Traffic Signal at Wisconsin St

REQUEST.
WE, the undersigned residents, working-persons, students, parents, consumers, recreationalist, motorist, and pedestrians of Redwood Road / 35th Avenue hereby request the immediate installation of traffic signals at the intersection of 35th Avenue and Wisconsin Street to protect public health and safety.

BACKGROUND.
At least 3 people have been killed. Many suffer serious injuries. Public and private properties are repeatedly damaged. Residents struggle to egress from their local streets and could be easily trapped in the event of an emergency evacuation. These problems result from un-controlled vehicle traffic and speeding across the 4 lanes of Redwood Rd / 35th Ave.

Thousands of people use this regional thoroughfare daily, and more vehicles are added to the road each year as unabated development continues in the area. Due to its size and increasing volume of high-speed traffic, Redwood Rd / 35th Ave has come to divide the community it intersects because it is so difficult for neighbors to cross the roadway. The Redwood Rd / 35th Ave thoroughfare connects both to Hwy 580 and to Hwy 13. It leads to the East Bays most scenic roads and serves the many regional and local facilities in the area such as:

2 Colleges / Universities: Attended by students from the entire region.
7 Public & Charter Schools (K-12): Attended by students from all areas.
4 Private Schools (K-12): Attended by students from the region.
8 or More Pre-Schools; Nursery Schools; Kindergartens; Day Care Facilities
7 or More Regional Churches / Places of Worship

CHABOT SPACE AND SCIENCE CENTER: Serving Northern California

SAFEWAY at Lincoln Square: the only mainstream supermarket in southern
East Oakland that will soon serve Leona Quarry, Oak Knoll, and
other new housing developments in Districts 4 & 6, as well.

Numerous E.B.R.P. Dist: Recreation Areas, Facilities, Parks, and Trails
Multiple, City-Owned Recreational Facilities, Sports Fields, Parks, and Trails

DISCUSSION.
In order to create more pedestrian and bicycle friendly neighborhoods, a stated objective for many Districts of Oakland, it is critical that the speed of the traffic on 35th Avenue/Redwood Road be reduced. A traffic signal at Wisconsin St. can help meet this objective by providing a structure by which residents can safely egress from their local streets and cross Redwood Rd. / 35th Ave.

Wisconsin Street is located midway between the traffic signals at Monterey Blvd. and at MacArthur Blvd, at the base of an incline. It is an improved, arterial collector road for hundreds of local residents and evenly intersects both sides Redwood Rd. / 35th Ave. Westbound and eastbound AC Transit busses stop at Wisconsin St. because it its an arterial connector to both sides of the neighborhood. The north side of Wisconsin St. is level, offering easy pedestrian access to Peralta Creek and to Avenue Terrace Park (via Rettig Ave to Jordan Rd). In addition, the homeowners on and around Wisconsin St pay extra property taxes to fund the Wildfire Prevention District, and deserve equal access to evacuation onto Redwood Rd. / 35th Ave.

CONCLUSION.
The installation of traffic signals on 35th Avenue / Redwood Road at Wisconsin Street will save lives, improve neighborhoods, and reduce the Citys financial liability for future traffic related deaths, injuries, and property damage.