Title
Recommendation to Authorize the Mayor to Sign a Letter of Support for Caltrans to Seek Funds to Study Safety Improvements and a Road Diet on Otis Drive as Part of Caltrans' Route 61 Capital Preventative Maintenance Project. (Planning, Building, and Transportation 24562743)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Jennifer Ott, City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) manages certain streets in Alameda as part of State Route 61. Their Ala-61 Capital Preventative Maintenance (CapM) project will resurface some of these including Doolittle Drive, Otis Drive from the Bay Farm Bridge to Broadway, and Broadway from Otis Drive to Encinal Ave.
After hearing extensive public feedback requesting safety improvements on Otis Drive between Broadway and Fernside Blvd, Caltrans is planning to study options to increase safety, including a road diet in this area. Caltrans now plans to work with the City of Alameda (City) to hold a public workshop to review design concept alternatives, and to bring a recommended design to the City's Transportation Commission and City Council for endorsement.
To complete this effort, Caltrans will be requesting $700,000 in supplemental State Highway Operations and Protection Program (SHOPP) funding from the California Transportation Commission (CTC) in December 2024 and is asking for the City's support. Exhibit 1 is a draft letter of support prepared by City staff.
BACKGROUND
Otis Drive between Broadway and Fernside Blvd is a High Injury Corridor in the Vision Zero Action Plan, based on injury crash data. Otis Drive carries significant automobile through-traffic, but it is also a residential street fronting Krusi Park, which connects to Otis Elementary School. This stretch of roadway includes uncontrolled, four-lane crossings for key school and bicycle routes. In recent years, the City has received community reports about safety issues on Otis Drive and has shared ...
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