Title
Approve Design Concept for Cross Alameda Trail Gap Closure on Atlantic Ave. between Webster St. and Constitution Way (Action)
Body
Transportation Commission
March 22, 2017
Item 5A
Action
Approve Design Concept for Cross Alameda Trail Gap Closure on Atlantic Ave. between Webster St. and Constitution Way
Background
As early as 1991, the City Council began enacting policies, via the General Plan, to ""Pursue opportunities to utilize the corridor of the former Alameda Belt Line railroad for transit, bicycle and pedestrian transportation.1" Since then, the City has worked to implement what is now called the "Cross Alameda Trail" (CAT) in this corridor. Today, there are two segments of the CAT under development with funding from grants. The Transportation Planning Department, in coordination with the Public Works Department, is implementing the section along Ralph Appezzato Memorial Parkway (RAMP) from Main Street to Webster Street and the Recreation and Parks Department is developing the Jean Sweeney Park segment (from Constitution Way to Sherman Street). Once built, these sections together will create a 1.5-mile trail from Main Street to Sherman Street that is completely separated from cars and will likely attract a large number and diversity of people, including children, people less comfortable riding, and seniors. The entire CAT, when complete, will be a major east-west walking and bicycling corridor, stretching from the Seaplane Lagoon at Alameda Point to Tilden Way for a total of 4 miles (Exhibit 1).
In the middle of the two approved, funded and designed segments of the trail is a crucial one-block gap along Atlantic, between Webster and Constitution, called the CAT Atlantic Gap. City staff first brought the CAT Atlantic Gap project to the Transportation Commission in November 2015, when a short briefing was provided. The initial recommended concept was brought to the TC in January 2016. It included a two-way protected bicycle lane (also known as cyc...
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