Transportation Demand Management Program for the Alameda Aquatic Center at 800 Atlantic Ave, Alameda, CA 94501
Pursuant to Alameda Municipal Code (AMC) Section 30-7.7, this Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program aims to change individual travel behavior to encourage greater use of alternative modes of transportation to reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips, vehicle miles traveled, and parking demand by enhancing accessibility to the aquatic center located at 800 Atlantic Avenue, Alameda, CA 94501, by promoting the use of public transportation, installing bike amenities, pedestrian protections, and encouraging sustainable travel options.
Project Description
The Project would be located at 800 Atlantic Avenue, along the south side of Atlantic Avenue east of Wilma Chan Way within the Jean Sweeney Open Space Park. The Cross Alameda Trail forms the south boundary of the site. The Project is anticipated to serve as the primary aquatic sport center for the City of Alameda and would be used for practices, swim meets, and public uses.
The Project would provide 71 vehicular parking spaces in a surface parking lot on the east side of the Project. Parking would be accessed via one driveway on Atlantic Avenue, about 300 feet east of Bartlett Drive. The Project parking lot would provide a secondary access point through a drive Alameda Aquatic Center Project –aisle connecting to the adjacent parking lot for the College of Alameda Science Annex just east of the Project. There is a designated unloading zone for passenger drop off and pick up.
The Project would provide 10 long-term bicycle parking spaces in lockers located on the south end of the Project site. Short-term bicycle parking would consist of bike racks accommodating 100 bicycles, provided just east of the main facility entrance and adjacent to the parking lot. Atlantic Avenue on the north side of the Project and the Cross Alameda Trail on the south side of the Project would provide pedestrian and bicycle connections for the Project.
The Project would provide a variety of programming throughout the year. The Project would be open seven days per week from 5:30 AM to 9:00 PM with most activities occurring from 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM on weekdays and 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM on weekends. The aquatic center would also host summer camp activities on weekdays from 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM, and special events, such as swim meets and water polo tournaments, which occur a few times throughout the year.
During non-summer months, the Project is estimated to have about 275 visitors on a typical weekday, about 315 visitors on a typical weekend day, and three full-time and about Exhibit 3
Planning Board Meeting
June 23, 2025
five to ten part-time staff on both weekdays and weekends. During summer months, the Project would host summer camp activities on weekdays which would result in about 620 visitors and 20 to 30 part-time staff in addition to the three full-time staff.
The Project would also accommodate several special events. These events, which primarily consist of swim meets and water polo tournaments, would generally occur a few times a year on weekends and can have up to 500 visitors throughout the event.
A vehicle miles traveled (VMT) screening assessment was conducted by Fehr & Peers for the proposed development on May 14, 2025. The assessment determined the Project is considered a local serving use and is therefore presumed to have a less-than-significant impact on VMT. While the project is not required to mitigate VMT under CEQA, the following TDM strategies will help to change individual travel behavior to further encourage greater use of alternative modes of transportation to reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips, vehicle miles traveled, and parking demand.
TDM Strategies
1. Public Transit and Bicycle Pedestrian Trail Accessibility The aquatic center site selection criteria included the location being within close proximity to bike infrastructure and well-served by several AC Transit routes to provide convenient alternative transportation options for visitors and staff. • Cross Alameda Trail: The Cross Alameda Trail (CAT) is a premiere cross-town, low- stress four-mile bicycling and walking corridor that will ultimately connect the west side of the island to the east, from the Seaplane Lagoon at Alameda Point to the Miller-Sweeney (Fruitvale) Bridge.
• Line 96: Alameda Point - 14th Avenue - Dimond
o Route Description: Connects Alameda Point to the Dimond District via 14th Avenue.
o Nearby Stops: The closest stop to the aquatic center is Webster Street & Atlantic Avenue.
o Schedule: Operates with multiple departures throughout the day. For detailed schedules, refer to AC Transit's official website. AC Transit • Line 51A: Broadway - Santa Clara
o Route Description: Runs between Oakland and Alameda, serving key locations along Broadway and Santa Clara Avenue.
o Nearby Stop: Webster Street & Atlantic Avenue, approximately 0.2 miles from the aquatic center.
o Schedule: Offers frequent service daily. For the latest schedule, visit AC Transit's website.
2. Promote Public Transit Use
To encourage the use of public transportation among visitors and staff, the following strategies will be implemented:
• Information Dissemination: The project will provide up-to-date transit schedules, transit route maps, and encourage use of non-automobile modes of travel to and from the site through communicating information about transit options at the aquatic center's entrance, website, regular communications, promotional materials for special events, and social media platforms.
3. Bicycle and Pedestrian Access
The following measures will be implemented to enhance infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians to reduce reliance on automobiles and provide a safe, efficient, and equitable use of the public street network by pedestrians and cyclists:
• Bicycle Facilities: The project will provide bike parking for over 100 bikes, including bike lockers for 10 bikes and 2 extra large lockers for cargo bikes. • Bicycle Safety: “No Stopping Anytime” signs and paint red curb will be installed on both sides of Atlantic Avenue along Project frontage to prohibit vehicles from using the existing Class II bicycle facilities for pickups and drop-offs • Pedestrian Pathways: In addition to the pedestrian access points located at the east and west end of Jean Sweeney Park, there will be (4) additional entrances located at 8th street and Wood street to the south and two connecting the business park to the north.
• Pedestrian Crosswalk: Install an electronic flashing crosswalk to the north across Atlantic Ave to provide additional pedestrian safety.
4. Ridesharing
The project will encourage the use of carpooling and ridesharing services at the aquatic center's entrance, website, regular communications, promotional materials for special events, and social media platforms to decrease single-occupancy vehicle trips:
• Designated Drop-off Zones: The project will provide a convenient drop-off and pick-up area that will be constructed on the west end of the parking lot in front of the entrance plaza to the facility that will accommodate carpool and rideshare vehicles to streamline traffic flow. Signs will be installed designating the drop off zone.
5. Parking Management
• Parking Fees: Implementation of parking fees may occur to discourage excessive use of single-occupancy vehicles, with revenues supporting operations and TDM initiatives. If implemented, a central parking meter will be installed like other City parking lots and enforced by parking enforcement. Parking spaces would be limited to 2hrs.
• Overflow parking: The project will arrange a parking agreement with the adjacent College of Alameda lot to reduce the total number of on-site parking spaces provided while ensuring overflow parking is available for larger events.
6. Monitoring and Evaluation
The project will regularly assess the effectiveness of TDM strategies:
• Surveys: Conduct annual surveys to gather feedback from visitors and staff on transportation habits and preferences.
• Data Analysis: Monitor parking utilization, transit ridership, and other relevant metrics to inform future transportation planning.
By implementing this TDM Program, the aquatic center can improve accessibility, reduce environmental impact, and promote healthier, more sustainable transportation choices for all patrons and employees.