Thanks to everyone who's written to the California Transportation Commission about Otis Drive (State Route 61) so far.

Ryan LaLonde, an Alameda resident and a member of the Alameda Unified Board of Education, wrote in and share his email with this blog:

Dear CTC Chair Guardino, Vice Chair Grisby, Commissioners, Executive Director Taylor, and Assistant Chief Engineer Pray,

My name is Ryan LaLonde and I was elected to Alameda Unified School Board in 2022. Since I have come on board, I have made it my goal to increase safety for our students and staff, not only on our school campuses but also on their routes to and from school.

I am writing regarding Otis Drive. Which is a boarding road for two of our schools in Alameda – Otis Elementary and Will C Wood Middle School. For your reference, Caltrans and the CTC, call Otis Dr - State Route 61.

California Ed Code 32280-32289.5 requires school districts maximize school safety and create a positive learning environment that includes strategies for safe ingress and egress of pupils, parents, and school employees to and from school. We hope you will align with these requirements and prioritize Route 61 pedestrian and bicycle safety.

In the year I took office, 2022, two people died and 13 were severely injured in traffic collisions on Alameda streets. Also in 2022, 18 children and youth (<18) were injured in traffic collisions on Alameda streets, including 4 who were walking (one of whom was severely injured) and 12 who were biking.

The top two dangerous behaviors associated with fatal and severe injury crashes in Alameda are failure to yield to a pedestrian and unsafe speeds. And crashes involving people walking and biking are disproportionately dangerous, representing 62% of fatal and severe injury crashes in Alameda from 2009-2018. Unfortunately, on average, young people ages 10-24 are overrepresented in severe and fatal crashes compared to other age groups based on the 2009-2018 data.

This data speaks volumes for our need to make sure Otis Dr is given a high priority in pedestrian safety. 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 of our students and staff.

This planned SHOPP repaving of Otis Drive is currently projected to last until at least 2037. I hope you can understand our urgency in fixing safety issues now and not kicking the can down the road. It is my hope that you would NOT prefer that traffic safety in our community, and even meeting current Caltrans complete-streets policies, wait until 13 years from now.

I am asking that you please work with Caltrans, the City of Alameda, and other local stakeholders to make a smarter investment in Otis Drive for the safety of our students.


Thank you,

Ryan LaLonde
Alameda Unified School District Clerk/Trustee