Staff weigh raised curbs, bollards and painted curbs to manage San Pablo crossings; contractors to make short-term fixes

City staff on June 26 presented options for handling raised curbs and vertical barriers in Albany’s right of way and described project‑specific refinements on San Pablo Avenue where temporary barricades and raised planters have altered pedestrian paths.

Lisonbee Carrillo, the city’s CIP program manager, told the commission that raised curbs outside the standard curb and gutter are increasingly used where right‑of‑way is constrained, for storm‑water capture, to provide edge protection where grades change, or to reduce vehicle encroachment on pedestrian zones. ‘‘Raised curbs that are outside of our standard curb and gutter that conveys stormwater flow. They're generally 4 inch to 6 inch high,’’ Carrillo said.

Carrillo outlined a toolbox of options for different situations: unpainted concrete curbs; painted or colored concrete for additional visibility; bollards or railings where vertical protection must sit inside or adjacent to the pedestrian access route; and temporary cones or barricades for short‑term construction or behavior change. She noted the difference between a full pedestrian circulation area (all sidewalks and paths) and a PROWAG‑defined pedestrian access route, which must be continuous and unobstructed.

San Pablo project refinements Staff described several site‑level issues encountered on the San Pablo Avenue corridor project, including inconsistent furniture zones, utility conflicts, steep slopes that have caused sidewalk heave or tripping, and the lack of a formal storm drain system on parts of the corridor that produces heavy overland flows and debris in planters. Recent construction placed raised‑curb elements and temporary barricades that staff said have already been damaged by vehicles in a few locations.

For the Castro–San Pablo corner staff proposed: lowering one curb ramp to smooth vehicle‑turn transitions and reduce scraping; trimming a raised curb that extended too far into a pedestrian route where a trip was reported; and installing valley gutters in selected turns to reduce bottoming‑out and pavement damage. For Brighton at San Pablo staff recommended installing a more durable barricade and signage to close an unmarked crossing that people nonetheless continued to use.

Staff said they plan to paint raised curbs white for high‑pedestrian commercial blocks to increase conspicuity, to repair minor construction damage, and to coordinate with Alameda CTC and Caltrans on any bollard proposals in locations where state right‑of‑way or transit operations could be affected.

Constraints and longer‑term needs Staff emphasized that some permanent treatments — for example, planting basins or larger curbed islands that require underdrains — will not be feasible within the current project budget or without new storm‑drain capacity. Carrillo said that while painted curbs and bollards can be used as shorter‑term, lower‑cost measures, certain locations will need larger infrastructure investments (storm drains, greater right‑of‑way acquisition or utility relocation) before a final, low‑maintenance treatment can be built.

Commissioners asked about alternatives, including tactile and detectable delineators used internationally, raised crosswalks and the tradeoffs among paint, railings and higher curbs. Carrillo said detectable delineators and other non‑standard tactile elements are not currently part of PROWAG federal guidance but noted the city could consult the orientation center for people who are blind and the California Access Board for additional input before adopting non‑standard tactile devices.

Next steps Staff said they will make the refinements described and close the CIP contract while coordinating with regional partners where further changes affect state right‑of‑way or larger drainage systems. Staff will also consider comments from the commission on visibility, signage and more durable island treatments where vehicles have repeatedly run over temporary features.

Ending The commission provided feedback and requested staff return with any significant design changes; in several hotspot locations staff intends to apply short‑term painted treatments and signage and to pursue longer‑term drainage and right‑of‑way solutions as funding and agency approvals allow.