. With each additional connection and each block of protection, it becomes significantly easier to rely on a bike, and to build confidence needed to regularly replace car trips.

My hope is that my children will see car travel as a secondary mode of transportation, for health, climate, and traffic reasons. Protected bike lanes on Grand are an important part of that.

I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.

Warm regards,
Robin Oliva-Kraft
Willow St.

From: Linda Carloni
To: Tony Daysog; Trish Spencer; City Clerk; John Knox White; Malia Vella; Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft Subject: [EXTERNAL] Item 7B; Grand Street Plan
Date: Monday, October 3, 2022 8:14:25 PM
Dear Mayor and City Council Members:

I am writing to ask you not to approve and to ask the staff to rework the current proposal for the Grand Street reconfiguration.

I bike in Alameda, and I absolutely support additional bicycle safety precautions.

I walk around
town a good deal as well, and I support additional pedestrian safeguards.

But to me, the proposed plan doesn't
improve safety.

The zig-zag of the driving lanes seems to me likely to cause accidents, not to prevent them.

If I
understand correctly, there are no additional marked crosswalks nor any additional crosswalk signals.

Crosswalks
are a particular source of danger for pedestrians, and there doesn't seem to be any improvement there.

Finally,
reducing the number of parking spaces will negatively impact access to homes by the elderly, home care attendants and other suppliers.

Please send the current proposal back for more work, so we can find a solution that works for more of the community of Alameda.

Thanks for taking the time to listen.

Linda Carloni
Paru St

Alameda

From: Kristi Adams
To: [email protected]; City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Yes On Grand Street Bike & Pedestrian Improvements! Date: Monday, October 3, 2022 4:33:31 PM
Please vote YES for these much needed improvements - kids riding to and from schools (and the rest of us bicyclists) need safer streets and it is so much better for the car drivers! Thank you!
Kristi Adams
415-606-4108
www.becurious.yoga
www.kristiadams.photography
www.fromthegroundupmovie.com
From: Lisa Schmeiser
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Thank you for your support of item 7b -- Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project Date: Monday, October 3, 2022 4:26:21 PM
Hello!
Thank you Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation and climate, and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project. This beautiful boulevard can be the backbone of a transit plan that prioritizes pedestrians and cyclists and makes our island hospitable and environmentally friendly to all.

I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project. The bicycling middle schooler in our family will thank you too -- her safety is so important to us and we're so excited she has the chance to pedal safer streets.

Best,
Lisa Schmeiser
1444 Cottage St, Alameda, Ca 94501
From: Pat Potter
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street - Item 7B
Date: Monday, October 3, 2022 3:25:15 PM
Thank you for continuing to commit the City to a policy of safety first when improving the streets of Alameda. Even though for health reasons I am no longer riding a bike, I fully support your plans to put protected bike lanes on Grand while resurfacing the street. You not only have made the street safer for everyone (including drivers and young bike riders), but for every bicyclist who opted to ride their bike rather than drive, you have helped to clean Alameda’s air.

Keep up the good work! You are doing a great job.

Pat Potter
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
From: Beth Foote
To: City Clerk; CityCouncil-List; Manager Manager
Cc: John Brennan; R. Hale Foote
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Vote NO on revised plan for Grand Street Date: Monday, October 3, 2022 2:32:14 PM
Attachments: We sent you safe versions of your files.msg Foote Opinion Grand Street City Council .pdf
Mimecast Attachment Protection has deemed this file to be safe, but always exercise caution when opening files.

Attached is my letter to the City Council and Mayor urging a no vote on the revised traffic plan for Grand Street.

Respectfully submitted,
The Rev. Beth Foote
The Reverend Beth Lind Foote
she/her
Intentional Interim, Diocese of California
Mobile:

510-205-9843
1 Dear Alameda City Council Members and Mayor Ashcraft:

Our family resides at 705 Grand Street, and I am very disappointed in the revised traffic plan. I urge you to vote NO.

I want to be clear that I am in favor of building a protected bike lane along Grand Street. That could easily be done with a bike lane painted green where the bike lane is placed now. Another option is creating a protected bike lane next to the curb with bollards and parking on the outside of the bike lane, like on Shoreline Drive.

The revised plan, is unnecessary and will create more problems than it solves.

Here are my observations about the plan and my objections to it:
 The plan does not address pedestrian safety Our biggest safety issues involve pedestrians at intersections:
o There are no additional stop signs or speed bumps to slow traffic. Cars will be forced into two narrower lanes.
o The plan does not add more crosswalks beyond the four way intersections. Why not put crosswalks at both Dayton and Palmera? It is very difficult to cross Grand at those points. Many children now reside on our block, and even for an adult, crossing the street is a dangerous move. Cars often do not even slow down or stop for pedestrians.
2 o There is no discussion of enforcement of traffic safety by APD as part of the traffic safety solution.
 Where will delivery trucks park? They constantly stop and make deliveries along Grand Street. UPS, Fedex, and Amazon drivers will be constantly jaywalking across
Grand Street

 The schematic shows a very narrow entrance to our driveway and the bike lane before crossing the sidewalk. This is unsafe. The visibility will be poor and backing out will be more of an issue than it is now.
 We will lose street parking in front of our house. Alameda is neither San Francisco or New York, and even there, zoned street parking is available for residents.
 This plan will impact the Fourth of July Parade. Almost every house on Grand Street hosts a party, and there are thousands of people walking up and down the street as well as the parade itself which utilizes the width of Grand Street.
 The addition of Handicapped Parking spots scattered on side streets is unhelpful. If we have a guest who needs a Handicapped Parking spot, they will have to somehow travel more than a block to get to our house. If there is street parking a dedicated handicapped parking spot is unnecessary
3 Protected bike lanes in Alameda are a great idea and can be constructed with less disruption to residents along Grand Street. Many other cities have taken similar measures with great success, and we should follow their lead.

I want the City of Alameda to seriously address pedestrian safety on Grand Street. This plan does not make pedestrian safety a priority, and does not include speed enforcement by APD.

Grand Street is a beautiful, historic residential street. Implementation of this plan as presented would be a mistake. We can do better.

I urge a NO vote on the revised plan for Grand Street.

Sincerely,
The Rev. Beth Lind Foote
From: Jon Randell
To: City Clerk
Cc: Denyse Trepanier
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand St.

Date: Monday, October 3, 2022 2:15:03 PM
Hello Madam Clerk,
Can you please forward the note below to our City Council members and Mayor? Thanks
Jon
Dear Mayor and City Council,
I'm writing to express my full and hearty support for staff's work addressing the issues you raised when you ALREADY APPROVED the safer configuration

of Grand St.

Staff has
taken a really good design

and made it even better with these last few tweaks.

While I thank you for your diligence in making sure this project is as safe

as possible, it's now
time to move this forward, not backwards.

There is no reason why anyone who supported this
lane configuration before these last changes were made, shouldn't support it now.

Now is the
time to show continued leadership in both addressing climate change and in our commitment to

fact-based decision-making

towards our Vision Zero goals.

Staff's recommendation does
all of this, in spades.

Thank you for your leadership and confidence in our dedicated staff's

expertise that they're
doing what's necessary to move us closer to our goals.

Jon Randell
West-end Alameda registered voter

From: jlau _
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Protected Bike Lanes
Date: Monday, October 3, 2022 1:19:50 PM
Thank you Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation and climate, and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project. I live on Grand St and will be directly impacted, for the better, by the project. The protected bike lane will provide my family and community with safe North/South biking infrastructure into the future. I urge approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested, in order to move forward with this very important project.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Lau
309 Grand St
From: Meagan Jensen
To: CityCouncil-List; City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Support for Grand St bike lane project Date: Monday, October 3, 2022 1:06:53 PM
Thank you Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation and climate, and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project.

As a mother of three who uses a bike to get myself and my kids most places, I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project. Grand St is a main thoroughfare and doesn’t feel safe in its current state, especially for my older kids riding their own bikes.

One of the main reasons we moved to Alameda (and a major factor is why we want to stay) is how bike-friendly the community is. So many challenges (mental and physical health, traffic, climate change) are positively affected when people are comfortable and safe riding their bikes around town.

We’ve been so happy with all the improvements and new bike lines around town and want to keep it going. This is crucial infrastructure and an investment in our future.

Thank you,
Meagan Jensen
2142 San Jose Ave
--
Meagan Jensen
Memory Artist
meaganjensen.com
From: Susie McKee
To: CityCouncil-List; City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Safety Improvement Project Date: Monday, October 3, 2022 11:49:15 AM
Dear Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Council,
Thank you Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation and climate, and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project.

As an avid bicycle commuter, I am enjoying the new cross Alameda bike path and I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.
--
Susie McKee
English Language Development and K-5 Art facilitator
Nea Community Learning Center
pronouns: she/her
I work/live on the unceded land of the Chochenyo
Muwekma Ohlone tribe
From: Lilli Keinaenen
To: CityCouncil-List
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand st project
Date: Monday, October 3, 2022 11:20:31 AM
Hey council,
Let’s make sure this project gets over the finish line! I'm urging council to support staff’s recommendation to approve the project. Thank you for tireless work in pedestrian and cyclist safety improvements in the city — I know it's often a thankless feeling job because people get big mad when cars and drivers aren't prioritized. But I appreciate and thank you for doing this! Great work. We’re almost there!
Getting a safe corridor to go from shore to shore in Alameda will make such a big difference.

Sharrows like Oak are scary, pathways like Grand will get more people on bikes.

So thank you thank you thank you!
Lilli Keinaenen
[email protected]

4154898223
From: Herrera, Fabian
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Protected Bike Lanes
Date: Monday, October 3, 2022 10:56:26 AM
Hello,
Just want to submit my support for the Grand Street Protected Bike Lanes including a cycle track between Otis and Shore Line.

Thank you
Fabian Herrera – Alameda CA 94501
mcg is excited to announce the opening of our Orlando and Phoenix offices! Fabian Herrera, LEED AP
Project Director / Associate
.
m c g a r c h i t e c t u r e
250 Sutter St., Suite 450 San Francisco, CA 94108
(Direct) 415.801.2281

(Office) 415.974.6002
www.mcgarchitecture.com Follow us on LinkedIn
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Disclaimer
The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful.

From: Ashley Lorden
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Protected Bike Lanes Final Approval Date: Monday, October 3, 2022 10:50:17 AM
Thank you Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation and climate, and for your past support of the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project.

As a parent of children who will attend Wood Middle School, safety in this area is especially important to me. I currently bike with them to Love Elementary, and the bike lanes on some school access streets (Central and Santa Clara) are much appreciated.

Final approval is
Item 7B on 10/4/22, and

I urge your continued support of the changes to
the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.

From: Neela Miller
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand St Protected Bike Lanes!
Date: Monday, October 3, 2022 9:23:14 AM
Hello Councilmembers!
I’m writing to say once again that I am a huge supporter of protected bike lanes on Grand St. We have lived near Grand St for 9 years, and now that we have 2 small children I can see what an amazing game changer it is for mobility for ALL. My husband and I have been thrilled with the development of traffic safety and bike infrastructure around the island and are so excited for it to come to our neighborhood.

Thanks,
Neela Miller
From: Sally Rudloff
To: CityCouncil-List; City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Projected Bike Lnes
Date: Monday, October 3, 2022 8:45:19 AM
Dear City Council and Alameda City Clerk,
I am writing to voice my OPPOSITION to the projected bike lanes on Grand Street. This is a totally ludicrous

proposal to put on this busy thoroughfare that every week day kids are ferried by auto to the two schools on this pathway. Traffic is already horrendous in the mornings and afternoon. The intersection that was created at the end of Grand and Otis has proven to be a disaster for motorists trying to turn in a compact turning radius

to get on Grand Street or Otis.

You are going to effectively reduce from two lanes to one lane each way. Grand will become a parking lot in the mornings and afternoons.

Please do not approve this plan because it will severely impact the motorists, pedestrians and general flow of traffic down Grand Street. While I appreciate your efforts to protect cyclists in Alameda, there are many more concerns regarding the effectiveness of instituting this plan. It simply is not a well thought out plan of how to help cyclists and it will severely

impact
motorists on GRand Street. In any city, there should be plans that benefit both cyclists and motorists.

Thank you for your consideration and my concerns.

Sally Rudloff
Sally Anne Rudloff, SRES
DRE # 00968085
Bayside-Real Estate
1812 Santa Clara Avenue
Alameda, CA 94501
(510) 301-8418
2012 NAR Good Neighbor Award Winner
From: Misha David Chellam
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand St. Resurfacing & Safety Improvement project.

Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022 8:57:52 PM
Dear Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft & Councilmembers,
Thanks for all the work you've put in thus far (and of course for staff's time) on the Grand St. project.

My wife and I have two young daughters and we love exploring Alameda, but mainly do it by car b/c we worry about street safety.

We'd love to be able to safely explore more of Alameda
by bike. The Grand St. project plans would allow our family, and many other families and individuals, to get to know our great town.

I ask that you approve the plan (including the changes Council requested) to move forward with this important project!
MC
Misha David Chellam
@mishachellam
+1 408 499 5523
Sent via Superhuman
From: Steven Ball
To: CityCouncil-List
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand street bike lanes
Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022 11:21:23 AM
As a 25-year homeowner here in Alameda, I strongly encourage the approval of the planned changes to Grand Street bike lanes.

Thank you,
Steven Ball
2863 Van Buren Street
Sent from my Penny farthing
From: Jeremy Saum
To: CityCouncil-List
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Plan
Date: Saturday, October 1, 2022 9:51:04 PM
Hello,
I am writing to express my enthusiastic support for the staff-recommended plan for Grand Street that the council will consider on October 4. I would also like to thank the staff for making what was an already good plan even better.

As a parent, I especially appreciate the protected bike lanes. Alameda is the ideal place for kids to get around on bikes, and every protected bike lane makes that safer and easier. I’m also a bicyclist myself, and the protected lanes make it more likely for me to make trips by bike rather than by car, which means less traffic and pollution for everyone.

Thank you for your leadership and for pursuing projects like this! Thanks again,
Jeremy Saum
2620 Buena Vista Ave.

From: Kevin August
To: CityCouncil-List
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Bike Lanes
Date: Saturday, October 1, 2022 2:02:43 PM
Hello! I’m writing in support of the Grand Street project coming in front of the council this week.

I moved to Alameda from Rockridge with my wife and young twins three years ago. One of the key factors drawing us here was the budding network of safe cycling infrastructure we saw on the island, including on Shoreline Dr and along Fernside in front of Lincoln Middle School.

The freedom to get around the island car free is a win win win win win. It’s healthier, burning calories instead of carbon from fossil fuels. It removes cars from the road, alleviating traffic. It frees up parking spaces in the commercial corridors. Ample research shows the cyclists spend more money than drivers in local businesses, mostly because they make more frequent trips.

And it allows our kids the freedom to move around independently, establishing crucial life skills right here in Alameda.

Protected bike lanes make it all safer and more likely to attract additional riders willing to scrap the car for all those 1-3 mile trips.

Let’s approve this project and then get started on the next one.

Thanks for all your work and service to our community.

-Kevin August
Fernside resident

From: James Martin
To: CityCouncil-List
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Thank you for making Grand Street better! Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2022 5:47:32 PM
Thank you!
We are so excited the Council is moving forward with the Grand Street improvements!
Grand Street is such an important corridor, and this will benefit all Alamedans with better access to parks, schools, marinas and beaches, and the connections to the other great Alameda walking, running and bike infrastructure we use every day!
I really hope you plan to upgrade the protections for bicyclists between Otis and Shore Line.

A 2-way cycle track as has been proposed along the east side of the street would make this already great project incredible! Thank you so much!
Cheers,
James Martin
From: Stefani L
To: Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft; Trish Spencer; John Knox White; Malia Vella; Tony Daysog Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand street bike improvements
Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2022 1:28:09 PM
Dear Council members,
In the strongest possible way, I would like to register my approval of the Grand Street Safety Improvements. Bicycling in town makes great sense - remember how very many more people (often the most vulnerable) can ride bicycles versus driving cars - but it's scary and unsafe.

Every time a protected bike lane appears, safety and bicycle use goes up.

Alameda could be a vacation paradise like the walkable cities in Europe if we can get more people walking and bicycling, and the way to do that is by making biking and walking safer.

Car emissions are the number one way cities contribute to global warming - let's get out in front and lead!
Best,
Stefani Leto
From: Lauren M
To: CityCouncil-List
Subject: [EXTERNAL] For Consideration on Oct 4th
Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2022 10:55:56 AM
Good morning,
I am writing to you in support of the Grand Street Improvement Project, in its entirety, including approving the staff-recommended protected bike lanes from Otis to Shoreline.

As a mother and stepmother to four children, I know that painted bike lanes are inadequate and I do not allow my children to bike anywhere without protected lanes. Being the primary path to Wood, this particular location makes it exceptionally important to create a protected bike lane. As you know, Grand St has been identified in our city’s Vision Zero plan as a high injury corridor due to the number of accidents between users (drivers, cyclists, pedestrians) who frequent the route, including the three children struck by vehicles this past school year.

Safety measures should never become a political issue. This is clearly an important safety problem you’ve been given the authority to address, so I hope to see a united effort from you all supporting it.

Thank you,
Lauren Merian-Klein
From: Karen Reuel
To: CityCouncil-List
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand St improvements
Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2022 10:21:14 AM
Thank you city council for voting to move ahead with the Grand St improvements. As a family that crosses Grand frequently to get to school or the park, these improvements are much needed. Often when a car stops for us in the crosswalk, the one behind it will use the bike lane to maneuver around the stopped car, endangering us and others still trying to cross the street! I'm hoping that by having a protected and dedicated bike lane, cars will no longer be able to cut around a car stopped for pedestrians. This plan also gives me more confidence to let my kids ride their bikes to Wood middle school someday! The only other improvement

I
could hope for would be for a stop sign installed at San Jose (even the school crossing guard has a hard time getting cars to stop at this intersection!), and/or speed humps. Too often cars are racing up and down Grand with total disregard

to anyone trying to cross. Looking forward
to the improvements!

Thanks,
Karen Reuel
From: Deborah Goldberg
To: CityCouncil-List
Subject: [EXTERNAL] In support of grand street improvements Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2022 9:24:48 AM
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
I am writing in support of

enhancements to further upgrade protection for bicyclists for the southernmost segment, between Otis and Shore Line Drive. I support the proposed

2-way
cycle track along the east side of the street, where there are fewer driveways.

I am a resident of San Antonio St, right off Grand, and my family (2 kids and 2 adults) are all avid bikers who bike on Grand Street daily.

Thank you for all you do.

Sincerely,
Deborah Goldberg
Deborah Zuniga Goldberg (she/her)
Mobile: 917.749.4879
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.deborahgoldberg.net
From: Christine Ganser
To: CityCouncil-List
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street
Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022 6:15:15 PM
I strongly object to the proposed Grand Street bicycle lane project.

These reconfigurations around town are hideous and confusing to motorists and cyclists and pedestrians, and you will be destroying the beauty and peaceful ambiance in the neighborhood.

I am a cyclist and am completely comfortable cycling in the current Grand Street arrangement.

You are ruining our town!!

Christine Ganser
Paru St
Alameda
Sent from my iPhone
From: Aaron G
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] In support of Grand St 7B!
Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022 7:53:43 PM
 Thank you Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation and climate, and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project.

I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.

Thank you for your service to our community and for making Alameda a safer place to bike.

Aaron Goldberg
From: Simon Mathieu
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Ave Protected Bike Lane
Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022 5:27:14 PM
Thank you Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation and climate, and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project.

I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.

As a daily user of the Grand Ave existing bike path and the father of a 4 year old, it is very important to me that such projects keep being prioritized by the city. The existing bike path is not adequate infrastructure which would allow my son to safely bike the Shoreline bike path, which connects directly to his pre-school.

Simon Mathieu
Alameda Resident
From: Christopher Zorn
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022 4:58:55 PM
Thank you Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation and climate, and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project. I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.

Christopher Zorn
From: Karen Hardy
To: CityCouncil-List; City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] grand street bike lane proposal
Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022 4:33:00 PM
As a bike enthusiast I agree with this proposal and hope it can go forward to help us connect across the city!

k
From: Maria Piper
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Support for Grand Street Bike Lane Item 7B Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022 4:16:09 PM
To Alameda City Council,
As a frequent cyclist and pedestrian, I want to thank Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers Vella and Knox White for their continuing support for infrastructure that increases safety for cyclists, pedestrians, and especially children in addition to reducing the human actions that contribute to climate change. I urge you continue your approval of the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project. It’s a vital addition to the Alameda cycling routes and will be well utilized by students and adults. It will likely encourage even more Alamedans to try to cycle instead of drive.

Thank you very much for your time.

Sincerely,
Maria Piper
From: Inbal Graham
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Please approve the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project.

Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022 3:51:34 PM
Dear Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers:

As a mom of two bike riders in Alameda, I want to thank you for your efforts on the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project.

I hope you will continue to approve the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.

We would all be so grateful and relieved to know that the streets are safer for our children and for all.

Thank you,
Inbal Graham
--
Inbal V. Graham
Educational Consultant
(925) 787-0767
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." Lao Tzu From: Robert T. Maclean
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] GRAND STREET PROJECT
Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022 3:24:36 PM
Dear City of Alameda Council members,
I do not support the effort to completely re-do Grand Street’s parking and bike lanes.

It’s just crazy, and having kids zipping
by driveways, even closer to them than now, is a big accident waiting to happen.

I can see a car backing out of a driveway,
and given the limited sight distance, some kid will slam into a car and get badly injured.

People opening their car doors INTO TRAFFIC is an accident waiting to happen.

Bicyclists are not the only people that need
consideration here—so do elderly folks, local residents and anyone who is visiting.

Grand Street, as it is, is fine.

It works.

It has bike lanes.

People use them all the time, and it’s safe.

This proposal is
actually more unsafe than the current design, but the BIKE- WALK ALAMEDA group just won’t listen.

They want their
bike lanes at almost any cost, which is very unreasonable.

Please, enough of this constant

“re-design everything / every
street” madness.

I grew up in Alameda, walked everywhere,
rode my bike as a kid everywhere, and did just fine.

Bicycles
need to be seen, not hidden behind parked cars, and then suddenly darting out into traffic.

Again, this is one, huge bad
design.

I vote “NO”. If it works, don’t fix it.

Bob Maclean
Current Alameda resident and bicyclist
Former Grand Street resident from 1964-2020 (1106 Grand St.)
From: Tony Ouyang
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Protected Bike Lanes
Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022 11:45:13 AM
Thank you Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation and climate, and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project. I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.

We've lived in Alameda since 2010 and are avid bikers as a family. We bike to/from school and for pleasure as a family of four (daughter Sophi who is 11 and bikes nearly every day from Grand Marina to ACLC middle school, and daughter Chloe who is 8 and bikes nearly every day from Grand Marina to Maya Lin).

For our family biking is a way to get some exercise in, instill discipline and grit within our
children, save money on gas, and reduce our carbon footprint to the extent that we can.

The bike lane infrastructure
additions and improvements
over the past 5 years has been
nothing short of great in Alameda, and we hope the city continues along this trajectory! Tony Ouyang
Fei Ouyang
Sophi Ouyang
Chkoe Ouyang
Sent with Mixmax
From: Pam Arneson
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Support for Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022 11:28:28 AM
City Council members,
I urge you to approve the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project and move forward on the construction.

Thank you,
Pam Huie Arneson
Lifelong Alamedan
From: Erin Shannon
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Protected Bike Lanes Final approval Needs Your Support Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022 11:24:07 AM
Thank you Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation and climate, and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project. I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.

Having protected bike lanes in Alameda really sets a great example to the area to encourage people to drive less and ride more and be safe while doing it.

Thanks so much,
--
Erin "Queenie" Shannon
From: Pete Grosser
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Protected Bike Lanes - Let"s Do This! Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022 11:19:21 AM
Thank you Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation and climate, and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project. I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.

This project is a no brainer.

It will make Alameda streets safer and will help make
Alameda a nicer place to live.

Let’s continue to build on the great work that has already been started!

My 10 year

old son (an avid bicyclist) will appreciate it.

Thank you!

Pete Grosser – Southshore resident (10 years)
From: Anne Sauer
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] I support item 7B: Grand Street Safety Improvement! Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022 11:16:11 AM
Mayor Ashcraft and Councilmembers,
As an Alameda resident who traverses the island by bike, on foot, and in a car, I want to thank you for your leadership on transportation and climate, and for your support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project. I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.

Thank you,
Anne Sauer
2029 Central Ave. #7
From: Deborah Sullivan
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: [EXTERNAL] New bike lane
Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022 11:07:10 AM
Please vote YES for the new bike lane coming before you in the next council meeting. Your constituents are paying attention. This is a no brained. We need safe bike lanes to get us around this island. And safe crosswalks for people walking around the island.
www.debsullivan pottery.com
@sullivanartfarm
Sent from my iPhone
From: Deborah Sullivan
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Safety!
Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022 11:12:25 AM
Please vote YES for the new bike lane coming before you in the next council meeting. Your constituents are paying attention. This is a no brained. We need safe bike lanes to get us around this island. And safe crosswalks for people walking around the island.
www.debsullivan pottery.com
@sullivanartfarm
Sent from my iPhone
From: Deborah Sullivan
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Safety! Do your job!
Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022 11:08:40 AM
Thank you Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation and climate, and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project. I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.
www.debsullivan pottery.com
@sullivanartfarm
Sent from my iPhone
From: Deborah Sullivan
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Safety for Alameda!
Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022 11:11:02 AM
Thank you Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Councilmembers for your leadership on transportation and climate, and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvement Project. I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.
www.debsullivan pottery.com
@sullivanartfarm
Sent from my iPhone
From: Mark Dieter
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Item 7B Grand Street Improvement’s
Date: Sunday, October 2, 2022 11:10:46 AM
Alameda city council and Mayor Ashcroft,
First, I want to thank you all for your leadership to improve transportation and take action to reverse climate change generally. Please continue to make the difficult decisions that are needed to protect our city and our planet for our children.

Second, I want to voice my support for Item 7B, the Grand StreetResurfacing and Safety Improvement Project. I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.

Please do not be swayed by the loud voices of a few, wealthy neighbors who believe they deserve free street parking at the expense the health and safety of children biking and walking to school.

Thanks for your service,
Mark Dieter
Sent from my iPhone
From: John Brennan
To: Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft; Malia Vella; Tony Daysog; John Knox White; Trish Spencer Cc: Manager Manager; City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Proposed changes to Grand Street
Date: Friday, September 30, 2022 5:03:09 PM
Dear Alameda City Council Members,
I’m writing once again about the proposed changes to Grand Street.

They are well
intentioned, but for a variety of reasons not the best solution to address the most pressing issues on Grand Street, and not necessary to encourage increased cycling.

The data shows
that the biggest issues on Grand are pedestrian/auto accidents at intersections, followed by auto/auto accidents, due to speeding and driver inattention.

Addressing these issues are not
prioritized in the current plan.

To encourage more people to walk rather than drive, pedestrian safety needs to be the top objective.

We also want to increase cycling in Alameda.

This is possible without the extreme measures
of the current plan.

As in June, the Grand Street design question is presented as a binary choice between essentially the status quo on the one hand vs. the extreme current plan before you all on Tuesday evening.

This is a false dichotomy!
There are a whole range of measures in between those two alternatives.

Measures that would improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists, while not making such dramatic changes that negatively affect the usability and aesthetics of Grand Street for residents and visitors, especially those with mobility issues.

Here are the key reasons the current plan is highly problematic:
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-->
<!--[endif]-->
<!--[if !supportLists]-->·
<!--[endif]-->Our biggest safety issues involve pedestrians at intersections.

This plan does very little to address that.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->It will make meeting our housing goals much more difficult, as homeowners will be reluctant to add ADUs given the reduced parking. <!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->It will significantly reduce access to homes for visitors, care providers and people with disabilities.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->It will result in unsafe street crossing mid-block— jaywalking—with likely increase in pedestrian incidents <!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->It will make access and egress from driveways dramatically more difficult and unsafe to both cyclists and motorists. <!--[if !supportLists]-->· <!--[endif]-->It is unnecessary. There are many other measures which can provide safer and more comfortable bike lanes without limiting access and parking: we can narrow the traffic lane, widen the bike lane, and use bollards and armadillos to provide protected bike lanes
in between the parking and traffic lanes. Other
cities have taken similar measures.
<!--[endif]-->
No solution is perfect. Everything represents a compromise. The current plan unnecessarily over-rotates to provide separated bike lanes on part of Grand Street at the expense of usability and pedestrian safety.

I ask you to redirect staff to come up with a more balanced proposal.

Respectfully,
John Brennan
711 Grand Street
From: Megan Nangle
To: CityCouncil-List; City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand street - item 7b
Date: Friday, September 30, 2022 12:53:51 PM
Hello-
I am writing to thank Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and council for their leadership on transportation and climate and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street improvements. I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.

In order to decrease our reliance on vehicles and subsequent negative impacts to the environment, Alameda needs to make biking and walking more enjoyable and most importantly- safe. My family loves to bike on the weekends but we never travel on grand street because it feels unsafe. Grand street is an integral connection that needs the improvements outline in item 7b. Please prioritize the safety of all users by approving item 7b.

Thanks-
Megan
From: Jillian Northrup
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: [email protected]; City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Item 7B, the Grand Street improvements Date: Friday, September 30, 2022 11:34:16 AM
As a home owner resident of Alameda, we use the Grand street bike lane almost every day to get our child to school. We ride out bikes with our daughter across town on a weekly basis and have greatly appreciated the biking path improvements that have been made over the last few years.

We are really

interested and supportive of the proposed improvements on Grand! I am writing to thank Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and council for their leadership on transportation and climate and in support of Item 7B, the Grand Street improvements. I urge your continued approval of the changes to the plan that the Council requested in order to move forward with this very important project.

Thank you!
Jillian Northrup
Founder & Director
-----------------
BWC Architects
A Design Build Studio
2526 San Jose Ave., Alameda, CA
510-545-9275
Check out our sister company: Model No. Furniture, the first in 3D printed furniture

crafted from eco-friendly materials. Made in Oakland, CA.

From: Drew Dara-Abrams
To: Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft; Malia Vella; John Knox White; Trish Spencer; Tony Daysog Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Item 7-B Grand Street
Date: Thursday, September 29, 2022 10:31:47 PM
Dear Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Councilmembers,
As a resident, pedestrian, cyclist, driver, and parent of two young kids who go to schools on opposite ends of Alameda Island, I'd like to voice support for the Grand Street plans that staff have brought back to City Council.

It's good to see how these plans have improved based on the constructive review at the last meeting. Thank you in particular to Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Vice Mayor Vella for useful directions, and thank you to staff who have managed revisions against what sounds like a tight schedule.

Based on my own experience traveling regularly through this area by all modes, I'm especially pleased to see that these plans include full protected bike lanes reaching Wood Middle School and Shore Line, and to also see increased pedestrian safety improvements planned for the San Jose intersection, not just the San Antonio intersection (both of which are important for students and families going to Franklin or St. Joseph's) It's also important to see that these plans have now been reviewed and improved by ADA consultants. Children and seniors should come first when it comes to considering how we design our streets and other public facilities (not to leave off the able-bodied adults like myself, but I think addressing the needs of the potentially more vulnerable users ultimately serves us well as well!) Finally, I appreciate reading that staff propose to continue to assess Grand after the project is finished and to make future adjustments based on observed conditions. Commute patterns, driver behavior, and roadway injury/death rates have changed throughout the pandemic in ways that the American transportation profession is still trying to understand and grapple with — it's wise to measure the new street design in action and continue to follow-up further as needed.

I hope you'll move ahead with these plans for Grand Street.

Thanks for your time,
Drew Dara-Abrams
From: Jacy Gaige
To: John Knox White; Trish Spencer; Tony Daysog; Malia Vella; Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Support for separated protected bike lanes on Grand St Date: Thursday, September 29, 2022 7:46:10 PM
Hello,
I am writing in support of the staff recommendation

for the Grand Street separated protected
bike lane.

As a parent with young kids who relies on biking to get where we need to go, a safe north/south connector on the island is crucial.

We bike along Grand multiple times a week to
access the fields at Rittler Park for baseball and soccer events.

Currently children bikers are
largely forced on the sidewalk on Grand to avoid traffic and traverse the lagoons.

A
protected

bike lane would provide much safer pedestrian

access

to the fields, schools, and
beach.

Please keep up the great work the City has been doing this year to improve pedestrian safety on the island!

We really appreciate it.

Thank you,
Jacy
--
Jacy Gaige
Tel: 303 601-0175
From: Michael Sullivan
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Final approval for Grand Street improvements Date: Thursday, September 29, 2022 5:18:21 PM
Dear Mayor Ashcraft and Councilmembers,
I’m really excited about the revised plan for Grand Street. This will be a fantastic upgrade to Alameda's safe bike network. The separated bike lane will make it much easier and safer to travel north/south from Encinal to Shoreline while biking. I hope you vote to approve this plan in Tuesday's council meeting as recommended by staff.

Thank you,
Michael Sullivan.

From: Laura Satersmoen
To: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street proposal
Date: Thursday, September 29, 2022 12:32:02 PM
Dear City Council,
I have lived on Grand Street for 21 years, have a son who went to Wood Middle School, and I am dismayed and perplexed at the proposals for Grand Street.

This started with Grand Street residents and Wood School parents trying to create a safer way for kids to get to school.

We all signed a petition to try to make this happen.

Then, all of a
sudden, this issue is taken over by cyclists who want Grand Street to be a cycling path on the island.

I do not believe the current proposal addresses the issue of making Grand Street safer for kids to get to school.

In fact, I believe the current plan will make it more dangerous for kids walking or biking to school.

The barricades next to driveways will make it harder to pull onto Grand Street from our driveways.

We won't be able to see pedestrians or bicyclists as well.

The zig zag path in the proposal looks comically like an obstacle course rather than a safe road for travel.

Limiting parking will make it harder to park our cars, and more difficult to merge safely into traffic.

This plan raises more problems than it solves.

It seems that Alameda's
civil engineers were swayed by special interests without addressing what this would mean for the community as a whole. We need to ask ourselves what problem are we trying to solve for, and will this work?

I ride a bike too, but I don't expect to have dedicated bicycle lanes on every street. Grand Street has 8,000 cars on it each day. It's already like a highway - not the best place for a bike lane.

Thanks for listening,
Laura
Laura Satersmoen
912 Grand Street
Alameda, CA

94501
510 387-3061 mobile
Laura Satersmoen
Executive Director
Fisher Art Foundation
151 Third Street
San Francisco, CA

94103
510 387-3061 mobile
From: KERRY PLAIN
To: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand St reconfiguration
Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2022 5:40:31 PM
To the City Council members, and all involved in decision making on the Grand Street project,

As a 70 year old resident on Grand St, I

am writing to plead for a more balanced plan
for the Grand St

reconfiguration proposal.

While safety for everyone is a concern, it appears that

less expensive methods could
more easily be enacted to reach

that goal .

Two

ideas that come to mind, would be
painting

crosswalks across Grand between Otis and Encinal along with possibly the addition of a push button/blinking lights crosswalk at San Antonio.

It would seem that
an addition of a flashing speed limit sign would also help.

widening the bike lane and
installing bollards (not sure if that is the right word) would distinguish the area to make it more prominent

or some type of raised dots (maybe colored) would make it more distinguishable.

The configuration as proposed seems to me, to be accidents waiting to happen as visibility of moving cars will be more limited as residents try to exit their driveways, across the bike path, between parked cars into a narrower lane.

The same would
be true trying to enter their driveways.

The presence of delivery trucks, garbage trucks, workers trucks with limited access to go around them will, I believe, be a hazard.

As for my situation, I don't have a driveway or garage, only street parking, meaning limited time/access ( also dangerous) for

entrance and exit into my car and I am not
moving any faster as I age.

Since I am often one of only a few cars on my side of the street, having my car out that far by itself, makes it a target for getting hit

( already
have one hit and run

a few years back)

In checking police records of the last few years to find why Grand St is considered a "high injury corridor", I saw 4 vehicle incidents, 3 of which were at Otis and Grand AFTER the safety reconfiguration ( plus another one last week)

Lastly, I don't see how reconfiguring 5 - 6 blocks would establish the North-South path that

cyclists want, and that it will be have a distinct negative impact

to all.

PLEASE reconsider options other than the proposed curb - bike lane- parked cars- moving cars arrangement for the safety of ALL
Thank you
Cynthia Rankin

Kerry Plain
From: Cyndy Johnsen
To: CityCouncil-List
Cc: City Clerk; Andrew Thomas; BWA Board
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Comment for 10/4/22 Council Meeting, Item 7-B (Grand Street Improvements) Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2022 4:56:58 PM
Attachments: We sent you safe versions of your files.msg CC 10_4_22 Grand.pdf
Mimecast Attachment Protection has deemed this file to be safe, but always exercise caution when opening files.

Dear Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft, Vice Mayor Vella, and Members of the City Council, Bike Walk Alameda would

like to submit the attached correspondence regarding Item 7-B for Tuesday's City Council

agenda.

Thank you in

advance for your consideration.

From: Trish Spencer
To: Lara Weisiger
Subject: Fwd: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Safety Improvements Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2022 3:24:14 PM
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Laura Gamble <[email protected]>
Date: Sep 28, 2022 3:17 PM
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Safety Improvements
To: CityCouncil-List <[email protected]>
Cc:

Thank you for your commitment

to making Grand Street a safer thoroughfare for all of us that utilize it.

Please approve the staff-recommended

plans - the protected bike lanes, the thoughtful
improvements for our disabled neighbors, and other safety features that will make our community safer.

This will be an important

step to make sure our city is making progress toward our Vision Zero goals.

Thank you for your vote to approve this plan.

Laura Gamble
From: [email protected]
To: City Clerk; Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft; Malia Vella; Tony Daysog; Trish Spencer; John Knox White; Manager Manager Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand St. changes
Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2022 1:53:37 PM
Attachments: We sent you safe versions of your files.msg Exhibit 1 - Proposed Final Concept Plan (1).pdf
Mimecast Attachment Protection has deemed this file to be safe, but always exercise caution when opening files.

Hello All,

My name is Paolo Friedman and my wife Siam Peav and our three children live at 816 Grand St.

I am
hopeful that this message finds everyone in good health. Please forgive me if I have included anyone that is not part of the decision process for the changes the City is proposing for Grand St. but I am seriously concerned about the changes proposed in the ”Final Concept”.

Months ago, I signed a petition against the proposed bike lanes and its related removal of parking for a series or reasons. My understanding is almost every home on Grand St petitioned and yet it went unrecognized. I also reached out via email in the past but feel our voice was not loud and clear enough. I am more than certain that 100% of homeowners and renters from Shore Line to Encinal are opposed to the changes the City is planning as it drastically reduces parking and creates a daily hardship and safety risk for us as citizens of Alameda.

Just to reiterate some of my concerns: We have young children that will now have to cross streets against traffic to get to parked vehicles, which may end up blocks away given the slashing and burning of parking in the area. Last year the corner parking places were Red Zoned and reduced parking by Four (4) cars per block already. Our guests will have No convenient parking.

My elderly
mother and in-laws will be forced to battle traffic and parking.

We will be backing out of our
driveway across bike lanes and into traffic and with your plan there will be more noise and increased delays. I cannot find one positive in this plan. It is spendy, does not consider the homeowner’s point of view and is inconvenient for everyone that lives on this stretch of Grand St.

I believe the City will find that the bike lanes that exist today are more than sufficient and really just need maintenance by a repaint/restriping. After that, study the improvement and if some traffic calming must be added, that is also a much less painful and far more financially sound approach than what is being proposed. The idea that the City has not even attempted to maintain what is there by repainting and instead is moving into what will be a safety risk for the actual people that live on this stretch on Grand is a misuse of tax dollars combined with direct punishment.

When we bought our house my wife and I had a few things on our wish list. Safety and parking were at the top of that list. The City’s proposed plan is taking away two major reasons we moved to this house and paid not only top dollar to be here but extremely high property taxes as well. Additionally, as an incidental to the City’s proposed change I contend that this will lower the desirability of our home and therefore the value.

In my experience working in public works construction throughout the Bay Area for more than three decades, the best plan is to separate motorist and bikers as much as possible and placement of bike lanes on parallel streets vs the streets that are most traveled by motorists is a standard public safety approach. Keeping both motorist and bikers safe without impacts to either. Let’s remember a bike rider is treated as a hybrid vehicle/pedestrian and yet does not carry motorist insurance. Bikes weave in and out and go through red lights and are a cause of many accidents and yet the motorist is held responsible as the only one with insurance.

I am begging you not to move forward with this plan. Please reconsider re-painting the existing lane and see how it works. I know from experience that that alone will achieve a lot by clear delineation of bike and car lanes without sacrificing the reasons many of us live here.

Thank you for your time and feel free to reach out to me to discuss this further.

Sincerely,

Paolo Friedman, CEO

D.F.P.F. Corporation DBA FineLine Construction

From: Heather Little
To: Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft; Malia Vella; Tony Daysog; Trish Spencer; John Knox White Cc: Andrew Thomas; Robert Vance; Margaret O"Brien; Nancy Bronstein; Erin Smith; City Clerk Subject: [EXTERNAL] Grand Street Improvement Project
Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2022 9:19:53 AM
Good morning Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft, Vice Mayor Vella, and Council Members Knox White, Daysog, and Spencer, and all the staff who have worked so hard to move this project forward.

I wanted to thank you again for endorsing the staff recommended plans for the Grand Street Improvement Project and encouraging staff to revisit the proposal to include/address the additional safety measures raised during the
June 21st City Council meeting.

As we know, no project is ever perfect. But your dogged determination to bring this one as near to perfect as can be is much, much appreciated by me, my family, and the countless friends/neighbors/constituents who have spoken to me about the importance of this project’s successful completion.

I am thrilled to see that staff will be returning to City Council on October 4th to present their updated
plan which now includes:

1. Separated bike lanes between Otis Drive and Shore Line Drive (yeah!)

2. Appropriate access and usage by individuals with disabilities, as approved by the City’s consultant (yeah!)

3. A public safety review, including by AFD, to ensure the final lane configuration is designed according to best practice and allows for emergency vehicle accommodations (yeah!)

4. Additional features to help slow speeds and improve pedestrian crossings (yeah!) While I understand that this corridor is already in regular use, as it is the most convenient North/South passage in this part of town (or is it East/West?), I know that these added safety measures will provide a greater degree of confidence for all users, whether they be drivers, cyclists, or pedestrians, resulting in even more people (of all ages) choosing alternate modes of transportation than their car.

Approval of the staff recommended plan is a critical component for opening the door to additional street safety improvements that will create an interconnected system of projected bike lanes and help Alameda realize our Complete Streets Plan.

Thank you for all you do, and for ensuring we uphold our commitment to Alameda’s Vision Zero plan.

Heather Little
Mother, Pedestrian, Cyclist, Driver
AUSD Vice President
Thanks, Heather