Somerset Avenue Gets Three Street Redesign Options
Somerset Avenue is one step closer to having cars, bikes, and pedestrians travel in harmony following an Alameda County Public Works Agency meeting last week.
A one-mile section of the avenue between Stanton Avenue and Redwood Road is a popular thoroughfare for drivers. An average of 10,000 cars, trucks, and buses travel it every day, according to Public Works documents. Somerset is also well-traveled because there are entrances to Our Lady of Grace Church and Al’s Food Market on the avenue. Traffic is also impacted because it is near the high school and the downtown area. AC Transit line 28 also uses Somerset on the west end of the avenue.
At issue is ensuring there is enough space for two lanes of traffic and safe passage of bicycles on the street while maintaining consistency for pedestrians. That is a challenge now because several stretches of Somerset have no sidewalks. Additionally, drivers park on the pedestrian sections because there is no curb.
After a year of looking at the issue, Public Works held a virtual public meeting last Tuesday where it presented three possible designs and asked for community feedback on the proposed improvements. The agency sent 300 postcards to homes and businesses along Somerset as well as advertised the meeting on social media.
“We wanted to show the community what alternatives there are and to show what the impacts each would have if we changed the parking on Somerset or add a dedicated bike lane,” Amber Lo, a Principal Civil Engineer with Public Works told the Forum.
About 80 people attended the virtual event. The deadline to submit choices on the three designs was yesterday, but Public Works is still taking feedback from submissions on its website. The design with the most votes will next be presented to the Castro Valley MAC (Municipal Advisory Committee) followed by the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) before moving forward.
Three Choices
All three designs will include the installation of curbs and sidewalks between 5 and 7 feet wide that could include the addition of trees. Each design also accommodates bicycle traffic either as a shared lane with automobiles or the creation of a dedicated bike lane.
Option 1 uses the existing configuration and includes parking on both sides of the street but creates a series of spaces—noted as bulb-outs—that funnel traffic near intersections. The design is similar to the stretch of road along Santa Maria Avenue between Somerset and Castro Valley Boulevard.
Option 2 would eliminate parking on either the north or the south side of Somerset. The extra space would be used to create a dedicated bike lane but would displace parking for about half of the residents.
Option 3 eliminates parking on both sides of the street and creates two dedicated bike lanes with an additional 2 feet of buffer space between vehicle traffic and bikes. It would also allow for installing trees on both sides of the street.
Early project cost estimates are at $11 million with funding coming from the Alameda County transportation budget along with possible state and federal grants, Lo noted. Construction would not even begin before 2024.
Following design approval by the Committees, Public Works would begin collaborating with the various utilities that run up and down Somerset including PG&E, East Bay MUD, and AT&T to discuss how to accommodate relocating power poles, pipes, and wires where necessary.
In a recent article post supporting bicycle and pedestrian rights, BikeWalk bloggers Rebecca Stanek and Bruce Dughi expressed their gratitude that the process is moving forward with everyone in mind.
“Finally, a safe and comfortable bicycle and pedestrian network that creates community and livability. Cyclists and pedestrians are less anonymous and more likely to interact with others on the street. They are visible and recognizable ears and eyes of the community, improving overall personal safety” Rebecca Stanek and Bruce Dughi said
To see the possible design options, check out the Somerset Project page on the Public Works website acpwa.org/projects/2022/Somerset_Ave.page