Clement Avenue Truck Route Gets a Rethink From Alameda
Council voted 5-0 to look at other truck routes before Clement's bike lanes get squeezed.
By The Alameda Pulse
The finished Clement Avenue extension near Grand Street in Alameda, CA, still isn't open, and trucks won't be using it any time soon. On October 6, the Alameda City Council voted 5-0 to have staff report back on the Clement Avenue truck route before any physical changes are made, and to come up with other truck route options.
- Where: The new Clement Avenue extension near Grand Street, built by a developer on the former Pennzoil property
- The tight spot: Clement Avenue from Paru Street to Balsa Street, where the road curves
- Who decided: The full council, 5-0, on a referral from Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft and Vice Mayor Pryor
- Trucks for now: Sent right on Sherman Street and left on Buena Vista Avenue
- Next: A staff status update to council before any striping or curb work. No date has been set
Why is the Clement Avenue extension still closed?
Because two buses or box trucks couldn't safely pass each other on the narrow lanes further west, according to the city engineer.
Clement Avenue has been a truck route in Alameda's General Plan for a long time. So once the extension opens, trucks could legally use it. The trouble spot is the curvy stretch from Paru Street to Balsa Street. The city engineer told council he's chosen to keep the extension closed until that's sorted out, according to the draft minutes of the October 6 council meeting.
Will the bike lanes on Clement Avenue get narrower?
Not yet. This vote pauses that until council hears more.
Making room for trucks would mean narrowing the bike lanes, and residents who spoke said bulb-outs and parking would go too. Several neighbors asked council to hold off on permanent changes, citing pedestrian and bike safety and the city's Vision Zero goals. One speaker said more than 40 residents had met with the city engineer about it.
Staff showed four options to the Transportation Commission in July. One would move the two-way cycle track or widen the road to the north. That's expensive, would need a permit from the Bay Conservation and Development Commission, and residents have asked the city to protect that piece of the Bay Trail.
Can Alameda move the truck route off Clement Avenue?
Yes, but it takes a General Plan amendment, and that means a study and staff time.
The city engineer asked council to consider a stopgap so the street can open sooner. One example he gave: keep the truck route on Buena Vista Avenue for now, with new signs and striping, while the bigger question gets worked out.
What happens next
Staff will bring a status update to council before making any physical changes on Clement Avenue. It's not on the November 4 agenda. Keep up with more Alameda ferry and transit news, including the recent ban on parking in bike lanes.
