Title
Recommendation to Approve the Central Avenue Complete Streets Concept Including Safety and Other Street Improvements. (Public Works 310)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Elizabeth D. Warmerdam, Interim City Manager
Re: Recommendation to Approve the Central Avenue Complete Streets Concept Including Safety and Other Street Improvements
BACKGROUND
The Central Avenue recommended concept for the 1.7-mile study area between Main Street/Pacific Avenue and Sherman Street/Encinal Avenue improves safety for all street users including people who walk, bicycle or drive. The Central Avenue concept achieves key community goals, including:
* Allows for a safer street within a neighborhood heavily concentrated with schools, and includes a center turn lane, which the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) deems has substantial safety benefits when reducing travel lanes from four lanes to three lanes.
* Installs a continuous bikeway for 95 percent of the 1.7-mile study area compared to only 12 percent currently. Bikeways are recommended along the study area except near some parts of Webster Street and Eighth Street intersections to minimize delays for motorists.
* Makes it easier and safer for people to walk across Central Avenue with new stop lights, curb extensions, pedestrian refuge islands, rectangular rapid fire beacons and new crosswalks at key intersections.
* Improves the streetscape with more street trees, a gateway feature at Webster Street and improved water quality treatment.
* Improves bicycle and pedestrian access along the San Francisco Bay Trail on both Central Avenue in the west end to east of Fifth Street and on Boat Ramp Road.
* Minimizes motorist delay with end-to-end travel time for the study area during peak congestion expected to increase up to 1.2 minutes in 2016 and up to 1.6 minutes in 2035 assuming that all the new citywide development, including Alameda Point, is built as planned. This ...
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