At the January 11, 2024 BPAC Infrastructure Committee meeting, Port of Oakland Senior Maritime Projects Administrator Pia Franzese will provide a presentation on how the construction of the 7th Street Grade Separation East project (7SGSE) (Bay Street to Maritime Street) will affect access to the Bay Trail during construction, and an update on other improvements proposed along 7th Street.

An excerpt of the presentation is below, followed by the full presentation, and notes from the presentation and discussion.

Bike/Ped Path Features

Existing Bike/Ped paths open during construction.
New Path features as requested by City BPAC and East Bay BC

• Grade separated elevated bike/ped path
• Pedestrian lighting for improved night visibility
• Improved traffic signal, signing/striping at 7th/Maritime and 7th/Bay St.
• Green and white striping at 7th/Bay and 7th/Maritime intersections
• Hand railing design similar to GGB per City request

Presentation

Presentation and discussion notes

• Project runs on 7th Street from 880 to Maritime.
  • Basically building a brand new 7th Street.
  • Major semi truck route to the port, also a storage yard.
• Current structures are very old. The bridges have been hit numerous times and really need to be replaced.
• On the map: maroon color is current 7th Street, orange color is the alignment of the new 7th Street. Pacific Transload building is being demolished to make way for the new road.
• Project won’t disrupt 7th Street much at all during construction due to brand new roadway, except once the new and old roadways need to be tied in together, and sometimes overnight.
• Lots of rain could delay project, but construction completion estimated by Spring 2027.
• New 14-foot wide bike/walk path with an extra 2-foot buffer for a greening project on the wall along the pathway.
• What’s happening with the 880 to Wood Street segment?
  • Currently in talks with the City of Oakland, Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), and others. 
• What’s going to happen with the abandoned, old 7th Street area?
  • At this time no plan for that area yet.
• When tie-in happens what is the time frame and communications about the pathway impacts?
  • Early 2027-ish time frame.
  • Will be communicating with community about when the impacts will occur.
• Where will the lighting be?
  • The lighting is along the entire pathway, either on a pole or mounted on the wall.
• Is the Port committing to a maintenance plan?
  • The City of Oakland is responsible for maintenance of the pathway and greening features.
  • Port will have some responsibility for the bridge structures.
• How will climate change and sea level rise affect this location?
  • Pumping stations are already along this corridor, drainage is an important part of the project engineering.
• Will this project affect truck routes and help encourage drivers to stick to routes?
  • For construction phase itself, there are mandated semi routes for project contractors.