I agree completely. It’s only a matter of time before a kid riding to school will be hit by a car at this intersection.

Agreed.

Well, since I live at the corner of Third and Santa Clara I think it's time I chimed in about all of your opinions on what needs to happen right outside my front door. This is a problem that we have been working on for 16 years with the City but the traffic situation is only getting worse. I have personally seen kids on bicycles get hit by parents driving too fast, drivers disregarding the STOP sign in front of 301 Santa Clara, high school kids walking down the middle of the street before, during and after school, impatient parents blocking intersections, and speedsters racing up/down Third all day long, even on weekends! It's annoying, frustrating, and dangerous.

First, we asked the City to send out traffic control several years ago to monitor traffic patterns throughout the day to try to fix all the problems you mentioned. I think that needs to be done again because we certainly have more traffic these days.

Second, we asked for a traffic light to be installed at the corner of Central & Third to slow down the speeders that enter Third Street from the direction. That was not an option because of the cost and high number of buses. Currently, there are only 1-2 buses in the morning and afternoon so this needs to be revisited.

Third, we suggested a round-about at Central and Third but the buses wouldn't be able to maneuver through. I don't really believe that to be true.

Fourth, we suggested speed bumps on Third Street but were advised that Third is a major thoroughfare for emergency vehicles and speed bumps would keep them from responding to emergencies in a timely manner.

Fifth, the biggest problem regarding traffic is that there are no clear markings or deterrents on Central to slow drivers down giving them a clear shot all the way to Pacific Avenue. Adding a stop sign on my corner will only back up traffic in the mornings and afternoons when kids are dropped off or picked. Cars can barely get through as it is and it is so congested that my car has been hit twice by parents trying to make U-turns on my corner! So, NO on a STOP sign on my corner because that leave way too much open space for those speedsters to crank it up before Pacific.

My suggestions are these: 1. Ask the City Manager to send out traffic control to conduct a new review of our traffic issues; 2. add a STOP sign or traffic light at Central and Third; 3. consider adding the round about at Central and Third as a option to slow down speeders; 4.add a stop sign at Third and Haight which is about halfway between Central and Pacific to slow down speeders; 5. add clear pedestrian markings on every corner on Third between Central and Appezzato Way; and, 6. clearly mark BIKE LANES on Third from Central to Appezzato Way.

I'm open to more suggestions, Thank you,

Issue 6673809 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue.

Thanks everyone for your input and suggestions on 3rd Street. This issue will be re-assigned to Public Works.

Regarding 3rd St and Central Avenue, this intersection is part of the Central Ave Safety Improvement Project (www.alamedaca.gov/central), and safety improvements will be made here. Both traffic signals and roundabouts are being explored. Given the federal funding on this project, the final improvements will be completed by 2022.

Finally, for all who are interested in bicycle and pedestrian safety issues, please note that the City is just beginning to update its Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans. If you’d like to receive notices about opportunities to provide input on these updates, please send your email address to transportation@alamedaCA.gov.

This issue was recategorized from Pedestrian or Bicycle Access Issues to Traffic Calming Suggestion.

Transportation Planning-Wheeler assigned this issue to Public Works Transportation Alan

Thanks for the response. As the owners of one of the homes on Third and Central we look forward with working with the City to improve our neighborhood safety. I will share this information with the owners on the other corners of Third and Central so we have input from all us us who have to deal with these issue on a daily basis.

That's a picture of our home on Third and Central. I don't know who took the photo but thank you for posting your concerns about this intersection. Living on this corner has not always been easy.

Thank you for your request to improve the safety and efficiency of Alameda’s transportation system.

Requests for many transportation issues, including stop signs, curb painting, and traffic calming measures, typically require 8-12 weeks to complete before staff can develop a recommendation. These requests involve review of current plans and policies, compilation of accident and/or other history, coordinating with Alameda Police and other stakeholders, outreach to residents or others who may be affected by the proposed change, on-site data collection and analysis, and sometimes consultation with outside experts.

I will follow up with you about your request when your request is at the top of the queue. Unfortunately, due to limited funding, there is a backlog of these requests and they are being handled in the order of receipt. Due to that backlog, some requests may take six months to a year to complete the analysis and recommendation.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Issue 6690940 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue.

If this is an issue that's been flagged for the City for 16 years as one of the neighbors above suggests, why is it in a back-logged queue that could take a half year or more to resolve? It seems like something quick and short-term could be done to resolve the issue while waiting for funding for a traffic light or roundabout. APD speeding sting, crossing guard, etc?

Please review my previous comments: the pedestrian crosswalk has NOT been an issue for 16 years. That is a new issue recently brought up by the residents on your block. We just happen to agree that a pedestrian walkway would be a good idea at that intersection AS WELL AS at each corner from Central to Pacific to ensure the safety of all the residents. Why is it that you only want a pedestrian crosswalk on our corner and not on your corner or elsewhere on 3rd Street?

The issue of calming traffic, specifically as it relates to the speedsters who turn on to 3rd from Central as well as from Pacific, has been an ongoing problem since we moved into our home in 2003. If you read my previous comments you will see what the City's responses were to the ideas of speed bumps, stop signs, turning circles, 4-way Stop on Central, stoplights, etc.

If I'm correct, the City sees this as a traffic calming issue, so we'll see what the Transportation Department comes up with, and how all this fits into the the new Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Plan.

Thank you for your request to improve roadway, pedestrian and bike safety in Alameda.  We appreciate your feedback and value your input.  At the direction of City Council, the City is working to address safety for all modes of travel around the City in accordance with its Vision Zero Action Plan and Active Transportation Plan. Please visit the following link to learn more about how we are Building Safer Streets: https://www.alamedaca.gov/Departments/Public-Works/Building-Safer-Streets.

Your request has been reviewed by Engineering staff to determine if and what safety measures may be needed to address your concerns. We have visited the location and collected the required data and have determined that a crosswalk in this location is feasible in accordance with City design guidelines and industry standards. Implementation of this solution, however, will require additional design engineering and/or street modification, as the new crossing must meet ADA standards. The design will likely include enhanced visibility signage and markings to aid in traffic calming.

Per City Council direction, prioritization of resources and work is to be guided by Vision Zero and the defined high injury network corridors and intersections. While this is not on a high injury network corridor, we do reserve staff capacity to pursue these sorts of analyses and design. We will add this location to the list of non-high injury network improvements.

Again, thank you for your feedback and patience with this matter. We look forward to implementing the appropriate measures to help address the concerns you have brought our attention.