Title
Review and Discuss Existing Conditions & Initial Public Input for the Fernside Boulevard Traffic Safety & Bikeways Project (Discussion)
Body
To: Honorable Chair and Members of the Transportation Commission
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Fernside Boulevard Traffic Safety & Bikeways Project will create a design concept to update this corridor with the goal of reducing auto speeds and increasing safety and mobility for all road users. It also plans to develop design concepts to implement the low-stress bikeways called for in the Active Transportation Plan (see https://www.activealameda.org/Adopted-Plan). The project will develop a near-term quick-build concept for Fernside from Tilden Way to High St that can be implemented with pavement resurfacing, as well as a long-term concept for the full project area from Tilden Way to San Jose Ave.
The consultant team has completed an existing conditions analysis, including traffic speeds, crash data, previous community input, current roadway widths and configurations, AC Transit ridership, and more. They found that Fernside Blvd is a relatively wide roadway (57'-60') with auto traffic traveling higher than the posted speed limit and a higher crash rate than the state average on similar roadways.
The staff and consultant team completed the first round of public outreach in December 2023. Community participation was high, with 600 responses to an online survey, 85 people at an in-person workshop, and 28 participants at the virtual workshop. Consistent themes included concerns about high vehicle speeds, difficulty crossing the street, pedestrian and bicyclist safety, illegal vehicle passing maneuvers, and drivers failing to stop at stop signs. Approximately 5-10% of respondents indicated that they did not want to see changes to the existing roadway configuration.
After hearing from the Transportation Commission, the team will use all the information gathered to develop concept alternatives for potential improvements for F...
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