Title
Recommendation to Endorse Design Concepts for the Fernside Traffic Calming and Bikeways Project.
In accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), this project is categorically exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(c) Existing Facilities (Minor alterations to existing facilities including bicycle facilities) and Section 15304(h) (Minor Alterations to Land and the creation of bicycle lanes on existing public rights of way). (Planning, Building, and Transportation 24562743)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Fernside Boulevard Traffic Safety & Bikeways Project aims to reduce auto speeds and increase safety and access for all road users on Fernside Blvd. This project would implement the separated bikeways as described in the Active Transportation Plan and implement a proposed segment of the San Francisco Bay Trail. Staff completed two rounds of outreach and public hearings starting in 2023, then developed final draft design concepts that the Transportation Commission endorsed in November 2024.
The Transportation Commission and staff recommend that City Council endorse the proposed design concepts for this corridor, allowing staff to implement near-term improvements planned with the 2026 pavement resurfacing on Fernside Blvd from Tilden Way to San Jose Ave. and begin seeking funding for the long-term corridor project.
BACKGROUND
Existing Conditions: Wide Roadway, Unsafe Speeds
Fernside Blvd. is a 1.3-mile roadway that is 57’-60’ wide from curb to curb, and relative to other neighborhood streets, Fernside Blvd. is considered wide for the amount of traffic volume that it handles. This street serves the East End neighborhood, including three schools near the corridor: Lincoln Middle School directly on Fernside Blvd, and both Edison Elementary School and Saint Philip Neri Catholic School one block away.
Community members have long expressed concerns about high auto speeds, reckless driving, and unsafe pedestrian crossings on Fernside Blvd. In response, the City of Alameda (City) has implemented a variety of improvements over the years, including high-visibility crosswalk striping, flashing beacons, speed feedback signs, and bikeway improvements, but traffic safety concerns from the community continue to emerge.
The Fernside Boulevard Traffic Safety & Bikeways Project (Fernside Project) aims to reduce auto speeds and increase safety and access for all road users on Fernside Blvd. It increases safety per the Vision Zero Action Plan, which identifies Fernside Blvd as a High Injury Corridor. Its long-term design recommendation fulfills the Active Transportation Plan (ATP), which calls for pedestrian improvements and separated bike lanes on Fernside Blvd. The Project would also implement a proposed segment of the regional San Francisco Bay Trail, as called for in the ATP. Transportation Planning staff began work on the Fernside Project in summer 2023, starting with data analysis for the existing road conditions and gathering community input on roadway needs and safety concerns.
Summary of Existing Conditions Analysis
Key findings of the consultant data collection and analysis from late 2023 include (Exhibit 1):
• High speeds: The average vehicle speed was 31 mph - higher than the 25 mph speed limit - and 15% of traffic is above 35 mph, a deadly speed in a pedestrian/auto crash.
• High crash rate: The rate of crashes is higher than the state average, especially between Tilden Way to High St.
• Fatal and injury crashes: From 2017-2022, there were 22 injury crashes - one of which was fatal - at High St/Gibbons Dr, Harvard Dr, and San Jose Ave.
• Lower auto volumes than similar streets: Fernside Blvd. carries lower traffic volume than streets like Lincoln Ave and Otis Drive.
• Many student bicyclists: Bicycles comprise of 10-15% of all traffic during school hours.
• Parking not fully occupied: On-street parking is less than 50% occupied at all times of day.
The existing conditions analysis revealed critical safety concerns along Fernside Blvd, including vehicles averaging 31 mph (above the 25 mph limit), higher-than-average crash rates with 22 injury crashes (one fatal) from 2017-2022, significant student bicycle traffic during school hours (10-15% of all traffic), while the corridor carries relatively lower auto volumes than comparable streets and has consistently underutilized on-street parking.
Summary of Community Input
The Fernside Project public outreach effort (Exhibit 2) included:
• 200 attendees at 5 Fernside Project public workshops
• 5 total public hearings at the Transportation Commission and Commission on Persons with Disabilities
• 1,120 total responses to 3 online surveys
• 1,950 total flyers sent in 3 postal mail notices
• 17 email bulletin mailings
• 4 news articles
• Information boosted to homeowners’ associations, local schools, and other community groups
Staff conducted extensive public outreach with thousands of touchpoints. Initial feedback prioritized pedestrian improvements, child-friendly bike facilities, and solutions for speeding vehicles, while the second phase gathered input on design alternatives incorporating these elements plus separated bikeways aligned with the ATP. Although approximately 15% of public commenters opposed any changes, the majority supported several concepts. The Transportation Commission focused on safety for vulnerable users and the Commission on Persons with Disabilities emphasized accessibility needs. Based on this input, staff developed final design concepts that were unanimously endorsed by the Transportation Commission and now recommends City Council approval to seek project funding.
DISCUSSION
Based on public feedback and analysis of the design alternatives, the Transportation Commission and the staff and consultant team recommend a two-phase implementation plan starting with near-term improvements in 2026 and a long-term design concept to be implemented later depending on funding availability:
Near-Term Concept: Quick-Build Pedestrian Median Islands with Buffered Bike Lanes as part of Pavement Resurfacing (2026)
The Transportation Commission and staff recommend implementing quick-build pedestrian median islands with buffered bike lanes (Exhibit 3) as interim improvements during the planned pavement maintenance in 2026 as part of the Public Works Pavement Program to resurface Fernside Blvd. from Tilden Way to High Street.
Staff incorporated feedback on near-term alternatives during the Fernside Project public outreach. The median islands included as part of the near-term design concept address strong public feedback about pedestrian safety and excessive traffic speeds. While the near-term concept with buffered bike lanes does not fulfill the ATP’s requirement for separated bike lanes, it received significantly more public support than parking-protected bike lane alternatives that would remove 65-85% of on-street parking. In addition, the buffered bike lane concept costs half as much to implement and maintain compared to the parking-protected options.
The recommended near-term design features the following public safety benefits and improvements:
• Traffic calming: Reduces speeds and illegal passing with the removal of the center turn lane west of High St, narrower travel lanes, and median islands. However, buffered bike lanes would not prevent drivers from using the bike lane for illegal passing maneuvers.
• Pedestrian safety: Shortens crossing distances with quick-build median islands and curb extensions, and new marked crosswalks improve yielding.
• Bikeways: Continues the painted buffered bike lanes currently east of High St, with vertical hardening in the buffer at some intersections. Opportunities to harden the bike lane are limited due to the number of driveways.
• Driveway access: Two motor vehicle lanes (one in each direction). Driveway access will be similar to the current experience.
• On-street parking: Retains curbside parking on both sides of the street with about 24% parking removal for daylighting and pedestrian medians (peak parking occupancy is less than 50%).
• Accessibility: Bus stop and visitor loading accessibility would largely be unchanged.
• High St/Gibbons Dr: No traffic flow changes due to the need for further study, but near-term design may include a larger paint-and-post bulbout to slow auto movements.
Long-Term Concept: Two-Way Protected with Bikeway Pedestrian Median Islands (2030)
The ultimate design for the full implementation of the Fernside Project is a two-way protected bikeway with pedestrian median islands to address pedestrian crossing dangers and high traffic speeds (Exhibit 4). The design concept drawing shows the preferred design of raised bikeways, although median-protected bikeways may be necessary to reduce costs and respond to civil engineering issues like drainage complications. The implementation goal for the Fernside Project’s long-term design concept is 2030, per the ATP, but final implementation may be later depending on funding availability.
The recommended design concept features the following public safety benefits and improvements:
• Traffic calming: Reduces speeds through narrower travel lanes, new median islands, and curb extensions. A separated bikeway prevents illegal passing in the bike lane.
• Pedestrian safety: Shortens crossing distance with new median islands and curb extensions and adds new marked crosswalks and flashing beacons.
• Bikeways: Creates low-stress, two-way separated bikeway connecting to the Cross Alameda Trail and the Bay Farm Bicycle Bridge. (The preferred design, shown in the concept, is raised to sidewalk level. Pending funding and civil engineering considerations, part of the project may need to be constructed with median-protected bike lanes at the roadway level.)
• Driveway access: Provides two travel lanes (one in each direction) with improved driveway sightlines due to a wider buffer strip.
• On-street parking: Retains curbside parking on both sides of the street with 23% parking space reduction with the raised bikeway option (for daylighting and pedestrian median islands) or 35% parking loss with the median-protected option. (Engineering design guidance for median-protected bikeways requires that cars leave more space before and after a driveway entrance when vehicles parked on-street are ‘floating’ from the sidewalk-adjacent curb.)
• Accessibility: Upgrades bus boarding islands, allows for visitor loading, and will design a new accessible passenger loading zone at the Marina Garden Nursing Center.
• High St/Gibbons Dr Intersection: Pending further analysis, proposes removal of the northeast corner right-turn slip lane and partial traffic limitations between Gibbons Dr and the High St Bridge, creating shorter pedestrian crossings, simpler geometry, and reduced vehicle speeds.
One-Way vs Two-Way Bikeways
While some community members expressed a preference for one-way bikeways, a two-way bikeway is recommended because it:
• Provides bicyclists moving at different speeds the space to pass.
• Connects seamlessly to existing two-way bicycle facilities.
• Removes less parking and limits curbside changes to one side of the roadway.
• Avoids bikeway crossings of 10 side street approaches at three-way intersections.
• Reflects the user experience of other existing San Francisco Bay Trail segments.
• Accommodates a wider buffer between the bikeway and the roadway, which results in a larger area for improvements such as accessible loading zones, bus stop amenities, trash staging locations, landscaping, and space for pedestrians to wait prior to crossing the street and vehicles to wait prior to merging into travel lanes.
• Costs somewhat less to construct than one-way bikeways.
High Street/Gibbons Drive Exploration
While working on the draft final concept design for the Fernside Project, staff identified a need for safety improvements at the High St and Fernside Blvd. intersection, including the southern leg at High St and Gibbons Drive. Although this intersection was not part of the original near-term Fernside project scope, staff recognized an opportunity to evaluate near-term improvements and better understand existing conditions by gathering neighborhood input.
As part of this effort, staff solicited neighborhood concerns while reviewing potential design improvements with traffic experts. In November 2024, staff launched an online survey and hosted a pop-up open house on Gibbons Drive to engage the community. During the event, staff shared a preliminary concept of potential safety improvements to the southern leg of the High Street/Gibbons, with the understanding that a long-term design solution for the entire High/Fernside/Gibbons intersection will require further technical study as part of the broader long-term Fernside Project.
Neighborhood feedback confirmed that additional study is necessary to address safety concerns while also avoiding spillover traffic on adjacent streets. Initial input was divided-while some residents supported safety improvements and reconfiguring the awkward intersection, others expressed strong concerns about potential traffic impacts on nearby streets. This feedback reinforced the need for further technical analysis and public engagement before advancing a long-term design concept. These additional steps are important for defining the project scope, estimating design and construction costs, and ensuring a solution to meets the community’s needs.
On this issue, the Transportation Commission directed staff to conduct further traffic study on this intersection, conduct further public outreach, and to bring a long-term design concept back to the Commission. Staff is planning the next steps in this process and will be communicating to the community.
Next Steps
If City Council approves the Fernside Project design concept, the following steps are planned:
• 2025: Seek long-term project funding and begin Fernside Blvd/High St/Gibbons St traffic study
• 2026: Begin resurfacing and restriping on Fernside Blvd west of High St
• 2030 ATP goal: Construct full corridor project (timing will depend on funding availability)
ALTERNATIVES
City Council can choose to:
• Endorse the design concepts as recommended by staff and the Transportation Commission, or
• Endorse the design concepts with specific direction to staff on modifications, or
• Direct staff to make specific modifications and/or explore different design concepts for subsequent City Council review.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The City has spent $143,952 in existing Measure BB funds and the Active Transportation Plan Implementation Capital Improvement Project (C63000) funds to support data collection, analysis for existing conditions, alternative concepts, final design recommendations, and public outreach support.
For the Fiscal Year 2025-27 Biennial Budget, staff will propose allocating $80,000 per year from the Measure BB Multimodal fund to support grant applications, and traffic studies and design work for the Fernside Blvd/High St/Gibbons St intersection. As noted earlier, further study of the Gibbons intersection is required before arriving at estimated project construction costs.
The cost for construction of the long-term design concept will range from $15 Million for a median-protected cycle-track to $20 Million for a raised cycle-track, including a 30% contingency. The City will seek external funding, which will likely require providing matching funds.
In the meantime, near-term improvements will be funded under the Pavement Program, Capital Improvement Plan C11000, which is funded by a mix of the Road Maintenance Rehabilitation Account, Vehicle Registration fees, and Measure BB Local Streets and Roads, the City’s Waste Fund, and Sewer Services. The cost for the improvements on Fernside Blvd is estimated at $1.4 Million, which includes previously planned pavement and striping maintenance.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
The City Council Strategic Plan (2023) TIE 10 calls for the City to “Plan, Design, and Construct a backbone low-stress bicycle network, pedestrian safety, and traffic calming projects.”
The Active Transportation Plan (2022) includes Fernside Boulevard as Project 23 in the 2030 Infrastructure Plan, to be completed by 2030. It is identified as a multi-pronged project affecting pedestrians, bicyclists, trails (the San Francisco Bay Trail), and the 2030 Low-Stress Backbone Network. The 2030 Low-Stress Backbone Network also includes Neighborhood Greenway crossings across Fernside Blvd at Versailles Ave, Garfield Ave, and San Jose Ave.
The Vision Zero Action Plan (2021) calls for prioritizing investment on High Injury Corridors and identifies Fernside Boulevard as a Tier 3 all-modes High Injury Corridor and a Tiers 2 and 3 Bicyclist High Injury Corridor. (Tier 1 has the highest density and severity of crashes of the three tiers. Only 20% of Alameda’s streets are identified as a High Injury Corridor of any tier.)
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
In accordance with CEQA, this project is categorically exempt under CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(c) Existing Facilities (Minor alterations to existing facilities including bicycle facilities) and Section 15304(h) (Minor Alterations to Land and the creation of bicycle lanes on existing public rights of way).
CLIMATE IMPACT
Making the street more comfortable for pedestrians and bicyclists will encourage more people to walk and bike for transportation, reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
RECOMMENDATION
Endorse design concepts for the Fernside Traffic Calming and Bikeways Project.
Respectfully submitted,
Allen Tai, Planning, Building, and Transportation Director
By,
Lisa Foster, Transportation Planning Manager
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Ross McCarthy, Acting Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Existing conditions data and analysis
2. Public Engagement Summary
3. Near-Term Design Concept
4. Long-Term Design Concept
cc:
Erin Smith, Public Works Director
Scott Wikstrom, Deputy Public Works Director/City Engineer