Descrição
If anyone's ever tried to take High Street between, say, Maxwell Park or the Laurel to 880 or Alameda during the day, especially about 2-7pm, knows this horrific backup.
Here's the situation: There are two lanes of traffic in each direction, no left turn lanes, no median barrier, no bike lanes, sidewalks abutting lanes of traffic (ie, no room to widen the street). The traffic light is on the simplest cycle imaginable: green for International, green for High, repeat.
When the light turns green for High Street, traffic in the left lane almost invariably wants to turn left, and has to yield to oncoming traffic, blocking the left lane for most of the cycle of the light. Meanwhile, traffic in the right lane has to yield to the high volume of pedestrian traffic in the neighborhood, which can easily block the right lane. It is not uncommon for traffic to only be able to advance a couple of car lengths per green. To make matters worse, few drivers signal their intentions to turn, at best at the last second when it is too late to get out of their lane!
While I don't expect any progress on Oakland driving etiquette, A left turn lane would alleviate a lot of this traffic. Perhaps signs at Courtland and 880 advising through traffic to take SR 77 (42nd Avenue).
Here's my ideal situation for this intersection: approaching International on High (in either direction), there would be, from right to left, a right turn lane, a through traffic lane, a left turn lane, and the opposing through traffic lane, coupled with signalized left turns, in all four directions (there is already a left turn lane on International, but no separate signal phase). This geometry involves some slight weaving in the intersection, but only about as much as there currently is at High and Foothill. Of course, it means that technically, this would create a bottleneck as two lanes in each direction merge into only one, but one lane that actually moves would be a remarkable improvement over none!
I have to drive this stretch of road multiple times a day, and I just can't believe how long this dysfunctional intersection has remained unchanged. Thank you!
15 Comentários
Oakland 311 (Oficial Verificado)
The City of Oakland Public Works Agency received this issue on 11/3/2011. It is registered as service request # 387357. Currently, we are working on this issue. Please check back for status updates or contact us directly at (510)615-5566.
Thank you.
Reconhecido Oakland 311 (Oficial Verificado)
The City of Oakland Public Works Agency has received this issue. Currently, we are working on this issue. Please check back for status updates or contact us directly at (510)615-5566.
Thank you.
J Bueso (Visitante)
Courtland Creek Neighbor (Utilizador Registado)
Edge City (Utilizador Registado)
MERC (Utilizador Registado)
Your solution should be considered ASAP. Others on this website should also get involved by calling and emailing:
ngallo@oaklandnet.com (Thanks, Eileen, for reminding us who to contact.).
Cassandra (Visitante)
Smoggypants (Utilizador Registado)
sparrow27 (Utilizador Registado)
Heads-up: AC Transit's East Bay Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project which will have an impact on this intersection. This project creates designated bus-only travel lanes on International Blvd. with new high-tech timed signal lights that will favor the AC Transit bus. (The number of car lanes will be reduced.)
This is an ambitious project. BRT will operate buses between 20th St. on Broadway in downtown Oakland and San Leandro BART. They are aiming to complete the project at the end of 2017.
The designated bus stops in this vicinity include:... - Fruitvale - 39th Ave. - High St. - 48th Ave. - 54th Ave. - Seminary - ...
For more information, they have created this Web site is http://brt.actransit.org.
There will be both benefits and drawbacks to this new system.
(Not sure if a left turn lane/left signal arrow was a consideration for traffic coming from High Street to International Blvd. so I recently posed this question. I am awaiting a response.)
Robert Prinz (Utilizador Registado)
The lane striping schematics for the East Bay International Blvd BRT project are available to view or download online here (these are from October 2015 so some minor changes might have been made since then): https://www.scribd.com/doc/290423409/East-Bay-BRT-striping-schematics-Oakland-and-San-Leandro
It does not look like there are any proposed changes to High Street as part of this plan, but the traffic signals are likely going to be replaced so there might be an opportunity to adjust the signal phase at that time.
High Street north of Courtland goes from 2 lanes each way down to 1 each way with a center turn lane. This same thing could be done south of Courtland as well, which would create fewer backups due to left turners while also freeing up space on each side for bike lanes. This is typically referred to as a 4-to-3 road diet, and there have been dozens of other similar projects implemented all over town with no increase in congestion despite fewer travel lanes.
If this is the type of treatment you would like to see on High Street I also recommend contacting Noel Gallo's office, as he has the power to help prioritize such a project.
sparrow27 (Utilizador Registado)
Thank you, Robert Prinz! The schematics are interesting.
I think it would be beneficial to contact both council members Noel Gallo and Annie Campbell-Washington.
Many would also appreciate a left arrow turn signal on High Street and San Leandro St.
Are you an engineer?
Robert Prinz (Utilizador Registado)
sparrow27 (Utilizador Registado)
This post has been brought to the attention of Council members Noel Gallo and Annie Campbell-Washington, via email as a copy and paste.
Thanks again for sharing this info and for your involvement on Oakland's Bicyclists and Pedestrian Advisory Commission.
It would be great if AC Transit could implement the 4-to-3 diet modified signal phase. Hope it's not too late to make this modification/improvement.
(Bike East Bay is also a wonderful resource.)
I Love Allendale Park (Utilizador Registado)
Candy (Utilizador Registado)