DATE: June 2, 2026
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Director of Public Works
SUBJECT
Title
Safe Streets Downtown Project (The Loop): Update and Recommendations
End
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
That the City Council receive an update for the Safe Streets Downtown Project, receive public comments, provide feedback, and approves staff recommendations to move forward and develop concepts and cost estimates.
End
SUMMARY
In 2014, the Route 238 Corridor Improvement Project Phase 1 was completed that created a one-way loop street system in Downtown Hayward commonly referred to as The Loop. Since then, the Loop has been a source of serious concern for pedestrian safety and accessibility throughout downtown. In 2026, two fatal pedestrian collisions occurred on the Loop within a span of two weeks. On average, 1.5 people die or are seriously injured on the Loop every year.
The Safe Streets Downtown Plan (Project), a federal grant-funded planning project, has the goal of addressing these traffic safety concerns. The Project started in February 2025 and activities included background research, collection of traffic safety and operational data, technical analyses, and broad community outreach.
The Project's Phase 1 Outreach started in May 2025 and was intended to understand the needs of the community. Details of the Phase 1 outreach are included as Attachment II. Phase 2 Outreach started in July 2025. One of the major events of the Phase 2 outreach was the community design charrette held on September 17, 2025, where participants had the opportunity to design the changes they wanted to see for the Loop. Almost all the ideas from those who attended the design charrette fit in a category of two visions, one that converted downtown into a grid layout and the other that kept a similar alignment to the Loop that is today but introduced major traffic calming measures and lane reductions.
Based on the feedback, the project tea...
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