Why is the City doing this?
With park amenities, gyms and pools closed, and trails packed with people, many Alameda residents are seeking other ways to safely exercise while maintaining the required physical distancing. It can be difficult to maintain 6’ or more of social distance on many sidewalks, park paths, and bikeways. Because of this, many people are choosing to walk in the street to maintain adequate physical distancing, exposing themselves to swiftly moving vehicle traffic. The City of Alameda is implementing a pilot program, Slow Streets, which will institute the "soft" closure of some streets to through traffic, allowing these roadways to be used as a shared space for people walking and rolling, while also allowing essential vehicle travel. The goal is to take advantage of lower vehicle traffic resulting from the shelter-in-place order imposed by Alameda County and the State, and allow more people to use our streets while maintaining social distancing.
Can I drive on a Slow Street?
While the City is implementing a “soft” closure, local access is still allowed, which means people who live on the street, or need to access a destination on the stretch of roadway that is closed, are allowed access. People in cars are encouraged to go very slowly and use extreme caution on these shared streets; other motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes.
Slow Streets will be in effect 24/7, given the limited staff resources to deploy/re-deploy equipment daily.
What does it look like on the street?
At select locations along the street, including at the beginning and end of the Slow Street segment, as well as at key intersections, the City will post closure signage on barricades stating “Road Closed to Thru Traffic.” Traffic cones will also be used to mark the change.
What activities are allowed on these Slow Streets?
- Low-speed activities including walking, biking, and running. People should maintain physical distancing and be mindful of each other regardless of mode of travel.
- Emergency vehicles, paratransit vehicles, and those whose final destination is on the street.
- People carrying out essential business activities, such as deliveries.
- Waste collection is allowed and will continue.
What activities are not allowed on these Slow Streets?
- Social gatherings or events. Always maintain at least 6 feet of physical space from others, and wear a mask.
- Set-up of tables, chairs, play equipment, etc.
How were the streets selected? [Updated]
The selected street segments are ones that already serve many people walking and biking, are low-traffic streets to minimize traffic disruption and are already a bicycle route and/or are being considered as future bicycle boulevards as part of the Active Transportation Plan effort underway. Results of the Slow Streets community survey were also considered in street selection.
Will this be expanded to more streets? [Updated]
Slow Streets are being added, given Council's May 19th program endorsement and the positive results of the program. Future potential phases are shown in the Maps tab on this web page. Candidate streets focus on existing bicycle routes and potential bicycle boulevard streets, plus community input. You can share your ideas for more streets to add in our program feedback survey (on this web page).
What about all the other streets in the city?
People are driving less, and walking and bicycling more than ever throughout the city. Alameda strongly urges all drivers to drive slowly and safely, and to expect to see people walking and biking along ALL streets. Our hospitals are facing unprecedented challenges and don't need any additional patients. Let’s keep our community safe and strong.
How is the City monitoring this?
City staff and volunteers will track the program’s effectiveness, monitor to ensure physical distancing is observed and modify efforts on an ongoing basis. City staff will work with community members and partners, including Bike East Bay and Bike Walk Alameda, to assist with outreach, including identifying Block Captains to help monitor, report issues, and replace signs and barricades, as needed. Enter your name in the form on the sidebar of this web page if you’re interested in volunteering.
How will the City address enforcement?
The City will monitor the use of the streets, as noted above, but will not seek to ticket or financially penalize those who use the corridors as through streets. Instead, the City will aim to educate and raise awareness of the increasing prevalence of non-motorist use of the roadway and to encourage orderly, shared use of our roadways.
How can I be in touch with the City about this program and help spread the word?
If you have a location-specific maintenance issue, please report it on this web page (under "Request Service" above).
We’d love to hear your thoughts on how the program is working, what additional streets should be added, etc. Take our survey on this web page. We’ll monitor the comments and use them to adjust how the program moves forward.
Use #SlowStreetsAlameda to post photos of your experiences on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Where else is this happening?
Alameda joins cities around the Bay Area (Oakland, San Francisco, Emeryville) and around the country (Seattle, Denver and more) in creating safe places to be physically active while we all respond to physical distancing mandates.