From: Ruth Abbe
To: City Clerk
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Support for Agenda Item 7-B – Endorse the Design Concept for the Lincoln Avenue/Marshall Way/Pacific Avenue Corridor Improvement Project
Date: Tuesday, April 18, 2023 4:33:41 PM
Attachments: CASA letter of support for Lincoln Ave Corridor Improvement.pdf Attached please find our letter of support for item 7-B Endorse the Design Concept for the Lincoln Avenue/Marshall Way/Pacific Avenue Corridor Improvement Project. Thank you! …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… April 18, 2023 Mayor Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft Vice Mayor Tony Daysog Councilmember Tracy Jensen Councilmember Trish Herrera Spencer Councilmember Malia Vella RE: Support for Agenda Item 7-B – Endorse the Design Concept for the Lincoln Avenue/Marshall Way/Pacific Avenue Corridor Improvement Project Dear Members of the City Council: Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda (CASA) was formed in 2008 to help the City of Alameda implement its Local Action Plan for Climate Protection (adopted in 2008) and its Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (adopted in 2019). The design concept for Lincoln Avenue/Marshall Way/Pacific Avenue provides an excellent opportunity for the City to improve our quality of life, while addressing pedestrian, bike and vehicular safety, and reducing impacts to the environment. § The road diet features will increase livability along the route and improve neighborhood cohesion and resilience. § The bicycle lanes will provide a safe alternative to single occupancy vehicles. § The roundabouts will improve safety and support the Vision Zero goals. § Overall, the design reflects the desires of the community as reflected in the Active Transportation Plan. We strongly encourage the City Council to endorse the design concept for the Lincoln Avenue/Marshall Way/Pacific Avenue Corridor Improvement Project. Sincerely, Ruth Abbe, Steering Committee Community Action for a Sustainable Alameda
From: Cyndy Johnsen
To: CityCouncil-List; City Clerk
Cc: BWA Board
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Item 7B: Lincoln/Marshall/Pacific Corridor Project Date: Sunday, April 16, 2023 4:58:04 PM
Attachments: 4_18_23 CC Comments Lincoln-Marshall-Pacific.pdf Dear Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Members of the City Council, Bike Walk Alameda would like to submit the attached letter regarding Item 7B (Lincoln/Marshall/Pacific Corridor Project) for Tuesday's City Council meeting.
Thank you in advance for your consideration.
(510) 516-0497
P.O. BOX 2732
ALAMEDA, CA 94501
www.bikewalkalameda.org
Board of
Directors
Denyse Trepanier
President
Brian Fowler
Treasurer
Tim Beloney
Secretary
Cyndy Johnsen
Board Member
Maria Piper
Board Member
Lucy Gigli
Founder,
non-voting
April 16, 2023
RE: 4/18 TC Meeting, Item 7B, Lincoln/Marshall/Pacific Corridor Project Dear Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Members of the Council,
It’s good to see this overly-wide high injury corridor getting much-needed safety and mobility upgrades. We urge you to enhance this project further by focusing on improving key intersections.
Wilma Chan/8th Intersection
Please direct staff and consultants to include features that will reduce conflicts between turning vehicles and bikes, and to include a fourth crosswalk (and pedestrian signals) on the northern leg of this intersection. Pedestrians currently have no safe way to cross the street here, and this project is an opportunity to bring the intersection into alignment with our new Signalized Intersection Access Policy .
Low Stress Network Intersections
There are ten intersections along this corridor that interface with the Low Stress Vision Network you endorsed as part of the Active Transportation Plan. Many of these intersections are controlled by traffic signals, offering bicyclists and pedestrians a dedicated crossing phase, where cross traffic is completely stopped. At the others, whether roundabouts or typical uncontrolled intersections, cars won’t stop unless their drivers are forced to slow, see, and yield to vulnerable users. Of these, we’re most concerned about Ninth, St.
Charles, and Broadway.
We should make these ‘low stress’ intersections safe enough that we would be comfortable with our own eight year old child or 80 year old grandparent navigating it by foot, bike, or wheelchair on their own, on a daily basis, in the dark, at sunset or dawn, when the sun might be in a driver’s eyes. If we’re not comfortable imagining that, it’s not good enough.
It’s great to see staff proposing upgraded (HAWK) beacons for these three intersections, and we strongly encourage layering in additional safety countermeasures such as raised crosswalks and medians where possible.
Roundabouts
We ask that the proposed roundabouts, two of which are on the 2030 Low Stress Backbone Network, get additional treatments to maximize safety.
To reduce conflicts between bicyclists and pedestrians, we also strongly recommend separating those modes’ facilities wherever possible, rather than making them shared as shown in some of these schematics. Additionally, we’re concerned about sharp turning angles for bicyclists. With more people riding longer cargo bikes, tight cornering will be an issue. Their experience should be fluid and effortless , more closely aligning with the car flow than pedestrian flow.
Other Thoughts
● Walnut is not on the Low Stress Network, but given its history, additional countermeasures seem like a worthy investment. We request raised crosswalks and pedestrian refuges — the intersection is not stop- or signal-controlled, so the left turn pockets offer little benefit, whereas center refuges could save a life.
● Because many people do not understand unmarked crosswalks (the portion of a street that’s in between sidewalks at an intersection), and they frequently drive through these intersections regardless of whether or not there are pedestrians at the curb waiting to cross, we think our city would be much more walkable with marked (painted) crosswalks at every intersection along the entire corridor.
Thank you for your consideration,
Bike Walk Alameda