Middle Avenue Complete Streets

Construction updates

On April 29, the City Council awarded the Project's construction contract to Rapid Grading Services. The Project is currently in construction. City staff will also periodically update this website to inform stakeholders of changes in scope, schedule, or other project milestones. Please note that future changes to the El Camino Real and Middle Avenue intersection are also under development as part of a separate project.

Please visit the Construction News webpage for weekly updates on ongoing construction activities.

Information on speed humps and tables

We have received questions from residents on the design of the speed humps and tables, specifically on why these extend into the bicycle lanes. With the removal of parking on both sides of the street, the roadway width available allowed for a wide buffer for the bicycle lanes. In each direction, the vehicle travel lane is 10 ft. wide, the bicycle buffer is 4.5 ft., and the bicycle lane is 5 ft. The speed humps installed for the traffic calming extend into the bicycle lane to prevent cars from traveling into the bicycle buffer and lane to avoid the speed hump. Unfortunately, we often observe driving behavior that poses safety risks – and with a bicycle buffer and lane that are 9.5 ft wide, vehicles would avoid the speed hump altogether. The speed humps were designed and constructed per the City’s standards and follow the Institute of Transportation Engineers Guidelines for the Design and Application of Speed Humps. The humps are rolled and tapered, which avoid discomfort when bicycling over them and allow for a safe ride. Middle Avenue also has a gentle and flat grade, which promotes safe riding.   

At the pedestrian crossings, we installed raised crosswalks/speed tables – these are traffic calming devices that have a flat top and tapered edges. The raised crosswalks also extend into the bicycle lane to prevent cars from traveling into the bicycle buffer and lane to avoid it. To comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act accessibility guidelines, these raised crosswalks must also extend across the entire roadway width and across the bike lanes to allow for adequate access, transitions, and grade for people with disabilities. Like the humps, these have tapered edges that avoid discomfort when bicycling over them and allow for a safe ride. We have also been observing the use of the roadway. The traffic calming devices on Middle Avenue are slowing vehicles down and the bike lanes are providing the protection and safety needed for the bicyclists. 

The speed humps and tables follow the City standards and are installed throughout the City. Examples can be found across bicycle lanes on Alma Street, Laurel Street, Willow Road and Coleman Avenue.

Blake and Nealon Pilot status

The Blake Street pilot, implemented in December of 2023, consisted of a temporary full closure of Blake Street at Middle Avenue in response to neighborhood concerns about high vehicle speeds, limited pedestrian visibility, poor motorist yield compliance to pedestrians in the marked crosswalk, and limited visibility caused by high traffic volumes on Middle Avenue. 

The Nealon Park Back-in Angle Parking pilot, implemented in December 2024, shifted the parking configuration to increase the number of parking spaces, improve visibility for drivers exiting parking spaces and to provide safer loading conditions for families and park users.

Both pilots were installed in coordination with Vision Zero Action Plan strategies, and the broader Middle Avenue safety improvements, which included new striping, signage, crosswalk enhancements, and traffic calming.

Feedback on the pilot changes to Blake Street and Nealon Park was collected through a community survey. Please join us at the upcoming Complete Streets Commission meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 12 where the Commission will review the survey results and discuss next steps for these pilots.