Title
Recommendation to Endorse the Open Space Design Concept for the Clement Avenue/Tilden Way Project, Specifically for the East End Dog Park.
Body
To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Recreation and Park Commission
From: Amy Wooldridge, Recreation and Parks Director
Re: Recommendation to Endorse the Open Space Design Concept for the Clement Avenue/Tilden Way Project, Specifically for the East End Dog Park.
BACKGROUND
The Clement Avenue/Tilden Way design concept provides for an important segment of the Cross Alameda Trail, provides a number of important transportation safety improvements in the project area, and allows for an expansion of public open space for the adjacent “Wedge” and Fernside neighborhoods that could include a dog park. A separate community planning process would need to occur to design and program the park space. There is $75,000 allocated in the Capital Improvement Project budget for an East End dog park but the remainder of the open space area is unfunded. Staff is recommending that the Recreation and Parks Commission review and endorse the proposed design concept. Any recommended changes to the concept will be presented to the City Council when staff brings the overall project design concept to the City Council for review and endorsement. Additional information regarding the design and the project is available on the project webpage: www.alamedaca.gov/ClementTilden <http://www.alamedaca.gov/ClementTilden>
Over the last 20 years, the City of Alameda has been planning for and constructing the Cross Alameda Trail on former railroad right-of-way from the Seaplane Lagoon at Alameda Point at the western end of Alameda to the Miller-Sweeney/Fruitvale Bridge on the eastern end of Alameda. Upon completion, the cross island low-stress bicycle and pedestrian facility will provide a safe, comfortable and convenient facility for bicyclists and pedestrians across the City.
The Cross Alameda Trail is being completed in segments. Much is complete, some segments are currently under construction, and some final segments are still in the design phase. In mid-2023, construction will start on the segment of the Cross Alameda Trail from Willow Street to Broadway. Once this work is complete, the trail will be complete with the exception of two remaining “gaps”: the gap between Hibbard Street and Grand Street, which is being constructed by the recently approved residential project on the former Pennzoil site, and the gap between Broadway and the Miller-Sweeney/Fruitvale Bridge.
The Clement /Tilden Project design concept is the proposed design for closing this last remaining gap from Broadway to Tilden Way and then to the Miller-Sweeney/Fruitvale Bridge. The proposed design concept would not have been possible without the work that has been completed over the last 17 years, including the following major accomplishments:
• In 2005, the City Council approved the Cross Alameda Trail Feasibility Study and the Vision document;
• In 2009, the City Council approved the Transportation Element of the General Plan policy that directs staff to "Pursue opportunities to utilize the corridor of the former Alameda Belt Line railroad for transit, bicycle and pedestrian transportation." The 2009 General Plan also listed Clement (East) between Broadway and Tilden Way as a future new street, and listed both Clement Avenue and Tilden Way as truck routes and regional arterials;
• Funding includes Measure BB funds with local match, Alameda County Transportation Commission grant funds with local match, and City General Funds;
• The land was purchased from Union Pacific via eminent domain in 2021;
• In 2022, staff conducted public outreach with stakeholder meetings, a virtual community workshop, an in-person Open House and a survey. The project webpage - www.alamedaca.gov/ClementTilden <http://www.alamedaca.gov/ClementTilden> - has recordings of the virtual community workshops as well as survey results and outreach summaries under the “Town Hall” tab.
In addition, City staff received input from Alameda County, AC Transit, Alameda Housing Authority, BART Bicycle Task Force, San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), Bike Walk Alameda, Bridgeside Shopping Center, Commission on Persons with Disabilities, City of Oakland staff, Downtown Area Business Association, Edison School families, Greer Mortuary, San Francisco Bay Trail, Transportation Commission, Unity Council in Oakland, and individual members of the public.
On September 8, 2022, after multiple public discussions of potential East End/Bay Farm Island dog park locations, the Recreation and Parks Commission voted to direct City staff to explore the Clement/Tilden project site for a potential dog park location.
DISCUSSION
Existing Conditions: The proposed design concept responds to and is shaped by the existing conditions in the project area as explained below:
• Adjacent land uses: The project area includes a mix of uses including residential and commercial uses;
• Roadway network: Tilden Way is a gateway into the City for automobiles, trucks, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Blanding Avenue, Clement Avenue and Park Street are high-injury corridors and the Blanding/Tilden/Fernside intersection is a high crash intersection. The Alameda Intersections in the areas operate at or below 75 percent of capacity during the weekday morning and evening peak hours;
• Bridge operations: Alameda County is expected to keep the four travel lanes on the bridge and has plans to narrow these travel lanes so as to add bicycle lanes in each direction;
• Bus operations: AC Transit operates trunk line frequent service on Line 51A as well as peak services on Lines O, W, 663 and 78 and local line infrequent service on Line 19 and 851, which connects the study area to/from Oakland and Fruitvale BART;
• Truck routes: Tilden Way, Clement Avenue, Broadway and Alameda Avenue in the City of Oakland are all designated truck routes. The sharp right turn going westbound from Tilden Way to Broadway does not work for heavy vehicles even though it is on the designated truck route, which causes trucks to use Blanding Avenue, Lincoln Avenue or Park Street;
• Waterfront access: Waterfront paths exist to the west of the study area in the Bridgeside/Nob Hill shopping center and on the Oakland side of the estuary, which are required by BCDC; and
• Open space: The “Wedge neighborhood” between Park Street, Tilden Way and the Estuary is not as well served as most of Alameda in terms of proximity to public open space and parks.
Design Concept: The below section summarizes the Clement/Tilden design concept (Exhibit 1).
Open Space: The concept includes space for a linear neighborhood park, and potential dog park, along Tilden Way. A separate community planning process would need to occur to design and program the park space. There is $75,000 allocated in the Capital Improvement Project budget for an East End dog park but the remainder of the open space area is unfunded. Community suggestions received through the project’s public input process include: a community garden, pocket play areas, a dog park, seating areas and bicycle parking. This concept does show a potential area for a dog park adjacent to the former rail bridge totaling almost 5,000 square feet and a second potential area for a dog park totaling approximately 10,000 square feet. Recreation and Parks Department staff recommend considering two options:
1) Programming the 5,000 square foot area for small dogs and the 10,000 square foot area for large dogs. This will require significantly more funding as it then adds scope for two entry points, accessible path of travel to the entry, and multiple dog fountains which require domestic water utilities.
2) Programming only the 10,000 square foot area as a mixed-use area for both small and large dogs. Dog owners would self-select whether their dogs can play with dogs for varying sizes and/or there could be certain days of the week scheduled for small or large dogs.
The site includes a number of oak trees, which the concept will avoid removing where possible, and the design includes privacy fencing or other measures to the adjacent property on Broadway and Clement Avenue.
Cross Alameda Trail: The concept closes the gap between Alameda’s Clement Avenue Cross Alameda Trail project and the City of Oakland's Fruitvale Avenue protected bikeway project. The concept allows for a bicycle “freeway” from Alameda Point to Fruitvale BART by providing low stress, protected bikeways on Clement Avenue and Tilden Way. The concept is consistent with and implements the recently approved Active Transportation Plan in the study area.
Roundabout: The concept includes a roundabout at the existing Tilden Way/Blanding Avenue/Fernside Blvd. intersection, which requires parking loss on Fernside Blvd at Tilden Way. Roundabouts have been proven to reduce automobile delay, reduce public maintenance costs, reduce speeding, and reduce fatal and severe injury crashes up to 78 percent compared to traffic signals or all-way stops. Please refer to the following Metropolitan Transportation Commission roundabout webpage for videos of roundabouts in action: <https://mtc.ca.gov/operations/programs-projects/streets-roads-arterials/roundabouts>
Road Diet and Speed Limits: The concept reduces the number of lanes on Tilden Way from four to two or three depending on the roadway section. Road diets have been shown to reduce crashes up to 47 percent, and will allow the City to reduce the speed limit to 25 miles per hour on Tilden Way between the Miller-Sweeney/Fruitvale Bridge and Broadway consistent with the rest of the City.
Next Steps: After review by the Recreation and Parks Commission, staff will request approval from the City Council. Once the City Council has endorsed the concept, the next steps in the design process include working with State agencies for the necessary permits for waterfront improvements and hazardous material protocols. In 2024, design is expected to be completed and the construction could begin.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The Clement/Tilden Project is estimated to cost approximately $10 million. Costs include right-of-way acquisition, which is completed, planning and design, hazardous materials remediation and construction. The City has received an $8.4 million Measure BB grant, which requires a $1.5 million local match.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation to Endorse the Open Space Design Concept for the Clement Avenue/Tilden Way Project, Specifically for the East End Dog Park.
Respectfully submitted,
Gail Payne, Senior Transportation Coordinator
Amy Wooldridge, Recreation and Parks Director/Acting Assistant City Manager
Exhibits:
1. Design Concept