Grand Lake Traffic Calming Committee

September 2016 Update

Many thanks for your positive response to the question in the Grand Lake Neighbors Survey about the long-dormant Traffic Calming and Pedestrian Safety Committee. We anticipated that maybe a dozen of our neighbors would express an interest but ended up with a mind-boggling 101 total and, with those numbers, the potential to totally transform our local infrastructure.

In order to give us a better idea as to who you are and what, if any, relevant skills you would bring to the group, please fill out a very brief survey posted at:

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2936394/TCPS-Committee-Survey

(The deadline was midnight, Sunday, September 11.)

History

The Grand Lake Traffic Calming Committee (GLTCC) was first convened in 2000 as part of a program for improving traffic and parking conditions in the vicinity of Splash Pad Park. In 2000 and 2001 the group developed suggestions for calming traffic along Lake Park Avenue and in the Lakeshore/Lake Park Intersection. A few of its recommendations were incorporated into the Splash Park Project, but some of the most important ones were not. For this reason the group continued to meet and work with Councilperson Kernighan’s office and the city traffic engineers to bring about necessary improvements.

In 2005, due in part to an infusion of several new members, GLTCC efforts intensified and after many site visits and meetings with City representative, agreement was finally reached upon a package of improvements affecting not only Lake Park Avenue and the Lakeshore/Lake Park Intersection but also the Lakeshore/MacArthur Intersection. Working in concert with Pat Kernighan’s office, commercial property owners’ associations and homeowner groups the GLTCC remains actively engaged in calming traffic and making other improvements in the Lakeshore/ Grand Avenue District. For more information about the GLTCC, its history and its projects, see http://grandlakeguardian.org/index.php/katz/2008/02/05/p316#more316.

The Lakeshore/MacArthur/Lake Park (LMLP) Improvement Project

Under the leadership of GLTCC Chair, Gerald Cauthen and LMLP Task Force Chair David Bolanos, and with technical assistance from Chris Cruz, the GLTCC  worked with the City of Oakland to make the Lakeshore/Lake Park Intersection and, more recently, also the Lakeshore/MacArthur Intersection safer and more attractive for pedestrians and cyclists. Since 2000, there have been numerous discussions between elements of the GLTCC and the City’s Transportation Services Division (TSD) on how best to calm and otherwise improve these “pedestrian-unfriendly” intersections.

In November 2008, City Councilperson Pat Kernighan published an article about the proposed improvements in her newsletter and collected responses to the concept by email and in-person at a Saturday Grand Lake Farmers Market. Reaction from the community was generally upbeat and positive. The City’s Transportation Services Disvision (TSD) subsequently translated the GLTCC recommendations into an attractive set of conceptual drawings, to which they’ve added several features at the request of AC Transit, including a new bus stop at the corner of Lake Park and Rand as well as a wider sidewalk on Lake Park to allow for easier bus access and space for a bus shelter.

These efforts finally paid off and there is now cause for celebration. Subsequent to the meetings and the discussions, often participated in by Joanne Karchmer of Councilperson Kernighan’s office, the City decided that the GLTCC’s proposal met ACTIA’s (Alameda County Transportation Improvement Agency) grant criteria, and in fact would show well in the competition for ACTIA funding. In December of 2008 the City applied for an ACTIA grant to help pay for the L/M/LP Project. In all, 28 grant applications totaling $11.2 million were submitted, leaving ACTIA with the task of winnowing down the candidates to match the $4 million in funds available for the program. Each proposed project was reviewed and graded by ACTIA staff and by ACTIA’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. The Lakeshore/MacArthur/Lake Park Improvement Project scored second highest among the 28 proposed projects and on April 23, 2009 was awarded a $573,599 grant by ACTIA’s Board of Directors. The ACTIA grant, together with the already committed Paygo funds (thanks to Councilperson Kernighan), AC Transit allocation to relocate and reconfigure several bus stops, and Measure DD funds to mitigate the traffic effects of Lake Merritt Improvement Program, brought the total funds available for the L/M/LP Project to just over $1.2 million and design will soon commence.

As shown in the Conceptual Plans, the ACTIA approved project included:

Lakeshore/Lake Park Intersection Improvements:

  • A new pedestrian and transit Plaza at the foot of Rand Street
  • The southbound AC Transit Lakeshore/MacArthur bus stop moved to the new plaza
  • Lakeshore crosswalk shifted to improve safety
  • Wider sidewalks for the crosswalk in front of the Yogurt shop to reduce pedestrian crossing distances
  • New curb ramps and bicycle racks
  • The closure of Rand Avenue from Lakeshore to accommodate the new plaza

Lake Park Avenue Improvements between the Qwikway and Rand Street

  • North sidewalk widened by six feet
  • Westbound bus stop extended to facilitate boarding

Lakeshore/MacArthur Intersection Improvements

  • Southeast sidewalk widened to reduce pedestrian crossing distances
  • Reduced vehicle turning speeds from northbound Lakeshore to eastbound I-580
  • Improved traffic channelization