Lincoln, Marshall, Pacific Safety Fix Pushed to 2028
A three-mile street safety overhaul with a new roundabout and bike lanes won't break ground until 2028, and Alameda's own paperwork says the federal money behind it could be at risk.
By The Alameda Pulse
Lincoln Avenue, Marshall Way and Pacific Avenue in Alameda, CA, won't get their promised roundabout, new crosswalks and protected bike lanes until 2028. City staff told the Transportation Commission this month that construction is being pushed back a year so it doesn't collide with a bigger road project already underway nearby, and the city's own paperwork warns the $16 million in federal money paying for most of the work could be at risk, too.
- Where: Lincoln Avenue, Marshall Way and Pacific Avenue, a corridor that runs about three miles from Alameda Point near Main Street and Central Avenue to Broadway.
- When: Construction is now expected to start in 2028 and wrap up in 2029, a year later than the city's earlier target.
- Cost: $16 million from a federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant, plus money from Measure BB and developer impact fees.
- Who decided: City of Alameda Public Works staff, in a mid-year transportation status report presented to the Transportation Commission on Sept. 23, 2026.
- What's next: Design work continues through 2027, and the city plans to build a smaller piece of the project on the west end early so residents see a benefit sooner.
Why is Alameda delaying the Lincoln Avenue safety project?
The city doesn't want two construction zones tearing up the same stretch of road at the same time. The Alameda County Transportation Commission, known as ACTC, is running its own Oakland Alameda Access Project through the same part of town, and city staff decided it makes more sense to wait until that work wraps up before breaking ground on Lincoln, Marshall and Pacific.
What will the Lincoln, Marshall and Pacific project actually build?
The plan calls for a roundabout at Lincoln Avenue, Fifth Street and Marshall Way, plus new pedestrian and bike signals, modernized traffic signals, crosswalk upgrades and safer drop off zones near schools. Roundabouts cut the kind of crashes that seriously hurt or kill people by up to 78 percent compared to a regular traffic signal, mostly because cars have to slow down to get through one.
Is the project's federal funding actually at risk?
Maybe. The corridor's $16 million grant came from the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All program, or SS4A, in September 2024. The city's own planning documents warn this funding "may be in jeopardy" under the new presidential administration. Alameda hasn't lost the grant, but staff say they're watching it closely.
What happens next for Alameda's West End safety corridor?
Design and environmental review continue through 2027. Staff plan to build a smaller piece of the project on the west end early, ahead of the rest of the corridor, so neighbors see a safety benefit sooner. If you bike or drive through Fifth Street and Lincoln Avenue today, that's the spot slated for the roundabout once construction starts. It's part of the same citywide push that brought new traffic signals to Central Avenue, and you can follow more of it in the Pulse's transportation coverage.
