Title
Receive an Update on Neighborhood Greenways Implementation and Provide Input on the Pacific Avenue Pilot (Discussion)
Body
To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Transportation Commission
From: Lisa Foster, Secretary to the Transportation Commission
Allen Tai, Planning, Building, and Transportation Director
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Alameda (City) is seeking community and Transportation Commission feedback on the design of the first Neighborhood Greenway pilot segment on Pacific Ave between Lafayette and Oak Streets, which was completed in November. Feedback on this pilot section will help inform final designs to convert the Slow Street segments of San Jose Ave/Morton St, Versailles Ave and the remainder of Pacific Ave to Neighborhood Greenways. Construction is planned by fall 2026.
Neighborhood Greenways are bicycle- and pedestrian-priority streets designed to allow bicyclists and motorists to safely share the road on low-volume, low-speed, local streets, and to make crossing larger streets easier for people biking and walking. The City’s Active Transportation Plan included this new facility type to allow for the creation of a connected, low-stress biking network (Exhibit 1), that can be safely and comfortably used by people of all ages and abilities.
Staff presented the Neighborhood Greenway implementation strategy to the Transportation Commission in August 2024. Since then, the City developed concept plans for the first phase of Neighborhood Greenways (Exhibit 2), held community events to gather input, collected existing conditions data, secured local and grant funding for implementation, and completed design and construction for the first pilot segment on Pacific Ave.
BACKGROUND
Alameda’s Active Transportation Plan (ATP), https://www.activealameda.org/Adopted-Plan, adopted in 2022, introduces Neighborhood Greenways, a low-stress bikeway facility type, to Alameda. The ATP defines the key Neighborhood Greenway goals:
• Achieve and Maintain Low Vehicle Volumes and Speeds. Neighborhood Greenway streets are only considered low stress when the traffic volumes and speeds are low enough that people biking feel comfortable sharing the roadway space with cars. Reducing traffic speeds and volumes increases safety for all roadway users and improves neighborhood livability.
• Make Street Crossings Safer and More Comfortable. Neighborhood Greenways also include treatments to improve crossings, particularly at busy intersections, to make it easier and safer for people bicycling and walking to cross busy streets.
Why Neighborhood Greenways?
One central goal of the ATP is to develop a connected, low-stress bikeway network that allows people of all ages and abilities to connect to schools, jobs, transit, shopping and recreation. Neighborhood Greenways, along with separated bike lanes and off-street paths, will together create this network, which is essential for meeting Alameda’s climate, safety and transportation goals.
Which streets are Neighborhood Greenways?
The ATP prioritizes nine Neighborhood Greenway streets, totaling 10 miles, in the 2030 Low-Stress Backbone Bikeway Network (Exhibit 1):
Implementation to Date
The Neighborhood Greenway strategy includes three phases and has been updated to reflect the current timeline. More information is available on the project webpage:
<http://www.alamedaca.gov/neighborhoodgreenways>.
Phase 1 (2024-2026). Phase 1 will convert the Slow Street segments of Pacific Ave, San Jose Ave/Morton St and Versailles Ave to Neighborhood Greenways. This covers:
• Pacific Ave from Ninth to Oak
• Versailles Ave from Fernside to Calhoun
• San Jose Ave/Morton St from San Antonio/Morton to Oak
Staff have made significant progress implementing Phase 1. Activities completed since August 2024 include:
• Collected existing conditions data. Collected speed and volume data on the three Greenways, plus select nearby parallel streets. Data was collected while the Slow Street barricades were in place but without Greenway treatments. None of the Greenway street segments met the speed goal of 20 mph, either at the 85th or 95th percentile level. The 95th percentile speeds ranged from 25 to 30 mph. All streets were already well below the 1,500 vehicles per day target. Most segments were below the 50 vehicles per peak hour in the peak direction volume target.
• Developed draft concept plans. The consultant and staff team developed design concepts for all three streets, using a toolkit of typical treatment designs that were refined as the concepts evolved. The three draft concept plans are included as Exhibit 2.
• Collaborated internally. Transportation staff met multiple times with the Fire Department and waste service providers on the overall concept plans, treatment designs and specific intersection designs.
• Engaged with community. Staff held three well-attended community pop-up events and one community workshop to present the Neighborhood Greenway work, hear about needs along the three streets, and collect input on the draft design plans. Community members could also submit comments via online survey forms and an interactive web-based map. Staff continue to promote this map: <https://tooledesign.github.io/Alameda-Neighborhood-Greenways/>. The City maintains a robust project web page with background and implementation information: <http://www.alamedaca.gov/neighborhoodgreenways>.
• Secured funding. City Council authorized sufficient funding to construct the Phase 1 Neighborhood Greenways, including $1.2 million in General Funds.
• Constructed the Pacific Ave pilot. Selected a segment of Pacific Ave to be the first Slow Street segment to be converted to a Neighborhood Greenway. The project was installed in two phases in 2025: first by adding new stop signs and intersection improvements at Willow and at Walnut in April, and then with the remaining treatments in November.
Phase 2 (2026-2030). In this phase, staff will work to implement the remaining six Neighborhood Greenways in the 2030 Low-Stress Backbone Network (Exhibit 1), including securing funding and staff resources. Funding has already been secured for some of this work.
Staff secured $2 million in grant funding from the Alameda County Transportation Commission to make permanent safety and connectivity improvements at four Neighborhood Greenway intersections with major streets:
• Pacific Ave/Wilma Chan Way
• Pacific Ave/Sherman Street
• Ninth St/Lincoln Ave, and
• Third St/Pacific Ave.
Each intersection improvement will feature concrete bulbouts and, where there is not already an existing traffic signal, either a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) or a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon. The four intersection upgrades will be built as part of three separate construction projects over the next several years. The permanent improvements at Pacific Ave/Sherman St will be built as part of Phase 1.
As part of the City’s 2025-27 Biennial Budget, the City Council allocated $1.2 million in Measure BB funds to design and construct one mile of Phase 2 Neighborhood Greenway. The specific street segment(s) will be selected in 2026, along with developing an implementation approach for the remaining streets included in Phase 2.
Phase 3 (Post-2030). This phase will implement the remaining Neighborhood Greenways in the Active Transportation Plan, which are mostly shorter, connecting segments. It will be developed more fully when the Active Transportation Plan is updated, expected in 2027.
DISCUSSION
Pacific Ave Pilot
The City completed the first full segment of a Neighborhood Greenway in Alameda in mid-November along Pacific Ave between Lafayette and Oak Streets, removing the Slow Street barricades. The project pilots a combination of new and previously used traffic calming treatments, including:
• A quick-build neighborhood traffic circle at Chestnut;
• Painted curb extensions with bollards at Lafayette, Willow, Walnut and Oak Streets;
• Six asphalt speed humps between Chestnut and Oak;
• New 4-way stops at Willow and at Walnut;
• Hardened centerlines at Lafayette and at Oak;
• Painted sharrows along the corridor;
• Daylighting <https://www.alamedaca.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/departments/alameda/transportation/bike-ped/alameda-neighborhood-greenway_daylighting-poster_2024-12.pdf> at all intersections; and
• Crosswalk markings at all intersections.
The City is observing how this new segment is working and collecting input to consider possible treatment design modifications to the existing concept plans for the remaining Phase 1 segments.
Input is being solicited via a community survey (to be released by December 4 and posted to <http://www.alamedaca.gov/neighborhoodgreenways>) and at the Transportation Commission’s December 17 meeting. At the Commission meeting, Staff will share a summary of the community survey input received.
Staff are interested to hear feedback on:
• How is this full segment, from Lafayette to Oak Street, working as a Neighborhood Greenway, particularly for people walking and biking? Do people feel safer and more comfortable using the street?
• Is there any specific feedback on ways to improve the individual treatments along the corridor (e.g. speed humps, traffic circle, bulb-outs and hardened centerlines)?
Next Steps
In 2026, staff will continue implementing the Neighborhood Greenways:
• Finalize designs and plans for remaining Phase 1 streets, the Slow Street segments of Versailles Ave, San Jose Ave/Morton St, and the remainder of Pacific Ave.
• Bid and construct these Phase 1 segments by fall 2026. The San Jose Greenway implementation will be coordinated with pavement maintenance.
• Design crossing safety improvements for the Pacific Ave and Wilma Chan Way intersection.
• Launch Phase 2 implementation by selecting and designing an additional one mile of Neighborhood Greenway.
• Develop implementation plan for the remaining Phase 2 segments.
• Continue to seek grant funding opportunities to implement Neighborhood Greenways.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The funding to plan, design and construct the 3.63 miles of Phase 1 Neighborhood Greenways is secured and totals approximately $3.7 million. An additional $2 million was secured in Alameda CTC grant funding for four Neighborhood Greenway crossings of major streets. Council has also allocated an additional $1.2 million to design and build an additional mile of Phase 2 Neighborhood Greenway.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
The City’s Strategic Plan <https://www.alamedaca.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/alameda-pio/exhibit-1-alameda-strategic-plan-2023-2026.pdf> (2023) includes project #TIE9 to “Convert Slow Streets to Neighborhood Greenways as directed in the Active Transportation Plan” and #TIE10 to “Plan, Design and Construct a backbone low-stress bicycle network, pedestrian safety, and traffic calming projects.”
The Alameda Active Transportation Plan <https://www.activealameda.org/Adopted-Plan> (2022) includes nine Neighborhood Greenways, totaling almost 10 miles, to be implemented by 2030, per the 2030 Infrastructure Plan (Table 10), which are essential to creating a connected, low-stress bikeway network.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
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). There are no cumulative impacts or unusual circumstances that apply to this project.
CLIMATE IMPACT
Implementing the Neighborhood Greenways, a critical component necessary for creating a connected, low-stress bicycling and walking network, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Alameda.
RECOMMENDATION
Receive an update on Neighborhood Greenways implementation and provide input on the Pacific Avenue pilot.
Respectfully submitted,
Rochelle Wheeler, Senior Transportation Coordinator
Exhibits:
1. Map of ATP 2030 Low Stress Backbone Network
2. Draft Concept Plans for Phase 1 Neighborhood Greenways