At the December 16, 2021 BPAC meeting, Kristin Hathaway, Watershed and Stormwater Division and Measure DD Program Manager (Public Works Department), will present on the status of the Oakland Waterfront Trail.

As part of the $198,250,000 Measure DD Bond, a General Obligation bond approved by Oakland voters in 2002, $43,500,000 of the Estuary Waterfront Access category is designated for waterfront trail and parks acquisition and construction. Through this category of funding, Oakland is completing local segments of the regional San Francisco Bay Trail, a 500-mile walking and cycling path around the San Francisco Bay that passes through 47 cities and all nine Bay Area counties. The City has completed several segments and is in various stages of design on the remaining segments that still need to be constructed to close the Bay Trail gaps in Oakland.

The summary is discussion is below.

Presentation

Summary of discussion

• The City of Oakland has considered eminent domain as an option for land acquisition from uncooperative property owners. But there is a strong presumption to pursue every other possible alternative first.
• The East Bay Regional Park District is developing the segment of the trail east of the High St Bridge that would connect to the Tidewater Boating Center at the western end of the Martin Luther King Jr Shoreline.
• Access to Alameda across the Oakland Estuary could use significant improvement. There is a long-term vision for a new bicyclist/pedestrian bridge. More near-term improvements include a proposed road diet on the Miller-Sweeney Bridge (Fruitvale Ave) and improvements in the Park St Triangle on the Oakland side of the Park St Bridge.
• The Measure DD Coalition is a collection of advocacy groups working to support and advance Measure DD. A liaison from the BPAC to the Measure DD Coalition would help contribute to the transportation aspects of the Measure DD projects.
• The proposal at the High St Bridge is for an “over-the-water” trail which is believed to provide a better connection. In contrast, at Fruitvale Ave, the trail will cross at street-level at the Fruitvale Ave/Alameda Ave intersection.
• The remaining trail gaps are very challenging. Some good news is that Measure DD funding continues to be available. As bond funding, it is beneficial to spend funds in a timely manner. However, there is a future bond series that has not yet been sold. This extends the overall time horizon of the DD funding to fit better with the timelines of the more complex projects that remain.