Summary: The 0.4-mile stretch of Moraga Avenue between Thornhill Drive and La Salle Avenue is a serious safety hazard for children, seniors, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Most of this segment runs alongside Montclair Park. The road carries two lanes of traffic in each direction (four lanes total), with parallel parking on both sides. Pedestrians cross into the park at two crosswalks on Moraga Avenue: the northern crosswalk has on-demand signals, while the southern crosswalk has no protection at all. The posted speed limit is 30 mph, but cars routinely travel 50 mph or more.
Challenges:
High vehicle speeds: Drivers routinely exceed the posted 30 mph limit, often using Moraga Avenue as a cut-through to bypass freeway traffic.
Narrow lanes and dooring: Residents who park along Moraga risk being struck by passing traffic, and bicyclists risk being hit by opening car doors: the same hazard that killed 4-year-old Maia Correia.
Heavy pedestrian traffic: This corridor connects a library, multiple elementary schools, preschools, Montclair Park, and Montclair Village, putting a steady stream of pedestrians at risk.
Frequent crashes: Vehicle crashes are common along this corridor. Without changes, it is only a matter of time before a pedestrian or motorist is killed here.
Community Recommendations:
Give the Montclair Community Corridor a seat at the table for the 2028 Moraga Avenue redesign.
Reduce the roadway from two travel lanes to one in each direction.
Add a protected bicycle lane in each direction.
Add a pedestrian signal at the southern crosswalk.
Add bulb-outs and "No Right on Red" signage at the La Salle and Moraga intersection.
Fix the 20 significant daylighting violations and parking enforcement gaps in Montclair that put pedestrians at immediate risk, as required by California's daylighting law effective January 1, 2025.