I live near that intersection and have petitioned the city to put a stop sign there a few years ago. My request was denied. I hope this will wake everyone up that that intersection needs a four way stop sign. The cars whip around the corner too quickly there and it is dangerous for bikes, pedestrians, and other drivers. I am sorry for the child who was hit and hope he/she is well.

In addition to a four-way stop, I encourage the City to extend the current bulb-outs further to improve the sight lines for walkers, bikers and drivers.

This intersection needs a 4 way stop sign. There is blind spot when pulling out of Channing onto Robert Davey Jr. Dr.. People speed down that street, Very dangerous for pedestrians, bike riders are cars. The city of Alameda also needs to enforce "no texting wile driving". I see this way too often on our streets. One child getting hit is one too many.

I agree that a four-way stop would be wise for this intersection.

Totally agree. The curve from Aughinbaugh to Channing looks minor but it isn’t. I drive through that intersection every weekday around 7:30am. If cars drove 25mph on Robert Davey I would be able to see them in time to wait. More frequently, I start into the intersection only to have to quickly stop for someone clearly speeding down Robert Davey. Anyone (child or adult) who attempts to cross that intersection as a pedestrian or bicyclist is taking a big risk, especially on the Aughinbaugh side. Please do something.

My daughter was standing at the bus stop in front of the accident and saw the entire thing unfold. She is still tormented by the images she cannot get out of her head watching this 6th grader get hit by this car, flipping through the air and landing on the ground lifeless. She was in shock as were all of the kids at the bus stop. They were smart enough to call 911 and run to get the boys parents.
The car slowed down as it approached the cross walk, the kids assumed she was stopping, the car assumed the kids were going to let her pass as it seemed she was in a hurry. Neither fully stopped. Both boys almost got hit, one boy was hit hard.

My daughter was running late that day, so I drove her to the bus stop. She got out on the opposite side of the street from the bus stop and crossed the crosswalk just 1 minute before these boys crossed. It could have been her. Both of my daughters use this crosswalk everyday to go between their dads house and mine. I have pulled out from that intersection so many times and it's difficult to see traffic coming up the road from Auginbaugh.

A stop sign is absolutely necessary at this intersection. It's only a matter of time before this happens again.

Need Stop Sign. This is an incredibly dangerous crossing and has been a known issue for a very long time. There is a blind spot looking left as you come out of Channing way. At Sunset, drivers coming west on Robert Davey are blinded; and at Sunrise, drivers driving east on Robert Davey are blinded. There have been accidents at both of these times as data points.

How many kids need to get hit before you put in a 4-way stop?

Yes- please put a 4-way stop at this dangerous intersection

As a runner, I’ve been nearly hit at that same intersection many times. My husband also hit a boy on that intersection several years ago(ultimately boy was at fault, but the feeling of terror of hitting a child will never leave him). We inquired about putting a red zone on that corner as well, where Parking is allowed and we never received a response from the city. Besides being a dangerous turn, it’s a blind spot with cars parked there. Let’s not have any more accidents here. Let’s do the right thing: put in a red zone, extend the bulbs, put up flashing cross lights, and make that a four way stop.

I use as a driver, biker and pedestrian. The last improvement was good for drivers because it allows us to safely pull out to see left-right. But it did nothing for bikers and pedestrians. Most drivers are at a reasonable speed and stop for me. However, a significant minority are speeding and, even when they see me, do not yield.

My concern about a stop sign is drivers who are not familiar with the route might not see it in time coming around the curve from Aughinbaugh. A “stop ahead” sign would be needed. An alternative to a stop sign could be a hump, along with a warning sign, like on Bayview Drive. That might slow them without requiring a complete stop.

I agree that we need more traffic controls at this intersection. The road curves and that makes it difficult to see what is approaching.

More than a few drivers (mainly heading west) just will not slow down; the double reverse curves create a blind spot to see any and all pedestrians; the setting sun in the west and its glare affects the drivers' vision; and some of our smaller kids are hard to spot until the very last minute. Knowing that these four FACTS exist and any one or two or three or four working in combination can be "in play" on any given day, isn't it time for action? For safety? For Liability? For the most cost-effective action?
Is it too much to ask for 4 stop signs, 4 four-way-stop signs, 4 poles, and 2 painted pedestrian islands with reflectors?

A 4-way-stop at this intersection is absolutely essential. To many kids/people got hit and hurt.......and a lot of close calls.
Enough is enough, does anyone else needs to get hurt!?
Make it a 4-way-stop!!!!!
There is a 4-way-stop at Puddingstone and Robert-Davey-Jr. why not at this intersection??

Regarding the first post: "City of Alameda assigned this issue to Public Works Transportation Alan", what is the time lag between "assignment" and action? A hearing for safety isn't needed ...... or is it "procedurally needed" under dept. regulations? Can the city council fast track and bypass the red tape? Who to ask today?

How many more kids need to be hit? Cars don't follow speed limits and drivers are not paying attention. Slow the traffic down and put in stop signs or stop light. It's an easy solution.

I want to highlight that I officially petitioned to add a 4 way stop at that intersection a few years ago and was denied. This was before seeclickfix so I had to call someone and didn't know who else may have called before. But I can't have been the only one to call--why have they ignored our requests to make this intersection safe?

Does anyone know who we can call and demand for action to be taken? I don't want another child hurt before the city finally does something.

Before taking action, the City of Alameda must follow state DOT procedures and hold hearings, evaluate traffic and collisions based on statistics (warrants), etc., and follow design guidelines.

There are other options available besides stop signs, which are not as effective at improving pedestrian safety as you might imagine: speed humps or speed bumps, additional signage, better crosswalk painting, flashing light in the pavement, etc., are just a few. Please do not limit your thinking to only stop signs as the solution.....it may not be the best or only option for this situation.

Your activism and concern are good but you can also trust AlanTa, who is a committed and experienced traffic engineer, as well as the rest of the City of Alameda Public Works Department staff, to do a good job evaluating the incident and the intersection.

Jon S., You seem knowledgeable and answered my question. Thank you. So even if a petition with 1500+ Alamedan signatures were handed to the mayor and council person for the district on Monday morning, what you are saying is it still has to go through DOT followed by Mr. Alan Ta followed by a cost analysis followed by allocating funds followed by City of Alameda approval followed by action. My order may be off a little bit, but the chain is and the layers are generally correct, right?

This is not the first time that the residents here have made this request. The last time the request was denied as the city decided that simply installing a small island on Channing with a stop sign further out on the island was sufficient. It is not sufficient as evidence by both this most recent accident and the somewhat laughable fact that said sign was struck by traffic coming off Robert Davey at least twice after it had been installed. I think we are well beyond the point where the city needs to start listening to the people who have to go through that intersection every single day.

Jon Spangler appears to be a knowledgeable citizen activist, per his LinkedIn profile. Worth listening to him regarding both process and potential best solution. I also just read through the minutes of a City of Alameda Transportation Commission meeting where Alan Ta was the key player and the Commissioners made decisions on similar matters. The process looked reasonable to me and Alan seemed to be thorough and professional.

So, I’m going to send and email to Alan to ask for his advice on how this matter might be expedited. If you want more on process, you can Google City of Alameda Transportation Commission (note the county has one, too).

I Agree! A 4-way stop is needed and I like the idea about putting a Stop Ahead sign up too. I am so sorry to hear about this accident I hope he is okay :(
Also, I think the 4-way Stop on Island & Mecartney needs to become a light. Anyone agree? I have a friend who was hit there as well.

Very sad that this occurred, but new stop sign not the answer. Better a warning sign that there is a blind intersection ahead or to watch for pedestrians and bicyclists.

I agree! People get a lot of speed on driving from the 4 way stop at Puddingstone heading toward Aughinbaugh Way. I lived on Channing Way until February 2017 and it was difficult to turn left from Channing Way onto Robert Davey at almost any time of day. There is enough of a curve on Robert Davey (coming from Aughinbaugh) to make it extremely difficult to see traffic that direction and then add in the speed of drivers going toward Aughinbaugh and it is a recipe for a disaster! There was a sign measuring people's speed on Robert Davey and Channing for a while last year, I was hoping that would result in some sort of action there. People don't drive the speed limit! A 4 way stop at that intersection is a good solution.

@Arden Kwong - The City of Alameda has to follow state laws and CA DOT regulations when deciding whether to install traffic signs and signals. (This is, in part, to make sure that communities do not install signals whimsically, maliciously, or otherwise without applying the "best practices" represented by state laws and regs: whether the state regs and procedures are in fact, representative of "best practices" and the latest research is another question.)

It has been a few years since I served on the Transportation Commission but I trust that the City of Alameda staff in Public Works as well as the Alameda PD and the members of the Transportation Commission do take pedestrian safety, speeding, this intersection, and the collisions and near-collisions there seriously.

I also commend everyone who is working to make our streets safer, especially in their neighborhoods.
I think it is time to adopt a Vision Zero Plan to eliminate traffic injuries and deaths by modifying our streets and roadways - particularly our intersections.

The intersection of Sheffield and Roxburg is on a bike route for school kids & even though it has an enhanced crosswalk with signage, cars still drive way too fast thru it. So, I hope that is a lesson for this new problem area--stop signs or speed bumps might be more effective. And, perhaps the Dpt of Transportation can do an overall traffic flow review of Bay Farm to determine other weak areas in an effort to be proactive rather than reactive.

Closed

Not sure why someone would close this issue. It needs a 4-way stop.

Please install a 4 way stop, and a sign letting people know they are stopping.

I agree the intersection warrants at least a 4 way stop sign.

i agree. does this petition /string have any impact at all?

@L.D.--Of course it does. Please remember that city staff members, including traffic engineers, are overworked and understaffed following budget cuts made during the recession (2008-2010) and before.

These "See-Click-Fix" reports are marked "closed" once it has been received and staff begins working on responding to the problems: please do not equate a lack of staff responses here with a lack of action on their part. Staff does not have the time or resources to reply to comments made in these threads if they want to get any work done to solve the problems themselves.

Solving traffic engineering problems is never instantaneous: as I noted previously, traffic engineers are REQUIRED to study intersections and design solutions based on the intersection's recorded collision/accident statistics and the best available technical solutions. (Stop signs have been shown to be ineffective at reducing collisions such as the one that recently occurred, BTW, so do not be surprised if the city staff recommends other options that are more effective at preventing additional pedestrian injuries.0

The city has to follow set procedures to evaluate each intersection's safety scientifically and statistically according to state laws and regulations: this takes time but will result in an effective solution. In the interim, I can attest–having worked closely with the Public Works Department's traffic engineers for many years, including the time before and after my service on the Transportation Commission (2002-2004)–that they care as deeply about reducing collisions and injuries as anyone who has posted here.
(It is why they are traffic engineers, after all.)

I hope everyone here can take a deep breath, remember that the people working for us as City of Alameda staffers (including and especially the ones working in public safety roles such as the traffic engineers) are capable, dedicated individuals working together to make our community better, just as we are as citizens. Nothing happens overnight in such matters, so expect solutions to be presented in a few weeks or months–AFTER a thorough and appropriate study has been done to determine how best to deal with this issue.

But fear not: you HAVE been heard.

Thanks for fixing this request!

@Jon. Makes sense. However none of that was included in the closure. How would we know that what you said is happening? A few sentences of explanation would have helped to clear confusion.

#Don-

This platform is very effective for reporting problems to the city and a big improvement over previous methods. But there are far too many problems being reported for city staff to respond to each one personally online the way we have as citizens.

If city staff had the resources to respond more personally they would participate here more, I am sure–but they do not. I do not blame them for staying on-task (and fixing the problems we report) versus discussing them on social media.

This system is for reporting problems so they can get addressed. If more people would recognize that and not expect city staff to behave like FB friends here people would not be so disappointed. I have contacted Sarah Henry, the city's Public Information Officer ((510) 747-4714 | shenry@alamedaca.gov) to discuss this on a strategic level because there is an expectation on this platform that city staff. cannot currently meet if we want them to actually do their jobs and fix these problems instead of discussing them online.

Thank you to everyone on this thread for their comments. We were all saddened by what happened and very much hope the child is recovering. Alameda Police Department is reviewing collision and citation records and will work with other departments to increase the safety at this intersection. As Jon mentioned, staff reviews all comments submitted into SeeClickFix. I will connect with Jon on how we can better explain when issues get closed or reassigned. We are also working on other ways to increase traffic safety throughout the island. If you have any questions about how we communicate to residents please contact me anytime by email at shenry@alamedaca.gov or by phone at 510-747-4714.

Many thanks again,
Sarah

Thank you for your request to improve the safety and efficiency of Alameda’s transportation system. We apologize for what may have been seen as a delayed response. This case was opened on Friday (when we were closed), we are also closed on Saturday and Sunday, and I was out of the office on Monday. So, today is my first day back since the case was submitted. After quickly reviewing the comments, it does not seem as if City staff closed this case, so I will re-open this case and revise the status to "acknowledged" for the time being. I will update the status of this case as things progress.

Many comments have been submitted in this case, and they are very useful to us during the analysis of the request. However, we are currently backlogged with requests and have limited staff resources. So, a majority of our time is spent analyzing those requests so that we may review them in a timely manner. This unfortunately does not provide us with enough time to participate in conversations in this case as well as every other case submitted through this system. Nevertheless, we will review all of your comments during the review period. Thank you for understanding.

Thank you, Alan.

Yes, please put in a 4 way stop sign!!!!

Isabella and all - would you accept another traffic design option if it were more effective than a four-way stop at reducing pedestrian injuries and increasing ped safety? I hope you would, because there may well be other options that could improve safety better than a four-way stop, believe it or not...

Jon S., I would gladly welcome pedestrian-activated yellow flashing lights with yellow signage. I see this type at Mecartney Rd. and Belmont Pl. next to Leydecker Park with a solar collector. A much bigger and more formal version (with overhead signage and twin yellow road signal type flashers) protects LMS students and is at Fernside Blvd. and San Jose Ave. I am not an engineering expert, but I suspect these two types would be simpler to install than a 4 way stop (some cities label this an all way stop) and yet equally effective. Like many other citizens, I wonder if this forum is effective to drive action. Common sense, reasonableness, and faith in being positive thinking says one thing, but past history (as reported by others such as reg. user BayFarm) says quite another.

BayFarm, Arden Kwong, and all - There are very specific "warrants" (state standards) that must be met to install stop signs, signals, and other traffic controls. BayFarm may have been denied a four-way stop but other options might have been offered at that time, too (or not). In any case, current city policies are far more favorable to pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit access than they were 20 years ago.

Having been one of the activists who has helped improve the city's responsiveness to pedestrian, bike, and transit concerns since 1998, it is clear that the 2008-2009 Transportation Master Plan (and its associated specialty plans for peds, bikes, and transit) are far superior to the plans they replaced. See: https://alamedaca.gov/public-works/public-works-key-documents

This gives me the confidence in the city staff now working on this problem, and is why I advocate for them here without any stake, compensation, or reward other than my interest in traffic safety as a bicyclist, League Cycling Instructor, and local transportation advocate.

@Jon, what I want is for the city to analyze the situation and do the right thing, whatever that may be. I am not a traffic engineer so I’ll defer to someone who is. It’s just so scary to see something like this happen. I was there shortly after the accident so saw the outcome. That’s what inspires me.

Having said that, 12 years ago our son was hit while he was on his bike at the intersection of Robert Davey and Puddingstone. The stop signs didn’t help there so I know they aren’t a perfect solution. As may have been the case this time, the sun was low and the person was harder to see. Not sure how to best address that. Slowing down will definitely help though.

So very sorry for this horrific accident. It can't be undone - but some solution must be taken immediately.
I can tell that I fear this happening along Fifth St. very soon also - which saddens me to say, but I can hear the speeding going on during evening commutting & late at night & then in the early mornings !!! There are walkers w/their dogs along here, bus stops & commuter shuttles & many families as well as shoppers from the shopping center whom all take their lives in their own hands. People have no reason to be going any faster than 25 mi. per hr. along her. We have cross walks in many places here. Please slow down before its just too late.

Thank you

@Don - Agreed. You can suggest to Alan Ta that a community meeting be held with local residents and other stakeholders to discuss options and findings once zoom research has been done by staff. That is often very fruitful.

This intersection is deadly, I avoid it at all cost. I've been using it lately to avoid interferring with roadwork in my area.

I'm in a car & pull to the end of the extended island for a better look, before turning.
People drive so fast however, I cannot even make a right turn safely onto Robert Davey Jr. Dr.

Our town is very crowded & so many people speed & drive wrecklessly.

Today alone, I saw a man zig zag & speed around large trucks working on the road, whip aound my corner & "gun it", while his passenger had to hold on to the overwindow bar.

Also, today I was walking through a shopping center parking lot & was almost hit by a woman speeding & not paying attention. Lucky for me, I was paying close attention to my surroundings & jumped out of the way. She made eye contact but kept speeding through.

It seems to me, fast, wreckless driving is becoming the norm.

I believe a 4-way stop is not only needed at this intersection, but I'm in favor of many more stop signs being added around Alameda to control dangerous driving behavior.

Let's at least, get this one intersection under control.

Yesterday I drove on Robert Davey from Aughinbaugh toward Channing at 7:45AM. As I approached Channing there was a car stopped in the intersection right before the far crosswalk for two bicyclists in the crosswalk. I don’t know if the car was speeding or anything like that but the sun was blinding at that time. The only safe thing to do is go very slowly, and be extra vigilant.

Thank you for all of your comments and interest in this case. We are wrapping up our analysis and we will determine our recommendations in the near future. We will announce our findings/recommendations via mailed notice. This notice will be mailed to all properties within 300 feet of the intersection. If you are outside of this area or would simply like to ensure that you receive a notice, you may email me your email address by 6 pm on March 7th. We will email a pdf of the notice when the paper notices are mailed out. My email address is ata@alamedaca.gov. If you have not emailed me before, you will most likely get an automated response from the City's spam filter. Please follow the directions in the automated email so that I may receive your email and any future communications.

We have completed the engineering analysis and begun installing the recommended improvements (25 mph roadway markings). Electronic speed feedback signs have been added to our list of future improvements. There currently is no estimated construction date for the speed feedback sign.

Thanks for fixing this request!