Title
Review and Discuss Caltrans' State Route 61 Otis Drive/Doolittle Drive/Broadway Preventative Maintenance Project (Discussion)
Body
To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Transportation Commission
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Caltrans manages select streets in Alameda as part of State Route 61, and they are planning a road resurfacing and maintenance project on Doolittle Drive, Otis Drive from the Bay Farm Bridge to Broadway, and Broadway from Otis Drive to Encinal Ave. Caltrans staff will present an update on this project as part of this agenda item.
City of Alameda (City) staff recommended a road diet and bike lanes for Otis Drive as part of this project with the goal of reducing traffic speeds and making it safer for pedestrians and bicyclists to cross Otis Drive. The addition of bike lanes with a road diet on Otis was considered an added benefit but not the central goal. Unfortunately, Caltrans found that the traffic volumes on this segment of Otis are above Federal Highway Administration recommendations for road diets.
Without a road diet option, City staff have continued to advocate for pedestrian and safety improvements. This includes considerations for the two Neighborhood Greenway intersections with Otis: Mound St and Bayview St, as well as improving bikeway connections and comfort for people biking between Bayview St and the off-street path on the south side of Otis Drive from Bayview St to the Bay Farm Bridge, and also expanding the width of this off-street path, as it's the only biking facility along Otis. City staff also shared with Caltrans 13 Street Safety Concern reports from Alameda community members, including concerns at the intersections on Otis Drive at Broadway, Bay Farm Bridge, Versailles Ave, and others.
Staff will review plan documents when they are available after this meeting and will continue to advocate for safety improvements to be included in this project where feasible, emphasizing the residential portion of Otis Drive. City ...
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