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

TONIGHT:

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.
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