Clement Avenue/Tilden Way Improvement Project

May 26-27 Daytime Closure on Blanding Ave: On May 26 and 27, Blanding Avenue between Broadway and Tilden Way will be closed to thru traffic from 7am to 5pm except to allow vehicular access to Greer Mortuary and secondary access to the Bridgeside Shopping Center. The driveway at the intersection of Blanding Avenue/Broadway will remain open for primary access to the Bridgeside Shopping Center. See the Blanding Detour Map for alternate vehicular routes around this area.

Construction stages 2-3 began on May 18, 2026, and are slated to finish in the fall. Tilden Way will remain open (along a temporary roadway starting in June), but construction requires a temporary closure of Fernside Boulevard at Tilden Way. 

Driving Detour Map

Stage-2-3-Main-Fernside-Detour.png

See larger image

The City recognizes the challenges of construction detours and appreciates the patience of community members during this time. When complete, this project will improve safety for all street users and reduce vehicle delays on and off the island.

The project is currently in its most intensive construction period (stages 2-3), including constructing the roundabout at Tilden Way/Blanding Avenue/Fernside Boulevard with lane reductions along Tilden Way between Broadway and Miller Sweeney Bridge. These stages will also improve the connection to/from Pearl Street from Fernside Boulevard, construct widened sidewalks on the south side of Tilden Way, construct a new pedestrian island and medians, and upgrade driveways within the work area. Stages 2-3 are expected to continue through October 2026, subject to weather and other unforeseen circumstances.

Current construction requires a temporary closure of Fernside Boulevard between Tilden Way and Versailles Avenue. See maps below for routes around this area:

Driving Detour Map

Pedestrian Detour Map

Other suggested route maps:

Temporary walkways will be placed giving pedestrians and bicyclists a travel path across Blanding Avenue as they travel along Tilden Way. Traffic will be able to continue traveling on Tilden Way via a temporary roadway north of the roundabout. The Bridgeside Shopping Center will remain open throughout construction.

Street parking and driveway access within the work area will be affected. “No Parking” signs will be posted 72 hours in advance of any work. Nearby residents and businesses will receive more information directly as construction progresses. 

Stage 1: October 20, 2025 through May 2026 (completed)

  • Mobilize for construction
  • Construction for Clement Avenue extension
  • Pedestrian improvements north of Tilden Way
  • Removal of railroad tracks, platform, and equipment

Stages 2-3: May through October 2026

  • Implement Fernside Boulevard closure at approach to Tilden Way with detours around road closure
  • Construction for roundabout at Tilden Way/Fernside Boulevard/Blanding Avenue intersection
  • Temporary Tilden Way roadway north of roundabout
  • Construction for pedestrian islands/medians at south side of Tilden Way/Fernside Boulevard/Blanding Avenue intersection

Stage 4: October through November 2026

  • Open Fernside Boulevard approach to Tilden Way
  • Remove temporary roadway
  • Open roundabout
  • Construction of pedestrian improvements west side of intersections at Tilden Way/Broadway and Tilden Way/Fernside Boulevard/Blanding Avenue
  • Complete connection of Clement Avenue extension to Tilden Way

Stage 5: November 2026 through January 2027

  • Implement Blanding Avenue closure at approach to Tilden Way with detours around road closure
  • Construction for Blanding Avenue approach improvements to Tilden Way
  • Pedestrian improvements east side of intersection at Tilden Way/Broadway
  • Complete landscaping/irrigation/dog park improvements
  • Final paving improvements

The Clement Avenue/Tilden Way Improvement project will improve safety for all street users and reduce vehicle delays on and off the island. It includes:

  • Roadway reconfiguration with a roundabout at Tilden Way/Blanding Avenue/Fernside Boulevard
  • New bikeways and walkways to complete the Cross Alameda Trail from the Miller-Sweeney/Fruitvale Bridge to Seaplane Lagoon
  • A dog park, open space, and landscaping
  • Bus stop and accessibility improvements
  • A westbound extension of Clement Avenue from Broadway to Tilden Way
  • Pedestrian and bicyclist safety improvements at Tilden Way/Broadway
  • Pavement resurfacing
Clement/Tilden design concept with roundabout, dog park, and bike and ped facilities

Download the design concept(PDF, 2MB)

Safety

Roundabouts reduce fatal and severe injury crashes up to 78 percent compared to traffic signals, and Clement/Tilden is a High Crash Intersection. Road diets reduce crashes up to 47 percent. 

Connections

The Clement Avenue/Tilden Way project uses the abandoned railroad right-of-way at Clement Avenue and Tilden Way to extend the Cross Alameda Trail between Broadway and the Miller-Sweeney/Fruitvale Bridge and to improve the truck and bus routes in this area. It connects to the City's Clement Avenue Complete Street project, and to the City of Oakland's Fruitvale Avenue improvements

Funding

In 2017, the Alameda County Transportation Commission awarded a grant to the City of Alameda for $10 million including local match to close the gap in the Cross Alameda Trail and truck route.  This project is funded by Measure BB, Alameda County's transportation sales tax. In July 2024, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) awarded a grant to the City of Alameda for $2.1 million to include bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements at the intersection of Tilden Way and Broadway.

More information

Roundabouts

Roundabouts reduce the types of crashes where people are seriously hurt or killed by up to 78 percent when compared to signalized intersections.  Roundabouts result in lower vehicle speeds around the roundabout. Crashes that occur will be less severe because of this reduced speed and the more “sideswipe” nature of crashes.  Pedestrians are generally safer at roundabouts, and are faced with simpler decisions at a time. Videos and presentations on roundabouts are as follows:

Road Diets

The reduction of motor vehicle travel lane(s) provides an opportunity to reallocate space for other uses such as bike lanes and a center two-way left-turn lane.  According to the Federal Highway Administration's informational guide, streets with travel lane reductions have multiple benefits for people driving, walking and bicycling, such as:
  • Decreases vehicle travel lanes for pedestrians to cross;
  • Allows for better visibility of pedestrians waiting or attempting to cross the street;
  • Improves circulation for bicyclists when a bikeway is added;
  • Reduces rear-end, sideswipe and left-turn collisions by at least 19 percent and up to 47 percent through the use of a center two-way left-turn lane;
  • Improves speed limit compliance by three to five miles per hour, which reduces the severity of collisions; and
  • Improves travel flow since through vehicles are separated from left turning vehicles.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has a case studies document and additional resources:

In March 2023, the City Council endorsed the design concept and authorized the consultant amendment to proceed with design - staff report is here. In July 2024, BART and the City of Alameda signed an agreement securing $2.1 million in Safe Routes to BART funding, which is from voter-approved Measure RR funds. Construction began in 2025 after the Department of Toxic Substances Control approved the soil cleanup plan.

Project Timeline 2016-2027

2026-2027

  • Construction continues through 2026 and is expected to be completed by early 2027

2025

2024

  • Summer: Prepare detailed design
  • Fall: Submittal of the soil cleanup plan for review by the Department of Toxic Substance Control
  • Late: Complete design

2023

  • Jan 25: AC Transit Interagency Liaison Committee - presentation(PDF, 4MB)
  • Jan 25: Transportation Commission endorsed recommended concept - Staff report: click here
  • March 7: City Council (request approval of recommended concept and consultant amendment) - WITHDRAWN from agenda - agenda
  • March 15: Site tour with the Mayor and City Council - corner of Fernside Blvd. and Tilden Way - special meeting announcement is shown here
  • March 21: City Council (endorsed recommended concept and consultant amendment) - staff report: click here
  • Preliminary design

2022

2021

  • August: City purchased Clement/Tilden property from Union Pacific via eminent domain for $1.54 million

2019

  • June: City Council appropriated an additional $2 million in Measure BB grant funds and $470,000 of local match for fiscal years 2019 to 2021 as shown in the CIP Project Sheet(PDF, 176KB)

2018

  • July: City Council authorized the pre-construction grant funding agreement with Alameda CTC totaling $2 million in Measure BB funds and $445,000 in local match - Staff report: click here
  • Sept: City Council approved taking action to acquire Union Pacific property via eminent domain for the Clement Avenue/Tilden Way extension - Staff report: click here

2017

  • April: Won an Alameda CTC Measure BB grant totaling $8.4 million with $1 million local match to fund the right-of-way purchase, planning, environmental clean-up, design and construction
  • June: City Council appropriated $1.7 million in Measure BB grant funds and $548,000 of local match for fiscal years 2017 to 2019 as shown in the Capital Improvement Program Project Sheet(PDF, 313KB)

2016

  • October: Alameda CTC CIP grant submittal