Thank you for submitting your concerns/requests to the City of Alameda Public Works Department. We did a quick look at the referenced school sign via Google Streetview and found that it can be easily relocated (and improved via the relocation). We will do a site visit within the next 4-8 weeks to find a suitable new location. A work order will be drawn for our maintenance staff, and they typically complete this work within 60 days, pending weather. It is standard to provide 1 sign for each street approach (as opposed to each lane) at the relative boundaries of a school zone.

In regards to requests for additional signage, pavement markings, and "reflector lights", we assume that you are listing pedestrian improvements. Per State Department of Transportation standards at a signalized intersection, we are unable to provide those improvements at, or approaching, the intersection of Lincoln/Chestnut.

The rationale is that those improvements imply a need to "YIELD" to pedestrians WHEN PRESENT (capitalization for emphasis, not yelling). However, a traffic signal strictly communicates for users to go, slow down, or stop. The STOP is REGARDLESS OF ANOTHER'S PRESENCE. Providing two conflicting messages (yield vs stop) may have adverse results where a person may abide by the less stringent of the two rules. It is ultimately best to communicate one clear message. In this instance, the stop from the traffic signal is clearly better.

For the situations that you referenced, it is best for police to enforce and educate motorists. We have forwarded your concern to APD for enforcement.

In regards to turn arrows, those are typically installed where there is a significant amount of turning traffic and the installation of the arrow would provide an improvement to traffic circulation at the intersection (as opposed to improving pedestrian crossings). Nevertheless, we understand your concerns regarding pedestrian crossings. And we will log your concern so that we may review appropriate improvements if this item is selected for review.

The Public Works Department is currently developing a new process for our Traffic Calming Program. This process scores concerns/requests based on various data. We will then select the highest rated concerns/request to be reviewed for the following year or two. Concerns/requests that do not make the list will remain in the pool for consideration at a later time.

THANK YOU so much for your prompt response and careful consideration of this concern! I am really appreciative of any efforts made to increase safety for the Haight kids walking to school, and very grateful to have been heard.

Lauren, Thank you so much for highlighting this ongoing issue!

As a parent of a first grader at Haight, I’m always worried about traffic and pedestrian safety at this intersection.

I appreciate the quick response and explanation from Alan in Public Works and his bringing this to the attention of the APD. Great to know that the city takes the community’s concerns seriously. Thank you!

Thank you Lauren for initiating this request. We live right at this corner of Chestnut and Lincoln, and also see it as a problematic intersection. I'd like to add that I frequently see drivers speeding well above 25 mph on Lincoln Ave. to beat the traffic light. It happens for drivers heading in both directions on Lincoln, and that adds extra danger at this intersection. This happens at all hours, but I definitely see it in the 4pm hour and later, when many of us (myself included) are picking up our kids from Haight afterschool programs - kids can be/are present at all hours of the afternoon, not just school pick-up time. I would love to see greater speed monitoring on the stretch of Lincoln between Chestnut and Willow - whether that's officers patrolling that area more frequently, the radar signs alerting drivers to their speed, or other solutions.

Finally, would it be possible to have a crossing guard at the Lincoln/Chestnut intersection at school start and end times? That wouldn't provide a conflicting message to a red light, but could provide greater visibility to prevent drivers from turning when pedestrians are present. Thank you.

I agree. This is and has been a huge issue for many years. All three of my kids have or are attending HH. I have spoken with the APD about my concerns and have shared them with the previous principle of HH only to have my concerns pushed aside and ignored. APD responded by saying “we can’t control people’s behaviors”. I agree. You can’t, but my suggestion to make the school signage on Lincoln Ave. more visible was ignored as well as a suggestion to have a crossing guard. My son was hit by a car coming back from walking my daughter to school on May 30th 2018. He was hit by a distracted and rushed driver. Fortunately his injuries were minor. A police record is on file with APD. Also, both my daughter and I have encountered multiple instances of cars blocking the crosswalk and have been almost hit by cars at least 5 times in the last 2 years. This is a problem. The city needs to make this a priority. We need lighted yellow caution signals informing drivers in both directions on Lincoln Ave that they are in a school zone. We need crossing guards to help insure the safety of our kids crossing the street without adult supervision. The city of Alameda needs to act out of an abundance of caution for the safety of its most vulnerable community members, its kids.

Issue 5654209 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue.

Issue 5683672 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue.

Issue 5684695 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue.

Issue 5684703 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue.

Consider having red lights to stop traffic on both Lincoln and chestnut and have 4 or 6 way walk while both lights are red allowing pedestrians to cross safely before and after school.

Cars are turning left into the crosswalks while kids are crossing and turning right on red into the crosswalks while kids are crossing.

We need more than a passive school sign. Maybe a flashing school sign. Or no turns. Or all way red light stopping traffic and pedestrian only crossing while no turns.

Issue 5706045 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue.

We have sent a work order to our maintenance staff to relocate the school sign, facing eastbound motorists, on Lincoln Avenue at Chestnut Street. They typically complete this type of work within 30-60 days, pending weather.

In regards to the other items, we will log them with our Traffic Calming Program so that they may scored, ranked, and potentially considered at a later time. We are now closing this part of the process.

I like they close the issue after submitting the work order without even waiting for the order to go through and for the work to be completed. Gotta love how the city doesn't even bother to confirm if an issue is resolved before closing it on this site!