Project Goals
For the Clement Avenue/Tilden Way Project, the City seeks to:
Recommended Strategies
The City staff/consultant team will consider various strategies to improve safety and operations such as road diets and roundabouts as described more below.
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(PDF, 2MB) , 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. FHWA Video and Fact Sheets are as follows:
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:
Project History
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 is expected to begin in summer 2025 after the Department of Toxic Substances Control approves the soil cleanup plan.
Background: 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. This project connects to the City's Clement Avenue Complete Street project, and to the City of Oakland's planned and funded Fruitvale Avenue improvements. 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.
Concept: Includes a bikeway, walkway, road diet, westbound Clement Avenue extension, open space, stormwater gardens, bus stop improvements, a dog park, a roundabout at the Blanding/Tilden/Fernside intersection, and bicycle/pedestrian safety improvements at the intersection of Tilden Way and Broadway. Road diets reduce crashes up to 47 percent. Roundabouts reduce fatal and severe injury crashes up to 78 percent compared to traffic signals.
Westbound Vehicle and Cross Alameda Trail Extension Concept(PDF, 2MB)
Roundabout overlay with existing conditions(PDF, 1MB)