At the November 2, 2023 BPAC Infrastructure Committee meeting, Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA) Project Manager Gavin Lohry led a review and discussion of this proposed West Oakland Link project to provide bike/walk access improvements between Mandela Parkway and the Bay Bridge pathway / Port of Oakland.

An excerpt of the presentation is below, followed by the full presentation [16.6MB PDF], presentation notes, and discussion notes.

What is the West Oakland Link?

“The West Oakland Link of the Bay Skyway, is part of the Bay Trail and will provide a safe 15-foot wide connection for bicyclists and pedestrians to travel between West Oakland, the Port of Oakland, and the Bay Bridge Trail.

• 1.1 miles of separated, elevated low-stress multi-use path
• Connects with the planned Grand Ave bike lanes (to downtown) at Mandela/Grand intersection
• Landscaping and community amenities based on community input

Creating a safe, comfortable connection for cyclists and pedestrians is the primary objective of the Link.

What traffic safety and public realm elements can be part of the project to safely accommodate all modes of transportation, particularly where the trail meets the street network?

Today’s agenda: Provide an update and get feedback on five key locations where there have been design changes to the West Oakland Link.”

Share your feedback via this survey.

Presentation

Presentation notes

• Phase 1 is the West Oakland to Treasure Island connection. Eventual plan is to connect a bike/walk pathway fully to San Francisco.
• Two different projects underway
  • Near term project to be delivered in 2024 includes bus lane connections on West Grand Ave to the Bay Bridge, also an 8-foot bike/walk path on the south side of West Grand from Mandela to Maritime.
  • Longer term project with a fully separated bike/walk bridge is estimated for construction in 2028.
• Original 10-year old design was a path on the south side of West Grand past Frontage Rd. People didn’t like the Frontage Rd crossing so a loop path alternative under West Grand was developed.
• Looking into design options for where West Oakland path meets Emeryville path toward to the Bay Bridge — Perhaps a roundabout, raised intersection, or something else.

Discussion notes

• Commenter likes the car free Grand Ave alley idea.
  • Still needs fire access clearance for emergencies
• Is there still park space opportunity under the freeway to activate the space?
  • This particular space is the worst air quality in West Oakland, also isolated.
  • Park space was previously considered but rejected.
• Like the roundabout idea between the West Oakland and Emeryville paths. Opportunity for art to help with placemaking as well as wayfinding.
• Truck stop developer along Burma Rd is interested in bike-friendly features & serving bridge path users as well as truck drivers — No other locations in the nearby vicinity for food, water, supplies.
• Tradeoff for path overcrossing of railway — Either a wider 16’ path with 500’ less bus lane, meaning 1.5 more minutes of bus delay, or an 8’ path bus no impact on bus times. Intent is to eventually build a dedicated wider path over the train tracks and keep the extra bus lane.
  • Narrower pathway may be acceptable until the Bay Bridge connection to SF is complete.
  • Wider pathway with less bus lane in the near term may be preferable though, as grant applications to fix both the bus lane and pathway issues later on would be more competitive for funding.
• Send in any further comments and take the survey before the end of November. Another outreach phase will take place in Spring 2024.