West Oakland Sustainable Transportation Equity Project

Project TypeTransportation
Start DateOctober 1, 2023
Project StatusCompleted
Completion DateFebruary 28, 2026

STEP Project Delivers Over $10 million of Improvements to West Oakland

Through the West Oakland STEP grant, the City of Oakland and the grant partners delivered $10,325,193.05 of improvements in West Oakland, using $7,431,237.58 of CARB funds and $2,893,955.48 of local matching funds. With such a large investment, the project team was able to meet the grant goal of improving access to safe and sustainable transportation and creating a healthier environment for the neighborhood’s existing residents. To deliver these vital improvements, the City partnered with four community-based organizations with deep roots in West Oakland: The Crucible, the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project (WOEIP), Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation, and Hyphae Design Laboratory.

1. West Oakland Truck Management Plan Implementation

This project delivered multiple improvements to reduce the encroachment of heavy-duty trucks into West Oakland neighborhoods in an effort to decrease residents’ exposure to diesel exhaust:

OakDOT installed new or replacement Truck Route and Truck Prohibited signs at 20 locations.
OakDOT installed 38 new Truck No Idling signs around sensitive receptor locations such as residences, schools, parks, and care centers.
WOEIP educated truck drivers about truck routes and the impacts that diesel exhaust have on vulnerable West Oakland residents, including children and older adults.

2. West Oakland Pedestrian Improvements

OakDOT repaired over 21 miles of damaged sidewalks, upgraded 115 curb ramps, and built 39 curb ramps where none existed.

Before and after photo of the corner of Willow St and 9th St. Before photo has no curb ramp. After photo shows two newly constructed ADA curb ramps

3. Urban Greening

OPRF, Hyphae, and WOEIP expanded West Oakland’s urban forest through the planting of 209 trees. These plantings will capture air pollution, enhance neighborhood aesthetics, and increase the comfort of people walking, biking, and taking transit. The planting team also delivered larger-scale plantings at three community hubs: the Oak Center Cultural Center, the West Oakland Library, and Prescott Elementary School. These showcase plantings will serve as particulate matter barriers and provide shade for people walking.

Three people in the process of planting a tree in the area between the sidewalk and the street. In the distance are other people planting sidewalk trees.

4. West Oakland Bike Resource Hub

The Crucible:

provided free bikes to over 150 young people
held over 90 free bike repair workshops
educated Prescott Elementary School students about bicycling and the environment
developed a mobile bike repair unit that will support the community’s ability to bike for years to come

An adult guiding two elementary school children who are sitting on the ground holding a bike tire

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 work was completed in early 2026.

The STEP program'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 funded the following projects identified by community residents and stakeholders:

West Oakland Truck Management Plan Implementation, which included improving truck route signage, truck and trailer parking enforcement, and truck driver education
West Oakland Pedestrian Improvements and Urban Greening, which included extensive repair of sidewalk damage and curb ramp upgrades, planting hundreds of trees and shrubs, and developing a community-based urban greening stewardship model
West Oakland Bike Resource Hub, which included hosting free monthly workshops, free Earn-A-Bike programming, and free bike repair services throughout West Oakland
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 directly implemented 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 were implemented in partnership with the following community-based organizations that have strong roots in West Oakland:

Funding

CARB provided over $7 million in grant funding. The City of Oakland and Alameda County Transportation Commission (CTC) provided a local match of about $2.8 million. 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.

Winter 2025/2026 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.

Help us plant trees in West Oakland! Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation (OPRF) is organizing 4-6 tree planting events in January and February 2026, and they need volunteers. Come have fun and help expand the urban forest in West Oakland! Get on OPRF's mailing list for updates.

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.

Summer 2024 Updates

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.