At the August 6, 2020 Infrastructure Committee meeting, Charles Ream, OakDOT staff presented on the 7th Street Connection Project, that the City is preparing an Active Transportation Program (ATP) application for.

About the Project

7th Street from Mandela Parkway to Market Street is set to be repaved in 2022/23. As part of this paving project, the City of Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) will remove one lane of vehicle travel and install buffered bike lanes as called for by the West Oakland Specific Plan and the 2019 Bike Plan Update.

The 7th Street Connection Project is an effort by the City to target State or Local Grant funding to go above and beyond what is planned as part of repaving. OakDOT is conducting outreach to the West Oakland community to gather input on potential improvements to the full 7th Street Corridor from Mandela Pkwy to MLK Jr. Way, including sidewalk widening, new trees and lighting, and safety improvements for people walking and biking. These improvements would only be possible through a State or Local transportation grant application.

Project Goals

• Create a welcoming and accessible pedestrian environment with wider sidewalks
• Reduce pedestrian crossing distances and improve safety at major intersections for people walking and biking
• Improve street lighting and visibility at nighttime
• Create a separated lane for people biking that is comfortable for all ages and abilities
• Provide urban greening and carbon-capturing street trees
• Improve the reliability of transit and the efficient flow of goods to and from the Port of Oakland

Schedule

• Summer 2020 – Outreach to West Oakland community
• Fall 2020 – Potential ATP Grant Application
• 2021 – Community Design Process (Art, placemaking, culture-keeping)
• Summer 2021 – ATP Awards announced
• 2021 and onward – Continue outreach, design, and funding/grant process
• Possible Construction ~5 years from today

View the full presentation below, or download the PDF here.
View the project webpage here.
Take the survey to provide feedback on this project.

If you would like to schedule a small-group online presentation/Q&A, please email Charlie Ream at CReam@oaklandca.gov.

Notes from the Infrastructure Committee

Presentation

• ATP application deadline: Sept. 15, 2020
• Expand upon buffered bike lanes, upgraded crosswalks & road diet that the paving program will be able to deliver—extend from Mandela Pkwy to MLK Jr Way
• Paving project would be buffered bike lane, whereas with the ATP grant funding, the project would upgrade to protected bike lanes and shared bus/semi-truck-only lane.
• Survey at oaklandca.gov/projects/7th-street-connection

Discussion

• How to make the connection to other bike facilities on each end of the project?
  • There is a cost placeholder for intersection treatments where the project hits MLK.
• Which stakeholders are being engaged?
  • Doing outreach with and seeking letters of support for Oak Center, Prescott, NCPCs, mosque, Crucible
  • Also suggested by committee members: Port of Oakland, Teamsters Union, West Oakland Health Center, affordable senior housing apartments
• Will abandoned train tracks be removed?
  • They could be, but City will have to look into rights and ownership
• Are developers working on new construction contributing to project cost sharing?
  • They could be, but it’s not being counted on as part of the ATP application budget.
• Is a traffic study being done, especially in relation to the new A’s ballpark?
  • Not a full traffic impact study ahead of the grant application. But non-CEQA traffic analysis will be included during design phase.