DATE: July 28, 2021
TO: Council Infrastructure Committee
FROM: Director of Public Works
SUBJECT
Title
Recommend Council Approval of Proposed Changes to Patrick Ave Safety Improvement Project
End
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
That the Council Infrastructure Committee (CIC) recommends Council approval of proposed changes to the Patrick Avenue Safety Improvement Project.
End
SUMMARY
The Patrick Avenue Safety Improvement Project (Project), located along Patrick Avenue between Tennyson Road and Schafer Road, was approved by Council on October 6, 2020 as part of the City’s annual Pavement Management project, based on complete street improvements identified in the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (BPMP). The purpose of the project was to improve the safety of Patrick Avenue given the high concentration of schools in the neighborhood, requests for additional crosswalks and traffic calming due to speeding, and implementation of the City’s complete street goals and policies. The first phase of the Project was implemented in October 2020 and consisted of the addition of separated bike lanes next to the curb, the upgrade of ten crosswalks, on-street parking moved further into the street along the bike lane, and a reduction of lanes from four lanes to three, among other changes.
While initial notices about the proposed changes were sent to local residents, community members expressed significant concerns with the initial improvements once the changes were implemented. A detailed summary of feedback can be found in Attachment II. As a result, City staff paused any further improvements and sought additional community feedback before proceeding with any further changes to Patrick Avenue.
In response to the extensive feedback received, staff recommends numerous changes to the street design, which were presented and shared with the community at the July 19th community meeting. A summary of the key proposed changes are as follows and are further depicted in this staff report:
• Return the on-street parking back along the curb;
• Convert the separated bikeway to buffered bike lanes;
• Return two lanes northbound along Patrick Avenue from the left turn from Tennyson and start the merge to one lane after Roosevelt Avenue;
• Add a student and parishioner drop-off at St. Bede’s School and Church;
• Add red curb near St. Bede’s exiting driveway to improve visibility;
• Add a commercial loading zone near Yeyo’s market; and
• Add Rapid Flashing Beacons (RFBs) at all uncontrolled intersections for safer pedestrian crossing.
The recommended changes were generally well-received by the community at the July 19th meeting, although some members preferred returning the street back to way it was originally, and Bike East Bay prefers completing the project and maintaining the separated bikeway along the curb or finding another separated bikeway alternative. These additional alternatives were also considered, but are not recommended: (1) returning the street back to the way it was before the Project was implemented eliminates all of the safety improvements and benefits; and (2) completing the project by keeping the separated bike lanes along the curb, adding green paint, RFBs, and additional demarcation between the bike lanes and parking would not be responsive to community concerns.
As a result, staff proposes progressing with the recommended design as outlined above as it best balances the needs and desires of the community with the important safety, traffic calming, and complete street goals that were approved by Council last year.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment I Staff Report