On October 4th, Mayor Schaaf released the Oakland Department of Transportation Strategic Plan, the first in nation to use equity as primary lens for allocating resources.
Key goals include:
- Accelerate repaving schedules to bring Oakland’s streets into a state of good repair
- Use equity to prioritize spending, so that resources are spent in the communities that need them most
- Adopt a Vision Zero policy and work harder to eliminate traffic fatalities and injuries
- Expand communication and listening between OakDOT and the public
- Adopt the Pedestrian Safety Plan and update the Bicycle Master Plan
- Create a citywide Vibrant Public Space program to expand opportunities community-requested plazas and other facilities
- Lower transportation costs, and improve access to schools and jobs
“We established this new Department so that transportation can help transform Oakland into a safer, more accessible and more equitable city,” said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. “City staff have done a great job – this is their game plan to create a more a vibrant city, where drivers don’t get flat tires from potholes, but also where bus stops and crosswalks are safe for seniors and children, and where access to opportunity isn’t based on where you live.”
This plan provides a bold vision for Oakland, but more importantly it provides a practical roadmap to get there.
Sabrina Landreth, Oakland’s City Administrator added, “It’s very important to me that this Plan was actually written by the women and men who work in the new Department of Transportation. They are the ones who work really hard to keep Oakland moving, and they know what it will take, in very realistic terms, to make our city safer and more accessible to all our residents. I admire this plan’s commitment to strengthening community involvement and to using data to drive decisions and sharing that data with the public – this is an important way we are building a more accessible, transparent and accountable city government.”
“This Strategic Plan helps us see our streets not just as ways to get from here to there, but also to notice where those roads are leading,” said Interim Director of the Oakland Department of Transportation Jeff Tumlin. “Our streets provide access to jobs and education, schools and services. We need to see them as avenues for social and economic advancement. This is the first city government Strategic Transportation Plan in the nation constructed on the principle of equity, and that looks at every activity through a lens of how our streets can serve our goal of making the city more accessible, inclusive and fair.”
OakDOT and Oakland Public Works have already implemented a number of street-transforming projects, including the recently completed Latham Square rebuild; the redesign of Telegraph Avenue to improve pedestrian safety, a provide a protected bike lane. OakDOT is Many more projects are already in the works in the near term as the new agency develops, selects a permanent director, and works toward longer-term initiatives.