Title
Endorse Recommendation to Repurpose $9 Million in Named Measure BB Bus Project from the Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway Bus Queue Jump Lane to Three Transit-Focused Multimodal Projects (action)
Body
To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Transportation Commission
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
City of Alameda (City) staff recommend repurposing the Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway (Appezzato Pkwy) Dedicated Bus Lane project to three high-priority multimodal projects that benefit transit service to new developments, totaling $9 million. These funds are from Measure BB’s Transportation Expenditure Plan (TEP), which has a named bus project benefiting the City for bus efficiencies that provide service to new developments. This recommendation was developed in coordination with AC Transit and Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) staff. Staff recommend that the Transportation Commission endorse this repurposing plan, thereby recommending that City Council approve it.
BACKGROUND
In 2014, Alameda County voters passed Measure BB, which is a one cent sales tax for transportation administered by the Alameda CTC. The TEP for Measure BB has four named rapid bus projects. One of them is for a bus corridor project within the City of Alameda and is titled “Alameda to Fruitvale BART Rapid Bus” for $9 million. As stated in Exhibit 1, these named rapid bus projects must:
“enhance the reliability and speed of bus transit services in the East Bay. These projects include the implementation of Bus Rapid Transit and transit priority projects on some of the busiest corridors in the AC Transit system…. Funds may be used for project development, design, construction, access and enhancement of the rapid transit corridors.” (Exhibit 1)
For the “Alameda to Fruitvale BART Rapid Bus” project, the TEP states that the project:
“will provide a fast and reliable connection between the City of Alameda and the Fruitvale BART station, providing service to new development proposed for the City of Alameda.” (Exhibit 1)
A timeline of actions since then follows:
• In 2016, the City requested to use the $9 million in Named Measure BB funds for dedicated bus lanes on Appezzato Pkwy with the expectation that AC Transit would provide high-frequency service on this corridor due to the Alameda Point development.
• In 2017, Alameda CTC approved the Appezzato Pkwy dedicated bus lanes project as part of its 2018 Comprehensive Investment Plan, and the City included the Appezzato Pkwy bus lane project in its two-year Capital Improvement Program.
• In 2023, AC Transit’s draft Realign plan did not include new bus service on Appezzato Pkwy. At the October AC Transit/City Interagency Liaison Committee (ILC) meeting, the Named Measure BB bus project was discussed to inform the group of the need to repurpose the $9 million bus project to other locations within the City.
• In 2024, City staff worked with Alameda CTC and AC Transit staff on the proposal to repurpose the funds. The attached memo prioritizes the three recommended high-priority projects benefiting bus transit (Exhibit 2). In October, AC Transit finalized the Realign plan with a re-routed Line 19 that will serve Appezzato Pkwy and Stargell Avenue between Main Street and Fifth Street, at one-hour frequency, which is an insufficient frequency for dedicated bus lanes.
• At its December meeting, the Alameda CTC Commission did not approve a time extension for the Appezzato Pkwy project since the City had provided alternate projects for delivery, and they stated that Alameda CTC “Staff will continue to work with the project sponsor and return to the Commission in 2025 with proposed strategies to reprogram Measure BB funds.”
• At the January 2025 ILC meeting between the City and AC Transit, City staff presented the proposal for the three high priority projects with the next steps as City Council and AC Transit Board approval before Alameda CTC processing of the request.
DISCUSSION
City staff and the Kittelson consultant team worked with AC Transit and Alameda CTC staff to develop the project proposal to repurpose the Measure BB Named Bus project in Alameda totaling $9 million. The proposal prioritizes three projects that have bus lines serving areas where new development is expected as shown in Table 1. These project locations serve Alameda Point and potential future development at South Shore Shopping Center.
Table 1: Proposed Projects for Repurposed Funds
This proposal focuses on reducing bus travel time and on continuing the momentum of the City’s high-priority projects, which is important due to the lack of funding reserves. While the final alignment of the future Line 19 does run on Appezzato Pkwy, the low frequency does not require bus-only infrastructure. The three projects and their transit-supportive features include:
• Lincoln/Marshall/Pacific Corridor Improvements: The three-mile corridor project is located on a high-injury corridor identified in the City’s Vision Zero Action Plan. Along with safety enhancements, the Measure BB Named Bus project funds would support a bus island at the Academy of Alameda (at Pacific Ave and Fourth St), consolidated bus stops between Fifth Street and Webster Street for improved efficiency, bus stop amenities, and intersection improvements to make bus stops safer and easier to access. The project will serve Alameda Point via Line 96.
• Stargell/Alameda Point Multimodal Improvements: The Willie Stargell Avenue Complete Street project between Main Street and Mariner Square Loop includes separate walking and biking paths, traffic calming and pedestrian crossing enhancements. The additional Measure BB Named project funding would enhance the project with additional transit-focused improvements, including two pairs of new bus stops with amenities for the rerouted Line 19, enhanced crossings to those new bus stops, and improved intersection operations for Lines 19 and 96 with new roundabouts at Fifth Street and Mariner Square Loop, with the Fifth Street roundabout prioritized for funding given collision history and unique intersection configuration.
• Westline Bus Queue Jump Lane: The Westline Drive Bus Queue Jump Lane project would identify a transit-only lane along Westline Drive/Eighth Street between Otis Drive and Portola Avenue, in the northbound direction. A dedicated bus lane would allow buses traveling northbound to Central Avenue to bypass general traffic queues. As part of a multimodal concept design process, the project also would identify protected bikeways on or adjacent to Westline Drive/Eighth Street to help close the Westline/Shoreline and Central Avenue bike lane gap. The project would serve future South Shore development via Line 20.
After City Council and AC Transit Board approval, Alameda CTC Commission would consider amending the TEP with the repurposed project. Construction would be expected to begin in late 2026 for the Lincoln/Marshall/Pacific corridor pending federal funding, by 2027/28 for the Stargell Avenue corridor, and in 2028 for the Westline Drive bus queue jump lane.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
City staff recommends that the projects be funded by the Measure BB Named Bus project in the 2014 TEP for $9 million. Alameda County’s transportation sales tax is administered by the Alameda CTC. Alameda CTC will need to approve the City’s proposal to repurpose the Named Bus Project from the Appezzato Pkwy project to the projects. If approved, the Appezzato Pkwy project (C65400) will shift to the capital projects as follows:
Lincoln/Marshall/Pacific corridor improvements (C65700): $4 million
Stargell/Alameda Point multimodal improvements: $4 million
Westline queue jump lane: $1 million
Total: $9 million
There is no financial impact to the City from this requested action; however, these projects may require financial contributions from the City that would be subject to future City Council approval such as City staff time for implementation.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
The recommended projects are consistent with the General Plan (2021) and make progress towards meeting the four goals of the Mobility Element, which are equity, safety, choices and sustainability.
Vulnerable users are supported in the Mobility Element under ME-6 with a policy that prioritizes transportation improvements for vulnerable users including youth, seniors, people with disabilities, and underserved communities.
Roundabouts are supported in the Mobility Element under ME-7 by prioritizing use of roundabouts to improve safety and access while lowering maintenance costs.
Transit is supported in the Mobility Element under ME-16 to ensure community members have access to safe, reliable and high-quality transit.
RECOMMENDATION
Endorse recommendation to repurpose $9 million in Named Measure BB Bus Project from the Appezzato Pkwy. Bus Queue Jump Lane to three transit-focused multimodal projects.
Respectfully submitted,
Allen Tai, Director of Planning, Building and Transportation
By,
Gail Payne, Project Manager
Susie Hufstader, Senior Transportation Coordinator
Exhibits:
1. Measure BB Transportation Expenditure Plan
2. Proposed Project Memo