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Discuss and comment on Street Classification Mobility Element Appendix (Discussion Item)
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To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Transportation Commission
BACKGROUND
In 2021, staff and a Transportation Commission subcommittee developed a recommended Mobility Element for the General Plan, which the Transportation Commission recommended and the City Council adopted.
At that time, it was agreed that the General Plan Street Classification Appendix would be done in 2022. On September 20, 2022, the City published a draft updated Street Classification General Plan Appendix for public review and comment. The City is requesting that comments and suggestions on the draft document be submitted to the City by Tuesday November 1, 2022. The draft document is available for public review at <https://www.alameda2040.org/>. Comments on the document may be provided at the Transportation Commission meeting or by email to athomas@alamedaca.gov <mailto:athomas@alamedaca.gov>.
At the last meeting of the Transportation Commission, the Commission raised a number of initial issues for further discussion. The following discussion provides some background information to inform those discussions by the Commission.
DISCUSSION
Role of Appendix. The General Plan provides policy guidance for public decision making. It is a framework that guides future decision making regarding land use, transportation, open space, safety and other issues of general importance to the community. The Street Classifications Appendix provides an additional layer of policy guidance for future decision making by staff, the Transportation Commission and the City Council for future decision makers interpreting and implementing General Plan Mobility Element policies.
Limited Roadway Space and Complete Streets General Plan policies and the draft Classifications guide future decision making to be as efficient with the limited space available for transportation and mobility in Alameda. The General Plan policies assume that the City’s roadway network and its bridges and tubes and the regional roadways such as Interstate 880 and State Routes serving Alameda will not be widened over the next 20 years to make additional room for transportation. Therefore, General Plan policies support more efficient use of the existing roadway space so that it can accommodate more people and their diverse mobility needs. To achieve this higher efficiency, it is essential to support people walking (a person walking takes up very little space relative to that same person driving a car), people bicycling (a person on a bike takes up much less space than that same person in a car), people in buses (50 people in a big bus take up much less space than 50 automobiles with one person in each.)
Therefore, the General Plan policies recognize the importance of “complete streets” that serve the needs for all modes of travel (bike, walk, and drive.). A good example of this policy direction is the Central Avenue Safety redesign, which will increase bicycle and pedestrian safety by taking one of the four lanes currently devoted to cars. The project studies show that the new design will improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians and as the result of the improved intersection design (roundabouts) it will also reduce travel time for motorists traveling the length of the corridor and improve safety for motorists. .
Evacuation Routes. The General Plan Mobility Element, Health and Safety Element and draft Street Classifications support evacuation planning and preparation. It is important to recognize that citywide evacuation is not the expected response to a major earthquake (shelter in place) or a tsunami. (In response to a tsunami warning both Alameda and Oakland will be evacuating people closest to the water to higher ground. In Alameda the higher ground is along Central Avenue at the center if the island. Neither Alameda nor Oakland recommend that Alamedans all head toward the water and to the lowest lying lands in Oakland in response to a tsunami warning.) It should also be recognized that in the rare situation where a citywide evacuation is necessary, incoming lanes in all tubes and on all bridges will be redirected to exit Alameda, effectively doubling the capacity of those crossings. Bay Farm Island has the advantage of both Doolittle Drive and the Ron Cowen expressway, both of which could be used to evacuate Bay Farm Island in the event that such an evacuation is necessary.
25 Mile an Hour Speed Limit. The General Plan policies recognize that not all streets in Alameda are limited to 25 miles per hour (e.g. Doolittle, Constitution, and Harbor Bay Parkway.) The General Plan also recognizes the need to slow speeds on high injury corridors, which would be a policy basis for a future decision to reduce a speed limit on a specific street. That street may be a Gateway street that has a speed limit higher than 25 mph or it may be a neighborhood street adjacent to a school where a speed limit less than 25 miles per hour may be appropriate or needed.
Short Segments for Neighborhood Business Districts. General Plan policies and the Street Classifications recognize and support the Neighborhood Business Areas (the “commercial stations”, which developed around the former light rail system stations.) The Street Classifications describe the role of streets for mobility, but also their role relative to the surrounding land uses. For example, the Street Classifications show that the role of Lincoln as a neighborhood connector changes to a main street at the “Stations”. This provides guidance for future decisions about curb use, for example, adjacent to a Station, which may not be necessary or appropriate for the use of curb space four blocks further down Lincoln Avenue in a residential area.
Truck Routes. The General Plan and Street Classifications recognize that all streets in Alameda, even truck routes, should be “complete streets” that provide for all modes of travel. For example, Clement Avenue is a long standing truck route. It also must provide for the Cross Alameda Trail and a protected two way cycle track. In addition, truck routes are also necessary to serve Park Street and Webster Street, but these two streets are also two streets that must support a wide variety of other modes as well. For these reasons, the classifications do not assume that all other modes will be limited or restricted on designated truck routes.
Based on comments already received, staff anticipates making changes to better explain the phasing of Buena Vista truck route to the Clement truck route between Sherman and Grand with the completion of the Clement extension through the former Pennzoil property does need be made more clear in the draft document.
Staff is also reconsidering the designation for Mariner Square Loop and Mariner Square Drive, which do serve as “gateways” to the Webster and Posey Tubes.
Next steps: Staff is inviting public and Transportation Commission review and discussion of the draft classifications. Staff will continue to take public comment throughout the month of October. On November 1, 2022, the Transportation Commission subcommittee will meet to review classifications, public comments, and staff’s final recommended list of changes to the document based on all the public comments received over the month of October.
On November 1, 2022, the TC Subcommittee and staff will identify an appropriate date for the revised draft to return to the full Transportation Commission for a final public hearing and recommendation to the Planning Board and City Council. All General Plan amendments must pass through the Planning Board to the City Council for final action, per State Government Code. Staff does not plan to take the amendment to the Planning Board until the Transportation Commission has finished its review and is able to make a final recommendation.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This report provides an update on a project; on its own it has no financial impact.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
State of California Government Code section 65302 requires that the General Plan Mobility Element include “the general location and extent of existing and proposed major thoroughfares, transportation routes, terminals, and other public transportation facilities”. The transportation facilities and maps should “correlate” to the Land Use Element.
The Street Classification is intended to replace the appendix adopted in 2008 and fulfill the requirements of Government Code 65302.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
On November 21, 2021, the City Council adopted the General Plan Environmental Impact Report. No further environmental review is required.
CLIMATE IMPACT
Since vehicle miles traveled in Alameda is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Alameda, City staff expects that multimodal transportation improvements consistent with the street classifications will have a positive climate impact.
RECOMMENDATION
Review and discuss the draft classifications appendix. (Exhibit 1). .
Respectfully submitted,
Andrew Thomas, Planning, Building, and Transportation Director
Exhibits:
1. September Draft Street Classification Appendix.