The Pavement Management Project Phase 43, which included work on Bay Farm Island and the East End, demonstrates how the City is efficiently using its paving program to implement adopted safety and mobility policies.
How Alameda’s Paving Program Works
Alameda’s Pavement Management Program divides the city into thirds, with one third scheduled for repaving approximately every three years. In 2025, Bay Farm and the East End were due for resurfacing under this regular cycle, as Phase 43.
Historically, paving projects focused primarily on pavement condition. City staff selected streets based on need and funding, and projects typically did not come before commissions. As City Engineer Scott Wickstrom described it in the January 2025 Transportation Commission meeting, the goal of the pavement management program is to apply the “right treatment on the right street at the right time,” which often means treating the best candidate streets first in order to preserve pavement and prevent more costly reconstruction later.
An Evolution in Practice: Using Paving to Implement Policy
Across the country, cities that have adopted Vision Zero are increasingly putting its principles into practice, weaving safety improvements into routine pavement management and resurfacing projects. Alameda’s Vision Zero commitments align closely with its Active Transportation Plan, which encourages walking and biking as safe, viable transportation choices. Together, these policies reinforce a shared focus on reducing injuries while reshaping how streets function day to day.
City staff made a shift a few years ago by applying these adopted policies directly to routine paving projects. Rather than focusing solely on pavement condition, staff also considered safety outcomes, school proximity, and multimodal connectivity when selecting streets and treatments.
This improvement in implementation enabled safety enhancements to happen as a matter of course, without waiting for large grants or standalone capital investments.
Why These Streets Rose to the Top
Within this framework, Aughinbaugh Way and Mecartney Road emerged as strong candidates for treatment on Bay Farm Island.
Aughinbaugh Way was identified due to several documented conditions, including recurring parking in unprotected bike lanes, the school’s volunteer cone program intended to protect student travel during drop-off and pick-up, and the street’s designation in the Active Transportation Plan as part of the Low Stress Bikeway Vision Network.
Mecartney Road was also a strong candidate. The corridor had a history of speeding, deteriorated pavement conditions, and an intersection in need of improvement. In addition, a tragic fatal collision involving an older adult occurred on Mecartney at an unmarked crossing, underscoring the safety challenges on the street and the need for design changes to improve visibility and predictability for all users.
On-the-Ground Engagement at Bay Farm
For this project, there was more outreach than was typical of past pavement management projects. On December 12, 2024, City planners and engineers visited Bay Farm School during morning drop-off to observe conditions and hear directly from school leadership and safety advocates. Participants included the school principal, PTSA president, and other safety leads who had been active in improving safety during student drop-off and pick-up at the school.
Staff observed congestion, conflict points, and challenges associated with unprotected bike facilities near an elementary school. This on-site feedback informed refinements to nearby street designs.
Transportation Commission Review
The Phase 43 Paving Plan was presented to the Transportation Commission in January 2025, a departure from prior practice when pavement management projects did not come before the Commission. Commissioners thanked City staff for bringing the plan forward and offered constructive feedback, including discussion of whether the proposed treatments would adequately address safety concerns. Public comment was minimal, with approximately three speakers.
Feedback from the Commission, a December school site visit, and community input led to several meaningful changes, including expanded repaving of multi-modal paths and refinements to address school safety concerns.
Opposition Emerges
Following the January Transportation Commission meeting, organized opposition to the project began to form. The Harbor Bay Isle Owners’ Association adopted a resolution opposing aspects of the paving plan and calling for changes to the Transportation Choices Plan, a policy document adopted in 2018 and since supplemented by newer transportation and safety plans.
The Harbor Bay Isle Owners’ Association represents a subset of homeowner associations on Bay Farm Island. The resolution was signed by the association’s president and treasurer, the latter of whom also serves as an Alameda Unified School District Board member. It is unclear whether all individual associations adopted the resolution, as that information is not publicly available.
In response to the concerns raised, City Engineer Scott Wickstrom convened a special meeting with HOA representatives to hear objections and discuss the project in more detail.
Continued Outreach
As the project moved closer to construction, City Engineer Scott Wickstrom attended the Bay Farm School PTSA meeting on August 13, 2025 to discuss the paving plan directly with families. Attendees provided constructive feedback and reiterated requests for additional safety improvements, continuing the pattern of school-based engagement that had informed earlier design refinements.
Construction Begins, and a Referral Puts it at Risk
Construction began in earnest in the fall with the hope of completion by the end of October, but rainy weather caused delays.
During this period, some residents began actively contacting City staff and City Council, raising concerns that the project represented unilateral changes to street design made without sufficient public input. These claims circulated among neighbors and in public correspondence, despite the project’s alignment with adopted transportation policies and the outreach that had already occurred.
In response, the City added clarifying information to its website explaining the paving project and how adopted transportation policies were being applied. Staff also revisited certain design elements and ultimately retained the original intersection configuration at Mecartney Road and Aughinbaugh Way after pushback on a proposed pedestrian safety simplification.
At the same time, newly paved sections of Aughinbaugh Way and Mecartney Road went nearly two months without permanent striping. The lack of markings caused confusion for people driving, walking, and biking, led to bike lane blockages, and increased frustration across the community, including among residents who simply wanted the work completed. Permanent striping resumed in late December 2025.
In January, with construction work still underway, Councilmember Daysog crafted a referral proposing to halt construction and bring the project back to Council.
Ultimately, and thankfully, the referral failed, and the project is wrapping up now.
An Improved Process
While the process can be further refined, Phase 43 reflects an evolution in the right direction. Staff incorporated a bit more outreach than in past projects while keeping the focus on moving work forward efficiently. By grounding decisions in policy, technical expertise, and purposeful input, they applied best practices, adjusted where needed, and delivered the kind of incremental, on-the-ground changes that will deliver the safer streets we’ve asked for.