This chapter provides details on the recommended design and operating standards for the Alameda Bikeway System.

National design standards for bikeways have been developed by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). The Caltrans Highway Design Manual, Chapter 1000: Bikeway Planning and Design, serves as the official design standard for all bicycle facilities in California. Design standards in Chapter 1000 fall into two categories, mandatory and advisory. Caltrans advises that all standards in Chapter 1000 be followed, which also provides a measure of design immunity to the City. Not all possible design options are shown in Chapter 1000. For example, intersections, ramp entrances, rural roads, and a variety of pathway locations are not specified in the Caltrans Highway Design Manual.

The following section summarizes key operating and design definitions:

Graphic descriptions of Class I, II, and III bikeways are shown in Figure 1 on page 17.

The following guidelines present the recommended minimum design standards and ancillary support items for Class I bike paths (also referred to as multi-use trails), Class II bike lanes, and Class III bike routes.

4. Lighting should be provided where the bike path will be used by commuters.

5. Barriers at pathway entrances should be clearly marked with reflectors and ADA

accessible (min. 5 feet clearance).

6. Bike path construction should take into account impacts of maintenance and

7. Provide adequate trailhead parking and other facilities such as restrooms, drinking

In addition to those identified by Caltrans, there are a variety of improvements which will enhance the safety and attraction of streets for bicyclists.

Bicycle Boulevards. Palo Alto pioneered the concept of a bicycle boulevard, which in that city is a street directly parallel to a major commercial corridor that was designed to promote bicycle movement and discourage through vehicle movement. This was achieved by partial street closures and lack of coordinated signals. In addition, wider curb lanes and frequent signing as a >Bicycle Boulevard= helps increase the motorists= awareness. A bicycle boulevard treatment may be applied to Pacific Avenue, San Jose Avenue or Oak Street (after a study of traffic and parking impacts) to make it safer and more usable for residents and as a viable alternative route for bicyclists.

Sidewalks. The use of sidewalks as bicycle facilities is not encouraged by Caltrans, even as a Class III bike route. There are exceptions to this rule. The California Vehicle Code states: >Local authorities may adopt rules and regulations by ordinance or resolution regarding the (...) operation of bicycles (...) on the public sidewalks.= (CA VC 21100, Subdiv. H). Caltrans adds in Chapter 1000: >In residential areas, sidewalk riding by young children too inexperienced to ride in the street

is common. With lower bicycle speeds and lower auto speeds, potential conflicts are somewhat lessened, but still exist. But it is inappropriate to sign these facilities as bikeways. Bicyclists should

not be encouraged (through signing) to ride facilities that are not designed to accommodate bicycle travel.

5.5 Other Design Guidelines

Traffic Calming. This includes any effort to moderate or reduce vehicle speeds and/or volumes on streets where traffic has a negative impact on bicycle or pedestrian movement. Because these efforts may impact traffic outside the immediate corridor, study of traffic impacts is typically required. For example, the City of Berkeley instituted traffic calming techniques by blocking access into residential streets. The impact was less traffic on local streets, and more traffic on arterials and collectors. Other techniques include installing traffic circles, intersection islands, partial street closings, >bulb-out= curbs, pavement treatments, lower speed signal timing, and narrowing travel lanes. The City of Alameda already has a relatively continuous street grid system with some filtering of through traffic into residential neighborhoods. Traffic circles, roundabouts, and other measures may be considered for residential collector streets where there is a desire to control travel speeds and traffic volumes but not to install numerous stop signs or traffic signals.

Signing, Striping, and Signalization. All bikeway signing in Alameda should conform to the signing identified in the Caltrans Traffic Manual and/or the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). These documents give specific information on the type and location of signing for the primary bike system. A list of bikeway signs from Caltrans and the MUTCD are shown in Table 6 (List of Bikeway Signs). Typical signing for a school commute corridor is shown in Figure 12. A typical bike route sign is shown in Figure 13.

5.6.1 Monitoring

Once the plan has been adopted, a monitoring effort is required to ensure that the recommendations are enforced over time. The following actions are recommended to achieve this.

5.6.2 Maintenance

The total annual maintenance cost of the primary bikeway system is estimated to be $228,000 when it is fully implemented. A substantial portion of these costs would be borne by either the East Bay Regional Park District or State Parks & Recreation. All of the maintenance costs are associated with the proposed off-road bike paths, as bike lanes and routes are assumed to be maintained as part of routine roadway maintenance. Class I bike path maintenance costs are based on $8,500 per mile, which covers labor, supplies, and amortized equipment costs for weekly trash removal, monthly sweeping, and bi-annual resurfacing and repair patrols.

Maintenance access on the city-controlled Class I bike paths will be achieved using standard City pick-up trucks on the pathway itself. Sections with narrow widths or other clearance restrictions should be clearly marked. Class I bike path maintenance includes cleaning, resurfacing and restriping the asphalt path, repairs to crossings, cleaning drainage systems, trash removal, and landscaping. Underbrush and weed abatement should be performed once in the late spring and again in mid-summer. Table 6b provides details of standard bikeway maintenance schedule.

5.6.3 Security

Security may be an issue along portions of the proposed Class I bike paths. Evaluation of specific security issues along these paths as well as the following actions are recommended to address concerns.