Title
Approve the Central Avenue Webster Street Options for Further Analysis and the Two-way Bikeway Extension between Paden School and McKay Avenue
Body
BACKGROUND
The purpose of the Central Avenue project is to make Central Avenue safer for Alamedans in cars, on bikes and walking along this 1.7 miles of Central Avenue between Pacific Avenue/Main Street and Sherman Street/Encinal Avenue. The study area is designated as Caltrans State Highway 61 between Webster Street and Sherman Street. Central Avenue is in school and recreation zones, is an island arterial and a truck and transit route. The Central Avenue study area has a disproportionate number of injuries from collisions compared to other streets in the City. The concept phase between 2014 and 2016 included an outreach process, options analysis and partial design for this corridor.
In 2016, the City Council approved a concept to improve Central Avenue except for the Webster Street/Central Avenue intersection, which they requested staff to return with a safer option that works for the area. The approved concept includes a reduction from 4 to 3 travel lanes, a center turn lane, bike lanes in the Gold Coast area, a 2-way separated bikeway adjacent to 3 schools in the west end and Bay Trail section, traffic signals at Third Street and Fifth Street, curb extensions, pedestrian refuge islands, rectangular rapid flashing beacons, new crosswalks and street trees/rain gardens.
In 2017, the City received confirmation of funding from the Caltrans Active Transportation Program for $7.3 million and from Alameda County Transportation Commission's federal/state funding for $3.5 million, which totals $10.8 million in federal and state grant monies for construction. When factoring in the local match requirements, the total monies available for construction total over $12 million.
In 2018, the City Council approved a consultant team - led by CDM Smith - to fund a Project Initiation Document (PID), which is a req...
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