In early April, RCPC sent Safeway/Albertsons a letter telling them how we wanted to use our $400,000 community benefits settlement to design and build a series of traffic calming projects along streets just west of the store. We’ve recently received a formal response essentially denying our request. Albertsons’ letter claims there would have been no traffic impacts if Safeway had been allowed to add a left-turn lane and arrow at the College/Alcatraz intersection to control cars turning east onto Alcatraz.
Albertson’s argument is little short of nonsensical. As our original request (posted on Rockridge.org with Albertsons’ response) explained, the opening of the new Safeway had been accompanied by a 50% increase in traffic in both directions along Hillegass between Claremont and the Berkeley border. There was also increased traffic on Alcatraz west of College. The most logical explanation is that increased traffic is due to cars going to and from the new Safeway. That traffic would be totally unaffected by whether a left turn lane and light aided traffic turning east onto Alcatraz from southbound College.
RCPC’s board of directors will be meeting in early July to discuss and devise a strategy going forward. That strategy will probably involve, in accordance with our settlement agreement, submitting our request to Oakland’s Planning and Zoning Director, who has the authority to override Safeway’s objections and approve the project.