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Request to Review and Comment on the Staff Recommendations to the City Council for a Commercial Streets Two-Year Work Program to Improve the Park Street and Webster Street Striping Plans; Improve the On-street Parklet Program; Maintain the Alameda Avenue Street Closure; and Resume Pre-COVID Parking Management, Fee Collection, and Enforcement Activities
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To: Honorable President and Members of the Planning Board
From: Andrew Thomas, Planning, Building & Transportation Director
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In May 2020, in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic and the recommendations of the West Alameda Business Association (WABA) and the Downtown Alameda Business Association (DABA), the City Council authorized staff to proceed with a full slate of efforts, called the Commercial Streets program, to support the survival of Alameda's businesses through the pandemic and to minimize the health risks to public safety and the safety of the business employees, owners, and customers. This program included the restriping of Park Street and Webster Street, permitting on-street parklets, changing parking management and fee collection to emphasize the use of on street parking for free, short term parking, and a citywide permit allowing use of private commercial land to be used for outdoor commercial activities. The Council established these temporary programs to extend through October 2021.
This report recommends a work plan for the next two years beginning in November 2021 to support the economic recovery of the business community from the pandemic and equitable, safe, and efficient movement of people walking, people with disabilities, people bicycling, transit, and delivery and other vehicles, on Alameda's two main commercial streets.
An earlier version of the work program proposed in this staff report was reviewed and endorsed by the Transportation Commission at its meeting on July 28th. The Commission emphasized the need to continue to maintain adequate shor...
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