City staff presented proposed designs for the Upper Broadway “road diet” and related intersection improvements at a public meeting held in mid-November at College Preparatory School. This project includes components that will be funded through the Caldecott Settlement Agreement – including a pedestrian-activated traffic signal at Lawton and corner bulb-outs to reduce the speed of vehicles turning from Broadway onto Ocean View and Lawton – as well as a number of improvements to be funded through roadway resurfacing and other funds. These components include:

• Resurfacing the roadway
• Reducing the number of traffic lanes from 4 to 3 (1 lane in each direction, with a two-way center turn lane)
• Adding bicycle lanes on both sides of the street
• Adding high-visibility crosswalks
• Keeping existing on-street parking
• Bulb-outs and high-visibility crosswalks at Taft Avenue, Kales Avenue and Ada Street

Support was expressed for these improvements at the meeting, as well as concern that the lane reconfiguration may increase congestion on Broadway during commute periods. This effort will be the subject of a future public meeting. Construction is expected in 2015. Plans may be viewed here.

For more information, contact the City’s Caldecott projects consultant, Victoria Eisen, at victoria@eisenletunic.com or 510/525-0220.