Pushing for quick start
In response to many calls from residents concerned about constantly having to dodge cars, Oakland applied for and has received a generous $10.5 million state grant to add protected bike lanes to 14th Street, from Oak Street to 980, right through downtown. The project will complete a daunting gap in Oakland’s bikeway network, connecting both West Oakland and East Lake neighborhoods to City Hall, BART and many popular destinations in between.
The project is also a timely opportunity to develop a more people-focused vision for 14th Street, and expand upon successes of the Black Arts District and Chinatown, while improving access to many civic destinations. A redesigned 14th Street will also add predictability to what can be a chaotic street scene, giving bikes a dedicated place to ride, and local traffic its own travel lane away from bikes. Shoppers, patrons and transit riders benefit from having to walk cross one lane of calmer traffic in each direction in order to get to local businesses or a bus stop on the other side of the street.
What you can do:
- Sign up for updates on bike advocacy in Oakland
- If you live or work on 14th St. and want to volunteer, get in touch with us at Volunteer@BikeEastBay.org
Safety First
It’s not difficult to spot 14th Street on this map showing crashes involving bicycles over the past five years:
No street in downtown Oakland has had more collisions overall (walking, driving, bicycling) than 14th Street, making it one of the most dangerous streets in Oakland. Reducing travel lanes to one in each direction makes the street eminently safer for all users, including for people who drive 14th Street. It does so by establishing more people-friendly traffic speeds, which has an added benefit of bringing more people to the street and increasing sales at local businesses. People mean business.
Street Redesign Options for People
- New street trees
- Pedestrian and bus stop lighting
- String lights connect Downtown and Lake Merritt to Black Arts Movement Business District
- Shorter pedestrian crossings
- Expanded sidewalk space
- Protected bike lanes
- Additional street parking (+60 in 1 block radius)
- Slower, calmer traffic flow
- Upgraded bus boading areas
- Improved wheelchair access
- Landscaping and “rain gardens”
14th Street is a Major Bikeway Gap
The Lake Merritt Boulevard bikeway is fully complete, connecting the bike lanes on Lakeshore Blvd around the lake to the intersection of Oak St & 14th St. There the bike lanes stop. And that’s where our campaign starts. At the other end of 14th Street, Oakland striped bike lanes in 2012 on 14th St in West Oakland, up to Brush St (near 980), and Caltrans recently striped bike lane on the overpass of 980. Again, the bike lanes stop there. We need to complete this super-important gap in the Oakland bikeway network and connect West Oakland to Downtown, and connect East Lake to Downtown.
Project Timeline
- 2015: Identifying Community Priorities
- 2016: Corridor Design
- 2017/2018: Secured Funding
- 2019-2022: Final Design
- 2023: Construction
What you can do:
- Sign up for updates on bike advocacy in Oakland
- If you live or work on 14th St. and want to volunteer, get in touch with us at Volunteer@BikeEastBay.org
What bikeway elements do you want on 14th St?
Here are some innovative new bikeway tools that Oakland can consider, that other American cities are already using.
- 4-2 lane reduction with bike lanes
- protected bike lanes with physical barrier between you and traffic
- 2-way cycle track, as shown above (Read our blog on 1-way vs 2-way protected bike lanes)
- queue boxes for left turning movements
- green paint in conflict zones and to highlight start of bike lanes at each block
- traffic signals timed for bicycle speeds
- more on-street bike parking corrals
- other awesome ideas? bring them on a ride with us For more information on these innovative ideas, go to NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide
For more information on these innovative ideas, go to NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide