Open Postions on BPAC 01/2022

.Reading time 2 minutes.

The City of Oakland is accepting applications to fill two seats on the Oakland Bicyclist & Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC) for three-year terms starting in January 2022.

The purpose of the BPAC is to advise City Council and City of Oakland staff on bicyclist and pedestrian-specific policies, projects, and programs, and to advocate for safe, effective and equitable bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs throughout Oakland. The minimum qualifications for membership are that an individual must live in Oakland and have a demonstrated history of professional and/or community involvement with bicyclist and/or pedestrian issues. In selecting commissioners, the Mayor will strive for equity and geographic representation of Oakland’s neighborhoods.

To apply, please submit an application by 5 pm Thursday, September 9, 2021.

To learn more, come to our BPAC Virtual Open House / Meet and Greet on Tuesday, August 17, 2021 from 6-7pm online: zoom link or by phone at +1(669) 900-6833 Meeting ID: 876 3360 1508 Passcode: 278322

If you have any questions, reach out to Midori Tabata (former BPAC commissioner, on the recruitment committee).

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E-Bike Library and ZEV Plan

.Reading time 3 minutes.

At the July 17, 2021 BPAC meeting, Kerby Olsen, New Mobility Supervisor at OakDOT, introduced the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Action Plan and the upcoming Electric Bike Library. Topics explored in the ZEV Plan include the installation of electric vehicle chargers in the public right of way, increasing access to ebikes and e-scooters, and encouraging cargo bike delivery services. The Electric Bike Library is a grant-funded, $1,000,000 project to purchase 1,000 electric bicycles and make them available for medium- or long- term rental at low cost through existing bike shops and bike programs.

Join the ZEV e-mail list here and learn more about the ZEV Action Plan here, as well as the ZEV Action Plan Story Map.

The full presentation is below.

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July 2021 BPAC Agenda

.Reading time 12 minutes.

Thursday, July 15, 2021; 6:00-8:00 pm, online and by phone.

Agenda topics include:

  • Electric Bike Library and Zero Emissions Vehicle Plan
  • Bike Plan Update
  • BPAC Commissioner Outreach
  • Committee Report-Back

Announcements:

  • Telegraph Protected Bike Lanes
    The Oakland City Council voted Tuesday, 02 July 2021 to install concrete barriers to protect bicyclists on a 10-block stretch of Telegraph Avenue in the Koreatown Northgate neighborhood near the city’s downtown.
  • OakDOT Received Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) 2022 CIP Grant Funding:
    OakDOT received grant funding from ACTC for three projects: West Oakland Transit Improvements, 14th Street Safe Routes in the City, and the East Bay Greenway.
  • Paint the Town Mural painted at Mystic St and Rockwell St
  • New Traffic Safety 311/Seeclickfix Service Request Prioritization Model Completed
  • City Council Accepts Transportation Grants (ATP and HSIP)
  • E-Scooter Permits

More details below.

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MLK Jr. Way – 7th to 20th St Bike Lanes

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On June 16, 2021, OakDOT staff Emily Ehlers emailed the BPAC Infrastructure Committee, sharing the 95% plan set for a repaving and road diet project on Martin Luther King Jr. Way from 7th Street to 20th Street, just west of Downtown. Robert Prinz, Brendan Pittman, and Dianne Yee reviewed the plans and submitted comments, mainly concerning upgrading curb ramps and potentially adding painted bulb-outs.

View the plan set below.

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Grand Avenue – West Oakland Focus Group Round 2

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The Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) & West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project (WOEIP) would like to gather the West Oakland community again for further input on the Grand Avenue Mobility Plan!

The Grand Avenue Mobility Plan is a comprehensive plan for a more inclusive, safer and sustainable transportation network on Grand Avenue between Mandela Parkway to MacArthur Boulevard.

Register here if you would like to be a part of the focus group sessions:

  • Tuesday June 29th, 6-7:30pm, OR
  • Wednesday June 30th, 6-7:30pm

An update on the Grand Avenue Mobility Project was last presented to the BPAC Infrastructure Committee on February 4th, 2021.

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Annual Report from Strategic Planning

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At the June 17, 2021 BPAC meeting, Laura Kaminski, Acting Strategic Planning Manager, gave an update on existing and new projects including: the Downtown Oakland Specific Plan, an Impact Fee Update, and a General Plan Update.

Downtown Oakland Specific Plan (DOSP) — Mobility Objectives:

  • Improve access and safety for pedestrians;
  • Create a world-class transit network linking Oaklanders to downtown
  • Develop a connected network of low-stress bicycling facilities
  • See map (in presentation) of Proposed Low-Stress Short-Term and Vision Bicycle Networks

Transportation Impact Fee 5-Year Update:

  • Update fee schedule from 2016 nexus study based on inflation along with Appendix B – what is necessary to fund cumulative CEQA traffic mitigation costs.
  • Provide additional fee schedule to fund list of potential citywide transportation projects not included in Appendix B.
  • Provide additional fee schedules to fund list of specified transportation projects included in the (1) Downtown Specific Plan (DOSP) and (2) Waterfront Ballpark District at Howard Terminal Project (offsite transportation projects, not direct impacts of Howard Terminal project)

General Plan Update Schedule

  • 2021 spring and summer: Approach and Consultant Team Selection
    • General Plan Update Memo
    • RFP for Consultant Team (Council – September)
    • Backbone CBO as part of consultant team
  • 2021 fall: Official Kick-off
  • 2023, January: Adoption of Housing, Safety, and Environmental Justice Element
  • 2025, July: Adoption of Land Use, Transportation, Noise, Open Space, Conservation, and Recreation Elements

The full presentation is below.

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Telegraph Avenue Complete Streets Project, 20th-29th Street

.Reading time 20 minutes.

At the June 17, 2021 BPAC meeting, Ryan Russo, Director of the Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT), presented a brief history of bike facilities on Telegraph Avenue in Koreatown Northgate (KONO); provided an overview of what we’ve learned since the installation of an interim project in 2016; and presented an overview of the proposed recommendation to install enhanced buffered bike lanes with active curb management, which City Council will consider later this month. Director Russo shared how the public can continue participating in the Telegraph Avenue Complete Streets Project.

What we’ve learned (2013-2019)

  • The good:
    • The number of people walking and biking doubled
    • People driving are three times more likely to yield to people crossing the street
    • People walking and biking report feeling safer with the bike lane than with the five-lane condition
    • Motor vehicle volumes have remained steady, but 85th percentile speeds have decreased closer to the posted speed limit of 25 mph
  • The less good:
    • Reported collisions involving people walking and biking increased by 33%
    • People driving park in the bike lane
    • Bike lane and intersection visibility concerns
    • Pedestrian visibility concerns
    • Anecdotal reports of increased near-miss collisions
    • Maintenance challenges
    • Businesses report negative impacts
    • Aesthetic concerns

The full presentation and summary of discussion are below.

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