Agreed. Better signage and thicker brighter attention getting cross walks on every side would also help a lot . Maybe even some playful ones as a visual reminder that kids are nearby?

Existing conditions (when school is not in session) via google maps

It is very unsafe especially with so many kids and seniors walking across the street. Something needed to be done! Thanks for the attention.

I am concerned for my children's safety who attend school in the neighborhood. There are actually THREE school campuses in the neighborhood. Also, however, as a driver in the area, I am often much slower to change lanes, pull out of a parking spot near the cross walk, take turns at the intersection, etc., because I am so concerned about low visibility of children and adults and speeding cars. Many other drivers in the area seem to have similar concerns and this creates extra traffic delays and complications for the entire neighborhood. Please consider greater visibility for the crosswalk or a traffic light. Thank you.

There should be flashing lights at this intersection given how much vehicular and pedestrian traffic there is during morning drop off and afternoon pick up times. Also, "SLOW when children are present" signs should be in the vicinity

The high volume of cars traveling on Alcatraz near San Pablo and the speed at which these cars travel makes this incredibly unsafe for the school children and families that need to cross this street multiple times each day Mon-Fri. Something has to be done by Oakland Public Works before someone is injured.

Hog traffic with lots of children crossing from multiple schools . Speed bumps as well as slow signs would be helpful.

So many close encounters here! Mere misses! Don't want see something horrible happen inorder to get the priority from the city. Please please avoid that statistic!! We as grown-ups are the voices for the children who attend these schools nearby. If the children can vote, they would all be casting for their classmates/schools safety, because children know that safety comes first!

My child just started school there; i just started driving there. I already helped one late arrival stop traffic so their child could cross the road. I won't let mine cross the road, even with a crossing guard.

This is what it is like at 8:15 am. Not a safe place for children or adults to cross.

Agree with above!

I definitely agree that this is not a safe crosswalk. I think best solution would be a stoplight, second best solution would be a stop sign, and third would be lighted up crosswalk.

Another solution I have seen is to get a cop out for a week issuing tickets to cars that don't stop in the cross walk. The people who drive that street are the same people who drive everyday and they will get the message.

I'd also like to see tickets for people who park in the "no parking zone" during posted no parking hours.

As a neighbor nearby, living in the area for the last four years, I think a stoplight and even a stop sign would be a bit over kill. The traffic zoo occurs for maybe 30 minutes before school starts and after school ends. Outside of school hours I've never had a problem at this intersection. Enforcement of the no-parking hours would help immensely. Also, having a crossing guard that follows the Safe Routes to School guidelines (here: http://guide.saferoutesinfo.org/crossing_guard/an_unsignalized_crosswalk.cfm) would help. The current crossing guard often fails to make eye-contact with drivers, walks from one end of the crosswalk to the other, fails to hold their sign up high (usually a chest level), makes small talk with parents and students, and does not assemble groups of children/parents for crossing - rather escorts each individual).

Before disbursing limited funds on signage, I'd encourage the City of Oakland to conduct a full traffic study that takes into account the time and frequency of crossing issues.

Hi Paradise Parker,

Thank you for the link to the crossing guard guidelines. We parents will make sure that the school administration gets a copy and that the crossing guard gets some tips and training. We understand that it is important for those representing the school to be respectful of neighborhood traffic flow just as we want motorists to be respectful of pedestrians and schoolchildren. Alcatraz is a speedway, though, and some traffic slowing, calming, and safety measures such as a lighted, raised, or creatively striped crosswalk would help everyone, pedestrians and motorists alike.

Please fix this issue as this is very unsafe for kids and other pedestrians in this neighborhood. Cars drive very fast in this area and having measures to help cats slow down and pay attention would be very prudent.

As a driver whose car has been hit twice in that intersection when slow down for pedestrians (one time resulting in a concussion), I sincerely ask that you fix this intersections to provide better safety. There have been accidents, near misses, and blatant disregard for bikers and pedestrians. Please do not wait until yet another person ends up hospitalized or worse.

I think that making the crosswalk safer will require collaboration between the Oakland DOT and the pedestrians/schools. I know that the schools are open to suggestions on how to improve crossing practices (although having volunteered as a crossing guard at this intersection, I don't think that alone is enough). If there are neighbors that would like to collaborate with the parents and schools in addressing this issue, please contact me at epeterson@yumingschool.org or 510-779-2776. We want to collaboratively work with our neighbors and the city to implement some sensible traffic calming improvements that will make it safer for everyone. In partnership, Eric Peterson

Hoping we can work with the city to comply with these standards to increase visibility: http://guide.saferoutesinfo.org/engineering/marked_crosswalks.cfm#street

This crosswalk is extremely dangerous because people drive much too fast down Alcatraz. People also turn onto alcrataz from Herzog and often do not see the existing crosswalk. This is not just an issue for the kids, as a parent I have been nearly hit twice.

A comprehensive study with solutions that lend towards better traffic calming and safety at this intersection is sorely needed. While it is true that much of the congestion occurs during the start and end of school during the normal school year, it does not take way from the fact that it is a dangerous intersection and lives are placed at risk, be it adults or children, pedestrian, cyclist or driver. The school would like to be a good neighbor and respectful of the existing community.
The city's traffic engineers should study the intersection and develop the appropriate response and/or solution. The existing conditions are too dangerous to remain as is.

There are many urban traffic calming solutions that applied appropriately would help the situation. Redesigning the intersection and improving sightlines, looking at the curbs at the intersection and widening and removing parking directly at the corners, ensuring ADA compliant curb cuts, appropriate stripping for traffic calming, raised crosswalks with painted or colored crossings, flashing safety domes embedded along the edges of the crossings, appropriate and right sized signage and traffic police presence, along with properly trained crossing guards could all be potential solutions. Note there is a traffic light just at the end of the block. Drivers don't save that much time in speeding through this block.

I appreciate the tips for safe pedestrian crossing given and agree that this will take a collaborative effort between the school and city. As a fellow driver just trying to get to work, I realize the impact of the inconvenience of the increased traffic and student crossings at certain times of the day. But any kind of accident, great or small, would be even more inconvenient and a potential tragedy that is not worth the minutes it takes to slow down or stop. Any additional assistance to facilitate safe passage for all (people, cars, and bikes) from traffic studies, signage or any other modification would be appreciated.

As part of this issue, I hope we can create a safer crossing by repainting the yellow street markings.

FYI, I wrote up a post summarizing the issues: http://www.familyoakland.org/blog/lets-make-our-streets-and-sidewalks-safer-for-our-students-and-seniors

Here's the overview/plan that has come out of our community-wide organizing efforts: http://www.familyoakland.org/safestreets.html

Three years ago, Berkeley installed bulb outs along Alcatraz and it abruptly ends in Oakland. Oakland needs to install bulb outs at the intersections until San Pablo Avenue. Please use safe routes to schools funding to initiate the process before someone is injured.

This issue will soon be old enough to enroll in kindergarten, and it's still unresolved. Meanwhile pedestrians and cyclists keep getting hit.

SCF suggested that "you might like" this issue after commenting on a new issue. The fact that this is nearly 4.5 years old leaves me with little hope for other issues. Does anyone whose been around longer have any idea how often Oakland actually fixes the problems reported here?

It depends on the issue. Some city departments do seem to monitor these posts, and some of those do respond. If it has to do with encampments or drug markets anything that Dan Kalb should be responsible for addressing, forget it.

Seeing a lot of love for Mr. Kalb here on SCF lol

That part of Alcatraz is finally scheduled to be repaved sometime this or next month, weather permitting. I don’t know what at will be included with the repaving work, but Oakland is upgrading curb ramps and crosswalk striping/signage at minimum with most new paving jobs.

Still no bulb outs at this spot. Why are intersections repaved without installing bulb outs on residential roads?
I sometimes see parents park on the crosswalk there. It is extremely dangerous.

Yes, the repavement was done without safety improvements, unfortunately.