Lakeside Drive from Madison Street to Lake Merritt Boulevard and Lake Merritt Boulevard from Lakeside to E 12th Street are set to be repaved in 2021. This is an exciting opportunity to extend the popular two-way protected cycletrack around Lake Merritt from Madison Street southward and over the estuary bridge to E 12th Street! The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for more recreational space around the Lake. This paving project means that the City can answer that need on a short timeline, while providing a lasting benefit to the City for people commuting into Downtown in the future.
OakDOT staff are working to develop concept designs of the proposed new roadway configuration and will be presenting these to the community in an online format in late 2020. Check back soon for more information!
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 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 Schedule
- Ongoing: Develop concept plans for Lake Merritt Boulevard and Lakeside Drive
- Late 2020 (ongoing): Conduct online and phone-based outreach to local stakeholders and Citywide users of Lake Merritt
- November/December 2020: Online Project survey publicized on social media, postcard mailer, email lists, and via posters and sidewalk decals around the Lake
- Winter 2021 - Final concept design based on community feedback
- Late 2021 - Construction begins
