Lake Merritt is the heart of Oakland. We are petitioning for a continuous, 2-way protected cycletrack all the way around the lake.
This is both to protect and support people walking & rolling, as well as inspire folks to bring this type of facility to every corner of town.
This project will add a 2-way concrete protected bikeway along Lake Merrit between E 18th and El Embarcadero, along with full repaving, crosswalk upgrades, and bus boarding islands.
The project plans and other details have been published to the City of Oakland landing page here.
This work will extend the 2-way cycletrack on the lake side up Harrison to Grand then around the corner on Grand to Bay Place. It will also add directional protected bike lanes on each side of Harrison from Grand to 27th Street, and add a protected intersection at Harrison/Grand.
Further project info is available on the City of Oakland website here. Project construction is expected to extend into 2026.
Campaign Map
Click the map for details about each project segment
Lakeshore Ave Cycletrack
After a fatal crash in August 2023, an appeal letter to the Mayor was submitted asking for fast action on protected bikeway upgrades along Lakeshore Avenue, and endorsed by Bike East Bay, Traffic Violence Rapid Response, Transport Oakland, and Walk Oakland Bike Oakland.
Click here to view the letter.
We were so pleased that, in response, Oakland DOT agreed to install a two-way protected bikeway along the west side of Lakeshore Ave from E 18th to El Embarcadero. Construction started in July 2025, be completed in 2026.
A March 2024 project update is available here
IN MEMORY OF Maia Correia
In early August 2023 we were devastated to learn about a crash that occurred on Lakeshore Avenue at Hanover Avenue, which took the life of four-year-old Maia Correia.
Maia was in a child seat on her father’s bike, riding in the painted bike lake on Lakeshore Ave when the driver of a parked car opened a door into their path, causing them to crash. Though wearing a helmet, Maia suffered a traumatic brain injury and was not able to recover. More details about this incident were reported by Oaklandside’s Jose Fermoso here.
If a physically protected bikeway was provided on this street, like the two-way cycletrack already built on Lakeside Ave west of Lake Merritt (photo below), this crash could have been prevented. A protected bikeway was recommended in Oakland’s bike plan update in 2019, but not implemented in time to prevent this tragedy.
More media links:
Contact
Email or call these Oakland elected officials to let them know you support quick-build protected bikeway upgrades:
Mayor Sheng Thao
510-238-3141
officeofthemayor@oaklandca.gov
Nikki Fortunato Bas, District 2 Councilmember
510-238-7002
nfbas@oaklandca.gov
Rebecca Kaplan, At-Large Councilmember
510-238-7008
atlarge@oaklandca.gov
Lake merritt Cycletrack
A continuous, protected two-way cycletrack all the way around Lake Merritt is critical not only for local safety needs there, but also as an example to show the quality of all ages and abilities infrastructure that Oakland is capable of.
Everyone from all corners of Oakland visits the lake, so enabling people to experience a safe, high quality facility here will inspire more support and advocacy for similar installations in more neighborhoods.
Above is a map showing the status of various cycletrack segments, color coded with green meaning completed, yellow meaning funded and on the way, blue meaning in design, and red meaning recommended but in need of support to move them forward.
Complete
This project called “Lakeside Green Streets” opened in June 2019, and has been extremely popular. This is an example of the type of facility we want to see all around Lake Merritt. Info here:Â https://www.oaklandca.gov/news/2019/measure-dd-at-work-lakeside-green-streets-project-grand-opening
IN THE WORKS
A 2-way protected cycletrack along the lake side between E 18th St and El Embarcadero started construction in July 2025, for completion in 2026: https://www.oaklandca.gov/projects/lakeshore-avenue-separated-bike-lanes-project
Thank you to everyone who petitioned to help save the construction funding as part of the city’s budget deliberations in 2024!
This project called “Lakeside Family Streets” started construction in 2025, for completion in early 2026.
It will extend the existing cycletrack and add a protected intersection at Harrison/Grand.
Info here: https://www.oaklandca.gov/projects/lakeside-family-streets
This project includes an extension of the 2-way cycletrack along the lake, from 19th to 17th Street. To be delivered with paving in 2026.
Info here: https://www.oaklandca.gov/projects/lake-merritt-bikeway
This project includes an extension of the 2-way cycletrack along the lake, and a one-way protected bikeway on the far side of the street, from 14th to International. To be delivered with paving in 2026.
Info here: https://www.oaklandca.gov/projects/lake-merritt-bikeway
This project extends along Grand Ave from Broadway to Elwood, to be delivered with paving in 2026.
It will include a one-way westbound protected bikeway on the north side of Grand, and on the south side will include a 2-way cycletrack from Bay Place to Bellevue and from Bellevue to El Embarcadero, with a one-way eastbound protected bikeway in between.
Advocates worked to help win a westbound car lane reduction, and the 2-way cycletrack segments contributing to the complete Lake Merritt Loop. Advocates are continuing to push for a protected bikeway continuation on Grand Ave north of Lake Park Ave.
This extension of the 2-way protected cycletrack through Lakeside Park from Grand Ave to Perkins St is planned as part of a paving project on Bellevue Ave in 2026.
A 2-way protected cycletrack bikeway is in design between Lake Merritt Blvd and E 18th St as of 2025, for construction via a paving project planned in 2026 or 2027.
Recommended, but No Plan Yet
This cycletrack extension between 14th and 17th Streets was proposed by Oakland’s Department of Transportation, but was rejected by the fire department due to clearance concerns.
Currently only a northbound, painted buffer bike lane is proposed for construction in 2026.
An update to the fire code is underway to provide more design flexibility, via a partnership between city fire and transportation departments, but this project is not yet expected to be revisited.
This segment of Bellevue east of Perkins to Grand Ave received a one-way painted buffer bike lane with a paving project in 2024.
City staff have identified is as an opportunity, but there are no plans yet for converting it to a 2-way protected cycletrack.
This will be necessary in order to complete the full Lake Merritt Loop.
Here are some visualizations of what a cycletrack project on Lakeshore Ave could look like, within the existing road width. This includes cross sections both with and without a center turn lane.Â
Join our Advocacy Mailing List
Stay updated on each campaign by indicating your interests below!
Thank you to Maia’s family members for reaching out and collaborating with us on this effort, to Pendarvis Harshaw for connecting us, to the members of the Oakland Bicyclist and Pedestrian Advisory Commission, and to our friends and partners at Traffic Violence Rapid Response and Walk Oakland Bike Oakland for support and coordination.