Timeline

Phase 1: Discovery Phase (October 2019 – January 2020)

During this period, we heard from residents, business owners, visitors, and employees in Alameda. We did this through an open house attended by 150+ people; an interactive web map that received 2,100+ comments; a statistically significant community survey; and multiple pop-ups and presentations at existing events. We learned not only what works in the walking and biking environment, but more importantly what keeps people from biking or walking in Alameda.

Also during Phase 1, our consulting team gathered data about existing conditions and ran analyses about what it’s like to walk and bike in Alameda. Our team examined walking- and biking-related issues including:

  • Assessing the safety and comfort of Alameda’s walking and biking infrastructure,
  • Identifying gaps in the walking and bicycling networks, and
  • Evaluating existing City policies.

Phase 2: Drafting Recommendations Phase (February – August 2020)

During Phase 2, we brought together the community input and data gathered in Phase 1, developed draft recommendations for new infrastructure projects, programs and policies so that Alameda’s walking and biking network is comfortable for people of all ages and abilities. In the summer of 2020, we gathered community feedback on these recommendations in an extensive public engagement process, even though we could not hold in-person gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After this public comment period, the planning process had to be put on hold due to changing work priorities during the pandemic. Staff were busy responding to pandemic-related needs for people walking and biking in Alameda, including the Slow Streets and Commercial Streets programs; responding to pandemic-specific funding opportunities to improve those programs; and more.


Phase 3: Finalizing the Plan (January - December 2022)

We took the community feedback from 2020, updated the draft recommendations, prioritized the projects and programs and compiled them into a complete Active Transportation Plan. The Public Review Draft Plan was released for public comment on October 3, 2022, and input was received over the month of October. The Final Draft Plan was updated based on this input, and was released on November 9, and presented at the November 16 Transportation Commission meeting where they recommended approval. The City Council adopted the Plan at their December 20, 2022 meeting.