OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Alameda Transportation Commission Meeting - May 20, 2026

City Council — Wednesday, May 20, 2026
BodyAlameda, California
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, May 20, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:02:39
Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

We have a quorum.

0:00

I just counted.

0:01

Thank you.

0:03

Lisa, you're good?

0:09

Welcome to a lovely meeting.

0:12

On a lovely evening in the world's greatest city, Alameda, California, the Transportation Commission meeting for Wednesday, May 20th, 2026.

0:20

We will begin with roll call.

0:22

Commissioner Dara Abrams.

0:24

Commissioner Kim.

0:26

Present.

0:26

Chair Whitsey.

0:27

Here.

0:28

Vice Chair Sue Thanthira.

0:29

Present.

0:30

Commissioner Johnson.

0:31

Present.

0:32

And Commissioners Gloin and Noctigall are absent tonight.

0:37

Seeing that we have a quorum, we will continue with the agenda.

0:40

Let's move on to any proposed agenda changes.

0:42

Any agenda changes, everyone.

0:45

Seeing none, we'll move on to our next item.

0:47

We move on to staff communications with, I believe, Lisa Foster.

0:51

Good evening, Chair White C and Transportation Commissioners.

0:54

I'm Lisa Foster, Transportation Planning Manager and Secretary to you all.

1:08

That are recent.

1:09

On March 17th, the City Council accepted the Transportation 2025 annual report and 2026 work plan.

1:16

And on May 5th, they approved the bike share pilot concept and funding that you'll discuss tonight.

1:22

Our next couple of regular meetings are July 22nd and September 23rd.

1:28

And some potential agenda topics for those meetings include design concepts for Pacific Ave Wilmachan Way and nearby neighborhood greenway segments, a mid-year transportation report, and Clement Av from Grand to Sherman.

1:42

In terms of public events coming up, Caltrans is hosting another I 580 truck access study listening session in Oakland on May 23rd.

1:52

And then on May 28th, the city is holding the Pacific Ave Wilmachan Way and Neighborhood Greenways workshop.

1:58

I'll give a little more information on that in our updates.

2:01

And on June 5th and July 10th, at Mastic Senior Center, there will be transportation 101 and clipper cards for seniors' events.

2:10

For updates, we have been enjoying a lovely bike month.

2:16

Around 700 people joined the bike festival at Ruby Bridges Elementary in the very beginning of the month.

2:25

And it was a wonderful time.

2:27

We combined it with the home electrification fair this time, which worked well.

2:32

And then on May thir 14th was bike to wherever day and bike to school day.

2:37

The city hosted an energizer station at City Hall.

2:43

And then for Pacific Ave and Wilmachan, I've been mentioning a few times.

2:48

We are in we have funding to do improvements at that intersection, which is a neighborhood greenway crossing for Pacific Av.

2:56

And at the same and so we're working on alternatives for that, and then we're also working on a couple of segments of neighborhood greenways nearby.

3:05

So we'll be having a public workshop and an online survey opening um for the end of the month.

3:14

Construction big news for the Clement Ave Tilden Way Improvement Project.

3:20

As I imagine everybody knows, on May 18th, uh stages two and three of that construction began, and this is the most intensive time of that construction.

3:31

There is a detour uh at Fernside, which no longer connects to Tilden Way while the roundabout's being constructed.

3:40

That should stay in place uh through about the fall, depending on weather and other things.

3:45

Um the travel will continue on Tilden Way.

3:49

Uh in June, it'll it'll be a temporary roadway north of the regular road, so that that can continue.

3:56

Oakland Alameda Access Project, you all know the Webster tube is being constructed during weeknights, and then Posey tube will begin after Webster tube is done.

4:08

That's Caltrans project, as you know.

4:10

Oakland Alameda Water Shuttle uh the this July marks the end of our initial two-year pilot service, but we will have we have funding for another two years with our partner uh funding agencies and um in April the water shuttle carried almost well 11,600 passengers.

4:34

So that concludes my communications.

4:38

Thank you, Lisa.

4:40

Let's move on next to non-agenda item public comment.

4:43

So again, if there's a qu a comment from the public on non-agenda items, do we have any non-agenda item public comment?

4:49

Yes, we have two in-house, and if you are on Zoom and would like to speak, uh please raise your hand.

4:55

But first we have Danielle Mueller.

5:01

Hi, Danielle.

5:02

Good evening, Commissioners.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Active Transportation████████████████████████████████████████████44%
Transportation Safety█████████████████████████25%
Public Transit████████████████16%
Procedural████4%
Engineering And Infrastructure███3%
Community Engagement███3%
Public Engagement███3%
Fiscal Sustainability██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Alameda Transportation Commission Meeting - May 20, 2026

The Transportation Commission met on May 20, 2026, to discuss the West Alameda Transportation Demand Management Association (WATMA) annual report and a proposed bike share pilot program. Commissioners heard public comments on infrastructure needs, trail access, and truck routing, and approved the WATMA report unanimously.

Consent Calendar

  • The commission withdrew the motion to approve draft minutes from the previous meeting due to insufficient commissioners present at that meeting, deferring approval to a future meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Danielle Mueller, Sustainability and Resilience Manager for the City of Alameda, presented on a potential $300 million infrastructure bond for roads, bridges, storm drains, and public safety facilities. She noted that Alameda's pavement condition score is 66/100, lagging behind neighbors, and that property owners would pay approximately $49 per $100,000 of assessed value. She encouraged residents to complete a survey at www.alamedaca.gov/strongertogether.
  • Jim Strelo raised two issues: (1) an obstruction on the Cross Alameda Trail between Grand and Hibbert, blocking vehicle access despite the trail being declared open; (2) a large truck unable to turn from Ardent onto West Atlantic due to planter placement, forcing it to drive against traffic. He expressed concern about design problems.
  • Mitch Ball (via Zoom) spoke in support of the bike share pilot, noting that his coworkers benefited from previous TDM programs. He suggested that combining TMAs could allow switching from Easy Pass to Bay Pass for broader transit access, and highlighted bike infrastructure gaps on Singleton Avenue and Fifth Street.
  • Arch Singhofi, General Manager of the Alameda TMA, introduced himself and offered to present a more comprehensive report for 2026. He noted the TMA's membership pool is nearing 3,000.

Discussion Items

6a: West Alameda Transportation Demand Management Association (WATMA) Annual Report for 2025

  • Rochelle Wheeler presented background on TMAs and the history of WATMA, established in 2013 to mitigate traffic impacts from Alameda Landing development. The report covers program updates, including the termination of the Alameda Landing Express shuttle and launch of an AC Transit Easy Pass program in May 2025. Key statistics: 215 passes distributed, 33% of pass holders use at least once per month; 33% of survey respondents use the water shuttle for commuting, 82% use it recreationally. The report also discusses a stalled merger with the Alameda TMA due to board concerns.
  • Commissioners discussed the value of TDM programs, the need for clearer data, and the challenge of engaging small businesses and Target (which does not promote the pass due to national policy). Commissioner Dara Abrams noted the water shuttle usage numbers are strong. Commissioner Kim requested more clarity in future reports.
  • Public comment: Jim Strelo asked for more concrete numbers on trip reduction and budget. Arch Singhofi offered to provide a detailed report.
  • Outcome: The commission voted unanimously to accept the WATMA annual report for 2025.

6b: Bike Share Pilot Program Concepts

  • Susie Hufstadter presented a three-year pilot using Bay Wheels (regional docked e-bike system) focused on West Alameda, funded by Alameda CTC and local match. The pilot would include 8 stations, 52 e-bikes, targeting first/last mile connections to ferries and water shuttle during the Posey Tube closure (early 2027). Pricing varies; low-income program available. Community outreach planned for summer 2026, with launch targeted for early 2027.
  • Commissioners expressed strong support, noting the program's potential to improve connectivity and support local businesses. Concerns included station siting (must include three water transit stops), the need for flexibility to move underperforming stations, and coordination with Oakland to ensure bike availability at Jack London stations. Commissioner Kim suggested provisions for moving stations. Commissioner Dara Abrams emphasized the importance of a good user experience and dialogue with Oakland.
  • Public comment: Jim Strelo raised questions about age limits (18+), helmet requirements, and potential conflicts with existing bike lane users. Arch Singhofi submitted a letter of support from the Alameda TMA and hospitality businesses.
  • Outcome: This was a discussion item only; no vote taken. Staff will proceed with community engagement and technical siting.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved: Motion to accept the West Alameda Transportation Demand Management Association Annual Report for 2025 (unanimous).
  • Deferred: Approval of draft meeting minutes to a future meeting.
  • Next Steps: Staff will continue developing the bike share pilot, including community outreach and station siting, with a target launch in early 2027. The commission will receive updates at future meetings.

Meeting Transcript

We have a quorum. I just counted. Thank you. Lisa, you're good? Welcome to a lovely meeting. On a lovely evening in the world's greatest city, Alameda, California, the Transportation Commission meeting for Wednesday, May 20th, 2026. We will begin with roll call. Commissioner Dara Abrams. Commissioner Kim. Present. Chair Whitsey. Here. Vice Chair Sue Thanthira. Present. Commissioner Johnson. Present. And Commissioners Gloin and Noctigall are absent tonight. Seeing that we have a quorum, we will continue with the agenda. Let's move on to any proposed agenda changes. Any agenda changes, everyone. Seeing none, we'll move on to our next item. We move on to staff communications with, I believe, Lisa Foster. Good evening, Chair White C and Transportation Commissioners. I'm Lisa Foster, Transportation Planning Manager and Secretary to you all. That are recent. On March 17th, the City Council accepted the Transportation 2025 annual report and 2026 work plan. And on May 5th, they approved the bike share pilot concept and funding that you'll discuss tonight. Our next couple of regular meetings are July 22nd and September 23rd. And some potential agenda topics for those meetings include design concepts for Pacific Ave Wilmachan Way and nearby neighborhood greenway segments, a mid-year transportation report, and Clement Av from Grand to Sherman. In terms of public events coming up, Caltrans is hosting another I 580 truck access study listening session in Oakland on May 23rd. And then on May 28th, the city is holding the Pacific Ave Wilmachan Way and Neighborhood Greenways workshop. I'll give a little more information on that in our updates. And on June 5th and July 10th, at Mastic Senior Center, there will be transportation 101 and clipper cards for seniors' events. For updates, we have been enjoying a lovely bike month. Around 700 people joined the bike festival at Ruby Bridges Elementary in the very beginning of the month. And it was a wonderful time. We combined it with the home electrification fair this time, which worked well. And then on May thir 14th was bike to wherever day and bike to school day. The city hosted an energizer station at City Hall. And then for Pacific Ave and Wilmachan, I've been mentioning a few times. We are in we have funding to do improvements at that intersection, which is a neighborhood greenway crossing for Pacific Av. And at the same and so we're working on alternatives for that, and then we're also working on a couple of segments of neighborhood greenways nearby. So we'll be having a public workshop and an online survey opening um for the end of the month. Construction big news for the Clement Ave Tilden Way Improvement Project. As I imagine everybody knows, on May 18th, uh stages two and three of that construction began, and this is the most intensive time of that construction. There is a detour uh at Fernside, which no longer connects to Tilden Way while the roundabout's being constructed. That should stay in place uh through about the fall, depending on weather and other things. Um the travel will continue on Tilden Way. Uh in June, it'll it'll be a temporary roadway north of the regular road, so that that can continue. Oakland Alameda Access Project, you all know the Webster tube is being constructed during weeknights, and then Posey tube will begin after Webster tube is done.

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