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Review and Discuss Restriping of Clement Avenue between Balsa Street and Paru Street, Eliminating On-Street Parking and Creating 14-foot-wide Travel Lanes Including Additional Modifications at Clement and Stanton Street where Existing Concrete Bulb Outs Further Constrain the Lane Widths (Discussion)
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To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Transportation Commission
From: Lisa Foster, Secretary to the Transportation Commission
Abby Thorne-Lyman, Interim Planning, Building, and Transportation Director
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Skyline development project at 2015 Grand Street (former Pennzoil facility) will close the final gap in Clement Street extension and open the roadway to traffic from Hibbard Street to Grand Street. Relocation of the truck route from Buena Vista to Clement Avenue between Sherman Street and Grand Street has long been a component of the City’s General Plan. Due to the relatively tight radius turns on Clement between Sherman and Grand Street, opening the planned truck route on Clement requires removal of all on-street parking between Balsa Street and Paru Street, approximately 21 parking spaces. The City of Alameda (City) conducted a parking study in early 2026 to evaluate the impact of the on-street parking loss and found sufficient on-street parking exists within the neighboring community to accommodate the loss of parking on Clement Avenue.
Staff are seeking feedback on a recommended design concept to accommodate trucks along this corridor in fulfillment of the General Plan.
BACKGROUND
On November 20, 2000, City Council Resolution 13290 approved plans for 152 lots at Marina Cove including the extension of Clement through from Entrance Road to Hibbard Street (Tentative Map 7170). The Improvement Plans for Tract 7170 included the construction of Clement Avenue with a 42-foot roadway section consisting of two 12-foot lanes, 5-foot-wide on-street bike lanes and an 8-foot parking lane on the southern side of Clement. The curvilinear alignment for the length of Clement with 250-foot radius curves between Entrance Road and Hibbard Street was approved with Tract 7170 and right-of-way dedicated on the map. The Marina Cove project explicitly acknowledged that Clement may be designated as a future truck route in the General Plan and disclosure statements were recorded on the property title for all lots fronting Clement.
In 2003, City Council adopted a General Plan amendment to move the truck route from the length of Buena Vista Avenue to the length of Clement Ave, with a portion of Buena Vista shown as a temporary truck route until Clement opens from Grand to Sherman. Every subsequent General Plan adoption has shown the truck route on Clement. The current General Plan truck route map, adopted in 2023, is shown in Exhibit 1.
The Cross Alameda Trail Feasibility Study was approved by City Council in 2005. The feasibility plan distinguishes between a commuter trail alignment and a recreational trail alignment. The commuter trail alignment was envisioned on Clement Street and the recreational trail alignment would be along Buena Vista, Pacific, or along the estuary shoreline.
The Bike Master Plan was updated in 2010 and the recreational trail alignment was relocated in this area to Clement Avenue as a proposed Class II on-street bike lane facility. The Tentative Map for Tract 8118, the second phase of the Marina Cove development was approved by the Planning Board on November 26, 2012 showing Class II on-street bike lanes, consistent with the Bike Master Plan. In March 2013, the City adopted new bike standards and the design for the Cross Alameda Trail is noted as a Class I facility with a 12-14 foot width. However, there was no change to the planned Class II bike lanes between Sherman and Grand at that time.
In 2014 the Del Monte Development Plan was reviewed and approved by the Planning Board and City Council with a two-way cycle track on Clement across the project frontage from the newly constructed intersection at Sherman/Atlantic/Clement to Entrance Road.
During the May 27, 2014 Planning Board hearing for the Marina Cove II project, the City asked the developer to extend the on-street cycle track through the project frontage due to opportunity for a continuous separated cycle track from Alameda Point to Broadway. The design review package includes Clement cross section showing on-street cycle track and the Tract 8118 improvement plans were amended to construct a cycle track on the northern side of Clement between Entrance Road and Ohlone Street. The revised roadway configuration includes an 8-foot parking lane, 2 two 11.5-foot travel lanes, and the separated two-way cycle track.
The Tentative Map for the 2015 Grand Street development was approved by City Council on February 7, 2023. The project includes the dedication and construction of Clement Avenue between Hibbard Street and Grand Street, the final gap in the long-planned Clement Avenue extension between Sherman and Grand Street. The 2015 Grand Street project has completed construction of Clement Avenue and City staff has directed the developer to maintain travel lanes closed until a determination is made regarding the relocation of the truck route from Buena Vista Avenue to Clement Avenue per the General Plan.
DISCUSSION
Truck routes are designed to account for the horizontal offset that occurs when a large tractor trailer navigates around a tight radius curve. The rear of the trailer will track a tighter radius than the front of the truck necessitating a wider travel lane to safely accommodate the movement. A typical full-size truck with a 42-foot trailer (WB-50 truck) would need about 12 feet to account for the trailer offset caused by the curvilinear alignment on Clement. Accounting for vehicle mirrors and providing some tolerance for human behavior, minimum 14-foot-wide lanes are recommended for the proposed truck route on Clement between Balsa Street and Hibbard. Truck turning templates run through the corridor are included in Exhibit 2.
Existing lane widths on Clement are too narrow to accommodate the expected truck traffic and sideswipe collisions with moving vehicles or parked cars would be a likely outcome. Though not preferred due to potential truck-bicyclist collisions, the on-street bike lanes included with the original design in 2000 would have provided sufficient unobstructed width to accommodate a large truck. It does not appear that truck traffic and offset requirements were factored into the 2014 decision to construct a separated two-way cycle track.
The preferred solution to relocate the truck route from Buena Vista to Clement is to widen each travel lane to 14 feet and eliminate the on-street parking on Clement between Balsa Street and Paru Street, resulting in the loss of approximately 21 spaces. Additional improvements are required at Clement and Stanton Street where existing concrete bulb outs further constrain the lane widths including the partial removal of the bulb-outs and narrowing of the cycle track within the immediate vicinity of the intersection. The City recently added rapid flashing beacons at Clement and Stanton to increase pedestrian safety at this location in anticipation of Clement Ave opening to all vehicles. A preliminary layout of the modifications at Clement and Stanton is included in Exhibit 3.
In early 2026, the City hired Dixon Resources Unlimited, a parking consultant with previous experience in Alameda to evaluate the impact of the potential on-street parking loss on the community (Exhibit 4). The study area included the entire Marina Cove development from Entrance Way to Hibbard and from Clement Avenue to the southern side of Buena Vista Avenue and included mid-week and weekend counts at various times of the day. The study findings indicate that Clement Avenue is generally lightly parked with less than 50% occupancy and sufficient on-street parking capacity exists within the community to accommodate the parking loss on Clement.
The loss of parking could be partially offset with up to 15 new parking spots on Buena Vista Avenue after the truck route is formally shifted to Clement. Most of Buena Vista is striped for two lanes of travel with parking on both sides of the street. Within the temporary truck route portion between Sherman and Grand, a two-way left turn lane is present to facilitate the large volume of trucks and truck turns. As a consequence, no parking is allowed on the north side of the street. Following transition of the truck route to Clement per the General Plan, Buena Vista could be restriped allowing parking on the northern curbline resulting in a net loss of only seven on-street parking spaces to the community.
Communication Plan
The following communication plan has been followed for this project:
1. Informed City Council members of truck route conflict and staff recommended solution.
2. Sent a notification letter to Marina Cove residents (including the full blocks from Entrance Road to Hibbard, and Clement to Buena Vista), as well as to the HOA. This letter announced a July 14, 2026, community meeting and the July 22 Transportation Commission meeting.
3. Provided direct outreach to the Animal Shelter.
4. Community meeting held on July 14, 2026, presenting the problem, the parking study, and the recommendation to remove parking. The community was published as a special City Council meeting so that multiple Councilmembers may attend if desired.
5. Presentation to Transportation Commission on July 22, 2026.
6. Send a second letter to residents and HOA summarizing outreach, outlining next steps towards construction (when, what people can expect), and including the AMC provision and related details.
7. In advance of construction, place notices on A-frame barricades along Clement.
8. Prepare a press release regarding the impending change.
9. Provide door hangers and vehicle notices at least 72 hours in advance of restriping work.
Timing
The Skyline development project has been granted occupancy for all buildings to the south of Clement and the agreed phasing plan between the City and developer required Clement Avenue construction to be complete and ready to open to the public prior to occupancy. We have instructed the developer to open the cycle track but to keep the roadway to vehicular traffic until a resolution is established for the truck route and appropriate actions taken.
ALTERNATIVES
Staff has considered alternatives to fulfill City plans for truck access and bicyclist and pedestrian safety while balancing on-street parking needs. All alternatives are listed below, though some have safety or cost implications that render them nonviable.
1. Restripe Clement Avenue between Balsa Street and Paru Street, eliminating street parking and creating 14-foot-wide travel lanes including additional modifications at Clement and Stanton Street where existing concrete bulb outs further constrain the lane widths. (Recommended)
2. Eliminate the two-way cycle track between Entrance Road and Grand Street and return to the Class II bike lanes that existed until 2016, creating a hazardous gap in the Cross Alameda Trail, the City’s cross-town, low-stress four-mile bicycling and walking corridor. In this alternative, the trailer offset for large trunks would be accommodated within the Class II bike lane, endangering bicyclists travelling in the same direction at the same time as a large truck. Additionally, transitions between two-way cycle tracks and Class II bike lanes are challenging and some bicyclists may not switch to the other side of the street, resulting in an increased hazard for all roadway users. (Not recommended due to safety issues)
3. Relocate the two-way cycle track to the excess right-of-way north of Clement. There is a 17-foot wide “alternative vehicle corridor” that was included in the Clement Avenue plans. At the time, this corridor was being reserved for a potential light rail connection along the northern waterfront. Relocation of the cycle track to this excess right-of-way would impact the Waterfront Park, potentially remove mature trees, and require Bay Conservation Development Commission (BCDC) approval, with significant construction costs. (Not recommended due to cost, park impacts, and permitting risk)
4. Maintain the truck route on Buena Vista. This alternative would not be consistent with the General Plan or decades-long promises to the community on Buena Vista. It would require an amendment to the General Plan, a time-consuming, intensive process. Even with this alternative, trucks that mistakenly continue straight on Clement may cause collisions and damage parked cars along this stretch of roadway, so design changes would likely still be necessary. (Needs further discussion)
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Total costs are anticipated to be less than $50,000 to restripe Clement, add No Parking signage, and construct concrete modifications at the Stanton intersection.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
Relocating the truck route to Clement Avenue would be consistent with the General Plan and truck route maps published by the City.
Parking Prohibitions and Regulations are contained in Chapter 8 of the Alameda Municipal Code. Per Code Section 8-7.1 the Public Works Director is authorized, “whenever traffic engineering studies or principles indicate for the safety or adequate flow of all modes of transportation, to establish streets or portions thereof where parking is prohibited at all times.” Parking removal along Clement Street to establish a truck route as intended in the General Plan would be pursuant to Code Section 8-7.1 and would not be appealable per Code Sections 8-1.2 and 8-1.3.
RECOMMENDATION
Review and discuss restriping Clement Avenue between Balsa Street and Paru Street, eliminating street parking and creating 14-foot-wide travel lanes including additional modifications at Clement and Stanton Street where existing concrete bulb outs further constrain the lane widths.
Respectfully submitted,
Scott Wikstrom, City Engineer
Exhibits:
Exhibit 1 - Truck Route Map, General Plan Street Classifications Appendix (2023)
Exhibit 2 - Truck Turning Templates
Exhibit 3 - Preliminary Modifications at Clement / Stanton
Exhibit 4 - Clement Area Parking Study