Broadway Streetscape Improvements

UPDATE (9/26/2023):

• We're hosting a Community Streetscape Project Open House! Please join us to learn more about the Broadway Streetscape Improvements, the Martin Luther King Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements, and the 7th Street Connection Project. Please see the link above for more information. The event flyer is available in Spanish, Chinese, and English.

• A summary report for engagement conducted during summer 2023 has been completed! View here.
  

Background

Broadway, historically Oakland’s “main street,” is currently a major high frequency transit corridor. More buses run on Broadway than on any other street in Oakland, and bus service on Broadway connects to all parts of the AC Transit system, making it a critical regional corridor. However, Broadway remains an auto-oriented street, leading to bus delays and unreliable travel times for routes serving East Oakland, North Oakland, and West Oakland. This creates barriers to travel by AC Transit bus system, and interconnected transit systems, such as BART, which connects Oakland with the larger Bay Area. Broadway is also part of Oakland's High Injury Network, meaning it has a high rate of serious injury and fatal crashes, mostly due to vehicle speeding and failure to yield to pedestrians.

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Project Scope

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 may include:

• Red bus-only lanes will be installed on Broadway from 2^nd Street to 11^th Street and 20th Street to Grand Avenue. This will extend the existing bus-only lanes between 11^th Street and 20th Street to improve transit access and reliability
• Expand Transit Signal Priority (TSP) at all signalized intersections to ensure buses can travel efficiently through the corridor
• Install new ADA curb ramps, high-visibility crosswalks, upgraded intersection safety lighting, and wayfinding signage to increase safety and visibility
• Improve the Broadway/I-880 underpass with lighting and placemaking elements to invite people to travel between neighborhoods with more comfort
• Eliminate the existing free-right 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
• Install fiber-optic cabling on Broadway between Embarcadero West and 7th Street to improve signal coordination and movement through the corridor
• Upgrade traffic signals and provide protected left turns to increase safety
• Repave the road
• Lower the speed limit as part of a new Oakland ordinance to enhance safety

This project is currently in the early design phase.

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Past Engagement and Outcomes

• 2017 Pedestrian Plan. This plan recommends adjusting signal timing to separate turning movements from pedestrian crossing phase, extending the median to provide refuge island on the south side of the Broadway and 11^th Street intersection, and to implement a road diet on low volume crossing streets to shorten pedestrian crossing distances.
• 2019 Downtown Oakland Specific Plan (DOSP). This plan recommends dedicated transit lanes, pedestrian safety improvements, and streetscape improvements such as street furniture and trees.
• 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.