At the August 18, 2022 BPAC meeting, Kerby Olsen, New Mobility Supervisor at OakDOT, presented on the department’s draft proposal to address sidewalk parking through a combination of community outreach and education, street modifications and parking enforcement.
An excerpt is below, followed by the full presentation.
Sidewalk parking
- Is illegal (even if sidewalk is not fully obstructed)
- Obstructs the public right-of-way, creating potential safety hazards
- Negatively affects all sidewalk users, but especially persons with disabilities, seniors, children and people with strollers
- Tends to occur more often on narrow streets
- May be increasing as vehicles get wider
- Parking in driveway while blocking sidewalk is also illegal
Education and outreach
- Press release
- City Council informational report
- Letters to homes on narrow streets
- Visiting Neighborhood Service Council meetings
- Given limited staff resources, outreach needs to be targeted to streets where this is an issue
Street changes are the long-term solution but will take longer to install.
We’d want to hear from neighbors which they prefer:
- Two-way to one-way conversion OR
- Restricting parking on one side
Presentation
Oakland BPAC Blog 