Ideally today, while they are still internally preparing their agenda, although your emails are useful going to the CTC any time in advance of their meeting on December 5, 2024.
Feel free to use the template below or use your own words. For local advocates, please also consider sending a quick letter under your organization's name.
As this blog has been reporting on the State of California's work on Otis Drive in Alameda, a consistent theme has emerged: bureaucratic inertia. Previously it was the Bay Area office of the state department of transportation that was dead-set on repaving Otis Drive as soon as possible in its exact same unsafe conditions. Fortunately, Caltrans District 4 has been convinced by residents and the City of Alameda to revisit their plans.
Now — according to an update that Alameda's City Manager verbally shared with City Council on Tuesday evening — it's the California Transportation Commission that's dead-set on repaving Otis Drive as soon as possible. The CTC is responsible for overseeing transportation funding throughout California. Caltrans District 4 submitted a request to the CTC for $700,000 in additional funds to explore safety improvements to Otis Drive on Alameda Island. However, CTC staff have apparently decided not to even put this request on the agenda for consideration by the CTC commissioners.
CTC staff likely aren't concerned about a request for a measly $700k — this is a $20 million dollar project already, out of an overall program called the "SHOPP" program that spends billions of dollars on highways across the state of California every year. What they're apparently concerned about is that considering any safety improvements may mean that the project is slowed down and risks not using all of its allocated funding during its assigned fiscal year.
So families going to Otis Elementary School be damned, residents living directly on Otis Drive be damned, people walking or cycling to Krusi Park be damned, people driving along Otis who prefer smoother speeds rather than fender benders be damned, the memory of Assemblymember Robert Crown (who was killed on that exact stretch of street by a motorist in the "double threat" scenario that continues to apply to pedestrians crossing the 4 lanes of auto thru traffic) be damned... the State of California has to spend those $20mm allocated to repavin' that highway as-is!
There may well be valid bureaucratic reasons why the CTC would rather not have this project continue into into another fiscal year or another "SHOPP" — but do CTC commissioners want to come here to Alameda to explain to ordinary people on the street why an acronym compels them to ignore local safety concerns?
Anyway, ordinary people don't care about acronyms — we care about results. The result of this current internal decision by the CTC is going to be the State of California re-building with slick new pavement a known-bad highway right next to a park, an elementary school, and residences that is expected to stay in place until at least the year 2037.
A template for emailing the CTC
Re: December CTC meeting regarding Alameda's Otis Drive, State Route 61, SHOPP Project 2Q720
To: ctc@catc.ca.gov, Tanisha.Taylor@catc.ca.gov, Jonathan.Pray@catc.ca.gov
Dear CTC Chair Guardino, Vice Chair Grisby, Commissioners, Executive Director Taylor, and Assistant Chief Engineer Pray,
I am writing from Alameda regarding Otis Drive. To Caltrans and the CTC, it's called State Route 61.
[My family and I cross Otis Drive when walking our dog to the park everyday. OR My family and I walk our kids to elementary school right next to Otis Drive. OR I walk, bike, and drive around Alameda and care about safety. OR YOUR OWN STORY!]
Caltrans has agreed to collaborate with Alameda to improve the safety of Otis Drive and has made a small budget request to the CTC to enable this. However, it sounds like the CTC disagrees and believes that internal budgetary deadlines are more important than traffic safety or community involvement.
This planned SHOPP repaving of Otis Drive is currently projected to last until at least 2037. It sounds like the CTC would prefer that traffic safety in our community, and even meeting current Caltrans complete-streets policies, wait until 13 years from now.
The State of California should do better and get this right. Please work with Caltrans, the City of Alameda, and local stakeholders to make a smarter investment in Otis Drive.
Thank you,
[your name]
[Alameda resident or your ZIP code; or your preferred description]