Piedmont council backs application for Alameda County CIP funds to speed safety work on Moraga Avenue

The council voted to authorize staff to apply for funding through the Alameda County Transportation Commission's 2026 Comprehensive Investment Plan (CIP). Public works staff described the program as a regional $100 million fund intended to allocate dollars for projects through 2030 and said the city plans to request about $1 million to accelerate design and construction of pedestrian and bike safety improvements on Moraga Avenue and other high‑priority intersections.

Public works director Daniel Gonzalez said the scope would include bulb‑outs, striping and rapid‑flashing beacons at crossings identified in the city's 2021 Safer Streets plan and that staff is proposing a 25% local match to improve the application's competitiveness. "The 2026 CIP for Alameda County Transportation Commission includes a 100,000,000 in funding from various sources, and, it's intended to cover through the years 2030," Gonzalez said. Staff cautioned the council that design has not started and that details — including possible parking impacts and whether lower‑cost interim solutions are preferable — will be resolved in design; John Wenger (engineering) said the cost estimate includes a healthy contingency given the early‑stage concept.

A resident raised concerns about potential cut‑through traffic and left‑turn diversions into neighborhood streets; staff said cut‑through impacts and enforcement will be considered during design. The council approved a motion supporting the application and the $1 million request with a 25% match and carried the item unanimously.