(Click to enlarge)
Background
Our city has a lot of work to do to hit our Vision Zero target of 2035, and to meet climate and equity goals that entail making it easier to get around without driving. There are numerous actions, programs, and projects all scheduled out in our Vision Zero Action Plan, Active Transportation Plan, and the Safety Resolution. Our City targeted 2030, just 6 years away, as the year we’ll have our most basic low stress network built, so people of all ages and abilities will be able to get to key destinations safely and comfortably while walking, biking, or otherwise rolling.
To succeed, we’ll need to get a lot of projects done, and monitor progress, so we can address problems and correct course as needed. With that in mind, we started this page in 2023.
So far, we’ve just tracked the Capital Projects that were planned to begin or complete construction in 2023, and we found that over half of these projects were delayed! That’s a lot of red, and it’s urgent that our City correct course now.
This year, we’ll continue tracking. We’ll be urging City leadership to get projects back on track, without compromising other programs. We submitted this letter to our Mayor and Councilmembers at a recent Council meeting, outlining these concerns. They’ve asked staff to return in May, during budget discussions, with options to evaluate. Stay tuned on that!
The 2024 Work Plan that was adopted in March envisions a lot of construction this year (quite a few are projects that didn’t get done last year). But unfortunately, some very important projects, like Slow Streets conversions to Neighborhood Greenways, Safe Routes to School infrastructure, and Daylighting of High Injury Corridors, have been scaled down or pushed back, despite our asking that those important projects not be delayed.
There can be many reasons for delay, quite a few which are beyond our City’s control. But resourcing is something our City can do, and we haven’t done enough of it over the years. We understand that there have been some very recent hires, and that Staff is comfortable with current levels now. But as we continue to see projects that have struggled because of staffing constraints get pushed out, we have to ask: if staff is resourced sufficiently, why are these planned projects still getting scaled back or delayed? Our most recent article on this is here. We’ll continue to look to our Mayor and Councilmembers to address this issue in the coming months — please watch this space for future calls to action.
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The Details
The map above is the City’s 2023 Capital Projects Work Plan, which we’ve modified slightly to show how projects that were expected to begin or complete construction are progressing. Specifically, we’ve overlayed the inset with color coding to indicate project status. Green is on track, and red represents delay. Gray is for work done by other agencies, ie WETA or Caltrans, which we’re less focused on.
The numbered projects, with links to City web pages where available, are below, along with our understanding of status:
1. Safe Routes to School Infrastructure*: Improvements at eight schools that have completed School Safety Assessments (listed below). Delayed
- Academy of Alameda(Amelia)
- Earhart Elementary School
- Edison Elementary School
- Franklin Elementary School
- Love Elementary School
- Maya Lin School
- Nea Community Learning Center
- Will C. Wood Middle School
2. Traffic Signal and Pedestrian Safety Improvements* Upgrades for key high injury intersections. Delayed to early 2024. In a January 2024 Council meeting, funding was discussed (notably, some funding will come from Safe Routes to School).
Santa Clara/Grand:
- Install ladder crosswalks on all four crossings.
- Install striped bulb-outs with bollards on all four corners.
- Replace one pedestrian head on the northeast corner to be countdown.
- Replace signal cabinet and controller, and upgrade timing.
- Replace all signal heads to be 12” with backplates.
- Install video detection on all four approaches and abandon existing inground detection.
- Install accessible pedestrian push buttons for all pedestrian crossings and
- Remove existing non-compliant pedestrian push buttons.
Otis/Willow:
- Install video detection on all four approaches and abandon existing inground detection.
- Install accessible pedestrian push buttons for all pedestrian crossings and
- Remove existing non-compliant pedestrian push buttons.
- Remove overgrown vegetation near the traffic signal head on the northeast corner.
- Adjust pedestrian signals.
- Improve signs.
- Replace signal cabinet and controller, and upgrade timing.
- Replace 8” signal heads to be 12” with backplates.
- Install missing backplates to existing 12” signal heads.
Otis/Park:
- Install continental (striped) crosswalks with stop bars. Existing pavement arrows to
- be relocated.
- Complete daylighting with red curbs.
- Install striped bulb-out with bollards on the southeast corner.
- Replace signal cabinet and controller, and upgrade timing.
- Install missing backplate to existing 12” signal head.
Fernside/San Jose:
- Relocate existing “STOP” pavement marking and stop bar.
- Install striped bulb-out with bollards on northwest and southwest corners.
- Remove outdated pedestrian crossing sign system, and install rectangular rapid flashing beacon system on the south leg crosswalk with accessible pedestrian push buttons.
- Install centerline striping on the minor leg.
- Paint red curbs on the north and south sides of the minor leg.
3. Cross Alameda Trail: Clement Safety Improvement Project New Cross Alameda Trail (2-way cycle track and other safety enhancements) between Willow Street and Broadway. Construction contract signed in November, expecting ground-breaking in February .
4. Cross Alameda Trail Intersection Improvements: Constitution to Main* Construction contract was signed in September of 2023, and some construction has begun. Due to be completed summer of 2024.
5. Alameda Point Adaptive Reuse (West Tower)
7. Jean Sweeney Connectors Delayed
8. Grand Street Resurfacing and Safety Improvements* Delayed to begin 2024
10. Central Avenue Safety Improvement Project Delayed to mid-2024
11. Lincoln and Walnut Crossing Improvements Safety improvements include installatin of rapid flashing beacons and upgraded striping. Delayed to 2024
* These projects were supposed to have have commenced construction or been completed, along with many others, no later than mid-2023 per the Safety Resolution adopted by Council in December of 2021.