On the morning of September 24, a teenager who was riding a bike to school got into an accident on Santa Clara Avenue between Third and Fourth streets. Neighborhood residents initially assumed that the teen was involved in a collision with a car due to increased traffic in the neighborhood, but in an email to the Alameda Post, the City of Alameda’s Communications & Legislative Affairs Officer, Sarah Henry, clarified that the teen had been attempting to pop a wheelie and collided with another cyclist.
The incident, however, spurred residents to reach out to the Transportation Commission, the Transportation Planning department at the City of Alameda, and the Post with their concerns. Santa Clara Avenue from Fifth Street to Pacific Avenue had been designated a Slow Street during the pandemic in 2020 and was barricaded to through traffic. The construction on Central Avenue that started in the spring of 2025, however, pushed car traffic onto Santa Clara Avenue, despite its Slow Street status.
Marie Kotowski, who lives on the 300 block of Santa Clara, said that she saw many cars shortcut through Santa Clara Avenue instead of using the official Lincoln Avenue detour. Some drivers had road rage about the detours and many of the cars that would speed down Central Avenue started speeding down Santa Clara Avenue. They were not always mindful of stop signs. Kotowski told the Post that she and her neighbors “all have expected an accident since the Central Avenue project began.”
Quaid Kocur, who also lives on the 300 block of Santa Clara, agrees. Kocur said in an email to the Post, “There is a lot of chaos as people rush about their morning routines, which is particularly dangerous as it is also a shared bike route where kids ride together in groups.”
Kotowski initially sent an email to the Post saying, “I want to warn students and parents of the dangers of this street, and more importantly see changes.” She added, “In the past, neighbors have called the police and petitioned the City for traffic enforcement. Our pleas have been ignored.”
After months of drivers going around barricades to use Santa Clara Avenue as their detour, the City of Alameda removed Santa Clara Avenue’s Slow Street barricades when the school year started. Kotowski said, “Residents are divided on whether or not that was a good thing… I personally think the barriers made the intersections on our street really complicated,” with drivers “making up their own rules” to go around the barricades.
City Engineer Scott Wikstrom responded via email to residents who were concerned about the removal of the barricades. “The decision to remove the Santa Clara Slow Street was made based on two primary factors: (1) increased traffic on Santa Clara observed during the Spring during drop-off and pick-up created dangerous situations as vehicles maneuvered past the “Road Closed to Thru Traffic” signage, and (2) every one of the 1200+ students attending Encinal must cross Central Avenue,” Wikstrom stated. “Pedestrians, being the most vulnerable roadway users, are our primary safety consideration, followed by bicyclists. Attempting to move more traffic to Central Avenue by closing Santa Clara to through traffic increases the number of vehicle/pedestrian interactions and does not improve safety. Removing the Slow Streets barricades eliminated awkward and dangerous vehicular movements at these intersections where traffic volumes had risen dramatically.”
Unfortunately, removal of the barricades did not improve traffic safety on Santa Clara Avenue. Residents began looking into other solutions such as becoming a greenway street, installing a speed hump, and police enforcement of speeding. Those results have been mixed.
According to Kotowski, “Our block had already asked to become a greenway street and had been rejected.” Kocur expressed his disappointment as well. “Santa Clara Avenue was not considered for the greenway adaptation when all the rest of the Slow Streets were.”
Kotowski told the Post, “Several neighbors are interested in applying for a speed hump.” But she was discouraged when she attended the Transportation Commission meeting on September 25. “The City Engineer said in an offhand comment during the meeting that our block would not be considered for it because the new bike lane on Central would take care of the problem.”
In the meantime, Rochelle Wheeler, Senior Transportation Coordinator for Alameda’s Department of Transportation, reached out to Kocur and he reported that she spoke with him at length about his concerns regarding traffic safety on Santa Clara Avenue. According to Kocur, “She was helpful and seemed grateful to receive ‘on street’ experience of the traffic conditions.” But regarding the installation of a speed hump, “The message I received is really one of let’s wait and see, complications, and lack of budget,” Kocur said. Alameda Post’s requests to Wheeler for comment were unanswered.
In addition to adding a speed hump, Kotowski is also advocating for police enforcement of speeding and reckless driving.
“For me, traffic enforcement is the long and the short-term solution,” she said. “Alameda stopped enforcing traffic laws during the pandemic and traffic has gotten so much more dangerous as a result.” She would like to see police cars at busy intersections at the beginning and end of the school day.
Kocur told the Post that he has filed police reports about speeding and reckless driving and noted that the police “are often really good at following up, however the City is less so.”
Jean Chen is a contributing writer for the Alameda Post. Contact her via [email protected]. Her writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Jean-Chen.
