Title
Recommendation to Endorse Design Concept for the Willie Stargell Avenue Complete Street Corridor; and
Adoption of Resolution Authorizing the Filing of an Application for Funding Assigned to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Committing Any Necessary Matching Funds and Stating Assurance to Complete the Project.
The proposed project is categorically exempt pursuant to California Environmental Quality Act (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. Under the National Environmental Policy Act, this project is a Categorical Exclusion under 23 Code of Federal Regulations 771.117(c): activity (c) (3) Construction of bicycle and pedestrian lanes, paths and facilities. (Planning Building and Transportation 24462742)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The design concept for the Willie Stargell Avenue Complete Street Corridor consists of constructing safety and transit improvements between Main Street and Mariner Square Loop by improving school crossings, providing active transportation facilities, slowing traffic, improving the safety of major intersections, installing landscape and green infrastructure, and adding new bus stops for AC Transit’s Line 19. The Transportation Commission endorsed the full corridor concept plan in February 2025.
The Willie Stargell Avenue Complete Street Corridor comprises two projects with separate scope elements and funding sources:
A. Stargell Avenue Safety Improvements Project (Project A. Safety Improvements), which includes bicycle and pedestrian paths, crosswalk enhancements, and traffic calming; and
B. Stargell Avenue Roundabout and Transit Improvements Project (Project B. Transit Improvements), which includes bus stop access enhancements, bus stop amenities, and converts signalized intersections to roundabouts at 5th Street and Mariner Square Loop. Only the roundabout at 5th Street is prioritized for near-term funding and implementation.
In February 2025, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) awarded the City of Alameda (City) $5.57 million in two capital grants with funds from the regional Active Transportation Program and Regional Measure 3 (RM3) Safe Routes to Transit and Bay Trail Program. In March 2025, the City was awarded an additional $300,000 in technical assistance from the MTC Climate Program to support project design.
Staff recommends that City Council: 1) endorse the design concept Willie Stargell Avenue Complete Street Corridor and, 2) adopt a Resolution of Local Support authorizing the filing of an application for funding assigned to MTC, committing any necessary matching funds and stating assurance to complete the project.
BACKGROUND
Existing Conditions
Stargell Avenue between Main Street and Mariner Square Loop serves as an automobile, pedestrian, bicycle, and upcoming bus connection between Alameda Point, the Alameda Point Collaborative, and the Main Street Ferry Terminal to the west; and the College of Alameda, Alameda Landing Shopping Center, and Webster Street to the east. Along the way, the roadway serves neighborhood residents, including multiple affordable housing communities and Coast Guard housing. The Corridor also serves as a school route to Ruby Bridges Elementary School and seven other West End schools, which includes many families crossing the street on foot. West of 5th Street, it is a two-lane roadway with a sidewalk on the south side only, bicycle shared lane “sharrows” in the 14’ travel lanes, and vacant right of way to the north. East of 5th Street, the roadway is four to six lanes, with left turn lanes.
The width of the Stargell Avenue right of way west of 5th Street was originally established to accommodate a four-lane arterial road connecting from Webster Street to Alameda Point, but the street was ultimately constructed as a 28-foot wide, two-lane street consistent with its Island Arterial designation in the 1991 General Plan at the time. As a result, the City-owned right of way includes unused space to accommodate improvements for bicycle, pedestrian, and transit access between Alameda Point and West Alameda.
Since the corridor was constructed, Stargell Avenue has been included in many planning documents as a multi-modal connection for the West End:
• 2023 City Council Strategic Plan: Identifies project TIE11 to Plan, Design and Construct Stargell Avenue bicycle and pedestrian improvements.
• 2023 Alameda 2040 General Plan Street Classifications: Designates Stargell as a Neighborhood Connector, which has a target design speed of 25 mph and should serve all modes between neighborhoods.
• 2022 Citywide Roundabout Analysis: Identifies Stargell/Mariner Square Loop as a high-priority location for roundabout implementation.
• 2022 Vision Zero Action Plan: Identifies Stargell Avenue as a High Injury Corridor from Webster Street to Main Street.
• 2022 Active Transportation Plan: Designates Stargell Avenue for a shared-use path on the north side of the street, to provide enhanced bikeway connectivity and address the missing north-side sidewalk.
• 2018 Transportation Choices Plan: Recommends separated bikeway, walkway, and bus lanes on Stargell Avenue as a priority project.
Safety Concerns and City Response
Over the years, the City has received many complaints from the community regarding speeding along Stargell Avenue including the difficulty of crossing; drivers not yielding to pedestrians at the Main Street, Mosley Avenue, Coral Sea Street, and 5th Street intersections; and the lack of dedicated bicycle facilities.
In response, staff began planning, concept design, and community engagement in 2020, and by 2022, a first draft concept was presented to the community. The overall projects goals are to improve safety for all roadway users by slowing traffic, enhance safe routes to schools, and improve transit service. The project will also increase biking and walking connectivity while addressing flooding concerns.
Public Outreach and Commissions Review
The City conducted extensive community outreach for the project between 2020 and 2024. As a result of these outreach efforts, the concept from 2022 was updated to incorporate community feedback. A summary of outreach activities, participation, and key takeaways from all phases is in Exhibit 1. Materials from past meetings can be found at www.alamedaca.gov/stargell <http://www.alamedaca.gov/stargell>.
In February 2025, the Transportation Commission unanimously endorsed the corridor concept plan. Commissioner comments focused on safety, roundabout operations related to the In-N-Out Burger driveway (see discussion below), and the importance of connecting the project with the larger bikeway network.
The Commission on Persons with Disabilities discussed the Stargell Avenue concept on March 12, 2025. Commissioner comments were highly supportive, emphasizing the importance of traffic calming, accessible bus stops, and transit service for the West End.
At this time, the Transportation Commission and staff recommend City Council 1) endorse the design concept Willie Stargell Avenue Complete Street Corridor and, 2) adopt a Resolution of Local Support for the MTC grant funding for the Stargell Avenue Safety Improvements Project.
DISCUSSION
The original concept for Project A. Safety Improvements was developed in 2022. Since then, it has undergone revisions in response to community feedback and AC Transit service planning changes. Bus stops, roundabouts, and additional traffic calming features have now been incorporated into the full corridor concept plan (Exhibit 2). The bus stop and roundabout scope elements comprise Project B. Transit Improvements. The full concept plan includes:
Project A. Safety Improvements
• Walking and Biking Paths: Adds separate walking and bicycling paths in the unused, City-owned right of way to the north of Stargell Ave, between Main Street and Bette Street, will connect to the existing multi-use path between Bette Street and Fifth Street. Pathway lighting, trees, landscaping, and green infrastructure will be added.
• Traffic Calming: Narrows the travel lanes from 14’ to 12’, with a 4’ wide striped center median. Due to community input on speeding and observed increases in speed, the concept now includes a lane shift in the westbound direction approaching the Mosely and Coral Sea intersections.
• Pedestrian Crossing Improvements: Adds high-visibility crosswalks, concrete median pedestrian refuges, flashing beacons, and bulbouts at Coral Sea Street and Mosely Avenue intersections. Crosswalk striping at the Main Street signal will be refreshed (the RESHAP/West Midway development will be upgrading the west side of the intersection and adding a fourth crossing leg in the 2025-2026 timeframe).
• Separated bike lane: Adds a separated bike lane in the westbound direction on Stargell between Mariner Square Loop to improve the bike facility safety and to connect from the planned connection to the Webster Tube pathway that will be built in 2025 with the Oakland Alameda Access Project.
Project B. Transit Improvements
• Bus Stops: In October 2024, the AC Transit Board of Directors approved the final Realign plan for bus service changes including rerouting Line 19 to serve Alameda Point via Stargell Ave, slated to launch in August 2025. The design now includes two bus stop pairs with transit amenities at Mosely Avenue and Coral Sea Street. These bus stop locations were recommended by AC Transit.
• Roundabouts: To further enhance safety and bus operations at the major intersections of 5th Street and Mariner Square Loop, the concept includes single-lane roundabouts at these two intersections. Roundabouts support improved bus efficiency, manage vehicle speeds, eliminate broadside collisions, and provide opportunities for green infrastructure. Only the roundabout for 5th Street is prioritized for near-term implementation due to funding limitations. Kittelson Associates conducted an operations analysis at both potential roundabout locations (Exhibit 3) and found that at both locations, a roundabout would not increase (and may decrease) average vehicle delays compared to signals in existing and future growth scenarios.
Implementation Phasing
Due to funding limitations, staff is planning a two-part phasing strategy:
Phase 1
The current funding plan is for Phase 1. This phase includes the full scope of Project A. Safety Improvements. It also includes some elements of Project B. Transit Improvements, including bus stops and the 5th Street roundabout, using a quick-build design with permanent elements on the corners but with temporary materials in the middle circle and median islands of the roundabout.
Phase 2
With additional funding secured at a future date, the City would complete the remainder of the Project B. Transit Improvements scope. This second phase includes full reconstruction of the 5th Street roundabout with landscaping and green infrastructure and the second roundabout at Mariner Square Loop.
Design Considerations
The staff team heard feedback on specific locations with special design considerations that will continue refinement in the design phase.
Drive-Through Queue at Mariner Square Loop
Community members expressed concerns that the drive-through queue for the In-N-Out Burger drive-through might block entry to the proposed single-lane roundabout at Mariner Square Loop. The staff and consultant team assessed this concern and concluded there is room in the design to accommodate a long right turn lane for the In-N-Out driveway that would not conflict with the entry to the roundabout. This design is shown in Exhibit 2. The roundabout at Mariner Square Loop is part of Phase 2 and would not begin construction before 2029.
Traffic Calming Needs, 5th Street to Main Street
Some neighborhood residents are concerned that the proposed project features will not do enough to calm traffic speeds between 5th and Main Streets. Staff and the Kittleson consultant team concluded that the narrow lanes, horizontal deflection, and median refuges in the concept plan will reduce speeds and improve safety. Still, staff will continue to explore further treatments during the preliminary engineering project phase and will endeavor to include as much traffic calming as feasible in the project.
Next Steps
If the City Council approves the overall Willie Stargell Complete Street Corridor concept plan and MTC funding, staff will propose a funding allocation for the grant match in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-27 biennial budget. Pending funding allocations, staff will continue work with the following timeline goals:
• 2025: Preliminary design engineering and environmental phases
• 2026: Detailed design (Plans, Specification & Estimates)
• 2027-2028: Phase 1 construction
ALTERNATIVES
• Endorse the design concept plan and adopt Resolution of Local Support as recommended by staff and the Transportation Commission.
• Endorse the design concept with minor modifications and adopt the Resolution of Local Support.
• Direct staff to make specific modifications and/or explore different design concepts for subsequent City Council review. To accept grant funds from MTC, the design must include the main scope elements for the Stargell Avenue Safety Improvements Project described in the grant applications and listed in this staff report.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The total project cost for Phase 1 is estimated to be $11.4 million: $7.4 million for Project A. Safety Improvements and $4 million for Project B. Transit Improvements. While staff expects to construct the projects together, each has a separate funding plan:
Project A. Safety Improvements
To date, the City has been awarded grant funding totaling $5.87 million for Project A. Safety Improvements from three grant sources administered by the MTC: $673,000 from the regional Active Transportation Program (ATP), $300,000 from Climate Program Implementation, and $4.89 million from RM3 Safe Routes to Transit/Bay Trail program. The estimated $1.54 million in remaining project costs would come from local funds or additional grant sources. Staff is currently pursuing additional funding to reduce the local funding need, including Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) Capital Improvement Program funds for engineering and an Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities grant with the RESHAP/West Midway housing project. The staff recommendation for meeting the local funding need will be presented in the FY 2026-27 Biennial Budget.
The recommended Resolution of Local Support to accept two of the MTC grants commits the City to project delivery of the main scope elements proposed in the Stargell Avenue Safety Improvements Project grant applications for ATP and RM3 funds.
If the City is unable to assemble funds for the full remaining $1.54 million in estimated construction, the project will be value-engineered to deliver key safety-focused scope elements and meet the commitments to MTC.
Project B. Transit Improvements (Phase 1)
Pending City Council request and approval from the Alameda CTC, the City anticipates receiving $4 million from the Measure BB Transportation Expenditure Plan (TEP) Named Bus Project to fund Phase 1 elements of Project B. Transit Improvements. On May 6, 2025, this project will be presented to the City Council along with a program of transit-supportive projects totaling $9 million as part of a Measure BB TEP amendment request.
The following table summarizes planned funding sources for each project to support the corridor plan, Phase 1. Local funding needs may be reduced through additional grant funding. The primary local funding sources are expected to be Alameda CTC Measure BB Bicycle and Pedestrian Program funds or the General Fund, with final allocations to be determined in the FY 2026-27 biennial budget.
Phase 1 Funding Plan Summary
|
Funding Source |
Project A. Safety Improvements |
Project B. Transit Improvements (Phase 1) |
Total for Stargell Avenue Corridor (Phase 1) |
|
Measure BB TEP Named (pending) |
$0 |
$4,000,000 |
$4,000,000 |
|
Regional ATP |
$673,000 |
$0 |
$673,000 |
|
RM3 SR2TBT |
$4,896,000 |
$0 |
$4,896,000 |
|
MTC Climate Program |
$300,000 |
$0 |
$300,000 |
|
Source TBD: Local Funds or Other Grants |
$1,540,000 |
$0 |
$1,540,000 |
|
Total |
$7,409,000 |
$4,000,000 |
$11,409,000 |
Phase 2 costs are estimated to be $4 million, and staff will seek funding in the future. If funding is not secured to complete Phase 2, Phase 1 implementation can stand alone as a discrete project.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
The 2040 General Plan Mobility Element policy ME-7 prioritizes projects on High Injury Corridors, traffic calming, speed reduction, and the use of roundabouts to improve street safety. The 2023 Strategic Plan includes Project #TIE11 to “Plan, Design and Construct Stargell Avenue bicycle and pedestrian improvements.” The 2022 Active Transportation Plan recommends a multi-use trail along Stargell Avenue. The 2018 Transportation Choices Plan establishes the “Stargell Avenue” project to install “separated bikeway, walkway and bus lanes” as a priority project.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The proposed projects are categorically exempt pursuant to 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.
Because the Stargell Avenue Safety Improvements Project may receive federal funds, it was reviewed under the National Environmental Policy Act and determined to be eligible for Categorical Exclusion under 23 Code of Federal Regulations 771.117(c): activity (c) (3) Construction of bicycle and pedestrian lanes, paths and facilities.
CLIMATE IMPACT
The Climate Action and Resiliency Plan found that transportation accounts for 70% of the City’s GHG emissions, and that moving people out of automobiles is paramount to reducing transportation-related emissions. Creating a new safe, separated bikeway and additional space for walking will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by allowing people to bicycle and walk to local schools and to major destinations like the College of Alameda, the Alameda Landing Shopping Center and the Webster Street transit corridor.
RECOMMENDATION
Endorse the design concept for the Willie Stargell Avenue Complete Street Corridor and adopt a Resolution of Local Support authorizing the filing of an application for funding assigned to MTC, committing any necessary matching funds and stating assurance to complete the project.
Respectfully submitted,
Allen Tai, Planning, Building, and Transportation Director
By,
Susie Hufstader, Senior Transportation Coordinator
Rochelle Wheeler, Senior Transportation Coordinator
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Ross McCarthy, Acting Finance Director
Exhibits:
1. Community Engagement Summary
2. Willie Stargell Complete Street Corridor Concept Plan
3. Stargell Avenue Complete Street Roundabout Performance Memo