Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Alameda Post
City to Convert Slow Streets to Neighborhood Greenways
By Post Staff Reporting,
28 days ago
User-posted content
City seeks public input on speed reduction tools, barricade phase-out, safety measures, traffic reduction tools, and more
Love ’em or hate ’em, Slow Streets are still a thing in Alameda—at least for now. The City is working to convert many Slow Streets to Neighborhood Greenways , designed to give priority to people walking and bicycling, and to allow bicyclists and motorists to safely share the road on low-volume, low-speed, local streets. Barricades on Slow Streets would be removed.
Photo Amanda Laird.
The City is asking for public input on the plan, but first, here’s the story on how Slow Streets got started.
First implemented in 2020 to facilitate physical distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, these “soft street closures” allowed residents to continue to drive for a very short distance on the streets where they live, while barricades stopped other through traffic and created a safe space for the community to safely walk, run, bike, and scooter.
The streets involved were Pacific Avenue (Ninth to Oak streets), San Jose Avenue (Morton to Oak streets), Morton Street (San Jose to San Antonio avenues), Santa Clara Avenue (Pacific Avenue to Sixth Street), Versailles Avenue (Fernside Boulevard to Calhoun Street), and Orion Street (West Midway Avenue to Pearl Harbor Road).
Neighborhood Greenways
In 2024-2030, the City will work to implement the nine Neighborhood Greenways in the Active Transportation Plan’s 2030 Low-Stress Backbone Network , totaling 10 miles. The first Slow Street segments to be converted to Neighborhood Greenways, in 2024-2025, will be Pacific Avenue, San Jose Avenue/Morton Street and Versailles Avenue. Barricades will be removed on those streets. (Santa Clara Avenue is not slated to become a Greenway.)
Design treatments being considered for Neighborhood Greenways include:
Corridor treatments to lower auto speeds and volumes (and increase comfort):
Speed cushions/speed humps.
Speed tables.
Neighborhood traffic circles.
Chicanes.
Partial diverters.
Auto filters/turn restrictions.
Lower speed limits to 20 mph.
Move/remove/replace stop signs.
Crossing treatments to increase safety and comfort:
High-visibility crosswalk markings.
Raised crosswalks.
Bulbouts.
Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons, including push buttons for people biking.
Pedestrian hybrid beacons (HAWK signals).
Placemaking/wayfinding to identify Greenways to all users and allow people to find their way:
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Comments / 0