Oakland Improvement Projects

105th Avenue between International Boulevard and Edes Avenue is set to be repaved in 2026. Repaving offers a chance to improve safety for everyone who travels on this street.

In the last 5 years, there were 40 crashes on this stretch of 105th Avenue, including one person who was killed while walking. Most crashes were caused by speeding and other reckless driving behaviors like not stopping at lights. 

To improve safety for everyone who travels on 105th Avenue, this paving project will include features designed to slow traffic, including: 

• high-visibility crosswalks
• crosswalk safety islands
• speed cushions (which like speed bumps)
• concrete islands in the median
• painted buffer next to the bike lane

The project will also remove the unused railroad tracks that run down the middle of the street from International Boulevard to San Leandro Street.

OUTREACH & CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS

Staff will begin outreach in spring 2025 and expects to complete the project designs by the end of 2025.

• June 7, 2025: Staff attended East Oakland Futures Fest from 11am-6pm on 90th Ave from Holly to Birch
  
  

NEARBY PROJECTS

The East Bay Greenway Project, managed by the Alameda County Transportation Commission, is a proposed regional trail that will link BART stations throughout the inner East Bay. This Project will make improvements to the 105th Avenue intersections surrounding the elevated BART tracks.

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105th Avenue is being paved as part of the City of Oakland's 2022 Five-Year Paving Plan, a more than $300M plan to repair Oakland’s streets. This plan is funded primarily by Measure U, Oakland’s 2022 Infrastructure Bond, which requires the City to implement safety improvements with repaving where feasible. For more information, visit our Paving page.

Improving safety for people walking, biking, and taking transit on 14th Avenue.

About

UPDATE JULY 2025

Construction on the project began in April 2025 and is expected to last around a year. Please check back on this page for updated construction information as available. For construction-related inquiries please reach out to the Resident Engineer for the project, Eric Arico, whose contact information can be found on this page.

14th Avenue is a major east-west corridor that connects International Boulevard to Highland Hospital, MacArthur Boulevard, and I-580. 14th Avenue is currently a relatively high-speed, 4-lane divided roadway that is a barrier for people walking between residential neighborhoods to the north and south. The street is also an important, (relatively flat) connection for people biking and is a critical gap in the network between the Foothill Blvd and Macarthur Blvd bike lanes. The City recently completed Phase 1 of this Project, which upgraded sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, and landscaping between International Blvd. and E 19th Street.

The next phase of The 14th Avenue Streetscape project will deliver pedestrian crossing improvements to all intersections on 14th Avenue between E19th Street and E27th Street. These improvements include Flashing Pedestrian Beacons (RRFBs), expanded sidewalks at intersections, street trees, a reduction in vehicle lanes from 4 to 2, and turn lane upgrades. This project will also install an important bicycle connection on 14th Avenue from Foothill Blvd to 27th Street/Highland Hospital. These bike lanes will form the foundation for a complete network connection north to MacArthur Blvd/Excelsior, which is prioritized in the City of Oakland's Capital Improvement Plan.

The goals of this project are to:

• Improve safety and comfort for people walking, especially for people crossing 14th Avenue
• Plant new street trees on the sidewalks and median along 14th Avenue (30 new trees planned!)
• Increase the visibility of people walking and biking
• Slow vehicle speeds and create a calmer street
• Provide a dedicated space for people riding bikes on 14th Avenue from E 19th Street to E 27th Street
• Improve access for people with disabilities
• Upgrade bus stops on the corridor with safer pedestrian crossings and more pedestrian space.

Thanks to everyone who responded to our online survey or corresponded with OakDOT regarding this project. We've worked to incorporate your feedback and have made the following changes to our design, which are illustrated in the presentation on this page:

Installed expanded sidewalk areas at transit stops to allow for quick and efficient bus loading, ADA-accessible wheelchair access, and more sidewalk space for the community

There are several areas on 14th Avenue (particularly on the south side of the street), where tree wells would not fit in the narrow sidewalk. To make up for these tree locations that were removed, this project is adding more trees in sidewalk bulbouts, and even some in new "tree bulbs" in the parking lane in some locations.

In response to concerns about vehicles using the new bike lanes as a passing lane, we have expanded the painted median area and narrowed the bike lane to make it less attractive for passing movements.

Investing in 14th Street as a community destination for safe strolling, shopping, and biking.

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About

Construction Update (June 2024)

Construction of the project has begun! We will be working to inform community stakeholders about upcoming construction milestones as the project proceeds. Please check back on this website for updated construction information as available. The project is expected to be complete by the end of 2025.

Construction Timeline (Subject to change)

West:

• South Side between Clay St and Broadway: Nov 18 to Jan 3
• South Side between Broadway and Franklin St: Jan 6 to Feb 14

East:

• South Side between Madison St and Oak St: Nov 4 to Dec 27
• South Side between Jackson St and Madison St: Jan 6 to Feb 7

Project Goals and Design Elements

Today, 14th Street is designed to speed motor vehicle traffic through Downtown as quickly as possible. In the 5 years since the City applied for this safety grant in 2016, two people walking in crosswalks were killed by drivers on 14th Street - both seniors. Tragically, on June 16, 2022 - five days before this project was set to be approved at City Council, a driver killed someone biking on 14th Street at Jefferson Street in a hit-and-run collision. In the five years from 2016-2021, vehicle collisions injured 189 people, 38 of them severely. This stretch of 14th Street represents one of the densest concentrations of traffic injuries and deaths in the City of Oakland. These tragic and preventable collisions, injuries, and deaths are a daily barrier to mobility for all, and a barrier to 14th Street operating as the center of a calm and walkable Downtown.

The goals of this project are to:

• Invest in safety improvements for all people who use 14th Street
• Improve the connection to Downtown for people walking, biking, and taking transit
• Install pedestrian-scale sidewalk lighting on 14th Street to improve nighttime visibility
• Add parking to the 14th Street area by installing angled parking on 13th Street, which will add up to 53 parking spaces on 13th
• Improve transit reliability for the 14 line, one of the busiest bus lines in Oakland

Public Engagement

During public outreach meetings in 2019, the City heard concern from the community regarding parking, roadway safety, support for small businesses, and cultural/aesthetic elements related to the Black Arts Movement Business District (BAMBD). In Summer 2021, the City of Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) came back to the 14th Street community to provide a status update on our progress in meeting the community's requests.

Changes We've Made Based on Feedback (Updated 2/22):

• Create an expanded sidewalk plan for the core commercial block from Webster to Harrison. This will provide a raised bike lane and more pedestrian space on this block where sidewalk crowding is an issue.
• Remove a lane and install angled parking on 13th Street to add up to 53 parking spaces and calm traffic on 13th Street.
• Adding more sidewalk lighting for visibility after dark
• Devote funding to the City's Public Art Program, which will install community-led public art on the corridor
• Provide up to 35 off-street monthly parking spaces at a 50% discount to local business owners and employees
• Provide parking validation to area merchants at a 50% discount
• Add more trees and landscaping
• Add canopies, seating, and amenities on transit boarding islands

Please contact Charlie Ream at CReam@oaklandca.gov with any questions about the project scope or the past planning and outreach process. For construction-related questions, please contact the Resident Engineer at apoelvoorde@oaklandca.gov.

The streetscape project on Thomas L. Berkley Way (20th Street) from Broadway to Harrison Street will close a last-mile gap between the 19th Street BART station and Lake Merritt through the construction of improvements focused on enhancements and amenities for pedestrians and bicyclists.

About

This project aims to re-construct 20th Street as a safe and vibrant connection between the BART station and beautiful Lake Merritt. When complete, people walking, rolling, and biking will be able to get to and from the Lake easily along a comfortable corridor enhanced with ample space and added trees. Some of the ways OakDOT is accomplishing this vision is by widening sidewalks to give pedestrians more space, bright new crosswalks that are shorter so pedestrians don’t need to cross as much traffic, and adjusting the signals and curb ramps to make the crossings as accessible as possible. The street will also include protected bike lanes that lead right to the BART entrance. Cyclists will not have to contend with traffic and will have their own space to ride without impeding pedestrian access on sidewalks. These features will increase safety as well as pedestrian access to recreation and jobs, increasing the mobility benefits that BART brings to Oakland. Click the Gallery images below to see a conceptual depiction of how the street will work after construction is complete.

UPDATE OCTOBER 2025: Due to unforeseen circumstances, the City now anticipates project completion by the end of the year. Please expect roadway paving soon. We appreciate your patience as the City navigates the complex underground history of the corridor.

The 19th Street BART to Lake Merritt Urban Greenway Project is a grant-funded streetscape project awarded in 2016 by the Active Transportation Program (ATP). The project proposes to implement infrastructure improvements for the pedestrian and bicycle environment. Pedestrian features include sidewalk reconstruction and widening, curb extensions, ADA-compliant curb ramps, pedestrian median refuges, and crosswalk enhancements. Bicycle features include new lanes with a combination of Class IV protected, parking-protected, and sidewalk-level separated bicycle lanes. Additional design features in this project include lane reductions and geometric realignment, traffic signal modifications, street lighting, and signing and striping.

Improving bicycle and pedestrian safety north of Lake Merritt

About

Oakland residents and visitors use 27th Street, Bay Place, Harrison Street, and Grand Avenue to travel to Lake Merritt, grocery stores, places of worship, and more. Residents here commute by biking, walking, and public transit more often than other Oaklanders. 15% of residents in the area walk or bike to work, and 34% take transit.

The Lakeside Family Streets Project (Harrison between 20th St. and Bay Place, and Grand Ave between Harrison and Bay Place) includes:

• A two-way cycle track on Harrison from 21st to Grand (East side), and on Grand Avenue between Harrison Street and Bay Place (south side), extending the two-way cycletrack around the Lake from Lakeside Dr/Madison St to Grand/Bay.
• Separated bike lane on Northbound Harrison Street
• Separated bike lane on Grand Ave between Bay and Harrison (north side)
• Protected intersection at Harrison/Grand

Gallery

Enhancing local and regional transit connections and improving the bike network in Jack London.

Latest Updates

OakDOT will work with community members to design the 2nd Street Transit Hub in Fall 2025. Check back here for updates or sign up for email updates.

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Project Details

The 2nd Street Transit Hub & Bike Lane Connection project will create safer and easier transit connections on 2nd Street from Clay Street to Alice Street. It will link four AC Transit bus routes, the SF Bay Ferry terminal, and the Jack London Amtrak Station. The project will achieve these goals by:

• Providing a bus shelter on 2nd Street between Clay Street and Washington Street with real-time transit information and seating
• Improving lighting, sidewalks, crosswalks, and wayfinding
• Locating bikeshare and micromobility parking (bikes, scooters, etc) nearby
• Connecting a one-block gap in the bike lane
• Upgrading bus stops with bus pads and layover amenities for transit operators
• Connecting Jack London Square to BART and Downtown Oakland with the upcoming Broadway Streetscape Improvements project

Background

OakDOT defined the 2nd Street Transit Hub project through planning and engagement efforts with community members. This includes Downtown Oakland Specific Plan (2019) and the Howard Terminal Transportation Plan (2020). From Fall 2023 to Winter 2024, the project team met with key stakeholders to align project goals with current community needs and to inform the conceptual plans. This project is funded by the CalSTA Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program (TIRCP).

Bikeways within two miles of the MacArthur BART station improve east-west bicycle access between MacArthur BART, the Piedmont Ave neighborhood, Kaiser Hospital and Emeryville, and connect to the bicycle and pedestrian path across the eastern span of the San Francisco Bay Bridge.

About

Since 2009, bikeways have been constructed along all the segments listed below.

1. W MacArthur Blvd (Martin Luther King Jr Wy to Manila Ave):
   Buffered bike lanes (June 2019)
2. W MacArthur Blvd (San Pablo Ave to Broadway):
   Bike wayfinding signs (October 2018)
3. W MacArthur Blvd (Underpass to Market St):
   Bike lanes installed by Caltrans (February 2018)
4. W MacArthur Blvd (Market St to BART Frontage Rd):
   Bike lanes funded by a Highway Safety Improvement Program grant (May 2017)
5. W MacArthur Blvd (BART Frontage Rd to Telegraph Ave):
   Bike lanes funded by the MacArthur BART Transit Village development (June 2016)
6. BART Frontage Rd (W MacArthur Blvd to 40th St):
   Separated bike lanes/sharrows installed by BART (October 2014)
7. 40th St (Adeline St to Martin Luther King Jr Way and Telegraph Ave to Webster St):
   An experimental bikeway featuring green pavement and shared roadway bicycle markings (sharrows) and [Bicycles] May Use Full Lane signs (September 2013); see details below.
8. W MacArthur Blvd (Telegraph Ave to Broadway):
   Bike lanes funded by a Safe Routes to Transit grant (September 2012)
9. 41st St (Webster St to Piedmont Ave):
   Bikeway striping (sharrows and bike lanes) funded by a Safe Routes to Transit grant (March 2012)
10. 40th/41st Streets (Adeline St to Piedmont Ave):
    Bike wayfinding signs in collaboration with BART (May 2010)
11. 40th St (Martin Luther King Jr Way to Telegraph Ave):
    Bike lanes, MacArthur Transit Hub Improvement Project (April 2009)

As of August 2021, buffered bike lanes are pending construction on W. MacArthur Blvd (San Pablo Ave to Underpass). Oakland's 2019 Bike Plan proposes buffered bike lanes along 40th St from Adeline St to Howe St and separated bike lanes on W MacArthur Blvd between Market St and Piedmont Ave.

Details on the 2013 "super-sharrow" experiment:

• Approved experiment request(PDF, 3MB) (January 2013)
• Project mailer(PDF, 1023KB) (May 2013)
• Project overview flyer(PDF, 557KB) (October 2013)
• Analysis of Bike East Bay bicyclist survey(PDF, 348KB) (December 2014)
• Final report(PDF, 6MB) (April 2017)

This project will improve access for traffic to and from the I-880 freeway ramps, the City of Oakland, and the City of Alameda.

Learn More About Other ACTC Grant-Funded Projects

About

Last Updated: February 3, 2022

Project Overview

Improvements include the construction of an extension of 42nd Ave from the off-ramp to Alameda Ave, and an extension from High Street to Alameda Avenue. The project will implement elements including traffic signals, roadway widening for vehicles, bicycles, sidewalks, ADA compliant ramps, traffic signals and signal interconnect cables, roadway markings, and signage.

The project will complement the recently completed Caltrans retrofit project at I-880 / High Street corridors. It will improve traffic circulation and drastically reduce traffic congestion along High Street, Freeway off/on-ramps, and Alameda Avenue.

Currently, 42nd Avenue is a T-intersection at the I-880 South, High Street off-ramp. High Street and Alameda Avenue are overly congested due to the major traffic to and from the freeway, accessing Oakland and Alameda. The proposed extension of 42nd Avenue will provide congestion relief for the freeway, High Street, and Alameda Avenue.

Planned Construction

• Construction of I-880/42nd High Street Access improvements
• Roadway extensions
• Traffic signals
• Roadway widening for vehicles, bicycles, sidewalks
• ADA compliant ramps
• Traffic signals
• Signal interconnect cables
• Roadway markings
• Signage

Planning for a pedestrian/bicycle connection between East Oakland and the MLK Jr Regional Shoreline/Bay Trail

About

The Martin Luther King Jr Regional Shoreline is an important regional recreational destination located on the Oakland coastline of the San Leandro Bay. This little-known destination is home to miles of biking and walking trails, a section of the San Francisco Bay Trail, a boathouse, clubhouse, and a peaceful waterfront atmosphere that stands in stark contrast to the industrial lands that border this area. Residents of East Oakland currently have no way to access this destination by foot or on bike. This green space is totally cut off from the low-income neighborhoods of East Oakland by the 880 Freeway, various railroad tracks, and wide swaths of industrial land. The nearest bicycle connection to the Oakland shoreline is on Fruitvale Avenue, and in the 4.2 miles between Fruitvale Avenue and the San Leandro City border, there is one pedestrian/bicycle bridge over the 880, close to 98th Avenue.

This project seeks to finally create a connection from East Oakland to the Shoreline for people walking and biking - on 66th Avenue between San Leandro Street and Oakport Street. 66th Avenue is in many ways the most direct connection between a wide array of East Oakland neighborhoods and the Bay Trail/MLK Jr Regional Shoreline. The upcoming Coliseum Connections project will complete a key segment of the East Bay Greenway on San Leandro Street which will provide a direct bicycle connection to the eastern end of the project area at 66th and San Leandro Street. From there, the project will extend west past the entrance to the Oakland Coliseum at Coliseum Way, and over the Caltrans 880 freeway bridge to the entrance of the Shoreline and Bay Trail at the intersection of 66th Ave and Oakport Street.

The roadway today is a maze of freeway on and off-ramps and is not fit for people biking. This project will realign freeway ramps to create an off-street Class I biking/walking pathway on the south side of 66th Avenue which will provide a safe and calm connection for people biking and walking between the Bay Trail/Oakport Street and San Leandro Street. OakDOT is working towards applying for Design and Construction Funding from the One Bay Area Grant (OBAG) Cycle 3, due on June 30, 2022.

Timeline:

• June 30, 2022 - OBAG (MTC) Grant deadline
• Early 2023 - Grant award notifications
• Summer 2023 - Begin detailed design and coordination with Caltrans and Union Pacific Railroad

This is a complex design effort that will require coordination between OakDOT, Caltrans, Union Pacific Railroad, and the Coliseum Complex. An estimated date for construction of this project is not available at this time.

About

Update June 28, 2024: OakDOT successfully applied for grant funding from the Caltrans Active Transportation Program. The selected median path design is estimated to cost $44 million to implement. A requested $40 million from Caltrans and $4 million in local match funding will make this concept a reality. Grant awards will be announced in 2025.

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The Oakland Department of Transportation is presently working on design plans to seek implementation funding for enhanced multimodal transportation infrastructure along 73rd Avenue/Hegenberger Road, connecting the Eastmont Transit Center, Coliseum BART Station, and the newly constructed International Blvd Bus Rapid Transit (Tempo) system. This project seeks to prioritize safety enhancement for the comfort of transit users, pedestrians, and cyclists.

Project Goals:

• Low-stress bicycle facilities for enhanced cyclist safety and improved separation from motorized vehicles, such as buffered bike lanes, a center-running median bike path, or an innovative frontage road design.
• Bus boarding islands to streamline bus operations and increase visibility for transit riders.
• Two protected intersections design to prioritize bicyclist safety and reduce pedestrian crossing distances.
• High-visibility crosswalk markings at all intersections to improve pedestrian safety.
• Extended medians to create pedestrian refuges in the center of the street and lower turning speeds.
• Dedicated bicycle connection to establish connectivity to Coliseum BART at International Blvd, ensuring convenient and safe access for cyclists.
• Introduce a new pedestrian/bicycle crossing across 73rd Avenue to provide direct and accessible entry to Eastmont Transit Village.

Background

The project was designated as a priority in both the 2019 bicycle plan update, "Let's Bike Oakland," and the 2021 East Oakland Mobility Action Plan (EOMAP). To ensure community participation, the City established a design process led by residents and community-based organizations. Throughout various engagement opportunities, community members expressed concerns about safety, including issues with speeding and reckless driving at intersections. Also, they highlighted security concerns related to biking and walking alongside vehicle traffic, fearing potential exposure to drive-by assault. The existing Class II bike lanes are faded and fail to meet the safety requirements expressed by the community. East Oakland residents expressed feeling unsafe while utilizing the current bike facilities or crossing 73rd Ave to reach the Eastmont Transit Center.

A previous ATP Cycle 6 grant application in 2022 featuring a concept design for buffered bike lanes was not awarded. The City is now developing alternatives for a 100% final design using local funding. OakDOT is pursuing three design alternatives, all of which include dedicated bicycle facilities and protected intersections. A 100% final design with improved walking and biking facilities is more likely to be awarded funding for construction from the upcoming ATP Cycle 7 grant in 2024.

The design alternatives are:

• Class IIA Buffered Bike Lanes with a painted buffer between drivers and bicyclists
• Local Access Lanes only open to local traffic and indicated as Class III Neighborhood Bike Routes
• Center-running, two-way median bike path, equivalent to a Class IV Cycletrack

The project offers secure pathways to schools, transit, and important destinations. With improved biking and walking facilities, students at Markham Elementary School can safely commute to their classes and extracurricular activities. The complete street enhancements would also improve the quality of one of Oakland's highly frequented transit routes, 73rd Avenue. AC Transit Route 73 operates at 15-minute intervals and serves as a connection to Coliseum BART, granting residents regional employment opportunities. The proposed bike facilities aim to provide easier access to two significant employment and retail hubs: the Eastmont Town Center and the International Blvd business corridor.

Public Engagement

OakDOT is coordinating with the community to get the word out to residents and stakeholders around 73rd Avenue. Come find us at the following meetings or events:

Outreach Meetings

• Wednesday, February 28 at 6:30 PM - Neighborhood Council District 30Y meeting
  Register to join on Zoom
• Thursday, March 14 at 6:00 PM - Neighborhood Council District 30X meeting
  Register to join on Zoom
• Thursday, April 18 at 6:00 PM - Bicyclist and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC) meeting
  In person at City Hall or online on Zoom (See April meeting info)

Pop-up Events

• Saturday, March 9 at 11-2 PM (Event cancelled) - Pop-up at Eastmont Transit Center, 73rd Ave and Foothill Blvd, Oakland
• Wednesday, March 13 at 4-6 PM - Pop-up at Coliseum BART Station, 7200 San Leandro St, Oakland

Design Selection and Online Survey

Following community outreach in Spring 2024, OakDOT is happy to recommend a Median Path for the 73rd Avenue Active Routes to Transit project.

Thank you to 680 survey-takers for letting us know your concerns and hopes for 73rd Ave. Project staff carefully considered survey responses and conversations with nearby residents, schools, and businesses, and found that the Median Path design had the strongest community support of all three design options while also improving safety and comfort for people driving, taking transit, or using active transportation.

What's Next?

Update June 28, 2024: OakDOT successfully applied for grant funding from the Caltrans Active Transportation Program. The selected median path design is estimated to cost $44 million to implement. A requested $40 million from Caltrans and $4 million in local match funding will make this concept a reality. Grant awards will be announced in 2025.

Through summer and fall 2024, OakDOT will finalize designs. Staff will again engage with residents, businesses, and community members to make sure the project meets community needs. Stay tuned for updates and opportunities to get involved!

Other Projects in the Neighborhood

• Oakland Intermodal Terminal Coliseum BART Project - pedestrian access improvements to Coliseum BART
• Calm East Oakland Streets - a network of calm streets for walking and biking to local destinations

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Reconnecting West Oakland and Downtown for people walking, biking, and taking the bus

About

Update: The project is now at the 95% design milestone. Construction is expected to begin in late 2027.

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Project Background

In the early 1900s, 7th Street was the center of Black jazz and blues culture in the Bay Area - lined with supper clubs and bisected by a streetcar line leading to the Oakland freight and ferry terminal. Since then, 7th Street has seen decades of upheaval by large infrastructure projects, namely the overhead BART trackway, the Oakland Main Post Office, and the Cypress Freeway. Today, 7th Street has wide lanes and high-speed traffic, rail tracks and uneven pavement, and sidewalks overgrown by weeds.

Project Scope

The 7th Street Connection Project is an effort to improve 7th Street to better serve those who travel on it. This project will make improvements recommended by the "Let's Bike Oakland" 2019 Bike Plan, the West Oakland Community Action Plan, and the West Oakland Specific Plan.

The project aims to reconnect West Oakland and Downtown, create safer and more comfortable ways to travel for those walking, rolling, and taking the bus, improve air quality, and reflect the rich history of 7th Street. Improvements may include:

• Providing an all-ages bicycling connection to Downtown that is fully separated from vehicle traffic
• Constructing bus boarding islands to improve transit access and reliability
• Installing fiber cable connectivity to improve signal coordination and expand OAK WiFi, a program that provides free internet to Oaklanders to help close the digital divide.
• Shortening pedestrian crossings and installing other crosswalk improvements to improve safety
• Upgrading traffic signals and potentially installing new signals to enhance safety and reduce truck idling and emissions
• Installing improved pedestrian lighting for increased visibility
• Planting maximum carbon and particulate matter-capturing street trees and landscaping in an effort to address air quality disparities
• Sidewalk upgrades to increase pedestrian comfort and capacity
• Working with the community to provide artistic, cultural, and place-making elements that highlight 7th Street's history

The City of Oakland was successful in winning $14.1 million in Active Transportation Program (ATP) funds to complete design and construction of the 7th Street Connection Project. The Oakland Department of Transportation has secured consultant support for design and community engagement activities, which began in mid-2023.

The City of Oakland Department of Transportation is excited to speak with the community about the opportunity to re-imagine 7th Street as both a great street for getting around and as a place for reflecting on the history of West Oakland.

For questions, please email us at mpd@oaklandca.gov

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Creating a safe, accessible, and vibrant 8th Street.

Latest Updates

Find us at Lincoln Summer Nights on October 9th! 

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Check back here for updates or sign up for email updates.

Project Scope

This project will improve safety, accessibility, and connectivity on 8th Street between Fallon Street and MLK Jr. Way. The proposed improvements include:

Pedestrian safety improvements

• Traffic calming (reducing 3 lanes to 2 lanes)
• New pedestrian scramble at 8th St and Harrison St
• Pedestrian lighting and sidewalk furniture
• Curb ramp and sidewalk upgrades
• Protected intersections
• Flexible space next to the sidewalk
• Daylighting intersections and driveways to improve sight lines

Improvements for people driving

• Angled parking to increase parking and loading spaces
• Fresh pavement (no more potholes)

Bus stop improvements

• Bus shelters, seating, and trash cans
• Red pavement at bus stops

Bicycle safety improvements

• Upgrading the bike lane on 8th St between MLK Jr. Way and Broadway, in Old Oakland. 

Additional Information

Background

For years, the Chinatown community has called for street and sidewalk improvements. In 2025, OakDOT completed the Chinatown Complete Streets Plan. This plan showed that community members prioritized 8th Street for improvements.

OakDOT also conducted a Racial Equity Impact Analysis and a Crash Analysis for 8th Street. More crashes happen on 8th Street than most streets in Oakland. Victims of severe and fatal crashes on this street are more likely to be Asian, Black, and/or over 65 years of age.

Click here to read the 8th Street Racial Equity Impact Analysis(PDF, 5MB)

Click here to read the 8th Street Crash Analysis(PDF, 3MB)

Click here for Oakland's 2024 High Injury Network

Past Engagement

Several prior planning efforts have called for improvements on 8th Street. These include:

• 2014 Lake Merritt Station Area Plan
• 2017 Pedestrian Plan
• 2019 Oakland Bike Plan
• 2019 Downtown Oakland Specific Plan (DOSP)
• Chinatown Complete Streets Plan

The Chinatown Complete Streets Plan team conducted community engagement in 2023 and 2024 to inform the development of the plan. Community members identified 8th Street as a priority for transportation improvements.

The project team conducted engagement to guide the initial project concepts and to ensure that the scope is aligned with community priorities. This engagement was conducted between December 2023 to October 2024. There were some joint engagement activities with the Chinatown Complete Streets Plan team. During this time, the project team focused on talking to people who live, work, and/or shop on or near the 8th Street project corridor. They also talked to organizations that service Chinatown residents and businesses. They received the highest number of comments related to curb management, bike facilities, maintenance, personal safety, and intersection safety.

The next round of community engagement will take place in Fall 2025. It will build upon the feedback that the project team has already gathered. Stay tuned for more information, and please sign up for email updates.

Funding

The design and engagement for this project are funded by the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA). The project team is seeking grant funding for construction. 

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Page last updated October 7, 2025

Traffic calming and paving project on 8th St in West Oakland from Pine St to Market St

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About

The City of Oakland paved and redesigned 8th Street in West Oakland between Pine Street and Market Street, with the goal of reducing traffic collisions and speeding to make the street safer for residents, and more comfortable for users of all modes. This project was submitted by the community advocacy group Safe 8th St as a Capital Improvement Program (CIP) request and was funded as part of the City of Oakland's Fiscal Year 2021-23 CIP(PDF, 15MB). Specifically, the 8th Street CIP project is funded by $500,000 from Measure KK, Oakland's Affordable Housing and Infrastructure Bond(PDF, 2MB) that was passed by voters in 2018. The project is part of the Department of Transportation's Paving Plan and will implement recommendations in Oakland's Pedestrian Plan and Bicycle Plan.

Project implementation began in 2023 and is currently ongoing. In the Documents section below, find the concept plans(PDF, 6MB) and overview presentation(PDF, 4MB).

Project Design and Policy Elements

The goal of the project is to traffic calm the street into a quiet residential street. This included reducing the speed limit. Other project elements include paving the length of the street, upgrading curb ramps to meet accessibility standards, installing high-visibility crosswalks and installing traffic circles, speed humps to reduce speeding, and hardened centerlines to reduce the speeds of turning drivers at intersections as well as a new mid-block crosswalk on 8th Street between Adeline Street and Filbert Street. There is also a community art element to the project, specifically, painting on utility cabinets.

Community Art

This project included a community art element. After engaging with local residents and artists to develop ideas for art installations and design themes, three different artists and art organizations took the lead on designing and painting a total of 13 utility cabinets along 8th Street between Pine Street and Market Street. The designs for these artworks have been approved by the Public Arts Advisory Committee and will be completed by March 2024.

Geographic Context

1.2 miles in length, 8th Street connects the Acorn, Prescott, and Lower Bottoms neighborhoods.

Background

8th Street has seen significant changes over the years. In the mid-1900s, it was a major street - comparable to 7th Street - connecting West Oakland, Downtown, and Eastlake. The Cypress Freeway (now Mandela Parkway) had an off-ramp onto 8th Street. The connection between West Oakland and Downtown was severed by the construction of I-980 in the 1980s. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which caused the collapse of the Cypress Freeway, ended 8th Street's connection to the freeway. The Acorn Redevelopment project narrowed 8th Street between Union Street and Market Street. What had been a 60' wide street (presumably with four travel lanes) became the 44' wide street of today (with two travel lanes). In the 2000s, the City of Oakland implemented two major projects on 8th Street that installed bulbouts, concrete crosswalks, pedestrian street lighting, and street trees. The 8th Street Traffic Calming Project sought to build on this history with additional improvements to make 8th Street a safe and welcoming neighborhood street.

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The Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) administers a Comprehensive Investment Plan (CIP), which draws from fund sources including Measure BB and Transportation Fund for Clean Air (TFCA, a local fund source of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District) for the entire County.

Link to ACTC CIP Website

The ACTC CIP plans, programs and allocates public funding for transportation improvements. The goals of this regional plan are to strategically fund a wide range of transportation improvements and services that facilitate safe, efficient, and accessible travel for all types of transportation in all areas of Alameda County.

A portion of these funds are funneled directly to individual agencies in the County, while the remaining funds are administered via grants on a project-by-project application basis. The City of Oakland has successfully received grant awards from ACTC, funding the development of the projects below. These projects were selected by ACTC based on their potential to maximize capital investments toward critical transportation infrastructure and program operation needs that are essential for improving and maintaining the County's transportation system.

The following project status table is updated annually.

About

Explore the following project descriptions and links to learn more about individual projects funded by grants from the Alameda County Transportation Commission CIP:

14th Avenue Streetscape (CONSTRUCTION)

The 14th Avenue Streetscape project, located from E. 8th/E. 12th Street to 27th Street, will provide safe access and mobility for all modes, including vehicles, bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit users. Improvements will include signal pole upgrades, roadway reconfiguration and repaving, as well as updates to improve the pedestrian environment, including crosswalks, pedestrian lighting, and landscaping.

The 1-mile span from E. 8th/E. 12th Street to 27th Street is a major east-west corridor that connects International Boulevard and Highland Hospital. Redesigning the street will increase the corridor's transportation capacity and efficiency, allowing all types of travelers to reach Oakland jobs and commercial centers in the Dimond District, Downtown, and at Highland Hospital. This project also includes bus stop improvements along the corridor to improve rider experience.

14th Street Safety Project (CONSTRUCTION)

This stretch of 14th Street represents one of the densest concentrations of traffic injuries and deaths in the City of Oakland. These tragic and preventable collisions, injuries, and deaths are a daily barrier to mobility for all, and a barrier to 14th Street operating as the center of a calm and walkable Downtown. The goals of this project are to:

• Invest in safety improvements for all people who use 14th Street
• Improve the connection to Downtown for people walking, biking, and taking transit
• Install string lighting or pedestrian-scale sidewalk lighting on 14th Street to improve nighttime visibility
• Add parking to the 14th Street area by installing angled parking on 13th Street, which will add up to 55 parking spaces
• Improve transit reliability for the 14 line, one of the busiest bus lines in Oakland

27th Street Complete Streets (BID AWARD)

This project will implement a high-quality, all-ages-and-abilities bikeway in the Broadway-Valdez District, from Bay Place at Grand Avenue to 27th Street at Telegraph Avenue. This will include two protected intersections, facilitating safe and comfortable left turns for bicyclists, reduced pedestrian crossing distances at intersections, and green infrastructure treatments.

The City of Oakland will implement the 0.6-mile project by leveraging private development in the corridor, spurred by the Broadway-Valdez District Specific Plan. Private development projects, including a keystone 18-story mixed-use building at 24th & Harrison, will implement segments of the protected bikeway as required by conditions of approval. A pedestrian plaza will also be developed at the 27th & Harrison intersection by simplifying it into a 4-way intersection, reducing delay and safety conflicts for all modes.

42nd Ave & High St I-880 Access Improvement Project (RIGHT OF WAY)

The 42nd Avenue & High Street project will improve, widen, re-orient, and extend existing local roads to improve street connectivity and freeway access, as well as improve pedestrian & ADA accessibility and open parcels west of I-880 to economic development.

This project includes construction of traffic signals at six intersections, traffic striping, pavement markings, signage, storm drainage, and lighting.

66th Avenue BART to Bay Trail (DESIGN)

This project seeks to finally create a connection from East Oakland to the Shoreline for people walking and biking - on 66th Avenue between San Leandro Street and Oakport Street. 66th Avenue is in many ways the most direct connection between a wide array of East Oakland neighborhoods and the Bay Trail/MLK Jr. Regional Shoreline. The upcoming Coliseum Connections project will complete a key segment of the East Bay Greenway on San Leandro Street, which will provide a direct bicycle connection to the eastern end of the project area at 66th and San Leandro Street. From there, the project will extend west past the entrance to the Oakland Coliseum at Coliseum Way, and over the Caltrans 880 freeway bridge to the entrance of the Shoreline and Bay Trail at the intersection of 66th Ave and Oakport Street.

Broadway Streetscape Improvements (DESIGN)

The Broadway Streetscape Improvement project will make enhancements to bus operations, pedestrian safety, and the city's fiber optic network on Broadway between 2nd Street and 11th Street and 20th Street to Grand Avenue. Improvements include:

• Red bus-only lanes to extend the existing bus-only lanes and further improve transit access and reliability
• Transit Signal Priority (TSP) at all signalized intersections to help keep the signals green for approaching buses to improve reliability
• New bus shelters, seating, and trash cans at bus stops
• Additional street trees, landscaping, and public seating along the corridor
• Broadway/I-880 underpass enhancements with lighting and placemaking elements to invite people to travel between neighborhoods with more comfort
• Removal of the existing slip turn at the 6th Street and Broadway off-ramp intersection to mitigate high-speed vehicular right-turns and poor sight lines between freeway off-ramp drivers and pedestrians in the crosswalk
• Upgrading traffic signals and providing protected left turns to increase safety
• Repaving the road

Broadway Transit Lanes (COMPLETE)

This project will implement dedicated transit-only lanes on Broadway between 11th Street and 20th Street in downtown Oakland. The project includes red transit-only lanes, high visibility crosswalk markings, signage and striping improvements, bus stop relocations, concrete roadway repair/replacement in limited locations, and pavement rehabilitation designed specifically for a heavy transit route.

Transit-only lanes will improve transit reliability and on-time performance in the Broadway corridor, which sees up to 50 buses an hour during peak periods. Bus service on Broadway connects passengers to a range of destinations within Oakland and within Alameda County, including Berkeley and San Leandro.

Calm East Oakland Streets (DESIGN)

The goal of the Calm East Oakland Streets Project is to create slow, calm, and inviting streets for people to walk or bike to neighborhood destinations such as schools, libraries, Recreation centers, parks, and corner stores. The Project will fix broken streets and sidewalks and improve safety on residential streets by slowing vehicle speeds and decreasing cut-through traffic. This project will calm traffic and curb aggressive driving while simultaneously increasing access to pleasant walking & bicycling on four (4) key street corridors in East Oakland:

• Hamilton St - Rudsdale St - D St - Royal Ann St between 69th Ave to 105th Ave
• Foothill Blvd - Arthur St - Plymouth St between 64th Ave to 79th Ave
• 81st Ave between San Leandro St to Bancroft Ave
• 85th Ave between San Leandro St to Bancroft Ave

Chinatown 9th Street Complete Streets Project (DESIGN)

The Chinatown 9th Street Complete Streets Project will complete 100% designs for the 1-mile corridor on 9th Street from Castro Street to Fallon Street. OakDOT is currently engaged in a planning and concept design effort related to 9th Street as part of the Chinatown Complete Streets Planning process (CCSP). Current initial designs developed as part of that effort focus on traffic calming and a lane reduction throughout the corridor, and may include added bike lanes, angled parking, widened sidewalks, and potentially pedestrian “flex” spaces which may be used for vending, sidewalk cafes, or other purposes. Enhanced pedestrian crossings (including pedestrian scrambles which are unique to Chinatown), signal modifications, and a potential conversion of 9th Street from one-way to two-way will further improve access to businesses and services on 9th Street. Context-sensitive elements, such as human-scale lighting, signage, landscaping, and street art, will preserve and enhance existing community activities in these neighborhoods. 

East 12th Street Bikeway (DESIGN)

The East 12th Street Bikeway will fill the gap of a continuous bike route on the International Boulevard corridor from downtown Oakland, through East Oakland, to the Elmhurst neighborhood - a distance of six miles. This gap is the direct connection to Fruitvale BART from neighborhoods to the east of the station. Completing this project is a priority of the City's Master Bicycle Plan.

The bikeway will help build momentum for the East Bay Greenway by providing a near-term, on-street bike route between 35th Ave and 54th Ave. Additional improvements include the installation of over 40 ADA-compliant curb ramps along E 12th St. and pavement rehabilitation and preservation along E 12th St and 54th Ave to eliminate and prevent hazardous conditions for bicyclists.

The project is composed of the following segments:

• E 12th St (40th Ave to 44th Ave) - two-way protected bicycle lane (0.25 miles)
• E 12th St (44th Ave to 54th Ave) - bicycle boulevard/neighborhood greenway (0.55 miles)
• 54th Ave (E 12th St to International Blvd) - bicycle boulevard/neighborhood greenway (0.20 miles)
• E 12th St (35th Ave to 40th Ave) - buffered bicycle lanes (0.30 miles)
• 35th Ave (E 12th St to Fruitvale BART Station entrance) - buffered bicycle lanes (0.10 miles)

East Bay Greenway Segment II (COMPLETED)

This segment effectively builds momentum for the completion of the East Bay Greenway through Oakland, and will provide an important bicyclist and pedestrian connection along San Leandro Street, which is currently a forbidding environment for non-motorized traffic. The project will:

• Improve cycle and pedestrian network connectivity in communities along the BART line
• Improve access to regional transit, schools, downtown area, and other destinations
• Create a facility that is accessible and comfortable for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities
• Improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians
• Support the promotion of a multimodal transportation system and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

East Oakland Mobility Action Plan (EOMAP) (PLAN COMPLETE)

The East Oakland Mobility Action Map will focus on working with East Oakland residents, community-based organizations, and businesses to plan priority projects that will enhance transit, pedestrian, and bicycle-friendly facilities in East Oakland. With the opening of the East Bay Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) on the International Boulevard Corridor scheduled for 2018, the objective of this study is to identify priorities and create concept designs for a suite of improvements that can provide safe mobility throughout the neighborhoods.

The planning study proposes a year-long effort of community outreach to look at areas within a half-mile walk-shed of the East Bay BRT from Seminary Blvd south/east to the City border. The study will revisit the priorities of the East Oakland Community-based Transportation Plan (2007), as well as Oakland's Bicycle Master Plan (2012 Update), and Pedestrian Master Plans (2016 Draft), with the aim of identifying high-priority locations and corridors for systematic upgrades.

Draft study objectives are to examine physical planning issues such as:

• Standard pedestrian enhancements along major corridors connected to International Blvd BRT stations
• Confirmation of priority bicycle treatments, including design of family-friendly community bikeways
• Specific redesign of streets to reduce traffic speeds and over-capacity, particularly streets like 73rd, which enable near highway-like travel speeds over safety for bicyclists and pedestrians
• Integration of AC transit planning to enhance cross-town service connecting to BRT
• Safe Routes to Schools walk audits and improvement strategies

Fruitvale Alive! Gap Closure (CONSTRUCTION)

The Fruitvale Alive! Gap Closure Project will install raised cycle tracks (Class 4) between Alameda Avenue and E. 12th Street along Fruitvale Avenue. It will also widen sidewalks, improve pedestrian crossings, add pedestrian-scale lighting, landscaped buffers, remove conflicting vehicular through, and slip-turn lanes to increase safety. For more information, visit the Fruitvale Alive! project webpage.

LAMMPS Phase I: Laurel Access to Mills Maxwell Park and Seminary (COMPLETE)

Laurel Access to Mills, Maxwell Park and Seminary (LAMMPS) Streetscape Project will improve safety and access for pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular traffic along MacArthur Boulevard from High Street to Richards Road (0.6 miles). The improvements will include the replacement of existing pavement, sidewalks, curb ramps, medians, islands, traffic signals, streetlights and crosswalks, traffic lanes reconfiguration, new bike lanes and multi-use trail, and two new traffic signals.

LAMMPS Phase II and Phase III: Laurel Access to Mills Maxwell Park and Seminary (DESIGN)

Building off of LAMMPS Phase 1, the Phase II and Phase III project will install a separated, off-street shared-use path and streetscape improvements around the Northeastern University Oakland campus (formerly Mills College) on MacArthur Boulevard from Richards Road to Seminary Avenue, and on Seminary Avenue from Camden Street to Sunnymere Avenue. The funded improvements will enhance traffic safety on the City’s High Injury Network (the 8% of streets in Oakland responsible for 60% of the City’s severe and fatal injury collisions) and will help Oakland residents reach key destinations in East Oakland without needing to use an automobile.

Lincoln Elementary Safe Routes to School (COMPLETE)

This project would design and construct improvements for Safe Routes to School in the vicinity of Lincoln Elementary School, including:

• Curb extensions and high-visibility crosswalks at the intersection of 11th Street and Harrison Street.
• Curb extensions and high-visibility crosswalks at the intersections of 10th and 11th Streets and Jackson Street.
• Curb extensions at 10th Street and Harrison Street.
• A loading zone at the school frontage.

MacArthur Smart City Corridor Phase I (CONSTRUCTION)

This project will extend the existing Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) network with fiber cable to 62 traffic signals along 13 miles of MacArthur Boulevard and adjacent roadways. Improvements will enhance mobility for all modes, including queue jump lanes and transit signal priority for buses; pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle detection for enhanced signal performance; curb ramp and sidewalk for pedestrian accessibility; and communications for remote traffic operations, monitoring and signal maintenance.

This project also includes central hub network upgrades at the City Transportation Management Center and other communication hubs, and development of a TSP performance monitoring interface for Oakland's traffic signal system.

• Phase 1 consists of 10.5 miles of fiber interconnect and 44 signalized intersections along Lakeshore Blvd, E. 18th St, Park Blvd, MacArthur Blvd, Foothill Blvd, and 98th Ave.
• Phase 2 consists of 2.5 miles of interconnect and 18 signalized intersections along 40th St (from Market St to Broadway) and W. MacArthur Blvd (Market St to Santa Clara St).

MLK Jr Way Complete Streets Paving Project (DESIGN)

This project will provide bicycle, pedestrian, transit, and traffic calming improvements on MLK Jr Way between 47th Street and the City border at 61st Street. Key components of the project include: reducing the street from 6 to 4 travel lanes, separated bike lanes between 52nd Street and 61st Street, 10 bus boarding islands at all AC Transit bus stops, and new Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (PHBs) at four intersections. These improvements respond to traffic collision patterns and feedback from residents for the City to prioritize pedestrian and bicycle safety throughout the corridor. The Project will calm speeding traffic upwards of 60mph (30mph speed limit) through a road diet, which in turn will provide the space to install a Class IV bike lane suitable for all ages and abilities. This Class IV bike lane will be constructed with concrete wheelstops, which dramatically reduces the cost of the Project compared to using concrete islands. The Project will also shorten crossing distances, reduce pedestrian exposure to vehicles, create a new crosswalk at 51st Street, and will install 4 PHBs at 51st Street, Arlington Street (Line 12 bus stop), 58th Street (connection to Sojourner Truth senior housing), and 61st Street (connection to Line 12 bus stop). 

Oakland Bike Share Expansion (COMPLETE)

The Oakland Bike Share Expansion Project will expand the regional Bay Area Bike Share program to the City of Oakland. The planned service area in Oakland consists of 700 bicycles circulating among 70 stations in an area including Downtown Oakland, Lake Merritt neighborhoods, Telegraph Ave corridor, Broadway corridor, West Oakland, Jack London Square, and Fruitvale. It will be contiguous with Berkeley's planned Bay Area Bike Share service area. For more information, visit the Oakland Bike Share webpage.

Oakland Mobility Transportation Demand Management (OakMob TDM) (COMPLETE)

The OakMob TDM Project will use a personalized marketing approach to engage residents in the forthcoming AC Transit BRT corridor to increase walking, bicycling, and car sharing while reducing the number of single-occupancy car trips. All households and businesses in the target area will be contacted with personalized information, support, and incentives to encourage residents to change their travel behaviors.

The 2-year program will serve as a pilot and look for opportunities to fully expand into a city-wide permanent program. The program is intended to reach all participants within the project area and deliver OakMob transportation kits to 50% of residents and business owners within the program area.

The proposed scope of work includes:

• Project Initiation: Consult supportive local and government organizations in the project area.
• TDM – Personalized Marketing Strategy: Compile a directory of households and businesses in the area, develop a marketing brand for OakMob, engage with participants and deliver OakMob kits, evaluate program success with identifiable metrics, and develop a plan for scaling to a city-wide permanent program.
• Community Engagement: Coordinate at least 4 community walks or bike rides per year, table at up to 10 local events per year or at BART/major transit stations.
• Communications: Update website on an ongoing basis, send electronic and paper newsletters.
• Administration: Administrative record of the project, meeting notes and action items for bi-weekly team meetings, quarterly reports.

Oakland Traffic Management Center Upgrade (CONSTRUCTION)

The Oakland Traffic Management Center Upgrade project will evaluate and upgrade the existing Oakland Traffic Management Center for better traffic signal coordination within the City. It will install a new server with more computing capability to run upgraded applications, replace network switches, and install security software to assist with system management and maintenance. The project would connect the traffic signal coordination and management system for traffic signals in the Tempo BRT Corridor and for other TSP-equipped bus lines operating in the City of Oakland into the Traffic Management Center.

Speed Camera Implementation (BID AWARD)

The City of Oakland will deploy 18 Speed Safety Camera Systems across the City, with cameras positioned to enforce both approaches of traffic on two-way roadways. Camera systems are planned to commence operation in 2025 and be in place for at least five years. All camera systems will adhere to the specifications outlined in California Assembly Bill (AB) 645. Systems will be deployed at the following 18 locations across the City of Oakland. The City will oversee speed-related data collection and evaluation at each site, installation (and the relocation/removal) of camera systems, operations and maintenance of camera equipment and software, staff training, and management of data and records from camera systems.

West Oakland Transit Improvements (DESIGN)

This project proposes up to 14 bus stop access improvements to ensure West Oakland bus stops meet minimum standards. It also proposes funds to create a blueprint for expanding the EasyPass Program to provide transit access to low-income West Oaklanders.

This project involves two components both designed to reduce barriers to transit:

• Transit access: upgrades to as many as 14 bus stops in West Oakland, along with the removal of unused railroad tracks at one location.
• Transit passes: planning funds to develop a proposal to extend low-cost institutional transit passes to West Oakland communities, as well as a pilot of the EasyPass program.

About

In 2011, the Montclair Village Association (MVA) launched a campaign to rebuild Montclair's beloved Antioch Court to address pedestrian and transportation safety concerns. At that time, the Antioch Court streetscape was dilapidated and structurally challenged. Increasing the safety and accessibility of Antioch Court was aimed at helping make an expanded plaza of Montclair a public destination, showcase venue, and community event space, envisaging it as a popular haven featuring locally owned shops, art galleries, restaurants, cafes, and boutiques.

Councilmember Sheng Thao successfully advocated for $480,000 to be allocated to the capital improvement project during the 2019-2021 budget process.

"Revitalizing Antioch Court will create accessibility for all Oaklanders, creating a space where we can build community and celebrate culture and art. The space will also be an asset for our young people throughout the City of Oakland."

- Councilmember Sheng Thao

The Montclair Village Association has raised $619,000 of the $750,000 needed to fund a new Village Plaza.

Montclair Village Plaza Campaign YouTube video

As of 5/2/2024, the project is 100% complete.

• Concrete sidewalks are finished.
• All catch basins had been installed.
• Luminaries were delivered/installed as scheduled.
• Bollards were installed according to plan.
• Final street paving was completed in September.

About

In 2023, the Oakland Department of Transportation was awarded a $29 million Active Transportation Program (ATP) grant to design and construct the Bancroft Avenue Greenway.

The Bancroft Avenue Greenway will provide a two-mile, low-stress multi-use path on the existing Bancroft Avenue median from 73rd Avenue to 103rd Avenue. This project is a result of community engagement events and surveys as part of the East Oakland Planning for Paving, the 2019 Let's Bike Oakland Plan, and the 2021 East Oakland Mobility Action Plan.

The project includes:

• A walking and biking path (Class 1) in the existing median
• ADA-compliant curb ramps
• Landscaping, trees, and irrigation
• Lighting
• Wayfinding signage
• Benches
• Waste receptacles
• Spaces to meet, picnic, and BBQ

Related Projects

• Bancroft Avenue Bike and Pedestrian Safety Project: This project was awarded funding by the Highway Safety Improvement Program in 2016. It improved safe access to the greenway by constructing high-visibility crosswalks, pedestrian countdown lights, and flashing beacons.
• Safe Routes to School Capital Projects: This set of projects includes safety enhancements at East Oakland Pride Elementary School. This project will improve crossing safety at several intersections, including at 81st Avenue and Bancroft Avenue.
• 73rd Avenue Active Routes to Transit: The Oakland Department of Transportation is currently applying for funding to develop concepts for safer multimodal transportation improvements along 73rd Avenue/Hegenberger Road between Eastmont Transit Center and Coliseum BART Station. Click the project link for more information and to take the project survey.

Gallery

Bus lanes on Broadway will help reduce travel time for bus riders and make bus service more reliable.

More buses run on Broadway than on any other street in Oakland. In fact, more buses run on Broadway than on any other street in the East Bay. But travel times on Broadway are unpredictable. This means that as the many routes that serve East Oakland, North Oakland, and West Oakland enter downtown and travel along Broadway, they each experience unreliable travel times, impacting passengers from across Oakland.

On October 1, 2019, the City Council adopted a resolution of support for transit-only lanes on Broadway. The City completed construction of transit-only lanes on Broadway between 11th and 20th Streets in August 2020, and plans to extend them south from 11th to 2nd Street, and north from 20th Street to Grand Avenue. Visit the Broadway Streetscape Improvements webpage for more information.

Adding dedicated bus lanes on Broadway in downtown will result in up to 30% travel time savings and 20% travel time reliability for buses. The City is currently studying travel time savings for buses on Broadway for Phase 2 of the project. Bus service on Broadway connects to all parts of the AC Transit system. This means that improvements to bus service on Broadway will benefit the majority of AC Transit riders, including those whose origins or destinations are in East Oakland, North Oakland, West Oakland, and regional destinations countywide.

Specific signal and pedestrian crossing improvements at 7th, 8th, and 9th Streets include:

1. Add 12" diameter signal head
2. New pedestrian audio signal
3. Add an internally illuminated street name sign (IISNS)

Full funding for paving, red painted transit lanes, and pedestrian safety improvements is available through the Alameda County Transportation Commission's Measure BB Transportation Expenditure Plan, which set aside funding for transit improvements on Broadway.

Improving bus reliability, pedestrian safety, and accessibility. 

Latest Updates

Construction for this project will begin Spring 2026. 

Check back here for updates or sign up for email updates. 

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Project Scope

The Broadway Streetscape Improvements will enhance bus reliability and safety for all road users. This project is located on Broadway between 2nd Street and 11th Street and between 20th Street and Grand Avenue. Improvements include:

• Red bus-only lanes to extend existing bus-only lanes (Phase 1)
• New bus shelters, seating, and trash cans at bus stops
• New street trees, landscaping, and public seating along the corridor
• Pedestrian improvements such as bulb-outs, accessible curb ramps, high-visibility crosswalks, lighting, and wayfinding
• Removal of the existing slip turn at the 6th Street and Broadway
• Upgrading traffic signals and provide protected left turns to increase safety
• Repaving the road
• Transit Signal Priority (TSP) to help keep the signals green for buses
• Fiber optic cable to improve traffic signals and enable expansion of OAK WiFi 

Additional Information

Background

Broadway, historically Oakland’s “main street,” is a major high frequency transit corridor. More buses run on Broadway than on any other street in Oakland. That said, Broadway's current design leads to bus delays and unreliable travel times for transit users. Broadway is also part of Oakland's High Injury Network, meaning it is one of just 6% of streets that account for over 60% of severe and fatal traffic crashes.

Past Engagement

Several prior planning efforts have called for improvements on Broadway. As part of these plans, engagement activities included meetings, workshops, surveys, and more. A summary of this previous engagement can be found in the Broadway Community Engagement Summary (2015-2022)(PDF, 343KB). These plans include:

• 2017 Pedestrian Plan
• 2019 Bike Plan
• Downtown Oakland Specific Plan
• Transit Action Strategy
• Howard Terminal Transportation Plan
• Capital Improvement Program, and the
• Oakland Alameda Access Project

Building on past engagement, the project team conducted additional engagement in Summer 2023. The goal was to ensure that the project scope was in line with current stakeholder needs and to inform the conceptual plans.The Broadway Streetscape Improvements Engagement Summary (Summer 2023)(PDF, 13MB) describes the engagement approach, the feedback received, and explains how this feedback will be used to shape this project.

During Fall and Winter 2023, the project team conducted additional engagement to refine the project designs. This engagement included presentations, meetings, and an open house event. Learn more about the Community Streetscape Project Open House(PDF, 1MB). You can also watch a video of the Open House.

In early 2024, the project team re-engaged stakeholders to learn about preferences for urban design elements. A summary of this engagement can be found here.

Funding

Funding agencies include the United Stated Department of Transportation (USDOT), Caltrans, California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA), and the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC). 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The City of Oakland is pursuing cost-effective, equitable pathways to eliminate natural gas use in buildings. See below for details of outreach, engagement, and data on the health and climate impacts of natural gas, electric alternatives to gas systems, and cost-effectiveness analysis.

For Contractors

About

The City of Oakland has been legally directed to suspend the requirement that all newly constructed buildings be all-electric as per Oakland Municipal Code 15.37

Oakland's City Council set ambitious climate targets that require electrifying all buildings as rapidly as possible. As an important first step, in December 2020, the City began requiring all new construction to be all-electric. Ava Community Energy (formerly known as East Bay Community Energy) supported this effort by commissioning a cost-effectiveness study of all-electric new construction that showed both upfront and lifetime cost effectiveness for nearly all building types. The City of Oakland is continuing to develop its Building Electrification Roadmap with multiple opportunities for public engagement and community dialogue. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has also passed new zero-nitrous oxide appliance standards for new furnaces and water heaters, starting in 2027.

Financial assistance is available for building electrification. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) directs billions of dollars into the hands of Americans for clean energy investments. This includes rebates and tax credits for electrification projects, such as installing solar, upgrading electric panels if necessary, installing electric vehicle chargers, and switching to a heat pump water heater, electric clothes dryer, induction stove, or heat pump. To learn how you can take advantage of these incentives over the next few years, check out our incentives and rebates webpage.

Stay up to date on building electrification news by signing up for our newsletter.

Resources and Articles about Building Electrification:

• Learn more about all-electric, efficient appliances
• Información Sobre la Electrificación de Edificios en Español(PDF, 970KB)
• 建築物電氣化中文資訊(PDF, 1MB)
• For contractors and jobseekers
• For residential property owners and renters
• For business and commercial property owners
• Service upgrades for electrification retrofits
• Examples of all-electric Oakland homes
• Health and safety research on gas and the economics of a just transition
• Getting to Zero database from New Buildings Institute
• California Energy Commission's Building and Home Energy Resource Hub
• Building electrification general information flyer - English(PDF, 950KB)
• Building electrification general information flyer - Chinese(PDF, 2MB)
• Building electrification general information flyer - Spanish(PDF, 2MB)
• Check out and share our Instagram videos, produced by Oakland artist, Maddy Clifford, as part of the Cultural Strategist in Government program.

Creating calm neighborhood streets and more inviting spaces for people walking and biking to local destinations

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About the Project

The goal of the Calm East Oakland Streets Project is to create slow, calm, and inviting streets for people to walk or bike to neighborhood destinations such as schools, libraries, recreation centers, parks, and corner stores. The Project will fix broken streets and sidewalks and improve safety on residential streets by slowing vehicle speeds and decreasing cut-through traffic. This project will calm traffic and curb aggressive driving while simultaneously increasing access to pleasant walking & bicycling on four (4) key street corridors in East Oakland:

• Hamilton St - Rudsdale St - D St - Royal Ann St between 69th Ave to 105th Ave
• Foothill Blvd - Arthur St - Plymouth St between 64th Ave to 79th Ave
• 81st Ave between San Leandro St to Bancroft Ave
• 85th Ave between San Leandro St to Bancroft Ave

What kind of improvements create a Slow and Calm Street?

To keep streets safer and more comfortable for people walking and biking, Calm East Oakland Street improvements may include:

• Crossing improvements to help people cross major streets like Bancroft Ave and International Blvd.
• Repaving streets, fixing sidewalks, installing curb ramps, and fixing drainage problems to provide safe, clean spaces in East Oakland neighborhoods.
• Special signage and roadway paint to alert people driving to expect bicyclists and to direct people biking along the routes.
• Speed bumps, traffic circles, and bulb-outs to slow down motorists and provide a safer environment for East Oaklanders.
• Limited vehicle access zones to reduce speeding and cut-through traffic on residential streets.

Background

On 2/8/21, the California Transportation Commission recommended Calm East Oakland Streets (formerly East Oakland Neighborhood Bike Routes) for $17.3M in Active Transportation Program (ATP) funds.

The Calm East Oakland Streets project is a direct outgrowth of the 2019 Citywide Bike Plan Update. These four corridors were identified as short-term priority projects. These are projects that provide the greatest benefit to Oaklanders and align with City goals, including crash reduction projects, destination connectivity projects, gap closure projects, and cost-savings projects.

During the 2019 Citywide Bike Plan Update planning process, we held over 60 community meetings and engaged over 3,600 people in person and collected over 2,300 comments online. We heard that one of the top issues for residents in East Oakland is the lack of bicycle facilities and that new investment is needed and welcome if it fits with the community’s desires. In East Oakland, we heard that people ride for fun and to access local destinations, not only to get to work. We heard that new infrastructure is needed to connect to local neighborhood destinations such as libraries, parks, recreation centers, and schools. Specifically, we heard that we should make improvements to neighborhood streets near major streets that would make bicycling and walking more comfortable and connect to local destinations.

Outreach

OakDOT is engaging with the community about this project as we design these Calm Streets! The outreach is focused on each corridor to ensure we hear from residents and community members who live, work, and play along each street to ensure improvements reflect and respond to their specific community needs.

OakDOT visited residents, schools, and libraries in 2024 to hand out project information, introduce people to the project, and encourage community members to sign up for our email list to receive project updates. Now, OakDOT will be following up with community members, residents of these corridors, and local stakeholders to gather feedback on concept designs for street improvements.

Neighborhood Calm Street Branding Exercise

Our team has been working with a group of residents and local leaders to create street signs that express the identity of East Oakland. Review them here(PDF, 2MB) and email us to tell us what you think.

Community Review of Street Plans - 2024 & 2025

40x40 People's Advisory Council Presentation

• Date: February 27, 2025
• More Information: Roots Community Health 40x40 Initiative

Arroyo Viejo Design Workshop

• Date: February 24, 2025
• Location: Arroyo Viejo Recreation Center (7701 Krause Ave, Oakland)
• Time: 3:00 – 5:00 PM

Temporary Traffic Diverter and One-Way Street Demonstration

This past fall, we held a demonstration project with a traffic filter and one-way streets near Pride Elementary at 81st Avenue and Plymouth Street. Check out the 81st Ave Demonstration results(PDF, 6MB).

• October 16 – November 6, 2024
• Traffic Diverter Location: 81st Ave and Plymouth St, near Pride Elementary
• The following streets were one-way for the duration of this demonstration:
  • 81st Ave between Olive St and Plymouth St
  • Plymouth St between 81st Ave and 82nd Ave

View the One-Way Street Information sheet(PDF, 165KB) for details.

Coliseum-D Street-Stonehurst Design Workshop

• Date: September 7, 2024
• Location: Tassafaronga Recreation Center (975 85th Ave, Oakland)
• Time: 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM

81st Avenue Design Workshop

• Date: May 18, 2024
• Location: 81st Ave Library (1021 81st Ave, Oakland)
• Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Outreach/Tabling Events - Fall 2023

Note: More dates will be added as they are planned

Investing in the safety of the Chinatown community for residents and visitors alike.

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Signage, striping, markers, and modular curb installed to enhance safety at key location

About

A grant from the Alameda County Transportation Commission matched by local Measure B sales tax funds allowed the City to design and construct key safety improvements, building on Oakland's Slow Streets "Essential Places" and "Rapid Response" programs. The project enhanced existing, temporary safety installations with more durable improvements, including signage, striping, markers, and modular curb. Locations were determined by construction feasibility, cost, geographic equity priority areas, and other evolving needs related to COVID-19. The following improvements were constructed:

• Foothill Blvd and 26th Ave: Raised concrete pedestrian refuge, improved safety for pedestrians crossing Foothill Blvd
• Foothill Blvd and Cole St: Modular curb and flex post pedestrian refuge, improved safety for pedestrians crossing Foothill Blvd
• Foothill Blvd and Munson Wy: Modular curb and flex post pedestrian refuge, improved safety for pedestrians crossing Foothill Blvd
• Embarcadero from the Embarcadero Bridge to Oak St: Modular curb and flex post bikeway separation, signage, red curb, measures to prevent parking and driving in the bike lane
• 18th St and Adeline St: Modular curb and flex post hardened centerline treatment to calm traffic at the signalized intersection
• 18th St mid-block west of Adeline St: Modular curb and flex post hardened centerline treatment to calm traffic at the mid-block crossing

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About

The Courtland Creek Restoration Project (Project), an Oakland Measure DD Initiative, will protect, enhance, and restore approximately 950 feet of open creek channel. This Project, built in three sections of Courtland Creek Park, is under construction. Tree removal was completed in January and February of 2023 and the creek restoration work began in June 2023. The expected Project completion date is June 2025.

Thank you, Courtland Creek Stewards for attending the Courtland Creek Restoration Project Tour and Community Stewardship Guide Training on December 7th.

Materials from the training are posted under Project documents.

The Project will improve creek habitat and water quality, reduce trash accumulation and illegal dumping, repair steep and eroding creek banks, enhance climate change resilience and park appearance, and serve the community as an educational and recreational resource. Accessible seating, gathering places, and a creek-viewing overlook will also be provided.

Project partners include the Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation (OPRF), the Friends of Courtland Creek, and local schools. This Project is fully funded. Grants have been received from the California Department of Water Resources ($1.5 million), the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the San Francisco Bay Water Quality Improvement Fund ($1.5 million), and the Caltrans Clean California Local Grant Program ($2.03 million).

Community Meeting Presentations and a Summary of the meetings held in July 2021 and May 2022 can be found under "Project Documents". The Project design team (FlowWest), City staff and OPRF presented Project designs to community members at Community Meetings in July 2021 and May 2022 per the Project's equity-focused public engagement plan.

Construction Status: The two project traffic signals on Park Blvd were turned on in September 2023. This included one new traffic signal adjacent to Edna Brewer Middle School at 13th Ave and one traffic signal modification at the intersection of Excelsior Ave/Grosvenor Pl/Alma Pl. Landscaping at both intersections is scheduled to be complete in October. OakDOT plans to install plastic delineators, pavement markings, and signs to remove a lane in each direction on Park Blvd approaching the crosswalks at Beaumont Ave to slow traffic and reduce exposure for pedestrians crossing the street. This work is planned for Spring of 2024.

About

Crossing to Safety is a pedestrian and bicyclist safety improvement project. The improvements are along Park Blvd at its intersections with 1) Excelsior/Alma Pl/Grosvenor Pl, and 2) 13th Ave/East 38th St within walking vicinity of Edna Brewer Middle School. Crossing to Safety is jointly funded by the Measure KK Infrastructure Bond and the Active Transportation Program (ATP) Grant administered by the California Transportation Commission (CTC). Both these funding sources include large portions that prioritize school safety from which the funding for this project is awarded.

Crossing to Safety was developed for the purpose of improving safety for students who walk or bike to Edna Brewer. The concept was developed with input from stakeholders including neighborhood associations, nearby schools, and bicycle and pedestrian advocates. Along with the construction of the Lower Park Blvd Complete Streets Project, which is underway, OakDOT will be constructing the Crossing to Safety Project to implement safety improvements that have been a part of the overall Park Blvd Corridor discussion.

Project Design

Park/Excelsior/Grosvenor/Alma

For the intersection of Park/Excelsior/Grosvenor/Alma, the project will:

1. Expand the sidewalk on the southeast corner of the intersection (in front of the Canyon Design Build office) so that crossing Park Blvd on foot from this corner becomes shorter in distance and safer from a two-stage crossing to a one-stage crossing. Pedestrians will no longer be required to wait in the median island for the signal to change.
   • The expansion of this corner will also close the southeast leg of Excelsior to auto traffic to and from the intersection. This leg will be converted to two-way travel accessible from Kingsley St but not from the intersection.
   • Bicyclists can still use the southeast leg of Excelsior to and from the intersection. One path will take bicyclists left onto Park Blvd to head south and another path heads straight onto Grosvenor. Bicyclists turning left onto southbound Park will activate a green light, which will trigger an exclusive bike interval (i.e., no auto traffic will go at the same time).
2. Install a Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI) for the pedestrian crossing of the north leg of Park Blvd. The concurrent green interval for left turns coming from Grosvenor onto Park Blvd will be delayed by seconds to allow pedestrians to establish their presence in the crosswalk first.
3. Add a flashing yellow arrow for left turns from Grosvenor onto Park Blvd to emphasize the need to yield to pedestrians and bicyclists. The flashing yellow arrow will be activated when a pedestrian pushes a button or when a bicycle is detected by video or loop detection.
4. Add a left-turn pocket on the Grosvenor approach to accommodate the new flashing yellow arrow, which will require eliminating one parking space on the residential side of Grosvenor and four spaces on the PG&E substation side.
5. Introduce an exclusive green interval for Alma Place when a vehicle triggers the detector for a green light.
6. Add bicycle detector indication on the southeast corner so bicyclists will be able to tell if they have been detected by either the video or loop detector.
7. Install a new crosswalk crossing the south leg of Park Blvd.
8. Add green arrows for left turns coming from the west leg of Excelsior to head north onto Park Blvd or west onto Grosvenor.

Park/13th Ave/East 38th St

For the intersection of Park/13th Ave/East 38th St, the project will:

1. Consolidate the multiple entry/exit points on both sides of Park Blvd to create a simplified, four-legged, right-angle intersection.
   1. This reconfiguration will improve visibility, reduce conflict movements, shorten pedestrian crossings, and lower traffic speeds.
2. Add a new traffic signal that includes pedestrian count-down indication, video detection, a left-turn protected phase from Park Blvd onto 13th Ave, and marked crosswalks on all the legs.
3. Extend the existing median island on Park Blvd, closing the opening in front of Greenwood Ave to eliminate unprotected left turns.
4. Widen the existing median island on Park Blvd, making the pedestrian refuge zone safer.
5. Significantly increase sidewalk space, including future opportunities for landscaping and placemaking.
6. Add high-visibility signage and pavement markings to enhance awareness of school and pedestrian presence.

From OakPark+, the city's Demand Responsive Parking and Mobility Management Initiative

Download Rate Proposal(PDF, 1MB)

The Downtown Demand-Responsive Parking program seeks to improve parking availability by adjusting meter rates according to demand. Meter rates will be adjusted between $0.50 per hour and $4 per hour.

Value Zones have lower parking demand, so rates will go down to encourage parking here. Premium Zones have high parking demand, so rates will go up to free up more parking spaces.

Parking meter rates in Downtown Oakland will be updated in Fall 2025. See below for table of parking meter rates:

A map of zones and rates is available to view and download at the bottom of this page. The lowest meter price will be set to ensure parking availability near your favorite destinations in Downtown Oakland.

We want to hear from you! 

You can also email us your feedback on how to improve parking in Downtown Oakland at parklandish@oaklandca.gov.

Project History

In August 2014, the city launched the Montclair Flexible Parking District, a pilot program approved by City Council in October 2013. The goal of this initiative was to increase available parking on centrally located streets that are in highest demand and to make finding parking faster and more convenient. This effort was expanded to Chinatown in 2022 with the Chinatown Parking and Loading Pilot.

Bike safety improvements connecting to Fruitvale BART

Project Overview

The E 12th St Bikeway will complete the remaining gap for a continuous bikeway in the International Blvd corridor from downtown Oakland, through East Oakland, to the Elmhurst neighborhood - a distance of six miles. This project connects existing bike lanes on International Boulevard (east of 54th Avenue) with the Fruitvale BART Station. The project proposes:

• A neighborhood bike route along 54th Avenue between International Boulevard and E 12th Street where the street is too narrow for bike lanes
• A neighborhood bike route along E 12th Street between 54th Avenue and 44th Avenue where the street is too narrow for bike lanes
• Protected bike lanes along E 12th Street between 44th Avenue and 40th Avenue to accommodate bi-directional bike travel along the one-way stretch of E 12th Street
• Buffered bike lanes along E 12th Street between 35th Avenue and 40th Avenue to minimize on-street parking removal and disruptions to school pick-up and drop-off

In future phases and as funding allows, the City will work to implement the recommendations of the City's 2019 Bike Plan, which include protected bike lanes along E 12th Street.

Project Goals

• Improve safety for people walking and biking
• Upgrade the pavement quality for all roadway users
• Upgrade curb ramps and fill in sidewalk gaps to better accommodate people walking and meet ADA standards
• Establish a continuous bikeway from East Oakland to Downtown Oakland

Existing Conditions

There are no bikeways on 54th Avenue, E. 12th Street east of 40th Avenue, or on 35th Avenue. Bike lanes and wayfinding signs are installed on E. 12th Street between 35th and 40th Avenues. E. 12th Street between 40th and 44th Avenues is currently one-way, eastbound, preventing legal westbound bicycling towards the BART station. E. 12th Street lacks curb ramps at many locations, and many of the existing ramps lack detectable domes. There are missing sidewalks at the abandoned railroad tracks between 46th Avenue and 47th Avenue. The paving quality on much of E 12th Street and 54th Ave is relatively poor. E. 12th Street between 40th and 46th Aves was recently paved and is in excellent condition.

Design Elements

• Traffic calming measures such as traffic circles and speed humps
• Installing a bicycle signal head at High Street
• Retrofitting storm drain inlets in curbside bike lanes
• Upgrading existing bikeway striping between 35th and 40th Avenues to add buffer striping, creating more separation between bicyclists and motor vehicles
• Installing bicyclist wayfinding signage
• Installing over 40 ADA-compliant curb ramps along E 12th St.
• Repaving E 12th St and 54th Ave in order to eliminate and prevent hazardous conditions for all roadway users

The City of Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) is proud to develop a new segment of the East Bay Greenway. The cycletrack segment will run parallel to San Leandro Street from Seminary to 69th Avenue, with a new bike lane from 69th Avenue to 75th Avenue. 

About

The first phase of the long-planned East Bay Greenway was completed in November 2019, stretching a half-mile from Coliseum BART at 73rd Ave to 85th Ave. The project installed a 12-foot-wide shared bicyclist and pedestrian path that parallels San Leandro St, as well as installed lighting, decorative fencing, crosswalks at 71st, 75th, and 81st Aves, and an automatic bike/ped counter.

The upcoming Phase II extends the 12-foot-wide shared bicyclist and pedestrian path that parallels San Leandro Street from Seminary Ave to 69th Ave, and then shifts to a bike lane striping improvements installation on San Leandro from 69th Ave to 75th Ave. The project is using Affordable Housing & Sustainable Communities (AHSC) funds as well as Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) funds. The route will connect to a Neighborhood Bike Route on 69th St.

More Project Details

The FTA grant will be used to construct a 1/2 mile segment of the East Bay Greenway Segment II from 69th Avenue, near Coliseum BART to the intersection of San Leandro at Seminary Avenue that will function as both a portion of the East Bay Greenway and the second constructible segment of the BART to Bay Trail Project.

The first segment of this trail has already been implemented east of Coliseum BART Station, between 73rd and 85th Avenues in Oakland. Through the AHSC grant, the City also has incorporated striping improvements to connect 69th Avenue to Coliseum BART along San Leandro with bike lanes; pedestrian-scale street lights; bike and pedestrian crossing treatments at Seminary, 66th and 69th Avenue; three years of bike education workshops for Coliseum Place affordable housing residents; and drought tolerant landscaping and street trees into this project. The entire path will be separated from high-speed traffic on San Leandro Blvd by fencing.

This segment effectively builds momentum for the completion of the East Bay Greenway through Oakland, and will provide an important bicyclist and pedestrian connection along San Leandro Street, which is currently a forbidding environment for non-motorized traffic.

Project Benefits

• Improve cycle and pedestrian network connectivity in communities along the BART line
• Improve access to regional transit, schools, downtown area, and other destinations
• Create a facility that is accessible and comfortable for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities
• Improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians
• Support promotion of a multimodal transportation system and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions

Project Scope

• Multi-use trail
• Pedestrian-scale lighting
• Crossing improvements at Seminary, 66th and 69th Avenue
• Fencing
• Drought tolerant landscaping
• Street trees
• Bike lanes from 69th to 75th (connection to existing EB Greenway)
• Three years of bike education workshops for Coliseum Place affordable housing residents

What is the AHSC funding program?

The Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program (AHSC) is administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF).

AHSC assists key project areas by providing grants and loans to help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and benefit priority communities by increasing access to affordable housing, employment centers, and other key destinations via low-carbon transportation. The idea is that these strategic connections will result in fewer vehicle miles traveled (VMT) through shortened or reduced trip lengths, or allowing residents to shift from using a car (Single Occupancy Vehicle) to using transit, biking, or walking.

The project funding is connected to two new affordable housing developments:

• Coliseum Connections: An innovative housing and transportation project with 110 mixed-income units adjacent to the Coliseum BART station. Coliseum Connections will provide 55 units of restricted affordable housing (50-60% of Area Median Income (AMI)) and 55 units available for workforce housing (80-120% AMI).
• Coliseum Place Apartments: A new construction project located in Oakland on a 0.47-acre site. The project consists of 58 restricted rental units and 1 unrestricted manager unit. The building will include 11 one-bedroom units, 28 two-bedroom units, and 20 three-bedroom units, across 6 stories. Common amenities will include a large community room with a kitchen, a lobby, property management offices, and resident services offices. Each unit will have a refrigerator and range. There will be 27 parking spaces provided. Construction is expected to begin in October 2019 and be completed by February 2021.

More about the complete ACTC East Bay Greenway Project:

Alameda CTC is the project sponsor for the East Bay Greenway: Lake Merritt BART to South Hayward BART Project. The project proposes to construct a bicycle and pedestrian facility that will generally follow the BART alignment for a distance of 16 miles, passing through Oakland, San Leandro, Hayward, and the unincorporated communities of Ashland and Cherryland. The project connects seven BART stations as well as downtown areas, schools, and other major destinations.

In September 2014, Alameda CTC leveraged available local Measure B and BB funds and was awarded funding from the state Active Transportation Program (ATP) for the environmental clearance of the project, which involves securing State and Federal environmental clearance under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), respectively. Alameda CTC is the lead agency for CEQA, and Caltrans is the lead agency for NEPA.

The cities of Oakland, San Leandro, and Hayward, Alameda County, BART, the East Bay Regional Park District, and Caltrans are all participating in the development of the project.

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The East Oakland MAP is intended to guide the City and other partner agencies in allocating resources for future mobility improvements in East Oakland.

Download East Oakland Mobility Action Plan(PDF, 60MB)

About

Last updated: January 28, 2022
Date posted: September 24, 2019

"All East Oaklanders have access to, and choices within, a local and regional transportation system that is safe, efficient, and affordable, and connects them to the places they need to thrive. The City will partner with local residents, community groups, and small businesses to prevent displacement and gentrification and acknowledge historical injustices." East Oakland Mobility Action Plan (2022)

In January 2022, Oakland's Department of Transportation, in partnership with East Oakland Collective, JustCities, and TransForm, finalized the East Oakland Mobility Action Plan. The plan reflects intentional partnerships with community-based organizations in the planning process, whose input was critical in making sure this plan reflects the needs of all East Oaklanders.

The East Oakland Mobility Action Plan planning process focused on:

• Providing a central place for coordinating existing plans
• Working with East Oakland residents to identify which transportation routes provide access and opportunity to jobs, education, recreation, and services
• Working with the East Oakland community to identify gaps and needs for transit, pedestrian, and bicycle facilities, especially as it relates to access to the East Bay Bus Rapid Transit system
• Prioritizing transportation projects and programs-based recommendations with identified funding for projects within the next 5 years and visionary projects in the longer term
• Creating an equitable framework for community-based decision making for transportation projects and planning
• Streamlining grassroots community engagement

Equity Framework

To ensure the East Oakland Mobility Action Plan responds to the needs of the most underserved in East Oakland, the project team established and used a Racial Equity Framework to navigate the development and recommendations of the Plan. The core questions of the Framework are: What proactive approach to transportation equity can we use to ensure East Oakland projects align with community values and needs? How can the Plan process and implementation meet East Oakland residents, particularly Black residents, where they are at and improve mobility regardless of how they travel? Advancing racial equity requires listening to and investing in communities who have the least, meaning OakDOT cannot and will not make plans for those communities without those communities. The Framework is a tool for community partners to keep OakDOT accountable during plan development and implementation.

The East Oakland Mobility Action Plan is organized around four principles:

1. Just Planning: Access — City planners and engineers will center racial justice in the planning process and uplift historically underserved East Oaklanders, especially Black residents.
2. Self-Determination and Transformative Partnerships — Community members will be partners in the planning process and will be co-designers in shaping their neighborhoods.
3. Freedom of Movement — East Oaklanders will travel whenever and wherever they want comfortably, efficiently, safely, and affordably.
4. Power in Place — As changes occur in the right-of-way, East Oakland community members will feel secure in the preservation of their housing, businesses, and culture and be able to benefit from those changes and thrive.

Engagement

The East Oakland Collective (EOC) delivered equitable and inclusive community engagement for this Plan. Widely recognized for their authenticity and realness, EOC staff are natives committed to administering culturally responsive community engagement and to restoring community and culture. Their approach is simple yet effective.

The engagement approach for this Plan was guided by our East Oakland Mobility principles: Just Planning, Freedom of Movement, Self-Determination and Transformative Partnerships, and Power in Place, which aimed to build relationships, be creative and culturally relevant, and uplift participatory planning to deliver authentic and inclusive engagement. Engagement included:

• Focus groups to speak candidly and discuss how the built environment can better support their mobility.
• Pop-ups where EOC and OakDOT were able to speak with East Oaklanders and listen to their perspectives of East Oakland's future.
• Virtual engagement to leverage social media platforms and establish a presence and engage in dialogue.
• Collaborative surveys to minimize duplication and gather input from multiple projects at once.

The Oakland Electric Bike Lending Pilot Program provides low-cost electric bike rental to Oaklanders. 

About

Cost: $120 standard rate ($20 for low-income residents learn more)

Rental period: Four weeks from date of pick-up

Eligibility: Oakland residents aged 18 and up only

Deposit: $500 - credit or debit card required

Bike type: Gazelle Medeo T-9 City (Class I e-bike)

Sign up

Sign up to try out a Lending Program E-bike in 3 easy steps

1. Fill out the Clean Mobility Option Participant Survey

2. Fill out the City of Oakland’s participant intake form and liability waiver

3. You will receive an email to book an appointment - Credit / Debit Card required

Low-income discount and eligibility

Present proof of enrollment in an income-verified program to access the discounted rate. Income-verified programs include:

• CalFresh
• Clipper START
• PG&E CARE
• FERA utility discount
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Medicaid/Medi-CAL (under age 65 only)

Program details

The program offers Oakland residents the opportunity to use an E-Bike for an extended 4-week lending period - enabling participants to experience how an e-bike can transform a wide range of mobility needs.

Detailed Program requirements:

• Oakland Residents 18 years or older.

• Have a credit or debit card, and a government issued photo ID.

• Pay the standard or discounted program rental charge.

• Damage deposit of $500, via a funds authorization hold (freeze) on the account.  

• Secure indoor storage and a place to charge the e-bike and 

• Know how to ride a bicycle safely in urban areas.

Other details:

• Bikes are equipped with location tracking, used only if a bike is reported missing or stolen.

• Participants are responsible for the safety of the bike during the rental period.  Damage other than normal wear and tear will be charged to the deposit.

• A Late fee of $10/day will be assessed for late returns.

• Pickups/Dropoffs made by appointment only between 10am and 4pm at the FRUITVALE BIKE STATION, non-holiday weekdays. (map below)

• Bikes in need of repair during the rental period can be brought to one of 2 convenient repair locations:

  • FRUITVALE BIKE STATION
    3301 E 12th Street Ste 141 at Fruitvale BART Plaza.  View Map

  • UPTOWN BIKE STATION
    1775 Broadway, at 19th St in Uptown Oakland.  View Map

History and funding

This five-year project is funded by a $1,500,000.00 grant from the Clean Mobility Options (CMO) Voucher Program. The project is operated by Bikehub out of the Fruitvale Bike Station at 3301 E 12th Street Suite 141 (Fruitvale BART Plaza).

CMO is part of California Climate Investments (CCI), a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities.

In Fall 2022, community engagement to inform eventual program design was completed. For an in-depth report on community engagement strategy and findings, see our Community Engagement Report(PDF, 3MB).

Addressing long-standing local and regional transportation needs with improved safety, access, and reliability improvements for the movement of people and goods along the Embarcadero West Rail Corridor.

Sign up for email updates

About

The Spring/Summer 2024 Community Engagement Report is now available! Download the report(PDF, 17MB).

Check out the project videos! To help people understand the many components of Embarcadero West Rail Safety and Access Improvements, the project team created videos that show the proposed improvements from different points of view.

Email the project team if you have any comments or questions at mpd@oaklandca.gov.

Background

Oakland's Embarcadero West is a vital transportation corridor in the Bay Area, connecting the Port of Oakland—a global gateway for the Northern California Megaregion—to the rest of the nation. Embarcadero West is a one-mile city street accommodating freight trains, passenger trains, motor vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians with no physical separation between these transportation modes. Approximately 65 trains a day use this corridor operated by Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) and Amtrak/Capitol Corridor. This rail corridor is one of the largest bottlenecks for both UPRR and Amtrak, which see frequent delays from vehicles inadvertently getting stuck on the tracks. Decades of community engagement and planning have resulted in multiple state grant awards that will fund this project through the next phases of engagement, final design, and construction.

Project Scope

Embarcadero West Rail Safety and Access Improvements will improve safety, access to the waterfront, and train reliability for people and goods movement. It will also transform Embarcadero West into a more welcoming and connected corridor that's reflective of the surrounding community. This project also includes installing railroad safety infrastructure that could qualify the area to be designated as a quiet zone. Check out the Community Design Workshop Posters(PDF, 15MB) and the videos showing the design proposals!

The project is currently in early design with the goal of incorporating these proposed improvements:

• Relocate and upgrade eight at-grade crossings gates on Embarcadero West between Market Street and Oak Street, including new railroad and pedestrian crossing arms and equipment immediately adjacent to the railroad tracks. Other improvements to the at-grade crossings include directional signage, pavement delineation, high-visibility crosswalks, bulb-outs, and intersection safety lighting to increase safety and protect freight and passenger rail operations.
• Install fencing between intersections to physically separate trains and all other road users.
• Pursue a quiet zone on Embarcadero West to eliminate routine use of train horns. To establish a quiet zone, railroad safety infrastructure must be installed. In a quiet zone, train horns may still be used in emergency situations or to comply with other Federal regulations or railroad operating rules.
• Install new traffic signals with preemption (as required by UPRR) at the Broadway and Oak Street intersections with 2nd Street.
• Convert the westbound lane (lane closer to downtown) of Embarcadero West to a shared street. Embarcadero West between Jefferson Street and Webster Street would become a shared street, similar to Water Street, and designed to slow vehicle speeds. Traffic diverters (such as concrete islands and/or bollards) would be constructed at each intersection to ensure right-turns only for drivers on Embarcadero West driving west. Creating right-turn only intersections on westbound Embarcadero West will minimize incidents of vehicles on tracks when trains are approaching and of drivers inadvertently traveling off pavement onto the railroad tracks. The shared street design will include space for loading as appropriate.
• Convert the eastbound lane (lane closer to the waterfront) to a bicycle and pedestrian space on Embarcadero West between Clay Street and Webster Street. This side of the street will accommodate emergency vehicles and authorized service vehicles but would be closed for general purpose vehicles. Closing this road to vehicles will also eliminate left turns across the railroad tracks, which reduces the risk of vehicle-train and vehicle-pedestrian collisions. It will also make it easier for drivers to travel straight across Embarcadero West to get to and from the waterfront.
• Construct protected bike lanes to connect major transit stops and the city's network of bike lanes. See proposed bike lanes below and map on page 17 of the workshop posters(PDF, 15MB).
  1. Two-way protected bike lanes on 2nd Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Clay Street and on Clay Street between 2nd Street and Embarcadero West.
  2. Two-way separated bike lanes on existing eastbound Embarcadero West between Clay Street and Webster Street.
  3. Two-way protected bike lanes on Embarcadero West between Clay Street and Oak Street and on Oak Street between Embarcadero West and 3rd Street.
• Replace parking on Clay Street between Embarcadero West and 2nd Street and Embarcadero West between MLK Jr Way and Clay Street with wider sidewalks and protected bike lanes.
• Redevelopment of the overweight vehicle corridor between Middle Harbor Road to Market Street to accommodate permitted trucks between 80,000 – 95,000 pounds. This will restore direct overweight truck access to the overweight truck corridor and eliminate the current overweight truck corridor reroute on 7th Street through West Oakland.
• Study the feasibility of future grade-separated crossings over Embarcadero West on streets between Adeline Street and Clay Street.

Embarcadero West Rail Safety and Access Improvements will also upgrade blocks perpendicular to the rail corridor between Embarcadero West and 2nd Street on Martin Luther King, Jr. Way to Oak Street and on Market Street between Embarcadero West and 3rd Street. These upgrades will include improvements to street lighting, multi-modal safety, intersection safety, and accessibility.

This project is funded by:

• California Assembly Bill 128
• Regional Measure 3 (RM3)
• The Trade Corridor Enhancement Program (TCEP)

Past Engagement and Outcomes

• 2019 Oakland Bike Plan
  This Plan proposes a Class 1 bike path on Embarcadero West between Brush Street and Clay Street. See interactive Existing and Proposed Bikeways map.
• 2019 Downtown Oakland Specific Plan (DOSP)
  This plan proposed a rail safety project on Embarcadero West between Market Street and Oak Street that would install crossing treatments and fencing at each intersection and transform Embarcadero West into a "quiet zone" and an enhanced pedestrian corridor (which would provide a safer connection between Howard Terminal to Jack London).
• Draft Howard Terminal Transportation Plan
  Building upon prior planning efforts, the public was engaged in the conceptual development of the projects in 2019 and 2020 through "on the ground" surveys that reached hundreds of Oaklanders in high priority neighborhoods adjacent to the waterfront, a series of community workshops, and stakeholder meetings as summarized here:
  • In-person engagement included surveys, community meetings, and stakeholder meetings focused on West Oakland, Jack London Square, and Chinatown. Over 500 surveys were conducted in English, Spanish, and Chinese, and happened on-board buses, at transit hubs, and on high-traffic corridors for a total of over 200 hours on the ground. In addition to in-person surveys, online surveys were also advertised to Oaklanders with a specific focus on the 94607 zip code (including West Oakland, Old Oakland, Chinatown, and Jack London Square). The people who took the surveys, according to the demographic questions, were representative of the City's demographics.
  • Four community meetings with about 30 attendees each were held in the neighborhoods of focus, including West Oakland, Jack London Square, Chinatown, and a maritime stakeholder-specific workshop.
  • Ten key stakeholder meetings were held with leaders of each community where projects are proposed to be implemented, and with transportation advocates.
  • Staff made multiple presentations to the Bicyclist and Pedestrian Advisory Commission.
• Final and Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Waterfront Ballpark District
  As a result of the comments received on the Draft EIR, the Embarcadero West Rail Safety and Access Improvements become a larger set of recommended improvements in the Final EIR.
• 2024 engagement for 35% designs of Embarcadero West:
  • Sunday, June 23: Pop-Up at Jack London Square Farmer's Market
  • Tuesday, June 25: Jack London Neighborhood Council Meeting
  • Sunday, June 30: Pop-Up at Jack London Square Farmer's Market
  • Friday, July 12: Pop-Up at Port Harbor Tour: Embarcadero West Rail Safety and Access Improvements
  • Wednesday, July 17: Community Design Workshop: Embarcadero West Rail Safety and Access
  • Saturday, July 20: Pop-Up at StaceyFest
  • Saturday, July 20: Pop-Up at Pedal Brew Fest
  • Saturday, August 3: Pop-Up at Jack London Brewing District Block Party: Embarcadero West Rail Safety and Access Improvements
  • Tuesday, August 6: Pop-Up at Jack London National Night Out
  • Tuesday, August 6: Pop-Up at West Oakland National Night Out

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Embarcadero West Rail Safety and Access Improvements

Page Last Updated: November 6, 2024

The Estuary Park Renovation and Expansion Project is an exciting opportunity for the community to reshape a portion of Oakland’s Waterfront into a great destination for residents, pedestrians, bicyclists, boaters, tourists, and others throughout the region. #OaklandEstuaryPark

About

Originating as part of the Estuary Policy Plan, the project is part of a larger regional effort by the City of Oakland to create a distinctive waterfront that improves and sustains the quality of city life socially and ecologically. The project is aligned with other regional improvements included in the Lake Merritt Master Plan and the Central Estuary Plan with funding for the Design Phase provided by the Oakland Trust for Clean Water and Safe Parks (Measure DD). The Measure DD Community Coalition is a stakeholder for the project.

Estuary Park is located along the Oakland Estuary south of Jack London Square at the mouth of the Lake Merritt Channel. The existing park incorporates the Jack London Aquatic Center, youth and adult rowing programs, a multi-use field for soccer and team sports, a public boat launching ramp, and a group picnic area. The old 'Cash and Carry' property will become part of the park, expanding the total park area.

The project will develop detailed design and environmental review for a park renovation and expansion project for the undeveloped areas of the park, generally west and south of the Jack London Aquatic Center. The project will be implemented in phases as funding for implementation becomes available. Initial planning for the project will indicate areas that require additional study and environmental review as part of future project(s). The project began in 2018 with an intensive community engagement process; then went on hold from January 2019 until March of 2021, when the City restarted the project with a new design team, building on the community input received in 2018.

Please contact the City's project manager to be added to the mailing list: creed2@oaklandca.gov.

Community Meeting Schedule

Past Meetings

• Community Workshop #1: October 17, 2018 6-8pm
• Community Workshop #2: December 5, 2018 6-8pm
• Community Workshop #3: January 31, 2019 6-8pm
• Community Workshop #4: October 23, 2021 10am - 1pm

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The Highway Safety Improvement Program, Cycle 9, will install pedestrian safety improvements to the Foothill Boulevard Corridor

About

OakDOT has received funding from the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 9 to make safety improvements along Foothill Blvd between Harrington and Cole Streets. Project work includes installation of bulb-outs; pedestrian median refuge islands; crosswalk enhancements; rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs); speed cushions; signage; and refreshed roadway striping. View this Google Map for a summary of improvement locations.

OakDOT staff notified residents of this project in Spring 2022. Staff presented the project to Neighborhood Council 21Y, and will be sending informational mailers to residents once the contract bid is awarded this Summer.

These improvements are consistent with recommendations from OakDOT's 2017 "Oakland Walks!" pedestrian plan, and were presented to the City's Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Infrastructure Subcommittee on Oct. 1, 2020.

Improvements include, Foothill Boulevard at:

• Harrington Avenue - Median refuge island
• 45th Avenue - RRFB
• 46th Avenue - RRFB
• 50th Avenue - Bulb-outs on West crosswalk
• 51st Avenue - Bulb-outs on West crosswalk
• Congress Avenue - Median refuge island
• Cole Street - Bulb-outs at NW, NE, and SW corners

This project will make improvements on Franklin Street from 11th Street to Broadway, and 22nd Street from Broadway to Telegraph, to slow traffic and add a two-way separated bike lane to create a connected grid of slow calm streets for people walking and biking in Downtown Oakland.

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About

Project update June 2024: OakDOT submitted an application to the Active Transportation Program (ATP) for $17M to construct this project which includes a road diet, two-way cycletrack linking several other protected bike lane projects downtown, pedestrian safety improvements, and pedestrian-scale lighting. OakDOT will hear back about this grant application in late 2024/early 2025. Thanks to everyone from the community who contributed to this effort.

Franklin Complete Streets 35% Plans(PDF, 5MB)

Project description

The Franklin Street Complete Streets Project will repurpose one lane of vehicle traffic on Franklin Street from 11th Street to Broadway to narrow this high-speed roadway, calm traffic, install pedestrian safety improvements, and implement the City's 2019 Bicycle Plan recommendation for separated bike lanes on Franklin Street between 11th Street and 22nd Street/Broadway. Importantly, this project will go beyond the Bike Plan recommendation to add two-way bicycle connectivity on this one-way northbound thoroughfare, and will extend this two-way cycletrack down 22nd Street to connect to Telegraph Avenue. Once complete, this project will form a central spine of pedestrian and bicycle connectivity north/south through Downtown Oakland, connecting the protected bike lane/pedestrian corridor projects on Telegraph Avenue, 20th Street, 14th Street, and the TEMPO BRT lanes on 11th and 12th Streets.

Note: OakDOT is working to take advantage of a planned repaving of Franklin Street from 6th Street to Broadway to implement safety improvements along with repaving. Please visit the webpage for the Franklin Street Paving Project, which takes guidance from the Franklin Complete Streets Project design to remove one lane of vehicle traffic on Franklin and install pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements from 11th Street to 22nd/Broadway.

Project background

OakDOT prioritizes roadway safety improvements based on safety needs, coordination with other projects, and geographic location in high-equity priority neighborhoods. With a dense concentration of vehicle collisions on Franklin Street, this street is on the City's High Injury Network (HIN), which represents the 6% of Oakland's streets that account for over 60% of severe and fatal crashes. Repurposing a lane of travel on Franklin will shorten pedestrian crossing distances, slow vehicle speeds, and allow less opportunity for reckless driving/speeding. These improvements will target aggressive speeding, which led to vehicles crashing into Wise Sons Deli (Franklin and 17th Streets) two times in 2023 and 2022.

This project bisects two of Oakland's Highest Equity Priority Census Tracts per the City's Geographic Equity Toolbox, which takes several demographic factors into account to target investment in the highest-need neighborhoods in the City. This project will connect to several ongoing projects including the 14th Street Safety Project and the 19th Street BART to Lake Merritt Urban Greenway Project (on 20th Street), and the Telegraph Avenue KONO Corridor Project. These connections will form a complete grid of slow, calm streets in Downtown Oakland that are prioritized for people walking, biking, and taking transit. This grid of connected streets will allow residents of these equity priority neighborhoods to travel safely to, from, and around Downtown Oakland.

A protected bike lane and pedestrian safety project on Fruitvale Avenue between E12th St and Alameda Ave.

About

UPDATE JULY 2025

Construction is largely complete but, due to difficulties in obtaining the necessary permits from Union Pacific Railroad, is expected to continue intermittently through mid-2026. Please exercise caution while traveling through this area, particularly along the southbound side of Fruitvale, from E 10th Street to E 7th Street.  

For construction-related inquiries, please email the Resident Engineer for the project, Eric Arico, at earico@oaklandca.gov.

Fruitvale Alive! Background

Fruitvale Avenue between E12th Street and Alameda Ave is a critical gap in the City of Oakland's bikeway network. This stretch of roadway connects commuters and residents of Jingletown and the City of Alameda with the services, amenities, and high-quality public transit available around the Fruitvale BART Station. Home to numerous railroad crossings, the I880 underpass, and wide lanes that encourage high vehicle speeds, this corridor was the focus of a community planning and design effort from 2014 to 2016 where the City held multiple public meetings in the Fruitvale neighborhood. Following this outreach and design process, the City successfully applied for a California Active Transportation Program (ATP) grant for construction funding. This project will install the following elements on Fruitvale Avenue to improve safety and access for people using all modes of travel on Fruitvale - with a particular emphasis on people biking, walking, and taking the bus:

• Widen the sidewalks by 5 to 7 feet on each side of Fruitvale Avenue
• Install a sidewalk-level protected bike lane on the corridor connecting the Fruitvale Avenue Bridge to E12th Street and the Fruitvale BART Station
• Create a new connection to a new segment of the SF Bay Trail through Jingletown
• Close two "slip lanes" at the south side of intersection of Fruitvale and E12th (locations where cars make fast turns) and convert them into pedestrian and bicycle space
• Install pedestrian bulb-outs where feasible to reduce the crossing distance for people walking
• Install new landscaping and greenery to beautify the corridor and improve air quality
• Install new pedestrian-oriented sidewalk lighting along the corridor  

The City is engaged in detailed design for the Grand Avenue Project, with Final Designs expected in early 2026

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About

Project Update September 2025:

OakDOT has received Final Concept Design plans for the Grand Avenue Project!  These plan drawings, also called "35% Design Plans" are available via link to the right.  This is an important design milestone as it is the last chance to make geometric changes to the plans before the project moves into Detailed Design.  OakDOT will be showcasing these plans to the Grand Avenue community throughout the Fall of 2025 to answer questions about the proposed designs and take targeted feedback on specific design elements.  

Fulfilling Oakland’s commitment to voters who ratified Measure U in 2022, this Paving Coordination project is working to expediently improve roadway safety with our bond dollars. Paving projects can make major changes to improve safety like restriping the roadway to realign lanes and installing concrete elements including bikeway separation islands, pedestrian safety islands, and bus boarding islands. It is not feasible for paving projects to perform traffic signal modifications, change drainage infrastructure, or make other major alterations that require complex civil engineering design (for instance widening sidewalks or altering the grade of the roadway). By following these guidelines, OakDOT is seeking to reduce the project delivery timeline to 2-3 years for major streetscape improvements, compared to 8 to 15 years for a typical major capital project.  

The 35% plans for this project include the following elements which will improve safety and access for all roadway users through the heart of some of Oakland’s most active commercial and residential corridors:

• 2.2 lane-miles of fully physically separated curbside bike lanes, separated from moving traffic by concrete islands, concrete wheel stops, and parked cars
• Two segments of two-way bike path (Bay Place to Bellevue Ave West, and Bellevue Ave East to El Embarcadero) which, in coordination with other OakDOT projects, move forward the vision of a complete two-way bike path around Lake Merritt
• 13 new pedestrian refuge islands to facilitate safe pedestrian crossings to bus stops, Lakeside Park, residential neighborhoods, and commercial destinations
• 10 new bus boarding islands with new bus canopies and benches to provide safe, accessible spaces for transit patrons and to improve bus reliability and speeds
• Other traffic-calming and roadway safety improvements including lane reductions, lane narrowing, sightline improvements, loading zones to decrease double-parking, and more – all targeted at slowing traffic and creating calm streets around Lake Merritt and commercial corridors
• Redesigned intersections, including extensive pedestrian safety improvements at the intersection of Grand Ave/Santa Clara/Lake Park which will reduce the size of that central Grand Lake intersection and improve safety for people connecting to the Grand Lake District
• Improved ADA-accessible curb ramps at all intersections along the project (17 intersections, approximately 68 improved curb ramps). 

Please note that these plans are still subject to change based on comments from internal and external stakeholders.  

Project Update July 2025:

OakDOT is engaged in design work for the Grand Avenue corridor from Broadway to Mandana Blvd.  This project will remove one lane of westbound vehicle travel on Grand Avenue between El Embarcadero and Bay Place.  This project will install physically-separated bike lanes on Grand Avenue between Webster Street and Santa Clara Avenue/Lake Park Avenue - 2.2 one-way lane miles of new fully separated bike lanes connected East Oakland and Downtown!  This project will also install pedestrian refuge islands, bus boarding islands, and other roadway features to calm vehicle traffic and provide safer crossings for pedestrians.  See below for a list of outreach events conducted in Spring 2025 and upcoming design activities.  OakDOT is expected 35% plans for the project in early August 2025 and will email those out to our email list and conduct stakeholder outreach with businesses and resident groups on Grand to continue to refine the project plans.  

2025 Outreach and Design Timeline. (Please join our mailing list via the yellow button above!):

• March 20:  City of Oakland Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission Presentation
• April 2, 2025:  Presentation to the Grand Avenue Business Association
• April 26, 2025:  Grand Lake Farmer's Market tabling event
• May 12, 2025:  Presentation to Adams Point Neighbors
• May 21, 2025:  Presentation to Grand Lake Neighbors
• June 4, 2025:  Presentation to Grand Avenue Business Assoc.
• July 16, 2025:  35% Plans Presentation to Grand Lake Neighbors
• September 8, 2025:  Presentation to Adams Point Neighbors
• September 17, 2025:  Presentation to Grand Lake Neighbors
• Summer/Fall 2025:  35% Plan outreach to community stakeholders and local businesses
• November 2025:  65% Plans
• ~February 2026:  100% Plans

Project update (November 2024): OakDOT has entered into a contract with Wood Rodgers, Inc, an engineering design consultant who will be taking the design of the Grand Avenue Complete Streets Paving Project through to 100% design and construction. OakDOT is very excited to restart public engagement and design on this project, building off the previous work done from 2022 through early 2024. The first phase of work will be traffic data collection and a road diet analysis to study the potential of reducing vehicle travel lanes on Grand Avenue to accommodate safety improvements for all roadway users. OakDOT will conduct a public outreach process in early 2025 to work with the community to come to a final decision related to the future roadway configuration of the three main segments of the Grand Avenue Project: Uptown (Broadway to Harrison), Adams Point (Bay Place to MacArthur), and the Grand Lake Business District (Santa Clara to Mandana). If you have not already done so, please sign up for email updates for the project via the green button at the top of this page to stay in the loop on this project.

Project Background

Grand Avenue from Broadway to MacArthur is set to be repaved by the City of Oakland's Measure U-funded paving program.

Grand Avenue in this neighborhood also acts as a bypass or cut-through route for drivers avoiding traffic on I580, and is on the City's Bicycle and Pedestrian High Injury Network—the 6% of City streets that account for over 60% of severe and fatal collisions. How can OakDOT leverage this paving project to improve safety and access for people walking, biking, and taking the bus?  Project improvements could include:

• Pedestrian crossing improvements (pedestrian refuge islands, new crosswalks, etc.)
• Transit improvements to improve reliability of the bus, building off the recommendations of AC Transit's Grand Ave Rapid Corridors Project
• Protected bike lane treatments to separate people biking from motor vehicle traffic
• Traffic calming to slow vehicle traffic
• Curb management to address loading and operational needs
• Roadway re-striping to reconfigure travel and/or turning lanes

A comprehensive transportation plan to keep existing residents in place, while strategizing an inclusive, safer, and sustainable transportation network for the future. Check out the February 2022 final plan at the green link below!

Read the plan!(PDF, 60MB)

About

Your Grand, Your Vision

The Grand Avenue Mobility Plan is a collaboration between OakDOT, AC Transit, community-based organizations, and Oaklanders along the corridor to conceptualize an implementable plan that will enhance transit service and improve traffic safety on this high injury corridor without impeding goods movement. The corridor study spans from Mandela Parkway to MacArthur Boulevard, including distinct neighborhoods along Grand Avenue. In addition, UC Berkeley students in Research Seminar in Urban Studies partnered with OakDOT to look into the historical racial and social injustices in Oakland neighborhoods along Grand Avenue. Check out the research(PDF, 4MB)!

Goals of the Planning Process

1. Engagement
   • Educate about Project Goals and Timeline - Convey information to stakeholders about the Grand Avenue Mobility Plan in a way that is accessible, meaningful, and linguistically appropriate, including a timeline for the project and milestones at which people can provide feedback.
   • Build Relationships and Shared Language of Goals and Vision - The project process has been amplified by the support of local community-based organizations, stakeholders, and youth. The process aims to build local champions and ensure the plan and identified alternatives have community buy-in and support.
   • Gather Input on the Diverse Needs and Uses of Grand Avenue - The process aims to capture and integrate how residents and other stakeholders use and envision Grand Avenue. The project team aims to seamlessly integrate the engagement process with the technical process to ensure community and stakeholder input is reflected in the final product.
2. Comprehensive Corridor Plan
   • Final Product - After listening and collaborating with community and agency stakeholders, the project team put together a comprehensive plan including data collection/analysis, reflections from the engagement process, corridor concepts, funding opportunities, and an implementation plan.

Community-Based Organization Team

To better reach historically underserved and underrepresented West Oakland community members, we contracted with the three Community-Based Organization Team below to help capture the voices of disadvantaged groups and inform the overall planning process:

• West Oakland Environmental Indicator Project
• Black Film Guild
• East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation

Outreach

The community-based organization and OakDOT team led focus group meetings with historically underserved and underrepresented West Oaklanders, including:

• People with Disabilities
• Seniors
• Transit riders
• Multi-generational West Oakland families and neighbors
• Affordable housing sites
• Businesses

Listen in on focus groups, check out the recordings and notes in the West Oakland Focus Groups Google Drive.

View the Black Film Guild artist contributions.

Staff also attended formal gatherings of neighborhood stakeholders:

• 6/3/2021: NCPC 2x5x
• 5/4/2021: Hoover RAC
• 3/30/2021: West Oakland St. Mary's Seniors focus group meeting
• 3/17/2021: West Oakland, People with Disabilities focus group meeting
• 12/16/2021: West Oakland, Transit riders focus group meeting
• 10/29/2020: The community-based organization team led a West Oakland focused orientation meeting to introduce the effort, how it came about, and discuss the planning process with community stakeholders. Check out the recorded virtual meeting (no need to watch the whole meeting, click the desired time stamp links in the video description). You can also find the presentation at Grand Ave Mobility Plan Orientation Meeting Presentation(PDF, 3MB).

OakDOT and the consultant team launched virtual open houses and other engagement from August 2020 to August 2021 to help gather feedback during the COVID-19 pandemic. The team promoted the online survey and interactive map through flyers, sidewalk stickers, Facebook, Instagram, and NextDoor.

Other Projects in the Area

West Grand Avenue Repaving & Pedestrian Safety Improvement Project
OakDOT is implementing safety improvements on West Grand Avenue between Mandela Parkway and Market Street.

7th Street Connection Project
The 7th Street Connection Project provides a bike connection, pedestrian crossing improvements, transit-only lanes, and street trees along 7th Street between Mandela Parkway and Martin Luther King, Jr. Way. Please visit the 7th Street Connection Project website to learn more information and provide feedback.

MTC Bay Bridge Forward
The Bay Bridge Forward seeks to improve efficiency in crossing the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Please visit the Bay Bridge Forward website to learn more information.

AC Transit Rapid Corridors Project
In response to AC Transit's Major Corridors Study, the Rapid Corridors Project is the first step towards implementing the short-term recommendations on the Telegraph, San Pablo, and West Grand/Grand Avenue corridors. Learn more about the W. Grand and Grand Avenue portion of the project.

Community planning to improve mobility, accessibility, and road safety on Hegenberger Road.

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Questions? Email mpd@oaklandca.gov.

June 2025 Update

In June 2025, Caltrans published awards for its FY 25-26 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant. Unfortunately, the Hegenberger Road Complete Streets Plan application for $700,000 was not selected for funding this cycle. The FY 25-26 grant cycle was particularly competitive. Caltrans received a total of 140 applications with requests totaling approximately $58.3 million, more than double the total available funding of $26.5 million. Of these applications, only 65 were awarded.   

OakDOT will continue to seek funding opportunities for the Hegenberger Road Complete Streets Plan. 

Background

Hegenberger Road is like a freeway. It is a high-speed, eight-lane road that divides residential neighborhoods in East Oakland. Along this 2.5-mile road, nearly one mile is missing sidewalk, and the entire length lacks space for people on bikes. Unfortunately, Hegenberger Road is on Oakland's High Injury Network. Between 2018 and 2022, there have been over 200 crashes and 80% of collision victims were Black or Hispanic. At the same time, Hegenberger Road is one of the few roads that connects people to the estuary and major job centers.

The Hegenberger Road Complete Streets Plan is a transportation-focused planning effort. This Plan will collaborate with communities to establish goals and identify key improvements. The planning effort will result in conceptual designs that will guide future project development.

Plan Objectives

• Partner with community-based organizations from East Oakland to guide the entire planning process.
• Build off prior planning and engagement to identify baseline mobility needs on Hegenberger Road. 
• Engage communities to establish transportation-focused priorities for Hegenberger Road.
• Collect existing conditions data and conduct a racial equity impact analysis.
• Develop up to four design concepts and work with communities to select and refine a final design. This may include near-term and long-term improvements.

Prior Planning and Engagement

As shown in past planning documents, Hegenberger Road is a priority for East Oakland communities. Proposed improvements on Hegenberger Road are identified in plans including: 

• Coliseum Area Specific Plan (2015)
• East Oakland Neighborhood Initiative (2021), and
• Power the People Project (2023)

These plans include several recommendations for how Hegenberger Road should change. They include improved pedestrian safety and accessibility along and across the corridor. They also include new bike network connections and calmer vehicle speeds. Improved access to transit and key destinations as well as improved bus stop conditions were also identified. 

Page last updated: July 30, 2025

About

The Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center opened in 1914. The building is an Oakland-designated historic landmark and has been rated "A" (Highest Importance) by the Oakland Cultural Survey. The building is located between Lake Merritt Boulevard and 1Oth Street, just west of the Lake Merritt Channel and immediately east of the Oakland Museum of California. The building address is 10 10th Street.

In 2005, the City Council voted to close the building when the City's operating costs became too expensive to sustain. The building remains closed and is in increasing disrepair. On September 22, 2014, the City issued a Request for Proposals ("RFP") from real estate development teams to rehabilitate, adaptively reuse and operate the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center under a long-term lease with the City. The City is not selling the property. The RFP requested creative adaptive reuse proposals for the building and outlined several key goals and requirements for the project. Most broadly, the RFP called for the developer to raise the funds necessary to bring the building, including the Calvin Simmons Theater, back to life and to be responsible for the tenanting and ongoing operations of the building.

On July 21, 2015, the City Council authorized an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement with Orton Development, Inc. Orton proposes to rehabilitate and adaptively reuse the building as a performing arts venue and commercial space. Orton will ensure that the Property will be registered as a National Historic Landmark and rehabilitated in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation (the "Standards").

For more information, please contact Jens Hillmer at jhillmer@oaklandca.gov or (510) 238-3317.

Imagining a safer and more connected High Street with a planned repaving project

About

Project Update Summer 2025

After receiving an encroachment permit from Caltrans for the remaining work on High Street (pedestrian safety islands and roadway repaving between Suter Street and MacArthur Blvd), OakDOT is working to finalize contracting and project delivery planning to complete the remaining project elements.  OakDOT expects to construct these remaining project elements by the end of 2025.  

Project Update Summer 2023
Construction of pedestrian refuge islands, median islands, and speed cushions on High Street between Suter Street and Foothill Blvd began in Summer 2023 was completed in Fall 2023.  

Project update August 2022
OakDOT has released the 95% plans for construction of traffic calming improvements and pedestrian safety improvements to accompany the planned repaving of High Street in 2023. OakDOT engaged residents in Spring 2021 regarding their safety priorities for the street, and staff heard consensus from the community that a bicycle lane between Foothill Boulevard and I-580 is not appropriate at this time. Steep grades, lack of space for physical protection of a bike lane, and speeding drivers were the primary factors in not moving forward with the Bike Plan recommendations for this segment of High Street. OakDOT has since been working to update the design of High Street to slow the speed of vehicles, remove the ability to speed/perform unsafe passing maneuvers in the center turning lane, provide ADA accessible bus stops, and provide pedestrian safety islands at crosswalks where feasible. The updated plan for High Street is illustrated in the Updated Traffic Calming Plan(PDF, 74MB) link at the bottom of this page.

High Street is a major east-west corridor that connects the Laurel District, Maxwell Park, and Allendale to International and Foothill Boulevards. In the last 5 years, there were 225 vehicle collisions on High Street between Foothill Boulevard and Tomkins Avenue. 37 of these involved a pedestrian crossing the street, and speeding is the primary cause of collisions on High St.

The roadway is also set to be repaved in 2023 between Foothill Blvd and Tompkins St. Repaving offers a rare opportunity to reimagine this roadway to better respond to the needs of people walking, biking, and taking transit while maintaining the same access and space for people driving. In early 2021, OakDOT asked the High Street community about their issues, preferences, and input on potential safety improvements for High Street. OakDOT sent out 6,500 postcards to the High Street neighborhood, reviewed over 750 survey responses, presented at the Neighborhood Council meetings for the Laurel, Allendale, Melrose/Fairfax, and Maxwell Park neighborhoods, and at the Mayor's Council on Persons with Disabilities. In April 2021, OakDOT staff also walked the corridor to engage with business owners on the issues that they see on the street.

A key question that OakDOT asked the community is whether now is the time to build bike lanes on High Street. Bike lanes were called out as a long-term "vision" improvement for High Street by the 2019 Let's Bike Oakland Bike Plan. Based on extensive feedback from the community on perceived safety issues related to a bike lane on High Street, and following an internal review of the complexities of designing a truly protected bike facility on High Street, OakDOT recommends NOT installing bike lanes on High Street at this time. We did receive an overwhelming vote of community support for measures to slow traffic on High Street, to promote pedestrian visibility and safety while crossing the street, and address localized traffic safety issues.

Proposed Traffic Calming measures include (to be installed with Paving in 2023):

• Speed cushions between Foothill Boulevard and Brookdale Avenue
• Median pedestrian refuge islands at crosswalk locations
• Mid-block concrete islands in the center turning lane to prohibit use of this lane for passing or speeding
• Upgrading curb ramps where necessary to comply with ADA guidelines
• Refreshing roadway striping and painting new high-visibility crosswalks
• Moving AC Transit stops and installing new sidewalk at wheelchair ramp/loading areas to improve transit operations
• Reviewing design options to reduce High Street to one lane around Brookdale Avenue

Crossing improvements funded by HSIP grant - Construction complete in January 2022:

• San Leandro Street & High Street
• Bancroft Avenue & High Street
• Bond Street & High Street
• Carrington Street & High Street (Rapid Flashing Beacon)
• San Carlos Street & High Street (Rapid Flashing Beacon)
• Brookdale Avenue & High Street
• Fleming Avenue & High Street (Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon)
• Penniman Avenue & High Street (Rapid Flashing Beacon)
• Suter Street & High Street (Rapid Flashing Beacon + New Crosswalk)

The City of Oakland is engaging the community to get input on transportation priorities and proposed improvements related to Howard Terminal. Workshop boards are available in English, Spanish and Chinese below.

About

The OakPark+ Demand Responsive Parking Program aims to improve curbside parking availability and access to Oakland's business areas through variable pricing according to demand.

OakDOT staff have studied curbside parking demand in Jack London and will develop a rate proposal that reflects the demand for curbside parking spaces. The demand-responsive rate proposal will include Value Zones and Premium Zones, similar to areas in Oakland where the program has been implemented, including Chinatown and Montclair.

Blocks with less curbside parking demand will be priced as Value Zones. They will have lower prices to encourage parking there. Blocks with high demand will be priced as Premium Zones. Prices will be higher here to encourage more turnover and free up more parking spaces. The lowest meter price will be set to promote parking availability near your favorite destinations in Jack London.

When the study is complete, a map of zones and rates will be available to view and download at the bottom of this page.

When implemented, new parking signs will be installed to clearly show which blocks are in the Value and Premium Zones.

Through community engagement, OakDOT has heard concerns about the availability and safety of curbside parking. These issues impact the safety and vibrancy of Jack London. Limited parking availability makes it more difficult for visitors to access businesses and encourages drivers to double park or misuse loading zones.

OakDOT staff will evaluate the program after the meter rates are adjusted to understand if parking availability has improved.

The Lake Merritt BART Bikeways Project installed high-quality bikeways serving Lake Merritt BART in early 2017.

About

The Lake Merritt BART Bikeways Project installed high-quality bikeways serving Lake Merritt BART in early 2017. Most of the streets were also paved. The project striped buffered bike lanes on the one-way streets that serve the station from the north, south, east, and west:

1. Madison St (19th St to 2nd St)
2. Oak St (Embarcadero to 14th St)
3. 8th St (Fallon St to Harrison St)
4. 9th St (Harrison St to Fallon St)

The project upgraded all curb ramps in the paving area to current standards. Throughout the project area, travel lanes were removed to create space for the bicycle lanes, resulting in new striping on all streets and improved pedestrian safety at crossings.

Related Segments

Completed:

• 7th St (Fallon St to 5th Ave): bike lanes installed in 2015, part of the detour for the Embarcadero Bridge Replacement Project(PDF, 1MB)
• 10th St (Madison St to the Kaiser Auditorium driveway, and 4th to 5th Aves): bike lanes installed in 2010 (see project mailer(PDF, 968KB) )

Pending:

• 10th St (Kaiser to 4th Ave): bike lanes pending construction as part of the 10th St Bridge Replacement Project, funded by Measure DD: in construction

This project will close the gap in separated bikeways between the Lakeside Dr / Lake Merritt Blvd Complete Streets Paving Project and the Lakeshore Avenue Separated Bike Lanes Project.

The stretch around the lake along 1st Avenue / Lakeshore Avenue between International Boulevard and E 18th Street currently features on-street bike lanes in which bicyclists ride directly next to moving vehicles. Projects on either side of this stretch will significantly increase bicyclist safety and comfort by constructing two-way separated bike lanes. To close the gap between these two projects, OakDOT is designing and building separated bike lanes between the two projects.

This project will include other safety improvements and transit amenities. Project features will include:

• high-visibility crosswalks
• shorter crossing distances (less opportunity for conflict with vehicles)
• new and upgraded curb ramps
• separated bike lanes
• concrete islands in the median
• bus boarding island
• street repaving and repair

CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS

Staff began work on conceptual designs in fall 2025. Final design is expected by early 2026. Construction date TBD.

MORE LAKE MERRITT STREET SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS

OakDOT is undertaking projects around the entire perimeter of Lake Merritt to improve safety for everyone who travels around and visits the Lake and its amenities. Visit the Lake Merritt Street Safety Improvement Projects page to learn more about these efforts.

Update: Parking meter enforcement began on Monday, March 13th, 2023. Pay-by-plate using the Parkmobile app or one of the new kiosks. Meters will be enforced Monday through Saturday, 8AM to 8PM, and Sundays Noon to 8PM. Parking Enforcement has completed testing of systems and is ramping up patrols. A three-month warning period ended June 30, so all vehicles found non-compliant are now subject to citation.

Agenda and Supplemental Reports

About

Thousands of people visit Lake Merritt every weekend when the weather is welcoming. There are often more people seeking to access this public park by car than there are parking spaces available. To maintain equitable community access to these spaces, City efforts have included heavy police presence and closure of major streets and lanes, which have been expensive and may have decreased access to the park for some users.

Parking meters have a proven track record of improving access to parking spaces in high-demand areas. For example, in busy commercial districts, time limits and metering encourage parking turnover - people arriving, staying for a time, and then leaving - so that arriving visitors are more likely to be able to find a space to park. In unmetered areas along Lake Merritt, many vehicles are parked in the morning and left there all day long (or over multiple days), which denies access to people trying to access those spaces later in the day. Lake Merritt is most popular on weekends, therefore the new meters will be enforced seven days a week.

The project map shows the areas around the Lake which are already metered and streets where new meters will be installed to encourage parking turnover.

Frequently Asked Questions

The City of Oakland and partners are working to monitor, understand, and improve Lake Merritt water quality and maintain healthy conditions for fish and wildlife in the Lake. This work is aimed at preventing future fish kills like the one that occurred in August of 2022. This work builds off a legacy of habitat and water quality improvements to the Lake through Measure DD and other City and community efforts.

Lake Merritt Water Quality Management Pilot Project

In response to the 2022 Lake Merritt fish kill, the City of Oakland and partners initiated the Lake Merritt Water Quality Management Pilot Project (Pilot). The Pilot is designed to address excessive algae growth and low dissolved oxygen levels associated with the fish kill.

The first phase of the Pilot is underway and includes: continuous monitoring of dissolved oxygen, and other water quality parameters at Lake Merritt, stakeholder engagement, a review of prior water quality data collected by others at Lake Merritt, and the installation of two devices to increase dissolved oxygen in Lake Merritt. The first of these devices, an aeration fountain, was installed August 15, 2023 near the Pergola by El Embarcadero Avenue and replaces an out-of-service fountain at that location. By mixing air into the water, the fountain will improve dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in the Lake, helping to maintain an oxygenated refuge for aquatic life near the fountain. The design and spray settings on the new fountain maximize benefit to wildlife.

An oxygenation device was installed September 27, 2023 and was fully operational October 16, 2023, in the area near where Glen Echo Creek enters the Lake. This device pumps oxygen into the water from the Lake bottom.

Initial planning and monitoring is funded in part through the City's budget from July 1, 2023- June 30, 2025. Device installation is a project of Oakland's Capital Improvement Program.

The results of the first phase will inform the scope and need for subsequent work. Oakland's Capital Improvement Program lists this work as unfunded under the "Lake Merritt Water Quality Management Plan Development and Implementation - Healthy Lake Initiative." This work will proceed as funding becomes available in future budget cycles and/or through grants.

Success at Lake Merritt will borrow from and inform approaches at other water bodies facing similar threats, threats becoming more common with climate change.

Aeration Fountain installed Aug 15, 2023 at Lake Merritt

2022 Lake Merritt Fish Kill

In August of 2022 parts of San Francisco Bay suffered the effects of a harmful algal bloom (HAB), from an outbreak of Heterosigma akashiwo, an invasive marine algae associated with red tides. Parts of the Bay turned reddish-brown, and in an abundance of caution, public health warnings were issued to avoid contact with toxins that could be released by the algae. Excessive algae in some places depleted oxygen levels in the water too low for fish to breath. The drop in oxygen levels caused massive fish kills along the California coast and in Lake Merritt, where tens of thousands of dead fish washed up on the shoreline.

For more information about the 2022 HAB as well as a 2023 HAB.

Lake Merritt Water Quality Data Dashboard

Click here to see Lake Merritt Water Quality monitoring results.

Partners

The City of Oakland is grateful for the support and assistance of the following organizations:

• The Alameda County Flood Control and Water Conservation District
• The California Department of Fish and Wildlife
• The East Bay Municipal Utility District
• The Lake Merritt Institute
• Laketech
• The Measure DD Community Coalition
• Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation
• The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board
• The San Francisco Estuary Project
• The United States Army Corps of Engineers

Learn more about Lake Merritt, Oakland's jewel, and the nation's first wildlife refuge

• Lake Merritt, the Jewel of Oakland

Fish kill and cleanup August, 2022

OakDOT is calming streets and building safety improvements, including high-quality bikeways, around the entire span of Lake Merritt

E 18th Street to El Embarcadero

For construction-related questions, email Aaron Mao, Resident Engineer: amao@oaklandca.gov

About

Update July 2025:

Construction for the Lakeshore Separated Bike Lanes Project is scheduled to begin on July 21, 2025.  Construction of the project will take approximately 10-12 months to complete.  

Update February 2025:

OakDOT has completed 100% Designs for safety improvements to Lakeshore Avenue from MacArthur Blvd to E18th Street. Please see these 100% plans available for download below. This project will install a completely separated two-way pathway for people biking on Lakeshore Avenue between El Embarcadero and E18th Street, along with traffic-calming and pedestrian safety improvements for this gateway street to the regional recreational destination of Lake Merritt. OakDOT is currently finalizing negotiations with our selected construction contractor and expects construction to begin in Late Spring 2025 with an expected construction duration of 8 months. Based on community feedback, the 100% plans now include the following updates in addition to the two-way bike connection, transit boarding islands, and pedestrian safety islands already proposed in earlier plan sets:

1. Full-width repaving of Lakeshore between El Embarcadero and MacArthur with road diet from 4 to 2 lanes, buffered bike lanes, and intersection striping improvements at MacArthur Blvd.
2. Pedestrian bulbouts and refuge islands at the SW and NW corners of El Embarcadero/Lakeshore to reduce crossing distances across Lakeshore.
3. Concrete median islands to prohibit illegal passing and speeding in the center of the roadway.

If you have any questions about the project plans or construction schedule, please email Charlie Ream, Planning Manager of the project.

Updated: July 31, 2024

Construction of the project is slated to begin in October 2024. Check back here for updates on construction, including phasing and schedule.

The City of Oakland's Department of Transportation (OakDOT) will be constructing a two-way separated bike lane on Lakeshore Avenue from E 18th Street to El Embarcadero. The two-way separated bike lanes will be located on the lake side of Lakeshore Avenue and separated from motor vehicle traffic by a physical barrier. On-street parking along that physical barrier will provide additional separation between bicyclists and drivers. View the existing and proposed cross sections(PDF, 4MB).

OakDOT is leveraging a coordination opportunity with an East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) pipeline replacement project on Lakeshore Avenue scheduled to begin in October 2024. Lakeshore Avenue is included in the City of Oakland's 5-Year Paving Plan and scheduled for paving in Fiscal Year 2027. The funds allocated by the 5-Year Paving Plan, in combination with the EBMUD project coordination, creates an opportunity to coordinate construction of the separated bike lane project following that project, two years earlier than scheduled by the 5-Year Paving Plan.

Community Feedback

Tell OakDOT What You Think

Thank you for joining us at the community meetings and pop-up events below. To provide further feedback, please review project documents below and email us at lakeshore@oaklandca.gov.

Community Meetings

• Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (Infrastructure Subcommittee) - Thu, Mar 7 @ 3 pm
• Cleveland Heights Neighborhood Council 15X - Tue, Mar 12 @ 6 pm
• Measure DD Community Coalition - Mon, Mar 18 @ 7 pm

Pop-Ups by the Lake

• Cleveland Cascade - Wed 4/24 @ 4 pm
• Lake Merritt at E 18th Street - Wed 5/1 @ 4 pm
• The Pergola - Sat 5/4 @ 10 am (Cancelled due to rain)
• Grand Lake Farmers' Market - Sat 5/25 @ 10 am

Building for All Ages & Abilities

The urgency to advance the City's plans for separated bike lanes along Lakeshore Avenue was prompted by a tragic traffic fatality in August 2023. Four-year-old Maia Correia and her father were bicycling on Lakeshore Avenue near Hanover Street when a driver opening their door into the bike lane caused them to crash. Maia suffered a head injury and, in the following days, succumbed to that injury at Children's Hospital.

In immediate response to this tragedy, OakDOT developed and installed signs reminding motorists to "check for bikes" before opening car doors per California Vehicle Code 22517. The new signs along Lakeshore Ave were implemented by OakDOT's Rapid Response Program, which investigates all traffic crashes fatal to pedestrians or bicyclists and seeks near-term design solutions.

"Dooring" poses a serious risk to bicyclists. As drivers and passengers, always check for bicyclists before opening a car door. Get in the habit of opening driver-side doors with your right hand. This will help you look over your left shoulder for oncoming bicyclists. As a bicyclist, always ride outside of the "door zone" - the area next to parked cars into which doors swing open. As a driver, be patient with bicyclists who are riding away from parked cars to stay clear of the door zone. Learn more about how to drive safely and considerately around bicyclists. Watch short videos in English and watch short videos in Spanish that were filmed around Lake Merritt by the League of American Bicyclists.

Improving Bicycling at Lake Merritt

The City of Oakland's 2019 Bicycle Plan proposes separated bike lanes on Lakeshore Avenue along Lake Merritt. The existing bike lanes were built in 2009 along with the reconstruction of the pedestrian path at the water's edge and the construction of a new mixed-use path adjacent to the street. These improvements were envisioned by the Lake Merritt Park Master Plan (2002) and funded by Measure DD (2002), a $198 million bond measure approved by Oakland voters to improve Oakland's parks and water quality. At the time of the Lake Merritt Park Master Plan, the mixed-use path was intended to serve pedestrians and slower-moving bicyclists, with faster cyclists using the on-street bike lanes and pedestrians using the additional path at the water's edge. In the following years, the mixed-use path has become so popular with pedestrians that there is often no space for bicyclists. The proposed separated bike lanes will provide new space for bicyclists, reducing conflicts with drivers in the street and with pedestrians in the park.

Related Projects

• Lakeside Dr/Lake Merritt Blvd Complete Streets Paving Project
• Grand Avenue Complete Streets Paving Project (Broadway to Elwood)
• 2022 5-Year Paving Plan

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Improving bicycle, pedestrian and transit safety and access around Lake Merritt!

About

The Lakeside Drive/Lake Merritt Boulevard Complete Streets Paving Project will coordinate with a planned repaving project to extend the bikeway connection around Lake Merritt from Madison Street/Lakeside Drive to 1st Avenue/International Blvd. This project will also improve pedestrian connections to the regional recreational destination of Lake Merritt and improve bus service to/from Downtown and East Oakland.

Project Goals

• Provide a safe, welcoming place to ride a bike around Lake Merritt from Madison Street to E 12th Street
• Coordinate with AC Transit to provide bus-only lanes for the new Tempo BRT service, where feasible
• Alleviate congestion on the Lake Merritt mixed-use pathway
• Provide two-way bicycle connectivity on the lake side of Lake Merritt Boulevard and Lakeside Drive north of 17th Street for recreational users, and provide one-way bike facility on south side of Lake Merritt Boulevard to connect to bike lanes on 1st Avenue and to planned bike facilities on 14th St
• Leave the freshly-paved roadway better than we found it, with a new roadway plan that encourages recreation and safe travel by all modes

Project Funding

• Estimated Construction Contract Amount: $6.7M
  • $3M in Safe Routes to BART (SR2B)
  • $1M in Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC)
  • Measure KK/U funds as matching funds

Project Schedule

• Late 2020 - Late 2022 - Public Outreach including online survey, online meetings with Neighborhood Councils and local stakeholders, corridor walks with residents.
• TBD (Timing Dependent on Measure U Bond Sale) - Advertise and Award Construction Contract, Start Construction
• February 2028 - Construction Grant Deadline

The intersection of 20th Street, Lakeside Drive, and Harrison Street adjacent to Snow Park was not friendly to pedestrians or park users. The Lake Merritt Master Plan called for this intersection to be reconfigured to calm traffic, create safer pedestrian crossings, add bike lanes, and increase park space. This work was completed in 2019.

The project limits are shown below.

For a PDF of the Project Concept Plan and information, click here(PDF, 7MB).

For more information about the Lake Merritt Master Plan, click here(PDF, 17MB).

Formerly the Seminary Avenue Paving Project, LAMMPS Phase 3 will expand the work of Phases 1 and 2 to connect the residents of Millsmont, Mills Garden, Frick, and Maxwell Park to the Northeastern campus and the Laurel District

Sign up for Project Updates

About

July 2025 Update

The City of Oakland received a $10,033,000 grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s (MTC) Housing Incentive Pool (HIP) program to construct the LAMMPS Phase 2 and 3 Projects.

February 2025 Update

LAMMPS 2 & 3 Being Designed and Constructed Together
In 2023, the City had secured funding to fully design both LAMMPS 2 and LAMMPS 3, but it had not identified construction funding. In August 2024, the Projects were awarded $8.7 million in construction funding from the State's Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Program. While this award doesn't fully fund construction of the LAMMPS Projects, it forms a base of funding that will allow the City to find additional funding to make up the gap.

While the AHSC award moved the LAMMPS Projects closer to implementation, it also committed the City to delivering the two projects together. At the time of this award, OakDOT had completed 35% design plans for Seminary Avenue (LAMMPS 3) and was in the process of bringing on a design consultant to work on detailed designs for LAMMPS 2 on MacArthur Boulevard. Now that the two projects are being built together, the most efficient and successful path forward is to have the same design consultant complete designs for both of the projects together, essentially making them one project. This will ensure the project components align and are constructed as seamlessly as possible.

OakDOT expects to release an RFP for the full design of the combined LAMMPS 2 & 3 Projects in early 2025. Outreach for the MacArthur Boulevard portion will likely resume in early 2026, with construction in 2028 and 2029.

Project Description

The LAMMPS Phase 3 Project will continue the work of connecting East Oakland to Downtown Oakland by connecting Seminary Avenue to the Laurel Access to Mills, Maxwell Park, and Seminary (LAMMPS) Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects, located along MacArthur Boulevard.

The main goals of LAMMPS Phase 3 are to slow traffic, close a gap in the City's bike network, close gaps in the Seminary Avenue sidewalk network, and improve pedestrian safety. The project will include a Class I off-street walking and biking path. This path will connect to the LAMMPS 2 path that will end at MacArthur and Seminary and, by extension, the LAMMPS 1 pathway that exists north of Richards Road on MacArthur. Other improvements to Seminary will include a northbound road diet, three new signalized crossings (pedestrian hybrid beacons), new pedestrian refuge islands, a major redesign to calm traffic at the MacArthur Boulevard intersection, and the construction of new sidewalk segments where gaps currently exist. Once the LAMMPS 2 and 3 project phases are complete, a 1.7 mile off-street recreational path will connect residents in Millsmont, Mills Garden, Frick, and Maxwell Park with the Northeastern campus and the Laurel District. We are very excited to bring this world-class infrastructure to our East Oakland neighborhoods.

Design Work - 35% Design Plans Available

In Summer 2024, the LAMMPS Phase 3 Designs reached the 35% phase(PDF, 23MB). In late 2024, the LAMMPS 2 and LAMMPS 3 Projects were combined. Final design work on LAMMPS 3 will resume when a design consultant is brought on board for the combined LAMMPS 2 and 3 Projects.

5/1/2024 - OakDOT implemented Rapid Response(PDF, 768KB) improvements at Seminary and Outlook in response to the 9/26/23 Fatal Crash. See photos below.

Project Background

LAMMPS Phase 3 originally began as the Seminary Avenue Paving Project in 2023, which proposed improvements along Seminary Avenue from Foothill Blvd to Sunnymere Blvd as part of the City's planned repaving of Seminary in 2025. During outreach for the paving project, it became clear that residents favored a Class I off-street walking and biking path on Seminary Avenue from Camden St to Sunnymere Blvd. This design was more intensive than what a paving project can deliver, so the Seminary Avenue Paving Project was split into two parts in late 2023:

1. LAMMPS Phase 3: Seminary Avenue, from Camden St to Sunnymere Blvd
2. Seminary Avenue Paving Project: Seminary Avenue, from Foothill Blvd to Camden St

Seminary Avenue Paving Project (Foothill to Camden): The lower portion of the original Seminary Avenue Paving Project, from Foothill Boulevard to Camden Street, will still be repaved and receive safety improvements. OakDOT's Paving team will lead this repaving work, scheduled to occur in 2026. Based on feedback from residents during the 2023 outreach, the project will include safety features like new marked crossings, flashing crossing lights, speed cushions, potentially traffic circles, and other traffic calming measures.

Funding

Design of the LAMMPS Phase 3 Project is fully funded.

Construction funding:

July 2025: The City of Oakland received a $10,033,000 grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s (MTC) Housing Incentive Pool (HIP) program to construct the LAMMPS Phase 2 and Phase 3 Projects.

August 2024: The Oakland Department of Transportation secured $8.7 million in construction funding for LAMMPS Phase 2 and Phase 3 from the State's Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Program, as part of the $45 million award to the Residences at Liberation Park, an affordable housing project in East Oakland. By building safe and accessible connections on MacArthur Boulevard and Seminary Avenue, the LAMMPS Projects will connect the areas to the east -- including the Residences at Liberation Park, the adjacent Eastmont Town Center, and surrounding neighborhoods in East Oakland -- to essential services, major employment centers, and other destinations, including Northeastern University, the Laurel Commercial District, and Downtown Oakland. The City is pursuing additional funding to cover the full construction costs of the LAMMPS Phase 2 and 3 Projects.

Summer 2024: OakDOT applied for construction funding from the Federal Safe Streets for All Program. Unfortunately, the project was not awarded funding.

Outreach

Updates are regularly sent to the project email list. Sign up here.

Late 2024 - OakDOT published 35% conceptual designs for the full project corridor.

Early 2024 - OakDOT published 15% conceptual designs for the full project corridor.

2024 Outreach

• Thursday, April 25, 2024: Mills Garden Neighborhood Meeting, 6:00pm-7:30pm, virtual
• Wednesday, March 27, 2024: 29X Millsmont Neighborhood Council Meeting, 6:30pm-8:00pm, virtual
• Wednesday, March 13, 2024: 28X Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council Meeting, 7:00pm-8:30pm, virtual
• Thurs, March 7, 2024: Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission - Infrastructure Committee, 3:30pm-5:00pm, 250 Frank Ogawa Plaza, 4th Floor

Summer 2023 - Bike Survey
the project team sent out a widely distributed survey (now closed) about what sort of bike connection to build between Camden Avenue and Sunnymere Boulevard. Survey results showed that 85% of residents in the surrounding area favored a Class 1 off-street walking and biking path, as opposed to a protected on-street bike lane.

Spring 2023
OakDOT staff began in-person and virtual outreach in Spring 2023 for the Seminary Avenue Paving Project (Sunnymere to Foothill) to learn what residents, business owners, and other stakeholders would like to see improved on Seminary Avenue.

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The City of Oakland is undertaking a project to restore and seismically retrofit the historic Leimert Blvd Bridge.

About

The Leimert Blvd Bridge connects Park Blvd to the Oakmore Neighborhood, spanning Sausal Creek and Dimond Canyon. Originally designed by architect George Posey, the 357-foot open-spandrel arch bridge was the largest of its type on the West Coast at the time of its construction in 1926. This would be eclipsed four years later when the iconic Bixby Bridge on the Big Sur coast opened in 1932. Over the years, the bridge has received several historic designations and recognitions, preserving its status as a treasured historical landmark of the Oakmore Neighborhood.

In 1980, the bridge was designated as eligible for listing on the National Register for Historic Places by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and also designated as a landmark by the City of Oakland Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board (LPAB). In 2004, the Leimert Blvd Bridge was denoted as eligible for the Caltrans Historic Bridge Inventory and is currently eligible for listing on the National Register for Historic Places. After the Loma Prieta earthquake, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) selected the Leimert Blvd Bridge for seismic retrofitting under the statewide Seismic Safety Retrofit program, considering its age, construction, and proximity to the Hayward Fault.

In 1997, a seismic retrofit design was proposed, calling for the circular steel casings to be fitted to the bridge arch columns and bases as well as the removal of the structure's original horizontal concrete braces. However, the plans were ultimately rejected by the SHPO and LPAB during environmental review as it was concluded the proposed project would have a significant impact on the historic status of the bridge. As a result, the City began the effort to create a new retrofit design that would avoid impact to the bridge's landmark status and historic designation.

The City has completed a new retrofit design compliant with the Secretary of Interior's Standards (SOIS) for the Treatment of Historic Properties protocols required to maintain the historic significance and existing appearance of the local landmark. The new design preserves the bridge's original structural members while enhancing its structural capacity through the use of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) wrapping. The revised plans were advertised by the City for construction bidding, and the project was ultimately awarded to Disney Construction Inc.

Construction activities are anticipated to commence in August/September 2023. Equipment will be staged on City property (Dimond Canyon Park) east of Park Blvd at the top of the canyon and north of the bridge. Access to areas under the bridge is anticipated by entering the canyon below the bridge from the staging area at the top of the slopes, and/or equipment would need to be lowered from the bridge structure to the construction work area beneath the bridge. The proposed CFRP wrap does not require demolition. The minimal concrete removal of unsound concrete required at spalled areas is not anticipated to produce significant dust. All clearing, grubbing, and earthwork required by the project will be performed in accordance with construction Best Management Practices (BMP) to provide dust control of any dust from construction.

The City of Oakland wishes to thank Leimert Blvd Bridge users in advance for their patience and cooperation as we work to enhance and strengthen this critical transportation corridor in the Oakmore Neighborhood to better withstand future earthquakes.

Contact Information

Mustafa Humran, P.E.
City Project Manager
mhumran@oaklandca.gov

About

What: Due to hillside soil movement at Lions Pool, the concrete desk around the pool uplifted, causing potential tripping hazards. Renovations were made to stabilize conditions and comply with regulatory requirements.

Date Completed: September 20th, 2019

Cost: $1.69 Million

Funding: Measure KK, Measure HH, and the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax

Join Oakland Public Works and Oakland Parks, Recreation & Youth Development (OPRYD) for the Grand Re-Opening of Lion's Pool Saturday 11/16/19 12pm-2:30pm, at Dimond Park - 3860 Hanly Road.

New features include a new retaining wall, foundation system, concrete deck and improvements to ADA parking and path of travel! View pictures of the Lion's Pool at Dimond Park project.

The project is funded under Measure KK - Oakland's Infrastructure and Affordable Housing Bond. Beliveau Engineering Contractors Inc. is the contractor.

Learn more about pool hours and swim programs.

Paving and street improvements from Lake Merritt to Interstate 580

About

The Lower Park Blvd Project redesigned portions of Park Boulevard, East 18th Street, and 3rd Avenue in the vicinity east of Lake Merritt, in the Merritt, Cleveland Heights, and Ivy Hill neighborhoods. Along with paving, the City modified the roadway configuration to improve traffic safety, access, and mobility for people walking, biking, riding the bus, and driving. The project was part of the Department of Transportation's 2019 3-Year Paving Plan and implemented recommendations in Oakland's Pedestrian Plan (2017) and Bicycle Plan (2019).

The Lower Park Blvd Project was developed as one part of the Park Boulevard Corridor Study (2016-2018), which evaluated potential traffic safety improvements along the entire length of Park Boulevard, from East 18th Street to Mountain Boulevard. Find more information on the outreach/community process in the Park Boulevard Corridor Study page.

Project Design

The project included:

• Paving on Park Blvd (E 18th St-MacArthur Blvd), 3rd Ave (Park Blvd-E 18th St), and slurry seal on E 18th St (Lakeshore Ave-Park Blvd);
• New and/or improved curb ramps;
• Buffered bike lanes;
• Left turn pockets;
• High-visibility crosswalks;
• Raised pedestrian safety islands;
• Corner extensions and islands at select locations;
• Modifications at Park Blvd/5th Ave/Ivy Dr to reduce conflicts; and
• Bicyclist wayfinding signs.

The project reduced the number of travel lanes on Park Blvd (below MacArthur Blvd) and E 18th St (between Park Blvd and Lakeshore Ave), making space for the bike lanes and pedestrian safety islands listed above. These changes are intended to reduce speeding, make it more comfortable to walk and bike along the corridor, and improve traffic safety for all roadway users.

Geographic Context

Lower Park Blvd, E 18th St, and 3rd Ave together form a major transportation corridor for walkers, bicyclists, transit riders, and drivers, connecting Lake Merritt to the Cleveland Heights, Merritt, and Ivy Hill neighborhoods, and providing access to the F.M. Smith Recreation Center and Oakland High School. AC Transit's Line 33 provides bus service on the corridor to downtown Oakland and Montclair.

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Assembly Bill 43, Friedman: Traffic Safety (AB 43) was signed into law in late 2021 by California's Governor. Under AB 43, local governments may, by ordinance, set a prima facie speed limit of 20 mph or 25 mph on streets contiguous to a "business activity district" (a new designation authorized by AB 43).

On December 6, 2022, the City of Oakland passed an ordinance amending Oakland Municipal Code Chapter 10.20 (Speed Limits) establishing 20 MPH and 25 MPH speed limits in Business Activity Districts (BADs), as defined by AB 43 and summarized in this report. AB 43 strikes a balance between allowing greater local flexibility and ensuring that speed adjustments are completed incrementally. [1]

This work is important because traffic safety is a critical issue in Oakland. Every week, two Oaklanders are killed or severely injured in traffic crashes on city streets. These crashes are also highly concentrated - with 60% of severe and fatal crashes occurring on just 6% of Oakland city streets, identified as Oakland's high injury network (HIN). These crashes disproportionately harm people in Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities, people with disabilities, seniors, and low-income communities. Safe Oakland Streets (SOS) is a Citywide initiative to prevent severe and fatal crashes, eliminate injury inequities, and carefully assess and mitigate any equity impacts resulting from safety measures.

Speed limit reductions were prioritized because they have been found to be effective on their own at reducing speeding and preventing severe and fatal injuries. In addition, speed limit lowering can be even more effective when coupled with engineering measures to reduce speeds and increase visibility. OakDOT continues to deliver both short- and long-term traffic safety improvements in Business Activity Districts throughout the city. Speed limit lowering in Business Activity Districts is advancing SOS Policy Strategy 3.4: CAO, DOT, and OPD to advocate for State policy for local speed limit reductions to improve safety and save lives.

Implementation and Prioritization

Fifty-seven (57) corridors totaling 26.5 miles in Oakland were identified through a comprehensive, citywide analysis to identify eligible districts.

OakDOT will begin implementing reduced speed limits for 10 Business Activity Districts by Summer 2023 [2].

Implementation will prioritize eligible corridors on the High Injury Network and in the Highest Priority Equity Areas, starting at the top of the High Injury Network and Geographic Equity list(PDF, 952KB). OakDOT further aims to implement signage in all identified eligible Business Activity Districts as feasible by the end of 2025.

Engagement

OakDOT will work to engage Council Offices, Neighborhood Councils, AC Transit, and Safe Oakland Streets partners as speed limits are lowered and new signage is installed.

Enforcement

To support public notification and respond to concerns related to increased traffic citations in communities of color and low-income communities, AB 43 establishes that a local authority may issue only warning citations for violations exceeding the speed limit by 10 MPH or less for the first 30 days that a lower speed limit is in effect as authorized by this section of this bill.

Footnotes

[1] According to state law, cities are mandated to conduct a traffic and engineering survey to determine a street's speed limit via the 85th percentile method. This method is based on the premise that the speed limit should be set at the speed which the majority (85%) of drivers travel under, as measured by an engineering and traffic survey, rather than a speed that is safe for all road users. This method is counter to safely setting speeds that would reduce the risk of severe injury or death in a crash - in fact, it is known to increase speed limits over time. For the most part, the bill doesn't remove the 85th percentile approach to speed limit setting in California, rather it adds several very specific strategies to help enhance safety while continuing the 85th percentile approach.

[2] Legislative Criteria for Business Activity Districts

Per the AB legislation, Business Activity Districts are defined as that portion of a street and the adjoining property contiguous thereto that includes central or neighborhood downtowns, urban villages, or zoning designations that prioritize commercial land uses at the downtown or neighborhood scale.

These streets must have four or fewer traffic lanes and meet at least three of the following four requirements, inclusive:

1. No less than 50 percent of the adjoining property fronting the highway consists of retail or dining commercial uses, including outdoor dining, that open directly onto sidewalks adjacent to the highway.
2. Parking spaces located alongside the highway (including parallel, diagonal, or perpendicular spaces).
3. Traffic signals or stop signs located at least every 600 feet.
4. Marked crosswalks not controlled by a traffic control device.

Safety improvements coming between 7th Street and 20th Street!

About

The City is redesigning Martin Luther King Jr Way between 7th and 20th Street, with the goal of reducing traffic collisions and speeding thus making the street safer for residents, and more comfortable for pedestrians and bicyclists.

In the Documents section below, find the project feasibility study, appendices, the draft striping plan and design, and a mailer sent to residents.

Project Design Elements

The MLK Jr Way Road Diet will convert the street from two travel lanes in each direction to one travel lane and one buffered bike lane in each direction. New high-visibility crosswalks are proposed at all intersections between 7th Street and 20th Street. On-street parking would not change, except for the possible addition of ADA-accessible parking spaces to comply with current standards. Martin Luther King Jr Way is 56.5 feet in width from curb-to-curb. The project is funded by a grant from the State of California's Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program. This program funds affordable housing projects paired with sustainable transportation projects. This project was funded in conjunction with 50 units of senior affordable housing at 3268 San Pablo Ave.

The Martin Luther King Jr Way Road Diet is a recommendation from the Bicycle Plan. The existing traffic volumes on MLK Jr Way are well below the capacity of the existing four-lane roadway. The excess capacity creates an opportunity to redesign the roadway to improve safety for all users.

The MLK Road Diet will connect with the proposed Martin Luther King Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements.

About

The City of Oakland was awarded a grant from the Alameda County Transportation Commission to implement the MacArthur Smart City Corridor project, which will improve transit speeds and on-time performance of AC Transit buses. This project will extend the existing Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) network with fiber cable to 62 traffic signals along 13 miles of MacArthur Boulevard and adjacent roadways - from east of Lake Merritt to the City of Oakland's border in East Oakland. Improvements will enhance mobility for all modes, including queue jump lanes at select locations and transit signal priority for buses; pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle detection for enhanced signal performance; curb ramps and sidewalks for pedestrian accessibility; and, communications for remote traffic operations, monitoring and signal maintenance.

This project also includes central hub network upgrades at the City Transportation Management Center and other communication hubs, and the development of a TSP performance monitoring interface for Oakland's traffic signal system.

• Phase 1 consists of 10.5 miles of fiber interconnect and 44 signalized intersections along Lakeshore Blvd, E. 18th St, Park Blvd, MacArthur Blvd, Foothill Blvd, and 98th Ave.;
• Phase 2 consists of 2.5 miles of interconnect and 18 signalized intersections along 40th St (from Market St to Broadway) and W. MacArthur Blvd (Market St to Santa Clara St).

Along with upgrades to signals, intersections, and other transportation improvements, there will be changes to AC Transit bus stops along MacArthur Boulevard. Please review the exhibit (PDF) to see if bus stops near you are affected.

This project is led by OakDOT's Traffic Capital Projects team and is being closely coordinated with AC Transit.

The Highway Safety Improvement Program, Cycle 9, will install pedestrian safety improvements to the MacArthur Boulevard Corridor

About

OakDOT has received funding from the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Cycle 9 to make safety improvements along various intersections and mid-block locations on MacArthur Blvd between 69th and 96th Ave. Project work includes installation of bulb-outs; pedestrian median refuge islands; crosswalk enhancements; rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs); speed cushions; signage; and refreshed roadway striping. Access this Google Map for a summary of improvement locations.

OakDOT staff notified residents of this project in Spring 2022. Staff gave presentations to Neighborhood Councils in the project area: 29X, 30Y, and 35X. Staff will send an informational mailer about the project once the contract bid is awarded this Summer.

The improvements made through this project are consistent with recommendations from OakDOT's 2017 "Oakland Walks!" pedestrian plan, and were presented to the City's Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Infrastructure Subcommittee on Oct. 1, 2020.

Improvements include:

• MacArthur Boulevard
  • 69th Avenue - Bulb-out on SE corner
  • 74th Avenue - Bulb-out on SE corner, median refuge island
  • 75th Avenue - Bulb-out on SE corner, median refuge island
  • 76th Avenue - Bulb-out on NW corner, median refuge island
  • 78th Avenue - Bulb-out on NW corner, median refuge island
  • Parker Avenue - RRFB and bulb-outs at each corner
  • Between Ritchie Street and 82nd Avenue - Bulb-outs leading to midblock crosswalk, median refuge island
  • 84th Avenue - RRFB, median refuge island, refresh crosswalk striping
  • Between Alvingroom Court and 88th Avenue - RRFBs, median refuge islands
  • 94th Avenue - RRFB
  • 96th Avenue - Bulb-outs at NW and NE ends of intersection

This project installs a large trash capture device in a storm drainage pipe in West Oakland to reduce water pollution.

About

Oakland Public Works has installed large trash capture devices inside storm drainpipes at two locations: Mandela Parkway in West Oakland and Cary Avenue in East Oakland. The devices capture trash, oil, grease, and other debris from stormwater runoff to prevent these pollutants from entering our waterways. Both project sites were chosen to maximize trash capture from more than 600 acres of land upstream. At least twice annually, Oakland Public Works will maintain the devices, removing and disposing of the material. These projects were funded by the State of California and help Oakland meet trash control requirements established by the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Gallery

Delivering safety improvements through repaving on MLK Jr Way

About

Updates

Winter 2024

OakDOT staff thanks the residents, business owners, and staff at local institutions who contributed to the MLK Jr Way Complete Streets Paving Project. With your help, we've created a concept design that balances key traffic safety improvements with transit, parking, loading, and other access needs. OakDOT's next step will be to move to Final Design, with 65% plans expected in Summer 2024. We anticipate construction in 2026.

The 35% Draft Plans(PDF, 4MB) posted on our page best reflect the project to date, with one key design change outlined below. Due to cost constraints, OakDOT is focusing the available funding for Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (PHBs) on key locations with high pedestrian volumes, at transit stops, or at sensitive nearby land uses. OakDOT will now install PHBs at three intersections, including a new mid-block crossing at 51st Street and two AC Transit bus stop locations:

• 51st Street (currently no crossing available, but high demand pathway used by Hospital staff crossing from staff parking lot)
• Aileen Street (AC Transit bus stop location, 2 blocks from nearest traffic signal)
• 61st Street (AC Transit bus stop location, Senior Housing crossing location, distant from nearest traffic signal)

The project will otherwise reflect the designs shown in the 35% Draft Plans, including protected bike lanes, accessible loading zones at Sojourner Truth locations, and a new mid-block crossing at 51st Street.

We've also received many questions and comments related to how MLK Jr Way will operate following a reduction from 6 to 4 lanes. When considered a Road Diet on an arterial like MLK Jr Way, OakDOT uses a standard Road Diet Feasibility Study Methodology to determine whether it is feasible to remove lanes of traffic from City streets to improve safety and meet the City's Strategic Goals. Please see our Road Diet Feasibility Study(PDF, 6MB), also linked below, for more detailed information on the analysis that the City conducted when planning for this project.

Summer 2023

Updated 35% Draft Plans(PDF, 4MB)

2022

Martin Luther King Jr Way is North-South arterial street connecting South Berkeley to North Oakland. The street between 47th and the City limit at 61st Street serves residential neighborhoods, a variety of businesses, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, and provides a connection for vehicle to access State Highways 24. The street today has 6 to 7 lanes of vehicle traffic with a wide median with elevated BART tracks, and parallel parking on either side of the street. MLK Jr Way is also home to the last uncontrolled (un-signalized) pedestrian crossings of a 6-lane roadway. MLK Jr Way today is a major pedestrian barrier, prone to speeding traffic outside of peak times, and is a representation of past highway-oriented transportation planning decisions that led to negative outcomes for underserved neighborhoods. There were 78 collisions in the last 5 years, including one fatal collision at 60th Street.

OakDOT's Three-Year Paving Plan includes repaving Martin Luther King Jr. Way from 47th Street to 61st Street. In Winter 2022 OakDOT conducted initial public outreach on ideas to transform MLK Jr Way along with this planned repaving effort. OakDOT mailed informational postcards to 2,500 addresses surrounding the project area with a link to a survey on high-level priorities for MLK Jr Way in February 2022 and received 631 responses. The demographics of survey respondents were representative of those in the immediate neighborhood. The majority of respondents supported slowing down traffic on the roadway, installing pedestrian safety measures to facilitate crossing the street, and installing a protected bike lane on the street as recommended by the 2019 Let's Bike Oakland Bike Plan. OakDOT also met individually with business owners along the corridor and presented the project to Neighborhood Council 10Y in March 2022. OakDOT has also been in close coordination with AC Transit and the City of Berkeley regarding coordination opportunities on this project. Notably, the City of Berkeley's Adeline Corridor Specific Plan proposes protected bike lanes on Adeline Street and MLK Jr Way in the City of Berkeley. Protected bike lanes on MLK Jr Way would provide a seamless, low-stress connection for people biking between Berkeley and the newly-installed West Street bike lanes that intersect with MLK Jr Way at 52nd Street.

OakDOT is now presenting a Draft Corridor Plan(PDF, 7MB) based on feedback we received earlier this year from residents, businesses, the City's Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Commission, and Neighborhood Councils 10X and 10Y.

Enhancing connectivity between West Oakland, Old Oakland, Jack London District, and the waterfront.

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About

Background

The MLK Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements aim to improve safety for all road users and promote equity. The project will help to improve connections between West Oakland, Old Oakland, and the Jack London district. 

The project area is also near two parks, historical buildings, and the African American Museum and Library. The project team conducted a Racial Equity Impact Analysis (REIA) on the MLK Jr. Way project. This REIA outlines how history has shaped the project area communities. The REIA describes the existing disparities and how the project addresses these disparities.

Click here to read the MLK Jr. Way Racial Equity Impact Analysis(PDF, 3MB)

Project Scope

The MLK Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements will be constructed on MLK Jr. Way between 2nd Street and 14th Street. This street overlaps with the City's Green Loop(PDF, 643KB). The project improvements include:

• Pedestrian improvements including new lighting, seating, upgraded sidewalk, crosswalks, curb ramps, and bulb-outs.
• A new two-way cycle track on MLK Jr. Way between 2nd Street and 14th Street to provide a safe and comfortable bike route for all ages. The cycle track between 2nd Street and 11th Street will be sidewalk level.
• New street trees to regulate extreme temperatures, sequestering carbon, and mitigate air pollution.
• Fiber cable connectivity to improve signal coordination and enable the expansion of OAK WiFi.
• Upgraded traffic signals, protected left turns, bike signals, and pedestrian countdown heads.

This project is currently in the final design phase.

Past Engagement and Outcomes

Several prior planning efforts have called for improvements on Martin Luther King Jr. Way. As part of these plans, engagement activities included meetings, workshops, surveys, and more. A summary of this previous engagement can be found in the MLK Jr. Way Community Engagement Summary (2015-2022)(PDF, 1MB). These plans include:

• 2017 Pedestrian Plan
• 2019 Bike Plan
• Downtown Oakland Specific Plan
• West Oakland Community Action Plan, and the
• Capital Improvement Program. 

Building on past engagement, the project team conducted additional engagement in Summer 2023. The goal was to ensure that the project scope was in line with current stakeholder needs and to inform the conceptual plans the Martin Luther King Jr. Way Streetscape Engagement Summary (Summer 2023)(PDF, 18MB) to learn more.

During Fall and Winter 2023, the project team conducted additional engagement to refine the project designs. This engagement included presentations, meetings, and an open house event. Learn more about the Community Streetscape Project Open House(PDF, 1MB) or watch a video of the event.

In early 2024, the project team re-engaged stakeholders to learn about preferences for urban design elements. A summary of this engagement can be found here(PDF, 1MB).

FAQs

From Oakland.Plus and Park Oakland, the City's Demand Responsive Parking and Mobility Management Initiative

Download Rate Proposal(PDF, 751KB)

About

The Montclair Demand-Responsive Parking program seeks to improve parking availability by adjusting meter rates according to demand. Meter rates will be adjusted between $0.50 per hour and $4 per hour.

Value Zones have lower parking demand, so rates will go down to encourage parking here. Premium Zones have high parking demand, so rates will go up to free up more parking spaces.

Parking meter rates in Montclair were updated in Fall 2024. See below for table of parking meter rates:

The lowest meter price will be set to ensure parking availability near your favorite destinations in Montclair.

We want to hear from you! Tell us your thoughts about parking in Montclair and learn more about this project at one of our upcoming events.

You can also email us your feedback on how to improve parking in Montclair.

Project History

In August 2014, the City launched the Montclair Flexible Parking District, a pilot program approved by City Council in October 2013. The goal of this initiative was to increase available parking on centrally located streets that are in highest demand and to make finding parking faster and more convenient.

Now part of Park Oakland and OakPark+, parking meter rates will be periodically updated to reflect current demand for on-street parking spaces and improve the parking and mobility experience in Montclair.

Construction for a new Community Center and park improvements at Mosswood Park is underway! The community has been an essential partner in this effort, beginning with a Visioning and Master Plan Phase, to envision the possibilities for the future Community Center and Park.

Check out the Project Design(PDF, 8MB)

About

In November 2016, the Mosswood Performing Arts and Recreation Center, built in 1953, burned to the ground. Temporary facilities were installed to house core center programs, such as after school programs, summer camp, computer lab and cooking classes, until the new Center is built.

The vision for the new Community Center is to create a vibrant destination for civic, cultural, social, educational, and recreational activities. The Community Center will incorporate sustainable design principles and the City's 'Art in Public Places' program. It will be inclusive of a diverse community of users, universally accessible, flexible in use, and thoughtfully designed.

Mosswood Park is an iconic Oakland institution and North Oakland cultural hub. The eleven-acre public park was established in 1910, and is operated by the Oakland Parks, Recreation and Youth Development Department. The park has been the home of pre-famous NBA players and decades of significant cultural events. The Community Center project will be planned and developed through an intensive community engagement process, and the design team and City staff will engage with community stakeholders throughout the design process. The purpose of the initial Visioning, Programming, Park Master Plan and Concept Design Phase was to explore -with the community- the feasibility of options for the Community Center, while preserving and enhancing the overall park experience.

For questions about the new Community Center project, please contact Project Manager, Christine Reed. (contact details below)

For all other inquiries, including questions about Mosswood programs and services, please call the Recreation Center: 510-597-5038. You can also visit the Mosswood Recreation Center page.

Community Meeting Schedule

Past Meetings

• Community Workshop #1 at Mosswood Rec Center, Saturday October 19th 11am - 1pm
• Community Workshop #2 at Mosswood Rec Center, Tuesday November 12 6pm – 8pm
• Community Workshop #3 at Mosswood Rec Center, Saturday November 16 11am-1pm
• Community Workshop #4 at Studio One Arts Center/North Oakland Recreation Center, Saturday January 11, 2020 11am-1pm
• Community Workshop #5 at Studio One Arts Center/North Oakland Recreation Center, Saturday February 1, 2020 11am-1pm
• Community Workshop #6 at Mosswood Rec Center, Saturday March 7, 2020 11am-1pm

Mosswood Recreation Advisory Council (RAC) April 7, 2021 6:30pm -
Community Center Design Presentation

Upcoming Meetings

Project Updates will be shared via the Mosswood Recreation Advisory Council (RAC); meetings are typically held the first Wednesday of the month. Please join the RAC here: https://mosswoodparkrac.org/

We are in the final stages of completing this project. Please see the schedule for the construction of the final three improvements on the bottom of the page.

Contact the Team

About

In May 2020, OakDOT partnered with area residents and the Parker Elementary School community to identify strategies to decrease traffic speeds, reduce cut-through traffic, and create a safer and more inviting environment for the Ney Avenue community. The study area is bounded by 73rd Avenue to the west, 82nd Avenue to the east, Hillmont Drive to the north, and MacArthur Boulevard to the south. Solutions include speed humps, curb extensions, and other physical changes to the street. The plan's recommendations include near-term improvements such as speed humps and longer-term improvements that the City can deliver with paving projects or grant funding.

OakDOT staff are now at work designing traffic calming improvements, and these will be phased in over time. The first element was to repair existing speed humps and build new ones, which was completed in 2022.

What traffic calming treatments can you expect?

OakDOT is working to deliver treatments identified in the traffic calming study that are the most effective at decreasing traffic speeds, reducing cut-through traffic, and creating a safer and more inviting environment for the community. Not all of the recommendations from the study will be implemented as they were presented “as is” without consideration given to neighborhood and site-specific context.  For example, the proposed traffic circle at Ney/76^th will not be included because the diagonal diverter installed at Ney/75^th has significantly reduced the traffic volume on Ney; the proposed circle at Ney/Parker will not be included because the intersection’s limited dimensions prohibit installation; and the proposed pinch point on Ritchie, in concept and in the draft design, will not be included because of its potential adverse effect on school traffic.

What will be built by the committed timeline are:

1. Closure of the concrete median opening on MacArthur at 76^th.  This is being done to prevent drivers from using Ney as a shortcut for MacArthur, turning left onto MacArthur from 76^th.  Construction is scheduled to start on Tue, Oct 21, 2025 and end on Tue, Oct 28, 2025.
2. Reconstruction of the “downhill” corner of Partridge at Ney (similar to the expanded corner that was constructed at Ney/Ritchie).  This is being done to slow down traffic coming downhill on Partridge turning right.  Construction is scheduled to start on Wed, Oct 29, 2025 and end on Fri, Nov 7, 2025.
3. Installation of a permanent, concrete diagonal diverter at Ney/75^th.  This will replace the temporary water barriers that were installed in December 2021.  Construction is scheduled to start on Tue, Nov 11, 2025 and end on Fri, Nov 21, 2025.

Please note that these dates are tentative and subject to weather and unforeseen circumstances that may come up during construction.

Please see conceptual plans below of each treatment.

• Ney Speed Humps(PDF, 10MB)
• Outlook Speed Humps(PDF, 7MB)
• Hillmont Speed Humps(PDF, 9MB)
• Macarthur and 76th Turn Restriction(PDF, 961KB)
• Ney and Partridge Curb Extension(PDF, 3MB)
• 75th and Ney Diverter(PDF, 2MB)

Gallery

From OakPark+, the City's Demand Responsive Parking Initiative

About

The City of Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) is working to make it easier to find parking in Chinatown. OakDOT staff have studied parking demand in Chinatown and have developed two zones that reflect demand for parking spaces: Value and Premium.

In Value Zones, there is lower parking demand and more available spaces. Meter rates have been lowered to encourage parking here. In Premium Zones, parking demand is high. Rates have been increased up to free up spaces. The lowest meter price will be set to promote parking availability near your favorite destinations in Chinatown.

The Pacific Renaissance Plaza Garage is a key part of the Premium Zone. New rates went into effect at the Garage on April 1. The daily maximum rate is $36 on any day.

New bilingual parking signs clearly show which blocks are in the Value and Premium Zones.

• Details on Parking Rates and Zones(PDF, 261KB)

We want to hear from you! Email us your feedback at parklandish@oaklandca.gov and tell us your thoughts on how to improve parking in Chinatown.

The community has voiced concerns around the lack of parking and access to key facilities, double parking and loading challenges, and disabled parking placard misuse. These issues impact the safety and vibrancy of Oakland Chinatown. Limited parking availability makes it more difficult for visitors to access businesses and encourages drivers to double park or misuse loading zones. Chinatown also has a large disabled and senior population with accessibility concerns.

The Chinatown Loading & Parking Pilot project responds to constituent concern around parking and mobility challenges. This project is being conducted as part of OakPark+, the City's Demand Responsive Parking and Mobility Management Initiative.

Please provide feedback on how to improve parking and loading by contacting parklandish@oaklandca.gov.

Past Meetings and Events

• Wednesday, August 29, 2018 from 3-5pm
  Oakland-Alameda Access Project + Downtown Oakland Specific Plan community meeting at Asian Health Services
• Wednesday, September 5, 2018 from 1-4pm
  First Wednesdays with Friends of Madison Park
• Tuesday, September 11, 2018 from 6-7pm
  Chinatown Chamber Board meeting at Chinatown Chamber
• Wednesday, September 12, 2018 from 4-5pm
  Chinatown Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council meeting at Hotel Oakland
• Thursday, September 20, 2018 from 11am-12pm
  Asian Advisory Committee on Crime meeting at Pacific Renaissance Plaza (Suite 109)
• Friday, October 5, 2018 from 5-8pm
  Lincoln Summer Nights at Lincoln Square Park and Recreation Center
• Wednesday, March 20, 2019 from 4-5pm
  Chinatown Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council meeting at Hotel Oakland
• Tuesday, May 14, 2019 from 6-7pm
  Chinatown Chamber Board meeting at Chinatown Chamber
• Friday, June 7, 2018 from 5-8pm
  Lincoln Summer Nights at Lincoln Square Park and Recreation Center
• Saturday, August 24, 2019 from 10am-6pm
  Oakland Chinatown Streetfest at Oakland Chinatown (9th Street between Broadway and Franklin)
• Tuesday, November 12, 2019 from 6-7pm
  Chinatown Chamber Board meeting at Chinatown Chamber
• Thursday, November 21, 2019 from 11am-12pm
  Asian Advisory Committee on Crime meeting at Pacific Renaissance Plaza (Suite 109)
• Wednesday, March 16, 2022 from 12-1pm
  Chinatown Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council meeting at Lincoln Square Park (250 10th St.), Front Patio

About

This RFP is closed.

Project Description

The City, in partnership with Sharks Ice LLC, desires to retain an ice arena refrigeration engineer experienced in design, bidding, construction administrative oversight and construction observation to design and coordinate the replacement of the existing ice system at the Oakland Ice Center, an ice arena owned by the City of Oakland and currently managed by Sharks Ice, to a newer, more efficient system.

The professional engineer will also be tasked with producing a Notice Inviting Bids ("NIB") following the City of Oakland's public bidding process for construction projects and prepare bid packages to select a General Contractor ("GC") to replace the refrigeration system under all City of Oakland guidelines. The professional engineer will then oversee the GC to ensure the desired design results are realized.

Key Dates

• Distribution of RFP: September 28, 2018
• Pre-proposal Meeting (Optional): October 5, 2018, 3:00 pm
• Deadline for Submission of RFP: October 12, 2018, 2:00 pm

Participation

Contractors who wish to participate in the RFP process are required to register in iSupplier. To register with iSupplier, visit Register with iSupplier.

For more information concerning this RFP process, please contact Eric Simundza at esimundza@oaklandca.gov or (510) 238-6249.

The City of Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) is proud to provide pedestrian improvements on 71st Avenue from Snell Street to Hawley Street and on Hawley Street from 71st Avenue to 72nd Avenue. 

About

This is the final phase of the Oakland Intermodal Terminal Coliseum BART Project, implementing the last pieces of pedestrian improvements. The project was split into smaller projects, and has cycled through multiple project names - but is now close to completion! The project uses funds from the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) and Affordable Housing & Sustainable Communities (AHSC) funds.

Project Limits & Scope

71st Ave - Snell St to Hawley St

• Pedestrian scale lighting
• Widen sidewalk (south side of the street)
• Plant trees
• Repaving
• Update curb ramps

Hawley St - 71st Ave to 72nd Ave

• Pedestrian scale lighting
• Repair sidewalk, curb & gutter (west)
• Repaving
• Update curb ramps

The project will connect with other safety and East Oakland Neighborhood Bike Route projects, including the upcoming extension of the East Bay Greenway, and the Neighborhood Bike Route on 69th Ave. This safety improvement will also create a more direct connection to the Coliseum BART station and affordable housing in the neighborhood, as well as connect to the new AC Tempo (East Bay Bus Rapid Transit) on E 14th/International Blvd, with a new BRT station located nearby between 71st Ave and 72nd Ave.

What is the AHSC funding program?

The Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program (AHSC) is administered by the California Department of Housing and Community Development through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF).

AHSC assists key project areas by providing grants and loans to help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and benefit priority communities by increasing access to affordable housing, employment centers, and other key destinations via low-carbon transportation. The idea is that these strategic connections will result in fewer vehicle miles traveled (VMT) through shortened or reduced trip length, or allowing residents to shift their mode from a car (Single Occupancy Vehicle) to be able to use transit, bike, or walk.

The project funding is connected to an AHSC-funded project, Lion's Creek Crossing:

• Lion Creek Crossings is an exemplary model of East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) Healthy Neighborhoods approach. From the beginning, EBALDC has worked with partners to ensure that the community that lived at and around Coliseum Gardens was part of the planning process, including planning for the 5.7-acre park with a restored creek, available services on-site, and structure of the complex (such as the various playgrounds throughout the complex, with a central open space at the park).

This project will evaluate and upgrade the existing Oakland Traffic Management Center for better traffic signal coordination within the City and will install a new server with more computing capability that can run upgraded applications. There will also be a replacement of network switches and installation of security software to assist with system management and maintenance.

This project is funded through an Alameda CTC Comprehensive Investment Plan grant.

About

The City of Oakland's Department of Transportation (OakDOT) is developing a network of Slow Streets to promote sustainable travel at human-powered speeds and to encourage the use of these neighborhood streets as community spaces. This effort builds on Oakland's past work to develop bicycle boulevards (also known as neighborhood bike routes) and lessons learned from neighborhood street closures during the first two years of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sign Up to Receive Updates on Slow Streets & Essential Places

UPDATE: Draft Slow Streets Recommendations comment period closed

The draft Slow Streets network recommendations comment period closed September 12, 2025. Feedback is being analyzed to determine next steps. 

Instructions to view the draft Slow Streets network:

• Click on any segment to view a pop-up window with additional information on that segment.
• Turn on additional reference layers by clicking on the icon of stacked squares (at left) to show the layers list.
• Access the data table for any layer by clicking on the tab with a white chevron at bottom center of the map.
• Each segment has a recommendation with a rationale in the pop-up windows and the data table. Some rationales refer to more lengthy narrative explanations. See these narrative explanations(PDF, 185KB)
• View the data in tabular form(XLS, 156KB).

To see an example of a permanent Slow Street in Oakland, learn more about the 8th Street West Oakland Traffic Calming Project

Frequently Asked Questions

About

This web page is an archive of Oakland's Slow Streets - Essential Places Program during the first two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. It began in April to July 2020 when Oakland's Department of Transportation (OakDOT) closed 21 miles of streets to create neighborhood space for physical and social activity during shelter-in-place. It concluded with the reopening of those streets by February 2022. Learn more about OakDOT's ongoing work on Slow Streets based on lessons learned during the pandemic.

Overview

At the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic from April to July 2020, OakDOT closed 21 miles of neighborhood streets for outdoor physical activity and made pedestrian safety improvements at 15 essential services - health clinics, food distribution hubs, testing sites, and grocery stores. This period is described below as Phase 1. This was followed by Phase 2, a period of evaluation, adjustment, and growing awareness that the pandemic was becoming a multi-year event. In early 2022 OakDOT shifted to Phase 3, removing temporary materials and the street closures in response to the reopening of the economy, the end of shelter-in-place, and an acknowledgement that there would not be a well-defined "end" to the pandemic.

Phase 1 - Implementation of the Pandemic Response

The Slow Streets Program was rolled out over a period of three months in April to July 2020. "Soft closure" barriers were installed on 21 miles of streets throughout the city in support of physical activity with social distancing.

Another component of the program, Essential Places, was rolled out from May to July 2020. This work installed temporary pedestrian safety improvements at 15 locations to support residents' safe access to essential services including grocery stores, food distribution sites, and Covid-19 test sites. Improvements included safety islands, lane closures at uncontrolled crosswalks, automatic walk phases at traffic signals, and signage to raise awareness of pedestrian safety at essential services ("Go Slow - It's Essential").

In the summer and early fall of 2020, OakDOT partnered with local artist Jonathan Brumfield to experiment with the design of street closure barricades and signage. The goal of the experimentation was to imagine design solutions that were aesthetic, durable, and culturally relevant to East Oakland neighborhoods. It was motivated by early indications that Slow Streets were being used less by people of color in Oakland's working-class neighborhoods. The partnership with Jonathan Brumfield was made possible by a grant from Smart Growth America. The project is described in detail in Mae Hanzlik's article "Redesigning Slow Streets to Reflect Community & Culture in East Oakland."

Phase 1 concluded in September 2020 with the publication of the "Oakland Slow Streets Interim Findings Report." The report summarized the program to date and analyzed traffic counts, intercept surveys, social media posts, and numerous online surveys. Notably, the report found that the use of Slow Streets - and participation in Slow Streets outreach - varied significantly by race, class, and geography.

Phase 1 Documentation

• Map of Locations(PDF, 2MB)
• Interactive Map of Locations
• Oakland Slow Streets Interim Findings Report, September 2020(PDF, 23MB)
• Appendices for Oakland Slow Streets Interim Findings Report(PDF, 30MB)
• Press Releases (April to September 2020)(PDF, 3MB)

Phase 2 - Adaptation to Sustain the Program

Beginning in October 2020, OakDOT made location-specific changes in recognition that Slow Streets corridors were not working the same in every neighborhood. More adjustments were made in response to increased traffic in summer 2021 with the California reopening and children returning to school. Simultaneously, the use of Slow Streets decreased with the end of shelter-in-place and with the reopening of parks, schools, and commercial establishments. The two main themes of Phase 2 were adapting to the changing nature of the pandemic and pursuing more durable materials to reduce the staff time required to keep temporary materials in place.

One corridor was evaluated and modified based on feedback from the neighborhood group that OakDOT had partnered with to implement the Slow Street. For other corridors, surveys were sent to every address to solicit feedback on those specific corridors. The resulting modifications included Slow Streets signage and barricades being upgraded to more durable materials and the installation of additional treatments at major cross-streets. OakDOT removed some Slow Streets barricades at specific school locations in response to requests from those schools and to allow for AC Transit to resume its school bus routes.

Slow Streets with Corridor-Wide Modifications

Ney Ave (73rd Ave to 82nd Ave)

November 2020
The Ney Ave Slow Street was installed in partnership with the local neighborhood council to address issues of traffic and interpersonal violence. As a result of ongoing communications with the neighborhood council, the Slow Street on Ney Ave was upgraded to more durable barricades with Slow Street specific signage and flex posts mounted into the street.

Brookdale Ave (Fruitvale Ave to Kingsland Ave)

December 2020
Survey sent to residents. View Brookdale Ave. survey results.

February 2021
As a result of the feedback, OakDOT installed more durable barricades with Slow Street specific signage and flex posts mounted into the street along the Brookdale Ave Slow Street Corridor and made adjustments to reduce conflicts at major cross streets like Fruitvale Ave, 35th Ave, and High St by moving the barricades back from the major street and adding signage on the major streets approaching the Slow Street.

Additional Slow Streets Corridors with Survey Results

Arthur St / Plymouth St (Havenscourt Blvd to 104th Ave)

December 2020
Survey sent to residents, view Arthur St/Plymouth St. survey results. The Arthur St/Plymouth St Slow Street was supported by 58% of respondents and remained in place without modification.

16th St (Wood St to West St)

March 2021
Survey sent to residents, 16th St survey results. The 16th St Slow Street was supported by 65% of respondents and remained in place without modification.

32nd St (Mandela Pkwy to San Pablo Ave)

March 2021
Survey sent to residents, view 32nd St survey results. The 32nd St Slow Street was supported by 60% of respondents and remained in place without modification.

E 16th St (23rd Ave to Fruitvale Ave)

March 2021
Survey sent to residents, view E 16th St survey results. The E 16th St Slow Street was supported by 55% of respondents and remained in place without modification.

Essential Places Upgrades to More Durable Materials

• Bancroft Ave at Avenal Ave: Concrete pedestrian safety island allowing pedestrians to cross one direction of Bancroft Ave at a time; located at a supermarket.
• Fruitvale Ave between International Blvd and Foothill Blvd: Road diet reducing the number of travel lanes pedestrians must negotiate in crossing Fruitvale Ave; located at multiple health clinics and markets.
• 14th St and Market St: Bulbouts to widen sidewalks and shorten crossing distances; located at a school.
• Adeline St at 18th St: Hardened centerlines reducing the speed of turning drivers to support pedestrians crossing both Adeline St and 18th St; located at a branch library and a senior center.
• 18th St west of Adeline St: Hardened centerlines at a mid-block school crosswalk to calm traffic; located at a park and a school.

Phase 3 - Conclusion of the Pandemic Response

In January-February 2022, OakDOT removed all temporary Slow Streets and Essential Places materials, including temporary street closures. This change was prompted by the ongoing nature of the pandemic, the continuing reopening of the economy, and the practical challenges of using temporary materials on a long-term basis. The removal of the temporary materials allowed OakDOT staff to return to their pre-pandemic responsibilities and to consider how lessons learned from the pandemic could inform permanent programs.

Public reaction was strong and mixed. Bicyclist and pedestrian advocates lamented the loss of these streets as active transportation corridors. Residents along the Slow Streets complained about the return of cut-through traffic and higher speeds. People were frustrated by no longer being able to use the streets to socialize with neighbors and let kids play. Other residents welcomed the removal of the barricades that had made it difficult for them to get into and out of their neighborhoods. Residents on nearby parallel streets welcomed the end of traffic being diverted to their streets.

What lessons for city streets did OakDOT staff learn from the upheaval of Covid-19? People want comfortable and safe public places to walk, bike, jog, and socialize. In lower-income communities of color, issues like housing, work, childcare, and public safety were more pressing than using street space to recreate. People broadly care about traffic safety. Motor vehicle use on many streets effectively excludes most other uses from those streets. No one likes cut-through traffic or speeding on their street. In the early and dark months of the pandemic, Slow Streets did bring joy to many people, families, and neighborhoods.

In ending the Slow Streets - Essential Places Program as a pandemic response, OakDOT identified three promising areas for ongoing work:

1. Essential Places: Prioritize pedestrian safety improvements at essential services that our residents, particularly the most vulnerable, rely on. Use quick build and permanent construction methods to implement meaningful, timely, and sustainable safety improvements.
2. Slow Streets: Implement permanent Slow Streets through the City's planning-to-date for Neighborhood Bike Routes(PDF, 4MB) (also known as bike boulevards) and the construction opportunities offered by the Five Year Paving Plan and Capital Improvement Program. Develop a network of Slow Streets that serves pedestrians, bicyclists, and micro-mobility users, and advances these streets as community space. Proactively address nearby residents' concerns for diverted traffic through planning, outreach, and context-sensitive design.
3. Pop-Up Slow Streets: Support neighbors' use of streets as community space by advancing opportunities for temporary street closures initiated and produced by residents. OakDOT envisions "Pop-Up Slow Streets" as block parties that encourage culture change for using neighborhood streets as community space.

Documents for Phase 3

• Oakland Slow Streets - Essential Places Presentation (January 2022)(PDF, 5MB)

Gallery

OakDOT is seeking applications for temporary street murals painted by the community (you) on Oakland's streets.

Paint the Town Guidelines(PDF, 6MB)

About

Oakland residents are invited to engage with neighbors, friends, and community organizations to create murals directly on your neighborhood streets. All levels of experience are welcome! This is an opportunity to beautify your community and enhance interactions with your neighbors. There are no City fees associated with the mural painting process.

• Check out the map to see the Paint the Town locations
• Check out the Paint the Town Slideshow to see photos

Mural Application

Please read the guidelines(PDF, 6MB) before applying to organize painting a street mural and find the application form linked in the guidelines on page 6.

Volunteer Sign Up Form

Don't want to organize your own mural project but want to be involved in painting or helping with mural painting days? Fill out our volunteer sign up form and we'll let you know about upcoming paint the town volunteer opportunities.

In the News

• Oakland DOT's New Mural Program is Street Art—Literally | KQED
• Street art deal: Oakland DOT rolls out beautification program | Hoodline
• Eyes on the Street: First "Paint the Town" Mural Hits the Streets of Oakland | Streets Blog SF
• Oakland's 'Paint the Town!' mural project beautifies, encourages community collaboration | KTVU

An Evaluation of Pedestrian, Bicycle and School Safety

About

The City of Oakland's Department of Transportation (OakDOT) undertook the Park Blvd Corridor Study to gather input from neighbors, students, merchants, and other stakeholders for improving safety along the length of Park Blvd. The study began in summer 2016 and concluded in spring 2018. This page includes information on the status of projects that were considered by the study and provides documentation on the completed study.

Completed Projects

Lower Park Blvd from E 18th St to MacArthur Blvd was redesigned, implementing a road diet with pedestrian crossing improvements, geometric improvements at intersections, and buffered bike lanes. The project was completed in 2022 in coordination with a paving project. See the Lower Park Blvd from E 18th St to MacArthur Blvd Project web page for details. The staff contact is:

Jason Patton
Bicycle & Pedestrian Program Supervisor
jpatton@oaklandca.gov
510-238-7049

Active Projects

Middle Park Blvd is planned for major school safety improvements at the intersections of Park Blvd / Excelsior Ave / Grosvenor Pl / Alma Pl and at Park Blvd / E 38th St / 13th Ave / Park Blvd Way / Greenwood Ave. See the Crossing to Safety Project page for details. The work is made possible by a $1.89 million grant from the State's Active Transportation Program that was awarded to OakDOT in September 2017. The staff contact is:

Joe Wang
Supervising Traffic Engineer
jwang@oaklandca.gov
510-238-6107

In response to a pedestrian fatality in May of 2021, OakDOT activated our Rapid Response protocol to determine if simple treatments can be implemented quickly to improve safety. A Rapid Response is initiated when a traffic collision results in either a severe injury or fatality and involves either a pedestrian or bicyclist. As a result of the Rapid Response, OakDOT installed temporary lane drops on Park Blvd near E 38th St, where a travel lane is removed in each direction on Park Blvd to slow down traffic and to reduce exposure for pedestrians crossing the street. When the aforementioned Crossing to Safety Project, which includes the reconfiguration and installation of a new traffic signal at Park Blvd & 13th Ave, is completed, the original roadway configuration will be restored. The reconfiguration and the new signal are intended to protect pedestrians by reinforcing right-of-way, shortening crossing distances, and reducing traffic speeds. Because the new traffic signal will inherently reduce the throughput capacity on Park Blvd, maintaining the current lane configuration is necessary to avoid further reduction in capacity.

See the design of the lane drop(PDF, 490KB) and a photo of the temporary lane drop installation(JPG, 968KB).

To expand on the initial Rapid Response above, which was installed in July 2021, OakDOT will be installing two additional lane drops that transition Park Blvd from two travel lanes per direction to one between Dolores Ave and Wellington St in the upper segment and between Brighton Ave and Greenwood Ave in the lower segment. The result will be one travel lane per direction on Park Blvd at its intersections with Dolores, Everett, El Centro, and Beaumont Avenues where there is a concentration of pedestrian crossings. The upper segment was installed in Summer of 2022, and the lower segment is planned to be installed at the end of the Crossing to Safety project in December of 2023. View the draft design of the lane drops(PDF, 1MB).

Inactive Projects

For Middle Park Blvd, the Park Blvd Corridor Study identified the following three alternatives. There is not stakeholder agreement on a preferred alternative. Funding has not been identified for additional community outreach to reach agreement, nor is funding available for implementing the improvements.

• Pedestrian crossings with rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) plus sidewalk extensions at select locations to channelize drivers, reduce vehicle speeds, and shorten crossing distances.
• Installation of new traffic signals (approximately five) to regulate drivers' speeds and create new protected crossings for pedestrians. This alternative would include the possible elimination of uncontrolled crosswalks.
• Conversion of Middle Park Blvd to one travel lane per direction. This alternative would consolidate side street access at traffic signals (including approximately three new signals). The remaining uncontrolled intersections would be limited to right turns only into and out of the side streets. In this alternative, the uncontrolled pedestrian crossings of Park Blvd would be more likely to remain than if the traffic signals were installed without the conversion of travel lanes.

The staff contact is:

Joe Wang
Supervising Traffic Engineer
jwang@oaklandca.gov
510-238-6107

On Upper Park Blvd, for some years the City has had a concept for building a pedestrian/bicyclist path where currently there is a dirt shoulder. Significant work would be needed to stabilize the roadway's shoulder in order to support a path along the canyon's edge. The project is inactive at this time.

The staff contact is:

Jason Patton
Bicycle & Pedestrian Program Supervisor
jpatton@oaklandca.gov
510-238-7049

Additional Information on the Park Blvd Corridor Study

In fall 2016, OakDOT began the study process by listening to community concerns, gathering input, and promoting dialogue. A key component of the community outreach was to address some confusion amongst stakeholders regarding whether the City was proposing a "road diet" on Park Blvd and, if so, on which of the three segments a road diet would be implemented. The process was also initiated to reach a broader cross section of stakeholders, including residents of the Trestle Glen neighborhood who have expressed concerns regarding changes to Park Blvd potentially diverting drivers into their neighborhood.

Community Outreach

Outreach included the following community meetings and presentations:

• 11/16/16: Large format community meeting at the Park Boulevard Presbyterian Church
• 11/17/16: Large format community meeting at the F M Smith Recreation Center
• 12/15/16: Public meeting at the City's Bicyclist & Pedestrian Advisory Commission
• Winter/Spring 2017: Meetings with Individual Stakeholder Groups:
  • Glenview Neighborhood Association
  • Oakland High School (in cooperation with Bike East Bay)
  • Lakeshore Homeowners Association
• 1/24/18: Large format community meeting at the Park Boulevard Presbyterian Church
• 1/31/18: Large format community meeting at Cleveland Elementary School

Park Blvd Corridor Segments

While having one name, Park Blvd is made up of three very different segments that the corridor study communicated as Lower Park Blvd, Middle Park Blvd, and Upper Park Blvd. Located below Interstate 580, Lower Park Blvd is in a dense neighborhood close to Lake Merritt and downtown. Located between Interstate 580 and Leimert Blvd, Middle Park Blvd is part of the Glenview neighborhood with neighborhood-serving schools and a commercial district. Located above Leimert Blvd, Upper Park Blvd is along Dimond Canyon in an area with no homes or sidewalks.

Concerns and Support

Along Lower Park Blvd, there were strong concerns regarding speeding and pedestrian safety. There was also strong support for the planned road diet with pedestrian crossing improvements and bike lanes.

Along Middle Park Blvd, there were similarly strong concerns regarding speeding and pedestrian safety. While some stakeholders strongly supported a road diet, other stakeholders were concerned with commute hour traffic accessing I-580, and the potential for traffic diverting into the Trestle Glen neighborhood. OakDOT's technical analysis showed that a road diet is feasible if a collection of traffic signals were installed as part of the road diet project. A low-cost "striping-only" road diet was deemed infeasible.

Documents from the Park Blvd Corridor Study

Community Meeting Materials

November 2016 Community Meetings, Presentation(PDF, 10MB)

January 2018 Community Meeting on Middle and Upper Park Blvd

• Middle and Upper Park Blvd Community Meeting Flyer(PDF, 775KB)
• Middle and Upper Park Blvd Community Meeting Presentation(PDF, 8MB)
• Middle and Upper Park Blvd Community Meeting Comment Cards(PDF, 8MB)

January 2018 Community Meeting on Lower Park Blvd

• Lower Park Blvd Community Meeting Flyer(PDF, 1MB)
• Lower Park Blvd Community Meeting Presentation(PDF, 7MB)
• Lower Park Blvd Community Meeting Proposed Improvements(PDF, 4MB)
• Lower Park Blvd Community Meeting Comment Cards(PDF, 14MB)
• Lower Park Blvd Community Meeting Response to Comments(PDF, 152KB)

Letter from OakDOT Director Ryan Russo(PDF, 145KB) (March 8, 2018)

Plans & Studies

• Lower Park Blvd / E 18th St / 3rd Ave Proposed Improvements(PDF, 4MB) (January 2018)
• Middle and Upper Park Blvd Concept Plans for Pedestrian Crossing Improvements(PDF, 2MB) (October 2017)
• Middle and Upper Park Blvd Road Diet Operations Analysis(PDF, 3MB) (November 2017)
• Pedestrian / Bicyclist Path Alternatives (Leimert Blvd to Monterey Blvd)(PDF, 2MB) (February 2013)

Download the full text of Measure Q(PDF, 1MB)

Services

Oakland voters passed Measure Q in March 2020. Measure Q collects parcel tax funding to support City of Oakland services in these categories:

• 64% for parks, landscape maintenance, and recreational services. Includes costs associated with maintaining, protecting, and improving parks, open space, and recreational facilities and services throughout Oakland.
• 30% for services to address homelessness. Includes costs associated with alleviating homelessness or its impacts within Oakland.
• 5% for services to address water quality and related litter reduction. Includes costs associated with meeting the City's water quality objectives.
• 1% for administrative expenses. Includes costs associated with Measure Q and the provision of the above-listed services.

In Fiscal Year 2023-2024, Measure Q is budgeted to provide more than $30.75 million in ongoing revenue for these services.

Oakland Public Works is responsible for implementing many of these services. This page is maintained by OPW to provide information about how we are putting the parks and water funding to work. For information about the City of Oakland's services related to homelessness, please follow this link:

• Oakland's Response to Homelessness

Documents and Reporting to Oversight Commissions

The text of Measure Q states, "The City Council shall assign to one or more existing Boards or Commissions the responsibility for citizen oversight of this measure. [They] shall review reports related to the expenditure of revenue collected by the City from the special tax imposed by [Measure Q] and provide reports to the City Council when requested, and perform other functions as assigned by the City Council."

With respect to funding for services to address homelessness the City Council has assigned this oversight function to the Commission on Homelessness. Follow the link to find meeting times, agendas, and more.

With respect to funding for parks, landscape maintenance, and recreational services, and services to address water quality and related litter reduction, the City Council has assigned this oversight function to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission (PRAC). Follow the link to find meeting times, agendas, and more. This section of this page shares ongoing documentation the City provides to PRAC to support this work, as well as other documents providing basic information about Measure Q.

Find the Council legislation assigning this function to the PRAC(PDF, 171KB). The City of Oakland Legistar records for Council discussion and adoption of the legislation is online.

Oakland Public Works provides periodic Measure Q-related reports to the PRAC, including in

• April 2024 OPW Monthly Measure Q Report to PRAC(PDF, 457KB)
• May 2024 OPW Monthly Measure Q Report to PRAC(PDF, 223KB)
• June 2024 OPW Monthly Measure Q Report to PRAC(PDF, 322KB)
• July 2024 OPW Monthly Measure Q Report to PRAC(PDF, 313KB)
• September 2024 OPW Monthly Measure Q Report to PRAC(PDF, 4MB)
• November 2024 OPW Monthly Measure Q Report to PRAC(PDF, 284KB)
• January 2025 OPW Monthly Measure Q Report to PRAC(PDF, 1021KB)
• February 2025 OPW Monthly Measure Q Report to PRAC(PDF, 287KB)
• March 2025 OPW Monthly Measure Q Report to PRAC(PDF, 284KB)
• May 2025 OPW Monthly Measure Q Report to PRAC(PDF, 3MB)
• September 2025 OPW Monthly Measure Q Report to PRAC(PDF, 1MB)

To view Measure Q adopted allocations and Lighting and Landscape Assessment District adopted allocations (Fund 2310) for FY 2023 - 2025, visit the City of Oakland Budget webpage.

Topics

For more general information about these services -- not specific to Measure Q -- please follow the below links.

A new multi-year paving plan to guide investments for Oakland's streets, adopted December 21, 2021.

Map of the 5YP Streets & Schedule

About

Update: On December 21, 2021, City Council adopted the 2022 5-Year Paving Plan. To review the accompanying staff report, please see Documents on this page.

The 2019 3-Year Paving Plan (3YP) guided citywide pavement prioritization between July 2019 and June 2022. Building upon the record-breaking accomplishments of the 3YP, OakDOT is preparing the 2022 5-Year Paving Plan (5YP) to continue to invest in the care and maintenance of Oakland's streets.

Data Collection & Budget Analysis

Every 2-4 years, the City performs a citywide pavement condition survey. This data was collected again in summer 2021. OakDOT is using this data to prepare the 5YP to improve and maintain pavement condition citywide. View an updated map of pavement conditions.

From this 2021 data, we know there is still more work to do but also that our efforts to quickly improve Oakland's streets the past few years are still making a difference. Here are some of the key findings:

• 28% of local streets are now in good or excellent condition, up from just 16% in 2018.
• The share of local streets in poor condition declined for the first time in 10 years, from 60% to 53%.
• Now nearly 75% of major streets are in good or excellent condition, up from 62% in 2018.
• Overall, the average PCI for arterials is now 74, up from 67 in 2012.

Using updated pavement condition data, the 5YP then estimates the cost to improve and maintain the pavement system. The budget analysis assumes current funding levels (approximately $60M annually) continue for the duration of the 5YP. This would require an extension of Measure KK, Oakland's 2016 Affordable Housing & Infrastructure Bond. The 5YP also anticipates a scenario if current funding is no longer available.

Draft Street List

The 5YP proposes pavement rehabilitation and preventative maintenance treatments on more than 350 miles of Oakland streets. The 5YP proposes to use the same policy framework as the 3YP: the majority of funding is dedicated to local streets while still keeping major streets in good condition, and local streets program funding is primarily prioritized by planning area, weighing equity and street condition equally.

Within each planning area, local streets are prioritized for pavement rehabilitation based on pavement condition, proximity to parks, and adjacent segments in poor condition. Two new categories of local streets are also proposed in the 5YP: local streets preventative maintenance and local streets neighborhood bike routes. These smaller programs ensure recently-paved local streets receive cost-effective treatments to maintain their good condition and that the City improves and maintains roadways that are either current or proposed neighborhood bike routes. In addition, the local streets program sets aside funding for City Council paving priorities and for utility cost-sharing opportunities as part of excavation projects. Streets prioritized within these two programs will be determined following the adoption of the 5YP.

Like the 3YP, major streets are again prioritized based on optimizing pavement condition and addressing traffic safety. The major streets program includes both pavement rehabilitation and preventative maintenance treatments.

Finally, the proposed 5YP street list also includes segments prioritized in the 2019 3-Year Paving Plan that will be paved during the 2022 5-Year Paving Plan period.

Map of the Draft 2022 5-Year Paving Plan

Community Engagement

Staff are sharing information about the 5YP in community meetings across Oakland. These presentations also include official City committees and commissions. All meetings will receive the same information, and presentation materials will be available online.

Final Street List

Update: On December 21, 2021, City Council adopted the 2022 5-Year Paving Plan. Following adoption, the Plan would begin implementation in July 2022.

A permanent perimeter fence is now being installed and will be complete by the end of June. The replanting of the park will take place in Fall 2025 and be complete by the end of the calendar year.

A collaborative project toward a progressive parking system.

CDL and DOT Initiative Whitepaper(PDF, 2MB)

Parking Enforcement Equity Analysis, undertaken by an OakDOT intern with support from the department's Racial Equity Team(PDF, 15MB) .

About

In early 2019, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and Civic Design Lab (CDL) began convening a working group to assess, review and develop plans for parking fine and fee reforms, with the goal of moving towards a progressive, rather than regressive, system. The overarching goal of the CDL/DOT initiative was to recommend a suite of reforms and pilot projects to the City Administration for review, development, approval and implementation. In this Initiative's white paper, we detail the process, activities and findings of this collaboration and issue our recommendations for moving forward with the implementation of equity-centered pilots and reforms.

About

Embarcadero West, a one mile City street adjacent to the Port of Oakland, is a long-standing bottleneck for freight and passenger rail on the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) and Amtrak Capital Corridor route. Freight and passenger trains run down the middle of the street and through the waterfront in a configuration that dates to the 1870s. These railroad tracks lack consistent physical separation between motor vehicle travel lanes, pedestrians, bicyclists, and others using devices for mobility such as wheelchairs, scooters, and skateboards. This shared street condition in which pedestrians, drivers or bicyclists can intentionally or accidentally turn across or occupy the track space is unprecedented in an urban area and not only a major safety concern, but impacts operations within the Port of Oakland.

The Railroad Grade Separation Feasibility Study will evaluate multiple potential bridge locations that span the Embarcadero West roadway and railroad corridor between Adeline Street and Clay Street. The potential bridge location(s) will evaluate whether and how alignments comply with motor vehicle, railroad, bicycle and ADA design standards and requirements, potential risks, and potential benefits.

The overcrossing(s) would be designed to be capable of accommodating the movement of motor vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and other mobility users, while addressing the needs of a heavy weight truck vehicle route to support goods movement and emergency vehicle access to the waterfront. The overcrossing(s) would also improve the efficient movement of freight trains and passenger rail trains that travel along the Embarcadero West corridor by minimizing interactions between motor vehicle drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists with trains at grade crossings.

Last updated October 27, 2023. More updates coming soon!

Projects receiving funding from Cycle 12 of the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) will install pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements at intersections and major crossings with crashes involving seniors and/or near senior facilities as well as along Neighborhood Bike Routes.

About

OakDOT plans to deliver safety capital improvements at 17 different school sites in 2023-2025.

About

OakDOT partners with parents, staff, subject matter experts, and the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) to conduct approximately five walk audits at schools each year. Recommendations from these walk audits are evaluated and moved forward through OakDOT's Capital Improvement Program. Recommendations may include bulb-outs, traffic circles, medians, curb ramps, sidewalks, raised crosswalks, rectangular rapid flashing beacons, or other capital projects. The program budget is approximately $3 million over two years. The 2023 - 2025 program of Safe Routes to School Capital Projects includes recommendations from these school site visits through the 2021-2022 school year.

Learn more about Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools (external)

While these walk audits are an important tool for developing a pipeline of capital projects, most school traffic safety needs are better served by working with your school and submitting a traffic safety service request. OakDOT and OUSD staff coordinate regularly to discuss requests that can be addressed with signage, pavement markings, and curb paint, and improvements are generally installed much more quickly than complex capital projects. Learn more about traffic safety requests.

The current set of projects includes work at the following schools:

• Bridges at Melrose
• Community School for Creative Education
• Community United
• Dewey Academy/La Escuelita Elementary
• Elmhurst Middle
• KIPP Bridge Academy
• Korematsu/Esperanza Elementary
• Manzanita SEED
• Oakland Charter Academy
• Oakland School for the Arts
• Redwood Heights Elementary
• Rudsdale Continuation School
• Sankofa Elementary
• Sequoia Elementary
• Skyline High
• St. Anthony's School
• Yu Ming Elementary

This list is subject to change. Some projects will be consolidated into other efforts such as street repaving, while others may face constraints not yet known through the design process.

About

SMU, with Strada Investment Group, is planning to develop a new campus of approximately 250,000 square feet with a mix of classroom space, educational laboratories, and administrative office space. The project will be built on the parcel located between 11th Street, 12th Street, Clay Street, and Broadway.

SMU Real Estate Needs

SMU is currently housed in an outmoded and seismically challenged building on Pill Hill and needs new facilities to remain competitive. SMU also wants to grow its training programs to meet the needs of health care providers who need a pipeline of nurses and health science professionals. They cannot achieve this in their current space.

SMU's Oakland Impact

• SMU has a current student body of 1,300 and employs 300 teachers and staff
• The student body and staff are extremely diverse: approximately 68% of students, 59% of staff and 23% of faculty are people of color
• SMU is an Oakland workforce development engine: Many students are low-income (84% on financial aid), and SMU provides an opportunity for students to access very high-paying, often union, jobs. Forbes ranks SMU #1 in the nation for early career salary of graduates, ahead of Stanford and MIT
• SMU has a significant community impact in Oakland:
  • 25% of students go on to work in medically underserved areas or populations. SMU has partnerships with numerous local community health clinics including: Davis Street Clinic, La Clinica de la Raza, Asian Health Services, and ROOTS Clinic.
  • The SMU Ethnic Health Institute partners with the Oakland Unified School District, Alameda County Public Health Dept., East Bay Regional Parks District, and dozens of faith communities to provide health education and health promotion events targeting communities of color
  • SMU serves approximately 600 "future students" in Oakland each year. These programs include the Oakland Tech Health Academy the SMU Nursing Success program for under-represented minorities, and several others
  • SMU works with at-risk and homeless populations through volunteerism, student clinical experiences, free on-site clinics, and the Hot-Spotting program
  • The university also has a deep partnership with Peralta - SMU has enrolled nearly 400 students from the Peralta colleges in the last five years alone

Gallery

SMU City Center 12th St Rendering(JPG, 684KB)

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Questions? Email mpd@oaklandca.gov.

June 2025 Update

OakDOT submitted an application for grant funding with a previous version of this project, the San Antonio and Jingletown Neighborhood Connections Plan. In June 2025, Caltrans published awards for its FY 25-26 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant. Unfortunately, the San Antonio and Jingletown Neighborhood Connections Plan application for $700,000 was not selected for funding this cycle. The FY 25-26 grant cycle was particularly competitive. Caltrans received a total of 140 applications with requests totaling approximately $58.3 million, more than double the total available funding of $26.5 million. Of these applications, only 65 were awarded.   

OakDOT will continue to seek funding opportunities. For the Caltrans FY 26-27 Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant, project staff will develop this project to focus on the San Antonio neighborhood only.

Background

The San Antonio neighborhood is a dense, diverse community in East Oakland with a strong history of advocacy for safer streets and traffic calming. The neighborhood contains streets and intersections on the City’s High Injury Network that are hot spots for speeding, reckless driving, and sideshows; community members experience poor air quality due to their proximity to major goods movement routes, Interstate 880, and a parallel Union Pacific rail line. While some major active transportation or safety projects are underway or have been completed recently (e.g. East Bay Greenway, International Boulevard Bus Rapid Transit), little work has been done at the neighborhood level to connect road users to multimodal corridors or to create calm streets for local residents. Through this planning effort, the City will collaborate with Community-Based Organizations, stakeholder agencies (including Caltrans District 4, Union Pacific Railroad, public transit agencies, Alameda County Transportation Commission, and others), residents, and businesses in San Antonio to identify streets and locations for improvements, facilitate engagement to reach consensus on multimodal upgrades, and collaboratively develop conceptual designs to advance capital projects that reflect community priorities.

Page last updated: October 6, 2025

Exciting news!

San Antonio Park, one of the oldest and biggest parks in Oakland, is getting a new and improved playground!

Come see what's planned for the park at our second community event: 

WHEN: Saturday, October 25, 10 am-noon 

WHERE: Playground at San Antonio Park (1701 E 19th St) 

About the Project

Images above: Concept 1 and Concept 2 presented in Community Meeting #1

San Antonio Park is one of the oldest in Oakland and has played in important role in the history of the city and the diverse San Antonio neighborhood. For decades, it has been a hub for arts, culture, and activism and continues to be a popular gathering place for festivals, recreation, and access to nature.

In 2021, through an extensive community visioning process held by (FOSAP) Friends of San Antonio Park; Safety, Cleanliness, Maintenance, Activation, Connection were amongst the common themes heard from the neighborhood. The existing  playground quickly became 1 of the 4 priorities to address. We also learned the community members value the park for its natural elements, exposure of different cultures, views into the bay,  sports fields, and for the current activation by local community groups happening in the community center and tennis courts. In 2023, Oakland Public Works developed a Master Plan in partnership with grassroot efforts from Friends of San Antonio Park and other local community groups. The City of Oakland has brought on PGA/MIG Landscape Architects to assist in the re-envisioning of a playground that becomes a destiny for the community, reflects the socio-cultural dynamics of the neighborhood, and becomes an extension of the beloved San Antonio Park. The project will replace and expand an existing playground to accommodate inclusive playground areas for children aged 2 to 5 and 5 to 12. The updated playground will include: 

• Play areas for kids of different ages 
• A nature play zone 
• New play structures 
• Benches and picnic tables 
• Better lighting and fencing 
• Wheelchair-accessible paths and walkways 
• New plants and improved watering systems 

See pictures of existing conditions below. 

Project Timeline:

Project Material:

Community Meeting #1: The design consultant, PGA Design, in collaboration with community Stakeholders (FOSAP, PAR, TYRBE, EBAYC, East Side Arts Alliance) the City of Oakland have done an amazing job in the multilingual 1st Community Engagement Meeting that held on June 7th from 10am-12pm in the Tennis Courts of San Antonio Park. See pictures, documents shared and survey results below. 

Project Designs

Explore the design ideas below.

Project Survey

Explore the survey Results from the 1st community below. 

Check out some pictures from the 1st Community Event! 

 

 

Funded by Measure KK

San Antonio Park Master Plan(PDF, 31MB)

About

June 20, 2023 Update

The City has published the revised Draft San Antonio Park Master Plan (SAPMP), which now includes the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) findings, available in PDF format by clicking the button above. Members of the San Antonio Park community are invited to review and provide feedback on the Draft plan. Comments may be emailed to dyoumans@lca-architects.com and/or shared at the next Planning Commission meeting. City staff anticipates the following schedule for continued public review of the Draft:

• LPAB Meeting - July 10, 2023 @ 6:00 PM
• Planning Commission - August 2, 2023 @ 3:00
• City Council - TBD (pending above)

Why Create a Master Plan?

San Antonio Sports Fields Park has for decades been one of Oakland's gathering points for festivals, recreational activities, and the enjoyment of nature. A parks and facilities master plan provides an overall framework to guide the provision of parks, recreation, and related quality-of-life services in the community. The current Parks and Facilities Master Plan was created in 2003 but was not formally adopted by Oakland City Council. Adoption of an updated, comprehensive Master Plan allows City staff to seek funding from a variety of sources that require an Adopted Park Master Plan as a condition of approval. The majority of components of the 2003 plan have not been completed and require re-assessment to ensure that those components comply with current code and meet the needs of the community.

Plan Highlights

The 2022 San Antonio Parks Master Plan includes a multi-year plan that prioritizes parks and recreation-related capital projects that are needed to maintain existing amenities and respond to community requests for enhanced opportunities. After much input and analysis, this updated plan focuses on improving the existing assets of San Antonio Park such as refurbishing courts, expanding the community gardens and picnic areas, improvements to circulation, accessibility and lighting, and addition of a dog park. A new all-inclusive playground will replace the existing playground. There is strong community interest in expanding Oakland's Department of Parks, Recreation and Youth Development programs at an improved, and possibly expanded, community center.

Initially, the City wished to consider the feasibility of relocating Fire Station 4 to a corner of San Antonio Park. Due to the constraints of the General Plan's Open Space Conservation and Recreation (OSCAR) Element as well as community resistance, the City elected not to pursue this option. Consideration for relocating the Fire Station was a major component of the community outreach process, and although it is not included in the Final Master Plan, the data developed is included. The Plan does not include the Environmental Analysis, which is currently underway.

Community Engagement Process

The public input process for the update was conducted over several months. The process followed an industry best practices approach of public meeting for general information gathering and independent surveys, followed by a meeting again to communicate the results and present a variety of options for feedback. This second stage also included a second independent survey. Finally, all the feedback and data culminate in a preferred option which is presented to the community for feedback. Normally, this process would be conducted in a public venue and include break-out groups for particular areas of interest. Due to restrictions on in-person events because of the COVID-19 pandemic, these meetings were held virtually with both ZOOM and phone options. The meetings were conducted with language interpretation for the predominately primary languages of area residents and held on different days of the week and at different times to accommodate all interested participants. The City notified local community-based organizations (127) and residents within a 1-mile radius (+8,000 addresses) of the master plan's engagement process and schedule. Community-based organizations were requested to inform their constituencies, thus broadening the reach of the information. All City of Oakland social media channels were utilized for regular updates. Surveys were conducted utilizing an independent vendor, Survey Monkey, which also tabulated the results. Additionally, a community-based effort, led by Friends of San Antonio Park (FOSAP) conducted a community engagement process focused on families and neighborhood youth, with in-person events at San Antonio Park during the Fall of 2021. All materials, presentations, reports, and background information were also available through the project's dedicated website with individual inquiries answered in a Frequently Asked Questions format. A concerted and attentive effort was made to offer equitable and inclusive outreach to a broad range of residents, interest groups, and civic organizations.

Priorities For Improvements

The data collected from community participants have established the highest priorities for facilities and infrastructure improvements.

Safety & Security: Better lighting, clear circulation with good visibility, improved facilities leading to higher level of use, more people, and a more secure environment.

Improve playground area: Create an all-inclusive playground area that is located more centrally within the park.

Improve recreational facilities: This includes refurbished sports courts, better lighting at soccer and basketball facilities and programs administered from Recreation Center. Initially, there was interest in establishing a skate park and a large contingent in favor of converting all tennis courts to pickle ball. As it was determined that those favoring pickle ball were largely from outside the San Antonio Park service area, these survey responses were given less weight (by zip code). Ultimately, a new dog play area was preferred by more respondents than a skate park.

Expanded community center & library: The FOSAP report includes recommendation for a new, larger community center and library complex capable of a wide variety of offerings. These ideas warrant additional consideration, especially with regard to feasibility within the constraints of the General Plan's Open Space Conservation and Recreation (OSCAR) Element. The Master Plan recommends the City conduct a feasibility study for an expanded Community Center and other community programs such as a library.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The City is rolling out a master plan process for San Antonio park to surface and organize community needs and goals for the park, and to set shared priorities, especially for services and programming given existing amenities, limited resources, and significant community needs. The San Antonio Park Master Planning team will review existing documentation (including the 2003 Master Plan), historical documents, and any recent improvements to provide an updated Long-Range Master Plan upon which the City of Oakland can develop a proposed Capital Improvement Plan for future funding and implementation.

A series of three community meetings will be held via ZOOM as well as community surveys conducted. The first community meeting will provide an opportunity for the public to express ideas and/or concerns regarding future improvements. A community survey will be available following this meeting. The second Community Engagement Meeting will provide an opportunity for the public to learn the results of the initial survey and how this input may affect options for improvements to the park. A second community survey will follow this meeting. A third Community Engagement Meeting will provide an opportunity for the public to see how the prioritized options are illustrated in the Master Plan.

This page will continue to be updated with Community Meeting Presentations, survey links, survey results, and other information. We welcome your participation!

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Improving Seminary Avenue for all roadway users along with a planned repaving project.

About

Important: As of Fall 2023, the original Seminary Avenue Paving Project is being delivered as two separate projects:

1. The LAMMPS Phase 3 Project (Camden St to Sunnymere Blvd)
2. The Seminary Avenue Paving Project (Foothill Blvd to Camden St)

Visit the LAMMPS Phase 3 page for more information about that project.

Seminary Avenue from Foothill to Camden will be repaved in 2026. OakDOT's Paving team will lead this repaving work. Based on feedback from residents during the 2023 outreach, the project will include safety features such as:

• Marked crossings
• Flashing crossing lights
• Speed cushions
• Potentially traffic circle
• Other traffic calming measures.

Information about the Original Seminary Avenue Paving Project (Foothill Blvd to Sunnymere Blvd)

Seminary Avenue between Foothill Boulevard and Sunnymere Avenue is part of the City of Oakland's Five-year Paving Plan and is set to be repaved in 2025. This planned repaving on Seminary Avenue presents an opportunity for the City of Oakland to integrate Complete Streets components, including pedestrian, bicyclist, and transit improvements, during the delivery of the paving project. This project will continue the work of connecting East Oakland to Downtown Oakland by connecting Seminary Avenue to the Laurel Access to Mills, Maxwell Park, and Seminary (LAMMPS) Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects, which are along MacArthur Boulevard.

Improvements of the Seminary Avenue Repaving Project could include:

• Safety improvements for everyone: Slowing down vehicles traveling on Seminary, especially in the downhill direction, will make the street safer for all users.
• Pedestrian safety improvements: On Seminary between Foothill and MacArthur, pedestrian safety improvements could include new marked crossings, traffic circles, and other traffic calming measures.
• Bicycling improvements: Oakland's Bicycle Plan, Let's Bike Oakland! (2019), recommends bike lanes on Seminary Avenue between MacArthur Boulevard and Sunnymere Avenue to connect Oakland's existing and planned bikeways. Another option for a bikeway on Seminary would be to continue the off-street biking and walking path around Mills college that is planned on MacArthur as part of the Laurel Access to Mills, Maxwell Park, and Seminary (LAMMPS) Phase 2 Project.
• Transit improvements: Three AC Transit lines use Seminary Avenue (45, 617, 650). OakDOT staff will work with AC Transit to optimize the placement of bus stops for transit reliability and safety.

Outreach

OakDOT staff began in-person and virtual outreach in Spring 2023 to learn what residents, business owners, and other stakeholders would like to see improved on Seminary Avenue.

In Summer 2023, the project team sent out a widely distributed survey (now closed) about what sort of bike connection to build between Camden Avenue and Sunnymere Boulevard. Survey results showed that 85% of residents in the surrounding area favored a Class 1 off-street walking and biking path, as opposed to a protected on-street bike lane.

UPDATE - April 7, 2025. The Sobrante Field RFP is now posted. Scroll down to the Documents section and click on "RFP Sobrante Field" for a description of the proposal.  Quality athletic fields across Oakland are in high demand, and the impact of sports activities exceeds current citywide maintenance capacity. To keep up with demand and expand on quality recreational facilities and services, the City of Oakland Parks, Recreation & Youth Development (OPRYD) department proposes seeking qualified organizations to lease underperforming athletic fields in Oakland while preserving public access. To improve equitable access to recreational activities in historically marginalized and underserved communities, the City has, in collaboration with Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), chosen Sobrante Field in east Oakland as the field for solicitation for proposals for the lease and maintenance of property.

This page will continue to be updated with information on the project and process. For more immediate questions and comments, please email Quincy Williams at QWilliams@oaklandca.gov.

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Implementation Projects

Corridor Evaluations

About

Safety improvements

The City of Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) leveraged paving projects in 2016 and 2021 to provide temporary improvements between 20th Street and 52nd Street. OakDOT has also secured grant funding from two sources to make these improvements permanent between 20th Street and 42nd Street.

1. KONO (20th Street to 29th Street): October 2024 Update. The $6M Telegraph KONO project, funded by a grant from the California Active Transportation Program, is now complete! This project includes separated bike lanes that are protected from vehicle traffic by concrete buffer islands, bus boarding islands to improve transit reliability and passenger safety, shorter pedestrian crossings, two "protected intersections" at W Grand and 27th Street, improved curb ramps, new ADA-accessible parking spaces, and an overall slower and calmer Telegraph for all! This project is the culmination of 15 years of Planning, Design, Grant Applications, and Construction work on Telegraph between 20th and 29th Street. OakDOT is grateful to all community stakeholders, advocates, engineers, and planners who worked so hard to make this project a reality. For more information, visit: Telegraph KONO, Pill Hill, Mosswood | 2016 - 2022.
2. Pill Hill / Mosswood (29th Street to MacArthur Boulevard): OakDOT applied for and was awarded a grant to install painted bike lanes and pedestrian crossing improvements. This project was completed in 2022. For more information, visit: Telegraph KONO, Pill Hill, Mosswood | 2016 - 2022.
3. Temescal (MacArthur Boulevard to 52nd Street): OakDOT installed temporary protected bike lanes and improved pedestrian crossings when the street was repaved in 2020 and installed concrete bus boarding islands in 2021 and pedestrian safety islands in 2023. For more information, visit: Telegraph Avenue Repairs | 2018 -2021.
4. Upper Telegraph Avenue Complete Streets Project (52nd Street to Berkeley Border): OakDOT is conducting community outreach and design in 2024 with the goal of enhancing connectivity and safety on Telegraph Avenue from 52nd Street to Woolsey Street as part of Oakland's Five-year Paving Plan. For more information, please visit: Upper Telegraph Avenue Complete Streets Project.

OakDOT is improving safety and accessibility on Telegraph Avenue connecting 20th Street to 42nd Street! Construction will be complete in October 2024!

About

KONO (20th Street to 29th Street)

• October 2024 update: The $6M Telegraph KONO project, funded by a grant from the California Active Transportation Program, is now complete! This project includes separated bike lanes that are protected from vehicle traffic by concrete buffer islands, bus boarding islands to improve transit reliability and passenger safety, shorter pedestrian crossings, two "protected intersections" at W Grand and 27th Street, improved curb ramps, new ADA-accessible parking spaces, and an overall slower and calmer Telegraph for all! This project is the culmination of 15 years of Planning, Design, Grant Applications, and Construction work on Telegraph between 20th and 29th Street. OakDOT is grateful to all community stakeholders, advocates, engineers, and planners who worked so hard to make this project a reality.
• In July 2021, City Council unanimously approved a resolution supporting protected bike lanes on Telegraph Avenue between 20th Street and 29th Street. OakDOT is currently working to award the construction contract to proceed with construction of the protected bike lanes. Construction is anticipated to commence in early 2022.

Pill Hill/ Mosswood (29th Street to 42nd Street)

• OakDOT applied for and was awarded a grant to install painted buffered bike lanes, transit boarding islands, and pedestrian crossing improvements. This project was completed in 2022.

Project Background

Telegraph Avenue is a main thoroughfare for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and drivers, alike. Telegraph is the most direct path of travel between Downtown Oakland, KONO, Pill Hill, Mosswood, and Temescal and directly connects to regional transit facilities.

Space on this segment of the street, however, is limited. Connecting Telegraph (KONO, Pill Hill, Mosswood) weighs tradeoffs to design a street that best serves all Oaklanders and visitors.

To guide our decision-making process, OakDOT selects the final project design based on the following factors:

• Safety
  • Telegraph is a High Injury Corridor*
  • Safety for all users is a priority
• Equity
  • Ensure accessibility, affordability, health & safety, and process for disadvantaged communities in Oakland
• Community Input
  • During this planning process, our team asked the community to share their experience on Telegraph, how they use the corridor, and what improvements they value the most.
  • We will collect input through the following methods: flyers promoting a user survey, online promotion of the user survey, merchant surveys to all affected merchants, hosting a community workshop, and mailers to residents along the corridor
• Vibrancy
  • Creating opportunities for beautification and increasing foot traffic

Meetings and Outreach Events (2016 - present)

• Post-implementation user intercept surveys; May 2016
• Business surveys; January 2017, April 2017, May 2019, June 2020,
• Bicyclist & Pedestrian Advisory Commission meetings; February 2017, April 2019, August 2020, June 2021
• AC Transit meetings; March 2017, June 2017, September 2017
• KONO Business Improvement District meetings; August 2017, September 2017, May 2019, February 2020
• City Council meetings; September 2017, December 2018, May 2019, July 2020, June 2021, July 2021
• Mayor's Commission on Persons with Disabilities meetings; January 2018, April 2018
• Community meeting with Northgate Neighbors; March 2019
• Pop-up survey; December 2020

Engagement leading up to Connecting Telegraph (2013-2016)

For more information, visit the Telegraph Avenue Complete Streets project page.

A complete streets project improving pedestrian environment and encourage TEMPO ridership.

About

Update December 2023: This project is under construction and will be completed in Summer 2024.

The City has received $9.9 million in Clean California funds and $1.5 million in Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) grant funds for The International Boulevard Pedestrian Lighting and Sidewalk Improvement Project.

Project Description

The Clean California funds are specified for International Boulevard between 45th Avenue and 107th Avenue, and the AHSC grant funds are for International Boulevard between 36th Avenue and 45th Avenue.

This project will install pedestrian-scale lighting and repair sidewalks to provide safer pedestrian conditions for people along International Boulevard. These improvements will improve pedestrian travel, encourage TEMPO ridership, and provide health and environmental benefits.

In addition, approximately 20 "smart" solar-powered waste containers will be installed at locations along the corridor. These containers have higher waste capacity than traditional bins and prevent trash overflows. This project will also install trash capture devices in existing storm drain outlets at approximately 68 locations along the corridor to prevent trash from entering the storm drain system. These trash capture devices will be funded by Measure Q funds for litter reduction.

Background

In late 2021, Caltrans staff approached the City via the Caltrans Working Group, an interdepartmental team coordinated by the City Administrator's Office, regarding the opportunity to use Clean California State enhancement funds allocated to Caltrans District 4, which includes Oakland, on state routes.

The International Boulevard Pedestrian Lighting and Sidewalk Improvement Project was selected because it aligned with Clean California goals, scored highly in the City's Capital Improvement Program (CIP), and overlaps with state right-of-way (International Boulevard east of 42nd Avenue is considered a state route). Additionally, the project travels through East Oakland's identified Neighborhood Enhanced Service Team (NEST) neighborhoods, and International Boulevard is the number 1 ranked High Injury Corridor according to Oakland's Safe Oakland Streets Initiative.

Clean California is a $1 billion initiative aimed at significantly reducing litter and beautifying the state's transportation network. The program goals include reducing waste and debris in public spaces, beautifying public spaces, mitigating the urban heat island effect, enhancing public health and community placemaking, and advancing equity for underserved communities. Funds are spread across five program areas: Litter Abatement, State Beautification Projects, Local Beautification Projects, Public Education, and Project Design, Construction, Local Support, and Engagement.

Outreach

The goals of this project were prioritized through several community engagement efforts, including:

• Planning for the BRT on International, which documented the need to improve pedestrian safety and ensure people feel safe walking to and from stations.
• The International Boulevard Transit-Oriented Development Plan(PDF, 93MB), which centered the voices of disadvantaged community residents and highlighted the need to improve lighting and safety.
• East Oakland Neighborhood Initiative, where residents called for improved mobility and access along the corridor.
• The Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools program, which identified sidewalks and streetlights as key factors in attracting more students to walking and biking to school.
• Oakland's 2017 Pedestrian Plan update, where residents highlighted safety as a key factor in deciding whether to walk.

The International Boulevard Pedestrian Lighting and Sidewalk Improvements Project team will coordinate all construction activities through the International BRT Community Outreach Team. This team proactively provides information about the project to help minimize disruptions and impacts during construction.

Slope and roadway restoration on Tunnel Rd @ Bay Forest Dr

About

The City has awarded an on-call construction task order to McGuire & Hester to construct permanent repairs to the hillside and roadway at Tunnel Road and Bay Forrest Drive. The scope of work includes construction of a new soldier beam and lagging retaining wall, installation of tiebacks beneath Tunnel Road, and minor storm drainage modifications.

In preparation for the permanent repairs, the contractor has conducted on-site verification of existing underground utilities and is actively coordinating with utility companies to ensure safe excavation and installation of the new features. The City has also completed additional subsurface exploration to further verify site conditions. As part of this process, the contractor identified field conditions that require additional temporary stabilization measures before permanent construction can safely proceed. These measures will help ensure safe operation of heavy equipment and protect the existing utilities beneath the roadway throughout construction.

Temporary shoring will be installed in advance of the permanent repair work. The total estimated construction duration for the permanent repair remains approximately 45 days, once this preparatory work is complete. The construction schedule is being finalized and will be posted here once available. City staff will continue to monitor the site regularly.

Construction activities may cause temporary impacts to local traffic; these will be minimized to the extent possible. A draft traffic control plan has been submitted to the City for review and comment. The final plan will be posted here once available. The contractor will also notify neighborhood residents in advance of construction activities.

Please note: Members of the public should not, under any circumstances, access or move the tarping or other protective materials currently in place at the site.

Additional information about landslides can be found here: 

Tyrone Carney Park is a half-acre park and playground located at 10501 Acalanes Drive in the Sobrante Park neighborhood of East Oakland. Originally constructed in 1968, the park was named in honor of Tyrone Carney, a local resident and Vietnam War veteran. Due to safety concerns, the park was closed in 2002. Beginning in Fall of 2025, the City of Oakland will perform a full renovation of the park, including the installation of a commemorative sculpture honoring Mr. Carney.

Tyrone Edward Carney was a Private First Class in the United States Marine Corps who lost his life while serving in Vietnam on June 9, 1968, at just 20 years old. A proud resident of Oakland, Tyrone was active in organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America and Youth for Christ prior to his military service.

In recognition of his sacrifice and contributions, the Sobrante Park community—together with the City of Oakland—chose to name the park in his honor. The upcoming improvements, including a bust of Mr. Carney, aim to create a welcoming and reflective space where community members can gather, connect, and honor his legacy. The sculpture will also serve as an inspirational landmark—particularly for Black and Brown youth—offering a tangible connection to a young man from their own neighborhood who made a lasting impact.

Park Improvements

Tyrone Carney Park Site Plan 2022

In 2017, community members from the East Oakland Neighborhoods Initiative (EONI) collaborated to create a vision for improving quality of life in East Oakland. One of the top priorities identified was the reopening and revitalization of neighborhood parks. In partnership with the City of Oakland’s Public Works Department, EONI helped lead a community-driven process that resulted in a grant proposal and conceptual designs for the full renovation of Tyrone Carney Park.

The redesigned park will include the following features:

• New play equipment
• A memorial honoring Tyrone Carney
• A central plaza with ornamental paving
• Walking paths
• Open lawn space
• Wrought iron perimeter fencing
• Trees and landscaping
• Bike racks
• Drinking fountain
• Community-created artwork

Project Schedule

• Winter 2024-2025 - Completion of Contracts

  Landscape Architect, the City and two artists complete execution of construction contracts.

• Fall 2025 - Construction Begins

  Improvements to Park begins. Artists begin design of fence and Tyrone Carney bust.

• Summer 2026 - Construction Completion

  Landscape improvements, installation of fence and Tyrone Carney bust completed.

Providing transformative improvements to four freeway undercrossings.

About

Please check this webpage periodically for upcoming events and ways to provide feedback. You can also sign up for email updates to stay up-to-date on Undercrossing Improvements.

Our Summer 2025 Survey is now closed. Thank you for sharing your feedback!

Past events included:

• Wednesday, November 6: West Oakland Community Action Plan Five-Year Celebration
• Friday, November 8, 8am-2pm: Old Oakland Farmers Market
• Sunday, November 17, 10am-2pm: West Oakland Farmers Market
• Friday, December 6, 9am-2pm: Old Oakland Farmers Market
• Sunday, December 8, 10am-2pm: West Oakland Farmers Market

Background

Freeways are designed to carry large amounts of vehicles at high speeds. Urban freeways create social, spatial, and economic challenges. They divide neighborhoods and restrict mobility and access to those neighborhoods. Most of these issues have roots in urban renewal that unfolded across the United States in the 1950s. Racist policies (like redlining) facilitated the destruction of Black, Asian, and Hispanic neighborhoods. Freeways displaced residents and continue to damage the neighborhoods they divide.

Project Scope

Streets that pass under freeways are called "undercrossings." In many places in Oakland, undercrossings are dark, loud, and feel unsafe. The goal of this project is to improve undercrossings for people walking, biking, and rolling. To meet the project goal, the project scope includes lighting, wayfinding, and placemaking:

• Lighting will help make people feel safer and could be colorful or fun to look at.
• Wayfinding will help people know where they are and see where they want to go.
• Placemaking makes the space feel safe, welcoming, and reflective of the surrounding community. Placemaking could include colors, patterns, and other design elements.

Project Location

This project will improve four undercrossings:

• 7th Street under I-980
• Martin Luther King Jr. Way under I-880
• Washington Street under I-880
• Broadway under I-880

These locations were chosen because there will be other improvements along the same locations.

Past Engagement & Outcomes

Broadway and Martin Luther King Jr Way Streetscape Improvements

In Summer 2023, OakDOT conducted engagement for two corridor projects that pass under the elevated I-880 freeway. These projects included the Broadway and Martin Luther King, Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements. Some key takeaways about the undercrossing areas of these projects included:

• Respondents were most excited about improved pedestrian lighting under I-880
• Better wayfinding for drivers
• Increased lighting and safety for cyclists
• Safety and cleanliness concerns
• Removing trash and debris
• Clean up of abandoned automobiles
• Design elements to promote community identity on Broadway
• Concern for support for unhoused people

Walk This Way

In 2021, City staff developed the Walk This Way toolkit. This toolkit helps staff better understand undercrossing conditions and barriers to improvements. The toolkit also provided strategies for overcoming these barriers. The Undercrossing Improvements applies strategies from the Walk This Way toolkit.

Howard Terminal Transportation Plan

In 2019 and 2020, hundreds of Oaklanders were engaged in the development of the Howard Terminal Transportation Plan(PDF, 5MB). Over 500 surveys were conducted in-person in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Online surveys were also advertised, with a focus on residents in West Oakland, Old Oakland, Chinatown, and Jack London. In addition, four community meetings, ten stakeholder meetings, and a workshop were held in the plan area. The feedback from this engagement highlighted a need to improve undercrossings. As a result, Undercrossing Improvements were included in the Howard Terminal Transportation Plan.

Page last updated: February 6, 2025

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OakDOT is enhancing connectivity and safety on Telegraph Avenue from 52nd Street to Woolsey Street as part of Oakland's Five-year Paving Plan

Sign up for Project Updates

About

January 2025: Project Moves into Detailed Design Phase

The Upper Telegraph Complete Streets Project is moving into the next phase of project delivery, the Detailed Design phase! We will take our approved concept plans(PDF, 744KB), community input, and everything we've learned from our work to date to design the fine details and civil engineering elements of the project. The result will be a set of engineering plans to be used for construction, which is estimated to begin in 2026/2027. To see the latest designs, view our 35% design engineering plans(PDF, 3MB).

August 2024: OakDOT Selects Complete Streets Design for Upper Telegraph Avenue Project

After in-depth analysis of public input and extensive additional data, OakDOT chose to move forward with the 4-to-3 Lane Road Diet on Upper Telegraph Avenue. To read more about the design decision, please see the Memo from OakDOT Director Josh Rowan(PDF, 744KB), as well as our Community Engagement and Outreach Summary(PDF, 277KB).

Project Background

Telegraph Avenue from 52nd Street to Woolsey Street will be repaved as part of Oakland's Five-year Paving Plan. This paving work presents an opportunity for the City to integrate design elements that will enhance connectivity and safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders.

Between 52nd Street and 55th Street, Telegraph is part of the city's Pedestrian High Injury Network - the 6% of city streets that are responsible for 60% of reported collisions. On the full project corridor, there were 52 crashes between 2017 and 2021. Notably, during the available years of recorded data, one fatality occurred on this portion of Telegraph.

The City's 2019 Bike Plan, Let's Bike Oakland!, recommends protected bike lanes along Telegraph. AC Transit's 2016 Major Corridors Study recommends bus-only lanes on Telegraph.

This project will include design elements that slow traffic, provide physical separation between bicycles and vehicles, increase pedestrian visibility, and maintain efficient transit operations.

Planned Improvements

• Separated bike lanes
• Upgraded and new curb ramps
• High-visibility crosswalks
• Bus boarding islands

Potential Improvements

• Bus-only lanes
• Flashing lights at crosswalks
• Pedestrian refuge islands
• And more

Selection of Conceptual Design

August 7, 2024: OakDOT Selects Complete Streets Design for Upper Telegraph Avenue Project

Between August 2023 and February 2024, OakDOT conducted extensive community outreach on two conceptual designs(PDF, 986KB):

• Option 1: 4-to-3 Lane Road Diet + Separated Bike Lanes
• Option 2: Bus-Only Lane Design + Separated Bike Lanes

Outreach included a project Open House, an online survey with 1,154 respondents (52% living along the project corridor), visits to over 60 businesses, discussions with over 150 transit riders, and almost 3,000 project postcards mailed to businesses and residents on and near the project corridor. Staff also analyzed policy guidance and transit and traffic operations, among other factors.

After in-depth analysis of all data, OakDOT has chosen to move forward with the 4-to-3 Lane Road Diet on Upper Telegraph Avenue.

This design will enable the installation of the greatest number of pedestrian safety improvements, more comfortable facilities for bicyclists, more features for people with disabilities, more commercial loading and parking, and more amenities for transit riders, all while having minimal impacts to current transit operations (3 second delay southbound, 9 seconds faster northbound). Among other elements, the project design will feature a slower, calmer roadway for all users, fully separated bike lanes, pedestrian safety islands, and transit improvements, including approximately 10 bus boarding islands with shelters and seating.

To read more about the design decision, please see the Memo from OakDOT Director Josh Rowan(PDF, 744KB), as well as our Community Engagement and Outreach Summary(PDF, 277KB). You can also review the early conceptual designs for the entire project corridor(PDF, 2MB) and send us feedback at telegraph@oaklandca.gov.

In August and September 2024, OakDOT staff will be visiting businesses and property owners on Telegraph Avenue to discuss specific needs that may need to be accommodated with the selected design for the corridor.

Outreach

Read a summary of our community engagement and outreach leading up to our overall design decision(PDF, 986KB) for the project.

January 2025

35% designs available on webpage. Staff shared via email list, webpage, and outreach to establishments on the project corridor and other stakeholders.

Aug/Sept 2024

Staff visited establishments on the project corridor to discuss the design decision and share early conceptual designs for the entire project corridor.

Late summer/Early fall 2023

Beginning of project outreach.

Public Meetings

Public meetings and engagement opportunities have included:

• 10/10/23: Shattuck NCPC Meeting
• Dec 2023 - January 2024: Project survey
• 1/7/24: Temescal Farmer's Market, 9am-1pm
• 1/17/24: Project Open House, 5pm-7pm, Temescal Library
• 2/7/24: Mayor's Commission on Aging, 10am-12pm, City Hall, Hearing Room 1
• 2/26/24: Mayor's Commission on Persons with Disabilities, 5:30pm-7:30pm, City Hall, Hearing Room 1
• 8/27/24: Telegraph Temescal Business Improvement District Board meeting
• 9/19/24: Telegraph Temescal Business Improvement District Design Committee meeting

History

In December 2014, Oakland City Council adopted the Telegraph Avenue Complete Streets Plan which proposed complete street improvements for Telegraph Avenue. In April 2016, the Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) built a pilot project with temporary protected bike lanes from 17th Street to 29th Street as part of a repaving project.

OakDOT leveraged paving projects in 2016 and 2021 to provide temporary improvements between 20th Street and 52nd Street through three project phases -- KONO, Pill Hill/Mosswood, and Temescal. This Telegraph Avenue Paving Project will build on these past projects by extending complete streets improvements all the way to the Berkeley border.

For a more detailed history, including evaluations of the projects, visit the Telegraph Avenue Corridor Improvements page.

An interdisciplinary strategy to improve underpasses in Oakland.

Walk This Way Underpass Improvement Toolkit(PDF, 79MB)

About

July 17, 2024 Update

Check out upcoming Undercrossing Improvements!

Each of Oakland's 85 pedestrian-accessible underpasses is a distinct challenge to fostering safer, walkable neighborhoods. As a result, the installation and maintenance of underpass improvement strategies for pedestrian safety are a top priority for the City.

While many factors influence pedestrian safety, this toolkit centers design strategies that can be integrated into the built environment. The toolkit, to be completed in summer 2021, will guide developers and City staff through selecting and including strategies in projects throughout the city.

To inform this citywide priority, the Toolkit contains case studies and a study area of four underpasses that connect Chinatown and Jack London Square - Madison, Oak, Jackson, Webster, and Broadway.

In May 2021, the project team is conducting focus groups comprised of representatives with expertise and investment in public safety and the built environment. These groups will help City staff better understand underpass conditions, barriers to improvements, and strategies for overcoming these barriers.

Our intent is to learn and elicit feedback from community leaders, agency staff and developers ahead of working with Caltrans, with the goal of aligning improvements to safety issues with jurisdictional requirements and permitting processes.

The final Walk this Way Underpass Improvement Toolkit includes:

• Key issues to look for in addressing pedestrian-accessible underpass safety;
• Case studies of improvements within Caltrans jurisdiction;
• I-880 underpass study area with recommended strategies;
• Guidance on navigating Caltrans permitting;
• Additional Caltrans-vetted strategies that correlate to addressing specific issues.

For questions or to participate, feel free to reach out to mpd@oaklandca.gov. 

About

Summer 2025 Updates

Sidewalk improvements: OakDOT is bringing $4 million of sidewalk improvements to West Oakland, including repairing damaged sidewalks and upgrading curb ramps. Construction began in early 2025 and will be completed in December 2025. Before and after photos(PDF, 6MB) show the important upgrades.

See if you qualify for a free tree planting! Do you live in West Oakland and want to request a free tree to be planted this year? Fill out this form to see if your location qualifies for a tree, which will be planted by our grant partners (Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation, Hyphae Labs, WOEIP). More details at Planting Trees in West Oakland.

Truck parking management. In 2022, the City banned all trucks longer than 22 feet from parking within West Oakland. Through the STEP grant, OakDOT's Parking and Mobility team will be acquiring four vehicle license plate readers, which will enhance their ability to enforce this parking ban.

Step Project Background

In early 2022, the City of Oakland received notification of a grant award from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to fund four projects in West Oakland. Collectively, these four projects are the West Oakland Sustainable Transportation Equity Project (STEP). The grant agreement was signed in early 2023, and the transit improvement projects began in Fall 2023. Work on sidewalks and tree plantings began in Summer 2024.

Step's overarching purpose is to increase transportation equity in a way that benefits residents of disadvantaged and low-income communities. Based on environmental justice principles, the STEP program funds projects that are priorities for historically under-served and over-burdened residents by requiring that projects center the knowledge and expertise of these residents through all phases of the project.

The West Oakland STEP grant will fund the following projects identified by community residents and stakeholders:

1. West Oakland Truck Management Plan Implementation, which includes improving truck route signage, truck and trailer parking enforcement, and truck traffic calming recommendations
2. West Oakland Pedestrian Improvements and Urban Greening, which includes extensive repair of sidewalk damage and curb ramp upgrades, planting up to 1,500 trees and shrubs, and developing a community-based urban greening stewardship model
3. West Oakland Bike Resource Hub, which includes hosting free monthly workshops, free Earn-A-Bike programming, and free bike repair services throughout West Oakland
4. West Oakland Transit Access Improvements, which includes upgrading 11 bus stops in West Oakland and piloting a West Oakland Universal Basic Mobility Program to distribute 1,000 prepaid transit and shared mobility passes to West Oaklanders

These projects are directly implementing the recommendations and strategies from a community-driven process to reduce emissions and improve transportation options called Owning Our Air: The West Oakland Community Action Plan (WOCAP), which was adopted by City Council in 2019.

Community Partners

The grant application was successful due to collaboration with community-based organizations. These projects will be implemented in partnership with the following community-based organizations that have strong roots in West Oakland:

• West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project (WOEIP)
• Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation (OPRF)
• Urban Biofilter
• The Crucible

Funding

CARB is providing $7.66 million in grant funding. The City of Oakland and Alameda County Transportation Commission (CTC) is providing a local match of about $2.8 million. In total, about $10.5 million will be invested in these four projects in West Oakland. On July 5, 2022, Oakland City Council authorized the Oakland Department of Transportation to accept the CARB grant and enter into contracts with our community partners in order to implement West Oakland STEP.

The grant from CARB comes from the Sustainable Transportation Equity Project, or STEP, a pilot program launched by CARB in 2020 to improve transportation equity. The funding supports implementation of clean transportation projects in low-income and disadvantaged communities, or those overburdened by pollution. West Oakland STEP was chosen from a competitive pool of projects that were submitted from jurisdictions across the state of California.

Summer 2024 Activity

Sidewalk improvements. The West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project (WOEIP) conducted outreach to get feedback on where the West Oakland community would like to see sidewalk repairs and curb ramp improvements. OakDOT expects to begin building those improvements at the beginning of 2025.

Universal basic mobility program. The West Oakland Universal Basic Mobility Program identified 1,000 participants to receive pre-paid debit cards for transportation expenses. See the Transit Funding Programs project page for more information.

Upgrades to as many as 14 bus stops in West Oakland, along with the removal of unused railroad tracks at one location.

About

The first component of the project includes capital improvements to improve transit efficiency, safety, and reliability. It includes bus stop improvements to address substandard sidewalks, improve ADA compliance at bus stops, and enhance street crossings. Additionally, the project will improve transit operations at stops by adding appropriate red curb markings to allow buses to pull flush with the curb and installing bus boarding islands or bus bulbs to accommodate in-lane bus stops. The scope also includes the removal of one railroad crossing at Poplar Street and 14th Street as part of the repaving of Poplar Street. Removing this section of inactive track will significantly improve speed (currently bus drivers must perform a complete stop before railroad sections), reliability, and reduce vehicle idling in West Oakland.

The second component of the project includes an institutional transit pass planning and pilot program. AC Transit currently offers an institutional pass program—EasyPass—for members of a residential community, employees in a company, or college students. This grant will provide AC Transit and OakDOT with the opportunity to identify a potential EasyPass administrator, along with sufficient residential buildings and/or employers to participate. AC Transit will work with the administrator to contract for EasyPasses to be offered and distributed through an up to two-year pilot program.

W Grand Avenue to 52nd Street.

About

The City redesigned West Street between West Grand Avenue and 52nd Street, with the goal of reducing traffic collisions and speeding, making the street safer for residents, and more comfortable for pedestrians and bicyclists. The project was part of the Department of Transportation's 2019 three-year paving plan and implemented recommendations in Oakland's Pedestrian Plan (2017) and Bicycle Plan (2019).

In the Documents section below, find the project evaluation and feasibility study, appendices, and mailers sent to residents.

Project Design Elements

The project paved the length of the street, upgraded curb ramps to meet accessibility standards, and adjusted the lane configuration, replacing the two-way center turn lane with a six-foot wide striped median and adding striped buffers to the existing bike lanes. Other features included:

• High visibility crosswalks;
• Raised pedestrian safety islands at six crosswalks;
• Raised corner islands (also known as protected intersections) to slow turning vehicles and shorten bicycle and pedestrian crossings at 27th Street and W MacArthur Boulevard;
• A median refuge area for northbound bicyclists crossing San Pablo Ave created by removing the northbound left turn pocket at Isabella Street;
• One speed hump and six speed cushions (with emergency vehicle pass-throughs); and
• Two raised intersections.

Geographic Context

West Street from W Grand Avenue to 52nd Street is a collector roadway, 1.6 miles in length, connecting Oakland's Hoover-Foster, Longfellow, and Santa Fe neighborhoods. To the north, it connects to the 52nd Street/Genoa Street Neighborhood Bike Route (Bicycle Boulevard), and to the south with bike lanes on W Grand Avenue. It intersects with existing bikeways at San Pablo Avenue, 27th Street, W MacArthur Boulevard, and 40th Street, as well as proposed bikeways at 42nd Street and 45th Street. School crosswalks serve "The Center" food education school (OUSD), Hoover Elementary, The Oakland Military Institute, and Yu Ming Charter School. Bike lanes were first installed on West Street 1997 (the City's second bike lane facility).

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The roadmap for a clean and equitable transportation system in Oakland

Read the Zero Emission Vehicle Action Plan(PDF, 54MB)

About

The City of Oakland Zero Emission Vehicle Action Plan provides a roadmap for transitioning to a zero emission transportation system. Governor Gavin Newsom declared that all new passenger cars and trucks sold in California must be zero-emission by 2035. The Plan helps to achieve that goal, and builds on existing goals and objectives outlined in California's 2016 ZEV Action Plan, the Bay Area's 2013 PEV Readiness Plan.

The plan includes strategies to increase access to zero emission vehicles (ZEV), electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE), and hydrogen fueling stations for all Oakland residents and visitors. Click here for maps and further information about the current ZEV infrastructure in Oakland.

Interested in learning about available financial incentives for ZEVs?

Looking to install electric vehicle charging stations at home or as part of a larger project?

Chapters

The Plan includes eight chapters:

• Introduction and Existing Conditions
• City Leadership
• Existing & Multi-family Buildings
• Public & Curbside Charging
• Medium & Heavy-Duty Fleets
• Micromobility (E-scooters and E-bikes)
• The ZEV Economy
• Funding and Implementing the ZEV Action Plan

Community Engagement

• November 2020: Curbside Charging Stakeholder Meeting - This virtual workshop brought together stakeholders to discuss barriers and pain points that exist for installing electric vehicle charging infrastructure, explore possible policy solutions and discuss how to implement these solutions equitably in the City of Oakland. Click here for a summary of the Curbside Charging Stakeholder Meeting event(PDF, 272KB).
• Spring/Summer 2021: Oakland Electrification + Decarbonization of Workforce Development Series: This series of stakeholder meetings are focused on jobs and workforce development to support the electrification of both Oakland's buildings and transportation system.
• July & August 2021: On 7/29, Staff co-led a workshop on the Zero Emission Vehicle Action Plan in the Fruitvale neighborhood on with TransForm and the Spanish Speaking Citizens Foundation. An additional virtual workshop was held for West Oakland residents, co-led by West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project. Participants provided valuable feedback on the barriers they face and desires for clean mobility infrastructure in their neighborhood. For a summary of both workshops, click here to read a summary of both workshops(PDF, 407KB).

Provide Feedback!

Where would you like to see Electric Vehicle chargers in Oakland? Let us know using this Interactive Map to explore where existing chargers are located and identify locations where you'd like to see more. 

The final version of the Zero Emission Vehicle Action Plan is now available for viewing, read the ZEV Action Plan(PDF, 47MB) and the Press Release for the Plan(PDF, 130KB). Comments and questions can be directed to ZEV@oaklandca.gov.

• 2030 Equitable Climate Action Plan (ECAP)

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