Title
Consider Endorsing Quick-Build Traffic Calming in the Neighborhood Around Gibbons Drive Followed by Long-Term Data Collection and Planning for the Fernside Boulevard Traffic Calming & Bikeways Project (Action)
Body
To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Transportation Commission
From: Lisa Foster, Secretary to the Transportation Commission
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This staff report presents updated recommendations for the intersection of Gibbons Drive, High Street, and Fernside Boulevard (Gibbons/High/Fernside), based on a traffic study and extensive community feedback.
Staff now recommends fast-tracking quick-build neighborhood traffic calming to 2026-2027, as described below and shown in Exhibit 1:
a. Interim safety measure at Gibbons/High/Fernside. Reduce turning speeds onto Gibbons Drive by installing a paint-and-post bulb-out at the southwest corner (no turn restriction).
b. Roundabouts and new pedestrian crossings inside the neighborhood. Reduce vehicle speeds and improve pedestrian access by constructing quick-build roundabouts with temporary Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) curb ramps at the Gibbons/Northwood/Southwood and Southwood/Bayo Vista/Fairview intersections.
c. New speed humps. Add speed humps at locations on Gibbons Drive, Southwood Drive, and Cambridge Drive.
After these improvements are installed, staff recommends collecting updated traffic data and conducting a temporary pilot turn restriction at Gibbons/High/Fernside as part of long-term planning for the Fernside Boulevard Traffic Calming and Bikeways Project. Staff will also seek funding for project design and construction during this time.
The revised recommendation responds to community concerns about potential traffic diversion from a turn restriction at Gibbons and emphasizes the need for immediate safety improvements for the larger Fernside neighborhood. This recommendation prioritizes quick-build measures that can be delivered 2026-2027, followed by evaluation and phased implementation of additional changes in the future.
BACKGROUND
In fall 2024, the Fernside Boulevard Traffic Calming & Bikeways Project (Fernside Project) team identified safety and operational issues at the Gibbons/High/Fernside intersection, which has lengthy pedestrian crossings, high-speed turning movements, and no signal phase for pedestrians crossing Gibbons Drive (Exhibit 2). In addition to safety issues, resolving the Gibbons intersection layout is also essential for the future buildout of the two-way bikeway on Fernside, since it affects the traffic signal phases and overall operation of the larger intersection.
In November 2024, the City sought feedback on a proposed design to simplify the intersection by restricting northbound traffic on Gibbons Drive to right turns only. The design would shorten pedestrian crossings, reduce vehicle speeds, and reduce signal wait times. (A roundabout was considered but ruled out due to insufficient space.) Community feedback was mixed, with some residents urging immediate safety improvements and others concerned about spillover onto nearby streets.
In November 2024, the Transportation Commission endorsed the Fernside Project design with a request for staff to return with a concept for the Gibbons/High/Fernside intersection.
In March 2025, City Council approved the Fernside Project design and directed staff to conduct a traffic study reviewing the safety, operational, and traffic distribution effects of the Gibbons/Fernside/High design concept with the turn restriction.
The approved near-term Fernside Project includes buffered bike lanes and quick-build pedestrian safety improvements on Fernside Boulevard west of High Street, to be implemented with the Annual Pavement Program in 2026. The long-term concept includes pedestrian median islands and a two-way separated bikeway on the north and east side of Fernside Boulevard, pending external funding availability.
In May 2025, the City contracted with Parametrix, Inc, to gather data and conduct the intersection analysis and traffic study. Traffic data collection took place while school was still in session, ensuring the traffic data reflects an accurate sample of typical traffic on local streets.
In September 2025, the traffic study was released to the community and the City held two community workshops and an online survey to solicit public input. Notices were mailed to the larger neighborhood per City Council direction in March.
DISCUSSION
Intersection Analysis and Traffic Study
The traffic study evaluated the turn restriction design concept along with two new concepts that retained all turning movements at Gibbons/High/Fernside. It concluded that the turn restriction would have optimal safety benefits and the most efficient signal operations, accommodating the Fernside Project’s future two-way bikeway with minimal impact to intersection queuing. The traffic study memo is in Exhibit 3, and Exhibit 4 contains overview slides.
The study also found that Gibbons Drive experiences cut-through traffic and speeding. Its auto volumes are still within the target range for streets classified as Neighborhood Local, but higher than most local streets in Alameda. The study projected that a Gibbons/High/Fernside turn restriction would increase traffic on nearby neighborhood streets; however, projected volumes would remain low - less than half of the daily target for Neighborhood Greenways, which are designed to carry low traffic volumes.
Public Input
In September 2025, the project team conducted community engagement to share findings and gather feedback on draft recommendations. The phasing proposed at that time was intended to simplify the Gibbons/High/Fernside intersection and deliver safety improvements in manageable steps: 1) Quick-build bulb-out on the southwest corner of Gibbons/High/Fernside in 2026; 2) Neighborhood traffic calming improvements concurrent with additional updates at that corner, including the turn restriction, in 2028; and 3) Long-term Fernside Project improvements, including removal of the right turn slip lane on the northeast corner in 2030+. (This recommendations in this staff report have been updated based on public feedback.)
Following City Council direction, community outreach included an in-person public workshop attended by approximately 120 people; a virtual workshop with 33 participants; and an online survey with 373 responses. Feedback on the draft recommendations was mixed. Many neighborhood residents shared significant concerns about increased traffic on narrower streets and emphasized the need for immediate neighborhood traffic calming. Others supported a phased approach but asked for further study before committing to major changes at Gibbons/High/Fernside. A summary of public feedback is included in Exhibit 5. (See Exhibits 3 and 4 for descriptions of the intersection design alternatives community members were reviewing.)
Recommendation
In response to community input, staff now recommends adjusting the phasing to prioritize early neighborhood traffic calming and safety improvements and delay larger, permanent intersection modifications until after additional data is collected. This approach would fast track quick-build measures in 2026-2027, followed by evaluation and potential long-term changes in future years.
Phase 1 (2026-2027): Quick-Build Traffic Calming and Intersection Improvements
a. Interim safety measure at Gibbons/High/Fernside. Install a paint-and-post bulb-out at the southwest corner to slow turning speeds onto Gibbons Drive.
b. Roundabouts and new pedestrian crossings inside the neighborhood. Construct quick-build roundabouts with temporary ADA curb ramps at the Gibbons/Northwood/Southwood and Southwood/Bayo Vista/Fairview intersections to reduce vehicle speeds and improve pedestrian access.
c. New speed humps. Add speed humps at locations on Gibbons Drive, Southwood Drive, and Cambridge Drive.
d. Seek Funding. Begin identifying grant funding for the long-term Fernside Project design and construction.
Phase 2 (2028-2030+): Data Collection, Temporary Pilot, and Long-Term Planning
a. Monitor Traffic Conditions. Collect follow-up volume/speed data along Gibbons Dr and adjacent neighborhood streets.
b. Implement Permanent Accessibility and Safety Upgrades. Upgrade curb ramps to permanent installations, and upgrade roundabouts as funding allows.
c. Test Turn Restrictions at Gibbons. Conduct a temporary pilot of the turn restriction at Gibbons/High/Fernside.
d. Report Findings and Next Steps. Return to Council with findings, a recommended Gibbons/High/Fernside intersection design to implement with the long-term Fernside Project, and a funding strategy.
This phased approach addresses resident concerns by focusing first on near-term neighborhood traffic calming and pedestrian safety. Quick-build designs allow for construction to occur prior to street resurfacing and provide flexibility to test and refine improvements before committing to permanent infrastructure. It follows up with data collection to see whether these interventions have reduced cut-through traffic volumes and speeds in the neighborhood. Only then would a temporary pilot program testing the effects of a turn restriction at Gibbons/High/Fernside take place as part of long-term planning for the Fernside Project.
Finally, this recommended phasing allows coordination with the Gibbons Drive Sidewalks & Trees Plan, which may have implications for Gibbons Drive roadway design. It also keeps all directions of travel open at Gibbons/High/Fernside during construction of the roundabout at the intersection of Clement Ave, Tilden Way, and Fernside Boulevard, which will require construction detours.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
2026-2027: General Fund Support for Quick-Build Traffic Calming
Staff will recommend that the City Council allocate General Funds to support the quick-build traffic calming in the neighborhood in 2006-2007, since there is no larger project or fund available to cover this effort in this timeframe without reducing traffic safety improvements elsewhere. Using materials like paint and bollards, the costs are estimated to be $25,000 for design and $150,000 for construction. Construction costs could be higher if other materials are needed.
The quick-build bulb-out at the southwest corner of Gibbons/High/Fernside will cost about $25,000 and can be funded by the Annual Pavement Program as part of near-term Fernside Project implementation west of High St.
The staff recommendation is to construct final designs at Gibbons/High/Fernside with the long-term Fernside Project. However, if City Council chooses to direct staff to implement the turn restriction concept at the southwest corner of Gibbons/High/Fernside before construction, constructing that on its own would cost about $480,000.
2028-2030+: Combination of Funds for Data Collection, Temporary Pilot, and Long-Term Planning
To cover activities during these years, staff recommends seeking grant funding, making strategic use of Measure BB operations and Pavement Program funds, and budgeting funds in the FY 2027-2030 biennial budget. In current dollars, cost estimates include:
• $80,000-$100,000 for data collection, temporary turn restriction pilot, and evaluation.
• $15,000 per curb ramp to upgrade Gibbons/Northwood/Southwood and Southwood/Fairview/Bayo Vista roundabout curb ramps to concrete.
• $600,000 to construct long-term changes at the intersection, including removing the slip lane on the northeast corner, updating the southwest corner, and incorporating the two-way bikeway (pending final intersection design decision).
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
Both the Fernside Project and neighborhood traffic calming help fulfill City of Alameda Strategic Plan (2023) project TIE10: Plan, Design and Construct a backbone low-stress bicycle network, pedestrian safety, and traffic calming projects.
The neighborhood traffic calming project also helps fulfill Strategic Plan TIE16: Implement Safe Routes to School physical improvements. The School Safety Assessment conducted at Edison School by the Alameda County Safe Routes to School program recommends a traffic circle and high visibility crosswalks at Gibbons/Northwood/Southwood as well as speed humps east of the intersection on Gibbons Drive and Southwood Drive.
The Active Transportation Plan (2022) calls for a protected bikeway on Fernside Boulevard as a key part of the 2030 Low-Stress Backbone Bikeway Network. It shows a Neighborhood Greenway on Gibbons Drive in the long term, after 2030.
The Vision Zero Action Plan (2021) identifies Fernside Boulevard as a High Injury Corridor, and sets a priority to address safety on High Injury Corridors.
The General Plan 2040 (2021) Street Classifications appendix classifies Fernside Boulevard, High Street, Central Avenue, and Broadway as Neighborhood Connector streets intended to support citywide circulation needs for all modes of transportation. All streets within those bounds, including Gibbons Drive, are classified as Neighborhood Local streets. See Exhibit 7 for a history of the Gibbons Drive street classification.
The General Plan itself has multiple relevant sections, including ME-7b. High Injury Corridors and Intersections; ME-7d. Traffic Calming Measures; and ME-7e. Roundabouts.
RECOMMENDATION
Endorse quick-build traffic calming in the neighborhood around Gibbons Drive followed by long-term data collection and planning for the Fernside Boulevard Traffic Calming & Bikeways Project.
Respectfully submitted,
Lisa Foster, Transportation Planning Manager
Reviewed By,
Allen Tai, Planning, Building, and Transportation Director
Exhibits:
1. Recommended Quick-Build Traffic Calming and Intersection Improvements
2. Safety Issues & Collisions at Gibbons/High/Fernside
3. Memo - Intersection Analysis & Traffic Study
4. Overview Slides - Intersection Analysis & Traffic Study
5. Public Input Summary and Collection of Written Public Input
6. Street Classification History for Gibbons Drive