Hayward staff recommend changes after Orchard Avenue traffic‑calming pilot shows modest speed reductions and mixed public response

City transportation staff presented results of the Orchard Avenue traffic‑calming quick‑build pilot to the Council of Infrastructure and Good for Committee on April 23 and recommended immediate and longer‑term changes after a four‑month evaluation.

Principal Transportation Engineer Diane Tang said the evaluation used vendor turning‑movement counts, staff observations and a resident survey. Tang reported average speed reductions of about 4% to 8% near the roundabout and along Orchard. Data comparing counts from 2023 to January–April 2025 indicated heavy‑vehicle volumes (trucks and larger vehicles) fell by roughly 50%; overall vehicle counts remained similar to pre‑pilot levels.

Staff also described operational work to reduce queuing: signal timing was adjusted three times during the evaluation and staff implemented a phasing change that reduced certain queues by about 30% on average mornings. Tang said staff made interim adjustments during the evaluation and would continue monitoring.

Based on the pilot, staff’s short‑term recommendations included removing two raised intersections on Orchard Avenue and reopening a left‑turn pocket from Orchard onto Mission Boulevard. For the long term, staff recommended replacing temporary pilot materials with permanent infrastructure to reduce maintenance, installing crosswalks, curb ramps and curb extensions, exploring buffered or protected bike lanes on the east portion of Orchard and installing improved lighting at the roundabout. Staff also recommended exploring a multi‑use trail connection from Orchard to Whitman Street.

Public reaction was mixed. More than 500 residents responded to a survey staff mailed to about 5,000 households; roughly 60% of respondents were from Hayward Highlands and the next largest share from Orchard. Some residents, including longtime Highlands residents and a retired transportation engineer, said removing lanes and curb features had increased congestion and introduced confusing lane patterns. “It created compression. To me there is much more compression now in that area,” said Peter Ronan, a Highlands resident. Other residents supported the changes as needed to slow traffic and reduce heavy vehicles.

Council discussion and next steps: committee members asked staff to reopen the left‑turn pocket and continue signal‑timing refinements; one council member asked staff to consider using speed humps at locations where raised intersections are removed. Staff said permanent materials would be phased in after further adjustments; they also noted the pilot was not meant to address all regional traffic drivers (several speakers pointed to congestion at Jackson/Mission/Foothill as the upstream problem).

No formal vote was taken on the recommendations at this meeting; staff will return with refined plans and timing and will hold a public outreach session (staff referenced a May 8 public meeting on a related Hayward Boulevard project).