City requests input on Slow Streets program

Published on August 09, 2021

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City requests input on Slow Streets program and provides next steps for Commercial Streets

During the COVID-19 pandemic, 4.7 miles of “Slow Streets” were blocked to through automobile traffic to facilitate physical distancing and provide space for physical activity. To help the City decide what’s next for the Slow Streets program, the public is invited to provide feedback at four virtual open houses scheduled in August and by taking an online survey, available through Sunday, August 29. The survey, event details, and more information about the program are posted at www.SlowStreetsAlameda.org.

Upcoming Slow Streets virtual Open Houses:

  • Thursday, August 12, 12 noon – 1 pm
  • Thursday, August 12, 6:30 - 7:30 pm
  • Tuesday, August 17, 6:00 - 7:00p pm
  • Monday, August 30, 5:30 – 6:30 pm

Beginning April 2020, the City designed and implemented many efforts to support the safety and health of our community throughout the pandemic. The Slow Streets program implemented soft closures of select Alameda streets by placing barricades along the streets to limit through automobile traffic, creating more places for the community to safely walk, run, bike, scooter, roll and gather. From April to June 2020, the City implemented Slow Streets on segments of four streets:

  • Pacific Ave (from Ninth to Oak)
  • San Jose Ave (from Morton to Oak) + Morton St (from San Jose to San Antonio)
  • Santa Clara Ave (from Pacific to Sixth)
  • Versailles Ave (from Fernside to Otis)

In June 2021, a fifth Slow Street was added on Orion St, from West Midway to Pearl Harbor.

The City Council approved the Slow Streets program through the end of October 2021. City staff are now comprehensively evaluating the impacts these changes have had and developing recommendations for what comes next. The City’s Transportation Commission will hear staff’s recommendations and make their recommendation to the City Council at their September 22 meeting. The City Council will consider the item in October.

Next Steps for the Commercial Streets program:

After conducting a similar survey and outreach events for the Commercial Streets program, City staff’s recommendations were taken to the Transportation Commission, and were unanimously supported at their July 28 meeting. The full recommendations, which can be found on the Commercial Streets web page and will be taken to the City Council on September 21, are summarized below.

  • Park Street and Webster Street Reconfiguration. Maintain the existing striping on Park Street and Webster Street for at least the next two years.
  • Temporary Parklet Program. Revise the temporary parklet program to allow for semi-permanent parklets that meet a higher safety and aesthetic standard.
  • Parking Regulations. Return to parking regulations that were in effect before 2020, while also adding some short term parking, loading zones, and disabled parking in select areas.
  • Alameda Avenue Street Closure. Maintain the half-block closure of Alameda Avenue until the street is repaved (anticipated for 2023) or until the Downtown Alameda Business Association (DABA) no longer wishes to manage the space, whichever occurs first.
  • Temporary citywide Use Permit. Allow the existing citywide conditional use permit for outdoor dining and commercial activities in private parking lots to expire on November 1, 2021. Individual businesses that wish to continue to use their lots for commercial uses may apply for a site-specific permanent use permit.

To receive updates on both the Slow Streets and the Commercial Streets programs, please subscribe to the “Transp - Commercial and Slow Streets” email list.

Slow Streets: www.SlowStreetsAlameda.org

Commercial Streets: www.alamedaca.gov/commercialstreets

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