San Leandro Facilities & Transportation Committee Meeting: MacArthur Roundabout Update – August 24, 2026

The Facilities & Transportation Committee of the City of San Leandro met on August 24, 2026, in City Council Chambers at City Hall, 835 East 14th Street. (Note: The agenda and minutes for this meeting are dated July 9, 2026; the date August 24, 2026 is used per the meeting record provided.) The committee received a comprehensive update on the MacArthur Boulevard/Foothill Boulevard/Superior Avenue roundabout project and heard public comment on a non-agenda item. No formal votes were taken; members expressed strong concern about delays and cost escalation and directed staff to continue pressing permitting and utility issues.

Attendance and Opening

• Mayor Juan González III called the meeting to order at 4:01 PM. Present: Mayor González, Councilmember James Aguilar, and Councilmember Dylan Bolt. No announcements were made.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Joel Stewart, a resident, commented about the Monarch Bay Golf Course (not on the agenda). He said the city hired a consultant for a comprehensive review costing over $100,000 and producing a 130-page report. He stated the report finds course conditions below expectations, a failing irrigation system, only 16% of users are residents, and food/beverage and driving range revenues below national benchmarks. He said the report projects flat revenue for five years and a decline in net revenue from about $2 million to $900,000 per year, citing last year's net of $960,000. He urged the city to issue an RFP to gauge partnership interest to restore net profit.

Discussion Item: MacArthur Roundabout Update

• Irwin Jing, Engineering Manager, presented the update. The project addresses a three-street convergence (MacArthur Boulevard, Foothill Boulevard, Superior Avenue). A 2005 feasibility study recorded 16 collisions between 2000 and 2004, more than three times the statewide average, with level of service F (more than 50 seconds to traverse).
• Design evolution: Concept A had no dedicated bicycle facilities; Concept B added dedicated bike lanes but encroached on Caltrans property and the EasyShop parking lot; Concept C added a bypass lane for westbound Foothill traffic and required additional Caltrans property. Caltrans held plan review from 2019 to 2024; acquisition was approved in 2022. The maintenance/acquisition agreement with Oakland was pre-approved but not executed. In 2025, the design was optimized for updated bicycle and pedestrian safety standards. The 100% plans were submitted to Caltrans in March 2026; Caltrans returned comments and resubmission was planned by the end of the month.
• Completed since July 2025: 100% submittal to Caltrans; PG&E relocated one pole and installed a new pole (one pole remains needing relocation); Comcast can relocate facilities; Caltrans agreed a masonry agreement is no longer required because the improvements are in Oakland's property.
• Remaining schedule risks: Caltrans mistakenly installed fiber in the parcel transferred to the city, conflicting with the proposed retaining wall and Comcast relocation; Caltrans is requiring a right-of-way certification for an encroachment permit, which staff argue is not typical for such permits; the City of Oakland's encroachment permit is conditioned on completing a maintenance agreement, which staff proposed postponing until project completion; East Bay MUD meter relocations and water line conflicts near beacon foundations need resolution; water meter application approval is expected by the end of the year.
• Cost and funding: The July 2025 construction estimate of $4.3 million was understated because bid and construction contingency (about 25% of the engineer's estimate) was omitted. The anticipated total project cost is now $7.52 million, including $6.17 million in construction, an increase of about $1.8 million. The contingency is $1.07 million. The $1.8 million federal HIP grant was given up and assigned to another city project because the roundabout could not meet federal deadlines; about $2 million was set aside in the 2026/2027 CIP budget, with capital reserve funds also identified. Bid award is expected in February 2027, construction in spring 2027, and completion in early 2028.

Interim Safety Measures

• Engineering Technician Jim Bent Slate presented interim measures installed earlier in 2026. To reduce speeds, the city installed Omega posts/delineators, taper lines, and optical speed bars on MacArthur Boulevard. To reduce U-turns, wayfinding signs were installed directing southbound Foothill Boulevard drivers to Victoria and MacArthur, avoiding the Superior/MacArthur intersection. A left-turn restriction at Superior was first installed around 2022; this reduced conflicts but moved some collisions to Lewis Avenue.

Committee Discussion and Direction

• Councilmember Aguilar requested updated collision numbers since 2014; staff said the 2014 study confirmed the collision rate was about three times the state average and offered to provide exact data. Aguilar asked about AC Transit bus service (likely line 34 or 35) and was told staff consulted AC Transit and moved a bus stop as part of the design. He also asked about potential future changes in laws or standards; staff responded that some features, such as rectangular rapid flashing beacons, are enhancements that could be adjusted if utility conflicts require.
• Councilmember Bolt questioned whether the bypass lane adequately addresses queuing from the 580 off-ramp, since most traffic continues onto MacArthur; staff explained the bypass removes westbound Foothill traffic from the roundabout and that roundabouts maintain continuous flow. Bolt asked whether a traffic signal was considered; staff replied both feasibility studies (2006 and 2014) determined a roundabout was the best solution for the five-legged intersection. Bolt expressed frustration with the project's long timeline and rising cost, asked about the Caltrans land acquisition cost (staff said approximately $23,000 - $25,000, not $1), and urged staff to pursue strong enforcement against Comcast if fiber relocation is not resolved, including franchise agreement enforcement or property acquisition as a last resort.
• On the Oakland maintenance agreement, staff explained the agreement is needed because the roundabout encroaches on Oakland property; Oakland will receive the property after construction, and San Leandro will maintain improvements. Staff proposed delaying the agreement requirement to project completion to avoid delaying construction. Councilmember Aguilar cautioned that describing the agreement as 'routed for signature' was inaccurate while it remained under legal review. Staff stated they are preparing permits from Oakland and Caltrans in advance so construction can proceed once a contractor is selected.

Key Outcomes

• No motions or formal votes were taken.
• Staff will provide Councilmember Aguilar with updated collision data.
• Staff will continue negotiations with Caltrans on the encroachment permit, right-of-way certification, and fiber relocation, and with Oakland on the maintenance agreement timing.
• Councilmember Bolt requested that staff begin exploring enforcement options against Comcast to avoid further project delays.
• The committee expressed a shared sense of urgency about completing the roundabout to reduce cost escalation and safety risks.