8 22-0510 Subject: ACTC's San Pablo Avenue Corridor Project
From: Transportation Department
Recommendation: Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To Sign A Letter Of Support For The San Pablo Avenue Corridor Project Led By The Alameda County Transportation Commission To Begin The Detailed Design Phase
I support this project. Transit should be prioritized, but is slowed by mixing with vehicles. Biking on San Pablo is incredibly stressful and deters people from making the healthy and sustainable transportation choice.
I am in strong favor of this initiative. I live along the San Pablo corridor in Oakland and almost daily I see the conflicts between drivers, pedestrians, and bikers. Transit only lanes and protected bike lanes will be a huge improvement for transportation along the corridor. Please, please help make this happen as soon as possible. Thank you.
Please OPPOSE a dedicated transit-only lane. Two lanes in both north and south directions are vital to auto traffic flow, and a transit only lane would take vital auto lanes away. A bike lane would be fine but it should NOT be protected from vehicle traffic by raised concrete islands or curbs. Raised islands and curbs are dangerous obstacles that might be hit by both cars and bicycles, and would likely also have an adverse effect on auto flow. Pedestrian crossing safety enhancements would be fine as long as they do not entail concrete islands or curbs. Well timed traffic lights to keep auto flow moving without excessive stopping would save energy and brake pads, and be good for the environment due to less stopping and accelerating from stopping.
A model of what could go wrong is already on display in Berkeley on Milvia Street, where raised concrete islands and curbs have been installed to "protect" bicycle lanes. These are hideous, and take away space needed by cars, and increase danger of collision with the curbs and islands. I like to bicycle, and like bicycle lanes, but there is no safety reason for dangerous cement curbs and islands, and they are a waste of money when basic surface pavement conditions are often in need of repair.
I have lived near San Pablo Avenue in District 1 for over 16 years. I strongly support the proposal to upgrade San Pablo Avenue with dedicated protected bike lanes, bus only lanes, and pedestrian crossing improvements. The current configuration just doesn't work well for anyone. As a pedestrian, it is often dangerous and time consuming to cross. As an occasional AC Transit rider, the ride is harsh, jerky, and slow. As a motorist, I dread negotiating traffic with aggressive drivers who treat S.P.A. as a freeway. And as a frequent cyclist, I often fear for my life! When there is heavy traffic, I will drive to destinations on S.P.A. due to safety concerns - even though it takes longer and emits CO2. I would much rather ride my bicycle without worrying about being hit by a car or someone in a parked car flinging open their door.
I am a resident of District 4 and I commute to work on my bike daily to west Berkeley. Right now, riding along San Pablo is not an option because it is too unsafe. The safety improvements outlined in attachment C would improve my quality of life by allowing me to take a more direct route to and from work and spend more time with my family. The protected bike lanes on San Pablo also represent a safety improvement compared to my current, less efficient route. Please do the right thing and approve the resolution authorizing the City Administrator to sign a letter approving the San Pablo corridor safety improvements.
I live along the San Pablo Ave Corridor in North Oakland and I strongly support this project. I walk, bike, ride transit and drive along San Pablo Ave, and all four modes of travel are dangerous, largely due to speeding drivers. These changes will make the corridor a safer stretch for my neighbors, and for all of the people who use this critical corridor to get around the East Bay daily. San Pablo would go from a perilous to a comfortable bicycle route, making biking possible for a wider range of people. Riding the bus would grow much more appealing, as travel times get reduced. Walking on San Pablo would become safer and more comfortable - easily crossing the two lanes of auto traffic rather than playing frogger across 4+ lanes. And finally, San Pablo would continue to be usable for car drivers, with a dedicated auto lane and ample off-street parking.
As an Oakland resident who frequently travels to Emeryville and Berkeley, I'm voicing strong support for this initiative. San Pablo is a key corridor that connects these 3 East Bay cities, and it's critical that we redesign it to better accommodate non-auto travel and high-capacity transit. The Oakland portion of the San Pablo corridor is especially dangerous, making up 80% of fatal collisions and more than half of severe collisions, as the analysis pointed out.
This is a matter of safety and environmental justice and these improvements are way past due. Please move forward and get it done.
I strongly support this initiative. As a frequent transit and bike rider along San Pablo, this street desperately needs to be modified to better and more safely accommodate non-automobile travel.
I support this project. Transit should be prioritized, but is slowed by mixing with vehicles. Biking on San Pablo is incredibly stressful and deters people from making the healthy and sustainable transportation choice.
I am in strong favor of this initiative. I live along the San Pablo corridor in Oakland and almost daily I see the conflicts between drivers, pedestrians, and bikers. Transit only lanes and protected bike lanes will be a huge improvement for transportation along the corridor. Please, please help make this happen as soon as possible. Thank you.
Please OPPOSE a dedicated transit-only lane. Two lanes in both north and south directions are vital to auto traffic flow, and a transit only lane would take vital auto lanes away. A bike lane would be fine but it should NOT be protected from vehicle traffic by raised concrete islands or curbs. Raised islands and curbs are dangerous obstacles that might be hit by both cars and bicycles, and would likely also have an adverse effect on auto flow. Pedestrian crossing safety enhancements would be fine as long as they do not entail concrete islands or curbs. Well timed traffic lights to keep auto flow moving without excessive stopping would save energy and brake pads, and be good for the environment due to less stopping and accelerating from stopping.
A model of what could go wrong is already on display in Berkeley on Milvia Street, where raised concrete islands and curbs have been installed to "protect" bicycle lanes. These are hideous, and take away space needed by cars, and increase danger of collision with the curbs and islands. I like to bicycle, and like bicycle lanes, but there is no safety reason for dangerous cement curbs and islands, and they are a waste of money when basic surface pavement conditions are often in need of repair.
I have lived near San Pablo Avenue in District 1 for over 16 years. I strongly support the proposal to upgrade San Pablo Avenue with dedicated protected bike lanes, bus only lanes, and pedestrian crossing improvements. The current configuration just doesn't work well for anyone. As a pedestrian, it is often dangerous and time consuming to cross. As an occasional AC Transit rider, the ride is harsh, jerky, and slow. As a motorist, I dread negotiating traffic with aggressive drivers who treat S.P.A. as a freeway. And as a frequent cyclist, I often fear for my life! When there is heavy traffic, I will drive to destinations on S.P.A. due to safety concerns - even though it takes longer and emits CO2. I would much rather ride my bicycle without worrying about being hit by a car or someone in a parked car flinging open their door.
I am a resident of District 4 and I commute to work on my bike daily to west Berkeley. Right now, riding along San Pablo is not an option because it is too unsafe. The safety improvements outlined in attachment C would improve my quality of life by allowing me to take a more direct route to and from work and spend more time with my family. The protected bike lanes on San Pablo also represent a safety improvement compared to my current, less efficient route. Please do the right thing and approve the resolution authorizing the City Administrator to sign a letter approving the San Pablo corridor safety improvements.
I live along the San Pablo Ave Corridor in North Oakland and I strongly support this project. I walk, bike, ride transit and drive along San Pablo Ave, and all four modes of travel are dangerous, largely due to speeding drivers. These changes will make the corridor a safer stretch for my neighbors, and for all of the people who use this critical corridor to get around the East Bay daily. San Pablo would go from a perilous to a comfortable bicycle route, making biking possible for a wider range of people. Riding the bus would grow much more appealing, as travel times get reduced. Walking on San Pablo would become safer and more comfortable - easily crossing the two lanes of auto traffic rather than playing frogger across 4+ lanes. And finally, San Pablo would continue to be usable for car drivers, with a dedicated auto lane and ample off-street parking.
As an Oakland resident who frequently travels to Emeryville and Berkeley, I'm voicing strong support for this initiative. San Pablo is a key corridor that connects these 3 East Bay cities, and it's critical that we redesign it to better accommodate non-auto travel and high-capacity transit. The Oakland portion of the San Pablo corridor is especially dangerous, making up 80% of fatal collisions and more than half of severe collisions, as the analysis pointed out.
This is a matter of safety and environmental justice and these improvements are way past due. Please move forward and get it done.
I strongly support this initiative. As a frequent transit and bike rider along San Pablo, this street desperately needs to be modified to better and more safely accommodate non-automobile travel.
Thanks,
Mark
Zip 94612