Undergrounding

Removing overhead utility lines is one of the most noticeable improvements a neighborhood can make. Wires, poles, and other equipment can obscure the beautiful scenery of our island community.

Undergrounding of utilities consists of placing overhead main lines and service lines - including telephone, electric, cable television and other telecommunications - underground in a trench. The city of Alameda has had an underground utility program since 1984 and about half of the city’s overhead wires have been moved underground.

Proposed District

The city of Alameda's Public Utilities Board has recommended that the Alameda City Council approve an undergrounding project in the Otis/Broadway area.

Otis/Broadway District

The district boundaries are along Otis Drive from High Street to Broadway Street including streets south of Otis Drive (i.e. Pearl Street, Versailles Avenue, Mound Street, and Court Street) and along Broadway Street from La Jolla to Encinal Avenue.

The Process

  • City Council: The City Council, which has the final say on undergrounding, will weigh in on the Otis/Broadway recommendation on January 15, 2019.
  • District Nominating Board: In 2017, the district nominating board (DNB), made up of four members of the public and one member of the Public Works Department, reviewed potential areas and made recommendations.
  • Public Utilities Board: On November 5, 2018, the city of Alameda's Public Utilities Board recommended that the Alameda City Council approve an undergrounding project in the Otis/Broadway area.
  • Survey: A survey of residents and property owners who live in the proposed areas showed there was not enough community support for underground utility lines in the Webster Street area at this time.
  • Technical Advisory Committee: In the next step, a technical advisory committee (TAC) reviewed areas nominated by the DNB. The committee recommended moving utility lines underground in the Otis Drive and Broadway areas and the Webster Street area.
  • Town Hall: Alameda Municipal Power held a town hall meeting in February 2018 to provide details on the potential projects.