DATE: August 27, 2025
TO: Council Infrastructure & Airport Committee
FROM: Director of Public Works
SUBJECT: Ruus Road Complete Street Project
RECOMMENDATION
That the Council Infrastructure & Airport Committee (CIAC) review and provide feedback on Project 05716, the Ruus Road Complete Street Project.
SUMMARY
The Ruus Road Complete Streets Project was initiated in response to traffic safety concerns raised by people living and traveling near Ruus Road between Folsom Avenue and Industrial Parkway West. This segment currently has a conventional bike lane of substandard width, and traffic speeds and volumes warrant Class IV separated bike lanes and are recommended in the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. Staff also studied the intersection of Ruus Road and Industrial Parkway and found that the intersection would warrant protected left turn phasing.
The City successfully applied for a grant from the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), which provides funding for proven safety countermeasures, including Class IV bike lanes and protected signal phasing. The grant application includes a two-way separated bikeway on the east side of Ruus Road between Folsom Avenue and Industrial Parkway and protected left turn phases for the intersection of Ruus Road and Industrial Parkway. The City accepted the HSIP grant at the June 24, 2025 City Council Meeting.
The project recommendations are:
Install a two-way protected bikeway on the east side of Ruus Rd between Folsom Avenue and Industrial Parkway in place of the existing parking lane Modify the traffic signal at Industrial Parkway and Ruus Rd to provide protected left turn phases for all approaches Provide traffic calming measures along Ruus Road
The City held a public meeting on July 30, 2025 to share information about proposed improvements and to gather input on the specific traffic calming measures to be installed. The meeting was held at the Peixoto Center, a preschool centrally located on the corridor. Staff have refined the project plans and now seek approval for the proposed plans from CIAC.
BACKGROUND
Ruus Road connects Tennyson Road in the north to Industrial Parkway West in the south. This project focuses on the half-mile stretch between Folsom Avenue and Industrial Parkway West. The street includes a mix of residential and industrial land uses and one preschool. North of Folsom Avenue, Ruus Road is narrower, with numerous residential driveways on both sides of the street, resulting in less opportunity for enhancements.
Ruus Road has one travel lane in each direction and on-street parking on both sides of the street. In the narrowest stretch between Folsom Avenue and Thiel Road, there is no bike lane. South of Thiel Road, a shared bicycle and parking lane is provided, totaling 12 feet, less than the 13 feet recommended in the Caltrans Highway Design Manual. A marked uncontrolled crosswalk is present at Thiel Rd, across from the Peixoto Center. The street carries approximately 7,600 vehicles daily, with peak southbound volumes in the morning and peak northbound volumes in the evening. While the street is designated 25 MPH, the 85th percentile speed is 34 MPH, indicating that 15 percent of motorists exceed 34 MPH. Per national guidance for selecting bikeways from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), and included by reference in the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (BPMP), these speeds and volumes call for Class IV separated bike lanes to accommodate riders of all ages and abilities. Even with some speed reduction measures, these guidelines would still recommend Class IV facilities.
Multiple Access Hayward reports have cited safety concerns when turning left from Ruus Road onto Industrial Parkway. Staff collected turning movement counts and found that the intersection met warrants for a protected left turn phase. The project proposes concrete islands in the intersection of Ruus Road and Industrial Parkway that separate bicyclists from motorists and also provide better locations for the additional signal equipment that will be required to provide a protected left turn.
The City’s 2020 BPMP recommends Class IV separated bike lanes, but one-way facilities cannot fit on both sides of the street without removing all parking. A two-way facility on the east side of the street has many advantages. It would connect directly with the Ward Creek Trail and facilitate separate bicycle phasing at Industrial Parkway. For most of Ruus Road, the east side of the street is bordered by the New England Village Mobile Home Park, with a wall facing the street. There are only 10 residential parcels facing Ruus Rd along the approximately half mile stretch between Folsom Avenue and Industrial Parkway, minimizing driveway conflicts and parking impacts.
Based on daytime and evening observations, parking is usually readily available on the west side of the street north of Ruus Lane. South of Ruus Lane, many vehicles are parked daily, often with visible damage, related to auto-body shops that operate on the south end of the corridor, and the City has received numerous tickets through Access Hayward with concerns about this situation. The Transportation Division is in discussions with Code Enforcement Division and will continue to work towards a resolution.
The proposed bicycle facility provides valuable connectivity to the bicycle network because a two-way bikeway on the east side of the street would connect directly to a Class I multi-use trail along Ward Creek (and thus to the new Class IV facility installed in August 2025 along Industrial Parkway) and planned Class IV facilities to be installed when the rest of Industrial Parkway is repaved.
The Ruus Road project is also consistent with City policies, including the Hayward 2040 General Plan Goal Mobility-3 and Council adopted Resolution No. 13-027 that established Complete Streets as City policy. The City’s complete streets policy includes designing City roads to support travel by all users.
The project is also consistent with Council adopted Resolution 23-196 that establishes Vision Zero as City policy. The City’s Vision Zero policy seeks to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries by 2050 and establishes Vision Zero as the guiding principle for the design of City streets.
DISCUSSION
On July 30, 2025, the City conducted a public meeting to share information about the project and receive additional input about other elements that could be incorporated into the project design. The proposed plan includes:
A two-way protected bikeway on the east side of Ruus Rd between Folsom Avenue and Industrial Parkway in place of the existing parking lane Signal modifications to provide protected left turn phases for all approaches at the intersection of Ruus Road and Industrial Parkway Traffic calming measures along Ruus Road
Ten people attended the meeting, and many expressed substantial concerns about the project. Feedback included:
Concerns about traffic and speeding on Ruus Road
Concerns about loss of parking in front of residents’ homes, especially because parking on the other side of the street would require crossing Ruus Road Concerns about narrowing the street
A sense that traffic conditions had worsened since changes to Huntwood Avenue in 2020.
Concerns about inadequate lighting in the corridor
Reports of bicyclists not wearing helmets or using lights Strong support for a protected left turn phase at Industrial Parkway Support for general traffic calming
In addition, other residents contacted staff through the email address provided on the mailer to share feedback about the project. Their input included strong support for a protected left turn phase at Industrial Parkway, concerns about visibility at the intersection of Ruus Lane and Ruus Road, and concerns about the placement of a speed hump too close to the foundations of mobile homes within New England Village, due to vibrations from vehicles passing over the hump. The plan also received support from an instructor at the Peixoto Center who bicycles to work regularly.
Based on the feedback, staff have sought to address these concerns by recommending a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) at the intersection of Ruus Road and Thiel Road, providing a safe crossing opportunity for people parked on the west side of the street, as well as safe pedestrian access to the Peixoto Center. The HSIP grant that the City has received for the project generally allows for additional elements to be included like lighting and traffic calming measures, as long as elements proposed in addition to proven roadway safety measures do not exceed a certain percentage of the overall grant amount.
Staff also recommend including a speed hump between Folsom Avenue and Thiel Rd in the project, as well as a speed hump just north of Ruus Lane, furthest from New England Village. Additional traffic calming should be provided approximately 500 feet south of Thiel Road, though options other than a speed hump would be preferred. In response to concerns about visibility at Ruus Ln and Ruus Rd, staff recommend a painted bulb-out that would allow traffic to pull up closer to the intersection, improving sight lines. This location will also be evaluated for a new marked crosswalk; while meeting attendees expressed less concerned about crossing here than at Thiel Road, the conditions are similar.
Installation of new street lighting is a complex process involving coordination with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and Alameda County Public Works, which means that including them directly in the HSIP design package would increase the risk of not achieving the grant schedule and budget, however staff can include Ruus Road in its separate program to install new streetlights at locations of high need in the City, as part of the comprehensive Streetlight Plan the City is pursuing.
Attachment II provides a summary of the proposed design.
FISCAL IMPACT
This item will not impact the General Fund. This project received a grant from the Highway Safety Improvement Program for Project Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) and Construction. The project has a local match, which is funded from Alameda County Measure BB funds.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
This agenda item supports the Strategic Priority of Invest in Infrastructure: Invest in Infrastructure. Specifically, this item relates to the implementation of the following project:
Project N1: Continue to implement major corridor traffic calming initiatives
SUSTAINABILITY FEATURES
This project will include safety improvements that will benefit pedestrian and bicycle modes of travel, which may facilitate increased use of these modes of transportation, reducing reliance on single occupant vehicles and reducing vehicle miles of travel.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Staff went door-to-door on Ruus Road in Fall 2024 to introduce the project to residents and businesses. Approximately 1,000 notices were mailed to addresses within a block of Ruus Road to notify the public about the July 30th Public Meeting and provide a point of contact for questions about the project. Notices were provided in English and Spanish. Staff again went door-to-door to speak with residents (or hand out another flier) during the week of the meeting, with a native Spanish-speaking staff member.
NEXT STEPS
After receiving feedback and direction from the CIAC, staff will refine the project plans and develop a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a consultant to develop Project PS&E. The item will be presented for Council approval at a future City Council meeting. Project PS&E is expected to continue through June 2026, with construction occurring in Spring 2027.
Prepared by: Lucas Woodward, Senior Transportation Engineer Recommended by: Alex Ameri, Director of Public Works
Approved by:
Jayanti Addleman, Interim City Manager