Title
Introduction of Ordinance Amending Alameda Municipal Code Sections 8-8.5 and 8-1.2 to Authorize the Public Works Director to Improve Safety and Visibility at Alameda Intersections. (Planning, Building and Transportation 4227287)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In response to recent City Council requests, staff is recommending that the City Council approve a first reading of an amendment to Alameda Municipal Code (AMC) Sections 8-8.5 and 8-1.2 to authorize the Public Works Director to improve safety and reduce the risk of collisions at City of Alameda (City) intersections by improving visibility for all transportation modes.
BACKGROUND
At its April 16, 2019 and May 7, 2019 meetings, the City Council directed staff to prepare the necessary code amendments and standards to more rapidly improve visibility at intersections on arterial and collector streets (sometimes called "daylighting") and to include daylighting as part of the City's annual paving program.
DISCUSSION
The recommended code amendments described below are consistent with Alameda General Plan Safety Element policy SN-5 to eliminate fatalities and severe injuries from traffic collisions in the City, which is known as "Vision Zero." Although most collisions involve two motor vehicles, when a collision involves a motor vehicle and a person walking or a person on a bicycle, the person walking or on a bicycle suffers the greatest harm.
Since 2011, eight (8) people walking in the City have died as the result of a collision with a motor vehicle in the City. Seven (7) of these eight fatalities occurred where the person walking was in a crosswalk at an intersection. Since 2011, approximately 6,461 collisions occurred on City streets. Only 5% of those collisions involved pedestrians, but 53% of the people who died in those collisions were pedestrians.
The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) finds that visibility is critica...
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