Re: [Ebbc-Talk] Community Meeting May 22, 7 PM to Discuss Webster Street SMART Corridors Project

Mike,

The situation is not what you apparently think it is.

Among other things the traffic volumes at Atlantic and Webster  are far too high to convert Webster from 4 traffic lanes to 2 traffic lanes with bike lanes.
(We fought for this in 1999-2000 but there is no way to justify decreasing the traffic lanes at this point.)

More responses below.


On May 20, 2012, at 8:19 PM, Mike Jones wrote:

> So if I've got this right they want to....
> 
> Install superfluous technology, that acts as little more than a comfort
> blanket to motorists and a sop to the emergency services (don't people have
> cell phones to call in accidents?)

The video cameras will alert emergency services immediately when there is an accident, rather than their having to rely on the 2-5 minute lapse between
someone witnessing a call and their being able to find a place to pull over, pull out their phone, and get to the dispatcher. 

> Synchronize the road for cars- too fast for bikes.

The speed limit will remain at 25 MPH and the de facto speed at busier intersections will also stay the same, except that the additional delays
caused by the currently put-of-sync lights will be gone, reducing car engine idling and reducing greenhouse gases. The relative speed 
for both bikes and cars should increase because vehicles will be stopped in traffic less. (A bike stuck in traffic should NEVER try to share
 narrow lanes by riding between cars stopped at a light and the parked cars close by: the door zone is 5 feet wide. 


Remove the rights of pedestrians to cross freely at Pacific by installing
> 
> signals.

I've tried crossing Webster at Pacific many times, as a ped, on a bike, and in a car. Webster is almost impossible to cross without 
waiting 3-5 minutes for a gap in traffic now. 

A signal at that intersection will increase ped safety immensely over current conditions and give peds a way to assert the priority they deserve. 
A signal will also give cyclists and cars crossing Webster on Pacific better access to the other side of Webster. The current lack of a signal is a serious
barrier to cross-Webster travel no matter who you are.... 


> Spend lots of money on consultants and engineering.

Not a whole lot. Besides, the engineering costs are shared by several agencies...
> 
> The only thing that sounds SMART is re-instating the crosswalk option at
> Central. Something that should never have been done in the first place.

Agreed. We fought for that restoration in 1999-2000 also but it has taken a while to 
overcome the potential embarrassment of PW over having to re-install a missing crosswalk.
> A
> real SMART solution would be to make the commercial part of Webster a 2-lane
> road with bike lanes. It's a place to shop not drive through!

The current traffic figures for both Park Street and Webster Street prohibit the removal of auto traffic lanes.

We suggested this in 1999-2000 (Webster Renaissance Project) and in 200-2002 (Park Street Vision Process community workshops.
According to CalTrans guidelines, instaliing bike lanes and removing auto traffic lanes are impossible to consider without significant 
traffic re-routing and diversions that would probably destroy large chunks of historic business and residential neighborhoods.
And Alamedans do NOT want any more historic homes or buildings razed. Alameda has lost too many historic buildings already...

Perhaps the best thing about his project is the transit signal priority (TSP) , though, which will definitely help AC Transit do better with its on-time 
performance.As a regular AC TRansit "O" (transbay) and "51" (local) buses I think the TSP is better than anything else on this list and believe that TSP
by itself would be fine.

Jon


> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected]
> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jon Spangler
> Sent: 20 May 2012 19:53
> To: BikeAlameda List
> Cc: Obaid Khan; EBBC Discussion List
> Subject: [Ebbc-Talk] Community Meeting May 22, 7 PM to Discuss Webster
> Street SMART Corridors Project
> 
> A proposed "SMART Corridors" Project on Webster Street will be discussed at
> the College of Alameda this Tuesday, May 22, at 7 PM in Room D119 at the
> College of Alameda, 555 Ralph Appezzato Parkway.
> 
> The SMART Corridors Project would smooth traffic flow and enhance transit,
> auto, and emergency vehicle travel and responses. 
> 
> It would:
> 
> 1. Install non-recording cameras in west Alameda to alert emergency services
> departments in case of accidents;
> 
> 2. Install 3 electronic advisory signs to alert Alameda drivers when one or
> both tubes are blocked by accidents;
> 
> 3. Synchronize signal timing along Webster Street in Alameda;
> 
> 4.  Replace a crosswalk that was removed from Central Avenue at Webster long
> ago;
> 
> 5. Add a signal light at Webster and Pacific;
> 
> 6. Provide signal priority for transit and emergency vehicles ("queue
> jumping").
> 
> 
> The link to the announcement and the text of the press release are below.
> 
> http://www.cityofalamedaca.gov/About-Alameda/Press-Releases?display=156
> 
> The project staff report is here:
> 
> http://www.cityofalamedaca.gov/getdoc.cfm?id=7876
> 
> and an updated presentation on the project is here:
> 
> http://www.cityofalamedaca.gov/getdoc.cfm?id=8035
> 
> 
> 
> For more project info, contact:
> 
> Obaid Khan, P.E.
> Supervising Civil Engineer
> City of Alameda
> 950 West Mall Square, Room 122
> Alameda, CA 94501
> PH 510-747-7938/747-7926; FAX: 510-769-6030 okhan-TRFGz8y94AjhJ1H5RvZ0SeG/[email protected]
> 
> 
> 
> Jon Spangler
> Writer/editor
> Linda Hudson Writing
> TEL  510-864-2144
> CEL 510-846-5356
> [email protected] 
> www.linkedin.com/in/jonmspangler
> www.twitter.com/jonmspangler
> 
> 
> "She who succeeds in gaining the mastery of the bicycle will gain the
> mastery of life."
>  -Frances E. Willard, in A Wheel Within a Wheel: How I Learned to Ride the
> Bicycle (1895)
> 
> 
> The Public Works Department needs community input and invites the public to
> a meeting that will be held on Tuesday, May 22 at 7:00 p.m., in Room D119,
> at the College of Alameda. The purpose of this meeting will be to discuss
> and provide comments on the proposed Webster Street SMART Corridors Project.
> Supported by the Fire and Police Departments, as well as staff from AC
> Transit, the primary goals of the project are to improve emergency response
> to collisions in the Posey Tube, reduce travel time for life support
> services to reach the Trauma Center in Oakland, and improve AC Transit's
> ability to stay on schedule by reducing overall travel time of buses.
> To meet these goals, the Webster Street SMART Corridors Project would:
> . Install three electronic traffic advisory signs that will be activated
> only when necessary to alert the public to emergencies and accidents in the
> Posey Tube and recommend alternate routes. The signs are proposed to be
> installed at the intersections of:
> 
> o Buena Vista Avenue at Constitution Way;
> o Lincoln Avenue at Webster Street; and
> o Third Street at Ralph Appezatto Memorial Parkway.
> . Install five non-recording cameras to provide the Police Department with
> real-time monitoring of traffic conditions and to provide appropriate
> emergency response, as incidents occur. The non-recording cameras are
> proposed to be installed at the following intersections:
> o Lincoln Avenue at Constitution Way;
> o Central Avenue at Webster Street;
> o Ralph Appezatto Parkway/Atlantic Avenue at Webster Street;
> o Near the entrance of Posey Tube; and
> o Near the exit of Webster Tube.
> . Coordinate all traffic signal lights along Webster Street between Central
> Avenue and Stargell Avenue so buses and cars can travel along the streets at
> a safe speed with a minimum number of stops.
> According to Police Chief Michael Noonan, "This project would reduce Police
> response time for service calls along Webster Street and the Posey Tube by
> providing real time information directly to the department's communications
> center. It would improve the overall safety for our residents using Webster
> Street and the Tubes." Fire Division Chief Daren Olson agrees with the
> safety benefits of the project saying, "The project would reduce emergency
> response time along Webster Street, especially to the Trauma Center in
> Oakland, thus improving overall public safety."
> In addition to the public safety benefits, the project would also improve
> safety for all modes of transportation by:
> . Striping a new crosswalk on Central Avenue at the easterly side of the
> Central Avenue and Webster Street intersection, where pedestrian crossings
> are currently prohibited;
> . Adding cameras at all intersections with a traffic signal light so the
> presence of a single bicycle will alert the traffic light to turn green; and
> . Providing a new traffic signal light at the Webster Street and Pacific
> Avenue intersection.
> Additional information on proposed improvements may be accessed on the
> following web page under "Current Project Documents:"
> http://www.cityofalamedaca.gov/City-Hall/Traffic-and-Transportation.
> The May 22 community meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. at College of Alameda
> in Room D119. The College of Alameda is located at 555 Ralph Appezzato
> Memorial Parkway. Individuals unable to attend the meeting may submit
> written comments to Obaid Khan, Supervising Civil Engineer, at City Hall
> West, 950 W. Mall Square, Room 110, or by email at okhan-TRFGz8y94AjhJ1H5RvZ0SeG/[email protected]
> All written comments will be part of the official public record.
> _______________________________________________
> Ebbc-Talk mailing list
> [email protected]
> http://lists.ebbc.org/listinfo.cgi/ebbc-talk-ebbc.org
> 



Jon Spangler
Writer/editor
Linda Hudson Writing
TEL  510-864-2144
CEL 510-846-5356
[email protected] 
www.linkedin.com/in/jonmspangler
www.twitter.com/jonmspangler


"She who succeeds in gaining the mastery of the bicycle will gain the mastery of life."
  —Frances E. Willard, in A Wheel Within a Wheel: How I Learned to Ride the Bicycle (1895)

_______________________________________________
Ebbc-Talk mailing list
[email protected]
http://lists.ebbc.org/listinfo.cgi/ebbc-talk-ebbc.org