3 Things to Watch, April 2017

Kuan Butts News

3 Things to Watch 4.6.17

Transport Oakland is committed to shining a light on all the transportation-related things going on in Oakland and the East Bay. We recognize that it’s hard to keep up with all the agendas, PDFs, and arcane terminology. To that end, we’ve launched a regular series called “3 Things to Watch” to demystify the transportation world and let you know how you can make your voice heard on issues that matter to you. Tips for future 3 Things to Watch items should be sent to christopher@transportoakland.org.

#1: CHA-CHING! ACTC CIP Poised to Award Oakland More than $40 Million

What it is: At the end of last month, the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) released their Draft 2018 Comprehensive Investment Plan (CIP). Of $261 million earmarked for transportation spending in Alameda County over the next two years, OakDOT is lined up to receive over $40 million for mobility projects across the city.

What it means: ACTC is the clearinghouse of transportation funding in Alameda County; federal, state, regional, and Measure BB sales tax money all gets funneled through ACTC to fund transportation projects across the county. ACTC figures out how to spend that funding through their CIP, which is updated every two years. Last year, ACTC asked every city & agency in Alameda County to submit their wish-list of projects for the CIP. This draft CIP is the result of what ACTC thinks are the best projects in the county.

OakDOT hauled in a greater share than any other agency in Alameda County, with $40,633,000 programmed to projects in Oakland over the next two years. Among the projects funded, we’re particularly excited about:

  • 14th Ave Streetscape – Improved pedestrian safety and movement from E 8th St to Highland Hospital
  • 27th St Complete Streets – Protected bike lanes from San Pablo Ave to Grand Ave
  • E12th St Bikeway – Buffered bike lanes across East Oakland, connecting to the East Bay Greenway
  • East Oakland Community Streets Plan – A community-led process for East Oakland residents to identify streets they want prioritized for bicycle, pedestrian, and safety improvements
  • Lakeside Family Streets – A protected 2-way bike lane from Snow Park to Grand Ave
  • OakMOB – Engaging East & West Oakland residents in planning and growing carshare and bikeshare programs in their communities
  • Across the Estuary, Alameda won funding for a BRT corridor in Alameda Point
  • AC Transit is getting funding for “Rapid Bus Corridor Upgrades” on San Pablo Ave and Telegraph Ave

How you can get involved: The ACTC CIP is preliminarily scheduled to go to the ACTC board for approval on April 27th. The ACTC board meets at 1111 Broadway, 8th Floor, from 2:00-4:00 in the afternoon. We’ll keep you updated if that date changes. If there’s a particular project in the CIP you’re passionate about, think about reaching out to ACTC board chair and City of Oakland at-large council member Rebecca Kaplan before April’s meeting.

TO is always looking for more volunteers to review documents like the ACTC CIP. If you’d like to learn more about this area of transportation finance, email us at christopher@transportoakland.org or join our City Budget committee!

#2: Pedestrian Master Plan (now out!) at BPAC 4/20

What it is: The Oakland Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC) meets Thursday, April 20th at 6:00 PM at City Hall. Their agenda should be posted by Friday, April 7th. (Update: Posted now! Here’s the agenda).

What’s going on? The draft of the new Pedestrian Master Plan is now available online, after an almost two-year-long planning process. The current Pedestrian Master Plan was adopted in 2002, with updates made every five years. The BPAC will review in detail the new draft plan (you can read it here, first) and its greater emphasis on equity in prioritization and implementation of projects.

How you can get involved:  Show up for the BPAC meeting on April 20th! The BPAC’s informal environment is very welcoming to newcomers and is a great place to learn about active transportation projects and how the City works.  The Pedestrian Master Plan is getting a full hour on the BPAC agenda, so it should be an educational, in-depth look at the Plan with plenty of opportunities for input.

#3: Bicycle Master Plan contract at PWC 4/11

What it is: The Public Works Committee (PWC) meets Tuesday, April 11th at 11:30 AM at City Hall. You can find the agenda here. Skip down to page 4 for agenda item #6.

What’s going on? The Public Works Committee will be asked to authorize awarding the Oakland Bicycle Master Plan to local planning firm Alta Planning + Design. This will be Oakland’s first fresh start at a bike plan since the 2007 Bicycle Master Plan, which has been updated every five years. The new bike plan process will have a heavy emphasis on equity and engagement with underserved communities in Oakland.

How you can get involved: Join the Transport Oakland Policy Committee! Our all-volunteer group tracks the meetings of different agencies and committees, and helps spread the word when it’s important to turn people out.

While the Bike Master Plan item at the Public Works Committee is primarily about negotiating the contract, it’s still a vital step towards kicking off this long-awaited bike plan.