Fernside Boulevard
Traffic Calming & Bikeways
Project
Existing Conditions & Toolbox
December 4, 2023
Exhibit 1
About the project
1.3 Mile Corridor Project Project subsets:
• Design concept for full corridor
• Near-term upgrade with resurfacing west
of High St
Why are we here?
Project goal: reduce traffic speeds and improve safety and mobility for all
▪ Coordinate with pavement resurfacing
▪ Implement plans and policies:
▪ Vision Zero Action Plan
▪ Active Transportation Plan
▪ City Council Strategic Plan
▪ San Francisco Bay Trail (regional)
Fernside is a Tier 3 High Injury Corridor, All Modes
Fernside has Tiers 2 & 3 Bicyclist High Injury Corridors 00 Fernside not in an Equity Priority Area
Source: BCDC
Fernside in Active Transportation Plan: Low-Stress Bikeway • Adopted plan shows Fernside with a protected bike lane • Key to the 2030 Low-Stress Backbone Network for all ages and abilities • Part of regional San Francisco Bay Trail
2030 Low-Stress Backbone Bikeway Network
Community Concerns about Street Safety
“Its like a
raceway”
“Lots of running
through the
stop signs”
“I was nearly hit by a vehicle here”
“Many cars
pass on the
right in the bike
lane”
“Cars are
driving on the
wrong side of
the road”
“Need a
crosswalk”
“Speeding
between Tilden
and High”
“Aggressive
speeding”
“Fernside
Freeway”
History
History
Late 1800s: A.A. Cohen’s 106-acre Fernside estate
History
Fernside Loop: 1911
Fernside Estate: ca. 1900 Eastshore Fill: 1950s
Fernside Blvd.
Existing Conditions
Fernside Boulevard Recent Enhancements
▪ At Versailles Ave:
▪ 2010: Uncontrolled crossing upgraded to high-visibility striping ▪ 2013: RRFB and concrete crosswalk protection improvements ▪ At Cambridge Dr.
▪ 2014: Speed feedback sign below posted speed limit sign ▪ At Harvard Ave:
▪ 2013: Uncontrolled crosswalk at Harvard Ave installed ▪ 2021: RRFB and concrete crosswalk protection improvements ▪ At High St:
▪ 2013: Removed second travel lane merge west of High St. ▪ East of High St:
▪ 2019: Upgrade to buffered bike lanes as part of roadway repaving ▪ Between Otis and Lincoln Middle School
▪ 2009: Two-way bikeway access to school
Varied Segments
A
B
C
60’ road width
2 lanes + 1 two-way left turn lane
Parking-adjacent bike lanes
57’ road width
2 vehicle lanes
Buffered bike lanes
60’ road width
2 vehicle lanes
Buffered bike lanes
A
B
C
Relationship to historic redlining
60’6’ 6’4’4’
Fernside from Tilden to High
80’ Right-of-Way
20’ center of sidewalk
to edge of travel lane
6’5.5’ 5.5’6’
Fernside from High to Liberty
80’ Right-of-Way
57’
26’ center of sidewalk to
edge of travel lane
60’5’ 5’2.5’2.5’
Fernside from Liberty to San Jose
75’ Right-of-Way
23’ center of sidewalk
to edge of travel lane
1,000 to 2,000 feet between Marked Crosswalks from
Versailles Ave to Garfield Ave
Legend
Traffic Signal
All-way stop
Uncontrolled crossing with flashing beacon
Uncontrolled crossing
AC Transit
Bus Routes
Bus Boardings and Alightings
Crash History
Vehicle Speed and Crash Outcomes Involving
Pedestrians
High Crash Rate throughout the Corridor
1.4 4.7
1.8 1.9
0 0.5
1 1.5
2 2.5
3 3.5
4 4.5
5 State Average Fernside Blvd
Tilden to High
Fernside Blvd
High to Liberty
Fernside Blvd
Liberty to San Jose
Crash Rate per Million Vehicle Miles
64 crashes from
2017-2021
(including non-injury crashes)
22 Injury Crashes from 2017-2021
Injury Crashes 2017-2021:
• 1 fatal
• 5 visible injury (23%)
• 16 minor injury (73%)
• 8 involved pedestrians or
cyclists
Fatal Crash: September 6, 2021
▪ Fernside & Cambridge intersection
▪ High-speed driver on Cambridge failed to stop at stop sign, causing broadside collision with another vehicle traveling on Fernside
Data Collection
Existing Speed Limit is 25 mph, but Actual
Vehicle Speeds are Higher
Speed survey conducted on 10/24/2023
8,600
10,100
11,000
7,700
9,200
14,600
26,000
0 5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
Fernside
Boulevard
Fernside
Boulevard
Lincoln
Avenue
Central
Avenue
Encinal
Avenue
Otis
Drive
High Street
Bridge
Tilden Way to
High St
High St. to
Encinal Ave.
Webster St. to
Sherman St.
Bay St. to
Sherman St.
Park St. to
Broadway
Grand Ave. to
Willow St.
Alameda to
Oakland
Vehicles per day
Average Daily Traffic
Compares to Similar Roadways
Traffic counts measured between 10/12/2023 and 10/18/2023 Fernside Carries 200 to 500
Vehicles per Hour in Each Direction
0 200
400
600
800
1000
12:00 AM 3:00 AM 6:00 AM 9:00 AM 12:00 PM 3:00 PM 6:00 PM 9:00 PM 12:00 AM Hourly Traffic (Vehicles/hour)
Fernside east of Harvard; Average T-Th
Westbound Eastbound
0 200
400
600
800
1000
12:00 AM 3:00 AM 6:00 AM 9:00 AM 12:00 PM 3:00 PM 6:00 PM 9:00 PM 12:00 AM Hourly Traffic (Vehicles/hour)
Fernside east of Harvard; Average Weekend
Westbound Eastbound
ADT
8,600
0 200
400
600
800
1000
12:00 AM 3:00 AM 6:00 AM 9:00 AM 12:00 PM 3:00 PM 6:00 PM 9:00 PM 12:00 AM Hourly Traffic (Vehicles/hour)
Fernside north of Central; Average T-Th
Northbound Southbound
0 200
400
600
800
1000
12:00 AM 3:00 AM 6:00 AM 9:00 AM 12:00 PM 3:00 PM 6:00 PM 9:00 PM 12:00 AM Hourly Traffic (Vehicles/hour)
Fernside north of Central; Average Weekend
Northbound Southbound
ADT
6,000
ADT
10,100
ADT
8,800
Traffic counts measured between 10/12/2023 and 10/18/2023 Vehicles Flow to and from Bridges
Over 90% of
vehicles entering
and exiting
Fernside at Otis
cross Bay Farm
Island Bridge
Higher rate
northbound in
AM; southbound
in PM
Over 50% of
vehicles entering
and exiting
Fernside at
Tilden Way cross
Fruitvale Bridge
Higher rate
westbound in
AM; eastbound
in PM
~45% of
northbound
Fernside vehicles
exit via High St
Bridge
Pedestrian and Bicyclist Demand
Between 60-100
pedestrians
cross Fernside
per hour before
and after school
Before and after
school, bicycles
comprise 10-
15% of all traffic
on Fernside
Between 20-35
bicycles per hour
travel through
intersection
during morning
commute
Between 10-20
pedestrians
cross Fernside
per hour before
and after school
Counts conducted on 10/24/2023
Higher rate
westbound in
AM; eastbound
in PM
Between 20-30
bicycles per hour
make left turns
traveling to/from
school
On-Street Parking Less Than 50% Occupied
B
C
38% 43% 36%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Weekday
Midday
Weekday
PM
Weekend
Midday
Parking Occupancy
A
A
42% 48% 42%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Weekday
Midday
Weekday
PM
Weekend
Midday
Parking Occupancy
B
37% 33%
41%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Weekday
Midday
Weekday
PM
Weekend
Midday
Parking Occupancy
C
Parking occupancy counts conducted Oct. & Nov. 2023
Online Survey Results: 408 Responses as of Dec. 1
Survey available at alamedaca.gov/fernside
Survey results gathered between Nov. 17 and Dec. 1, 2023 0 50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
Walk Bike Vehicle Bus Other
What mode(s) of travel do you often use when traveling
along or crossing Fernside Boulevard?
Online Survey Results
Survey available at alamedaca.gov/fernside
Survey results gathered between Nov. 17 and Dec. 1, 2023 What do you find most challenging when using Fernside Blvd? High motor
vehicle speeds
Safety of people
biking
Crossing
the street
Safety of people
walking
Sample Survey Responses
“It’s difficult to
get in or out of
driveways” “Cars are
traveling way
too fast”
“Its complicated
to get to the two-
way bike lane”
“Cars often
speed through
crosswalks”
“I would love
more
crosswalks”
“The intersection
at High and
Fernside is
dangerous”
“Cars pass in
the median”
“The street is
too wide”
“Crossing
Fernside on
foot is risky”
“Protected bike
lanes would be
great”
“The street is
poorly lit”
“I would to see
more street
trees”
Survey available at alamedaca.gov/fernside
Survey results gathered between Nov. 17 and Dec. 1, 2023 Improvement Toolkit –
Traffic Calming & Safety
Improved Sight Lines
High Visibility Crosswalks
Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon
Pedestrian Refuge Islands
Bulbouts
Speed Feedback Sign
Bus stop enhancements
Improvement Toolkit –
Bikeways
Buffered Bicycle Lanes
Physically Separated Bike Lane: 1-Way
Physically Separated Bike Lane: 2-Way
Raised Bike Lane