Thank Oakland for improving the bikeway to Mills College

They heard your calls

The City of Oakland is hearing your calls for a safer bike ride to Mills College on MacArthur Blvd, but we are not there yet. At its January 20 meeting, Oakland’s Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee heard the update that the City is looking at adding bike lanes on MacArthur Blvd between High Street and Enos Ave, adjacent 580, as part of this Spring’s repaving project. However, there is still some resistance and the project does not get us all of the way to Mills College, like it should. The City needs to continue to hear from us – either a thank you if you have already voiced your support or a much-needed call for more safe bicycle access on this ‘angry’ stretch or roadway. Request that the City “complete the bikeway to Mills!” Not sure which Council District you live in.

Districts 4 and 6 Map

• Jean Quan: Mayor of Oakland Phone: (510) 238-3141 / via Jean Quan’s web contact form, via email directly: jofficeofthemayor@oaklandnet.com

• Richard Cowan RCowan@oaklandnet.com Phone: (510) 238-3990

• Desley Brooks: District 6 Phone: 510-238-7006 Fax: 510-238-6910 Desley Brooks’ web contact form

• Libby Schaaf: Email: dbrooks@oaklandnet.com District 4 Phone: (510) 238-7004 Contact Libby Schaaf via her contact page . 

The Project will reduce the number of travel lanes on MacArthur Blvd down to one in each direction (except in a few locations near 580 and at 55th), significantly widen sidewalks and create a pedestrian pathway, eliminate the sweeping right turns at the corners of Mills College campus, introduce a dog park with sculptures at 580, and plant over 400 new trees along the roadway. This is a great project that the Bicycle Coalition fully supports. Because it is such a substantial project, it is going to cost an estimated $15-$20 million to implement and take many years. However, we can get some much needed safety improvements done sooner as part of next year’s (2011) scheduled repaving project on MacArthur Blvd at Mills College.

East Bay Bicycle Coalition members provided great input on this important project and we incorporated your ideas into our Public Comment Letter, which we have submitted to city staff (attached below). The Maxwell Park neighborhood is well-organized and is championing some serious roadway improvements on the mile-long stretch of MacArthur Blvd between the Laurel District and Mills College. As a result, Oakland is dedicating over $313,000 in planning grants to redesign the roadway to improve walkability and provide bike lanes. Oakland Staff presented concepts for this project to the Oakland Bicycle &Pedestrian Advisory Committee on September 16, 2010 and received a lot of good feedback on concepts we like and ideas and opportunities for improvements. On July 28, 2010, neighbors joined City staff, members of the Bicycle Coalition, Mills College staff and other stakeholders in the 3rd neighborhood planning meeting to date. City staff showed off wonderful new designs for a much narrower MacArthur Blvd, with:

• one vehicle lane in each direction (a ‘road diet’),

• bike lanes the entire stretch of the project (from High St to Seminary Ave),

• wider sidewalks,

• improved crosswalks,

• elimination of the ridiculously wide right turn lanes that surround the campus of Mills College,

• improved bus stops, and

• a ‘plaza’ park under 580, possibly a sculpture park or a dog park

EBBC has submitted a letter of support (attached below) that includes our ideas for improving the project, particularly at a few spots that are problematic (check out ‘Issues to Consider’ below). If you live and ride in the neighborhood, and particularly if you work at Mills or go to school there, please review the draft plans online and provide your input to:

• Iris Starr City of Oakland Public Works Agency 250 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Suite 4344 Oakland CA 94612 istarr@oaklandnet.com

Some Issues to Consider:

• High Street to Greenacre Rd on MacArthur Blvd: Plans include keeping three travel lanes along this stretch, which only allows for a narrow bike lane. EBBC is asking that the 2nd northbound lane be studied furthur and eliminated if possible. Either way, the bike lane should be widened and the adjacent travel lane narrowed. Also, the 580 on-ramp includes two on ramp lanes. It is dangerous for cyclists to continue south on MacArthur across this double on-ramp design. EBBC is asking that the on-ramps be redesigned to eliminate the free right-turning movement onto the on-ramps, creating an intersection-like right turn onto the freeway. This would allow for a signalized crossing of the bike lane and the right-turning traffic;

• Plaza Park: under 580:

  MacArthur Blvd at 580: badly in need of bike lanes

  The roadway connection northbound will be eliminated, requiring motorist to go around the new plaza park, but a multiuse pathway will be installed to allow cyclists and pedestrians a more direct route toward the Laurel District. However, at the freeway off-ramp intersection just south of 580, it is difficult for cyclists going to Mills College, to turn left and merge onto MacArthur heading south. EBBC is asking the consultants to consider a green painted bike lane thru the intersection, to raise visibility of cyclists, and an improved treatment of the conflict area of right turning traffic around the plaza park (this is a bit difficult to describe and much easier to draw);

• MacArthur Blvd along the campus edge of Mills College There are two designs proposed, and elements from each design can be combined for the best effect (it’s not an either or). One design, the ‘tree lined blvd’ provides a center median, with bike lanes on both sides of the street and improved sidewalks and crosswalks. The 2nd design is called ‘the rustic edge’ (don’t ask) and does not include a median, but has bike lanes on the outer side of MacArthur Blvd, opposite Mills campus, and a multiuse pathway along the edge of campus. EBBC is urging the consultants to widen the design of the multiuse pathway from 8’ to 10-12’. Both designs include elimination of all of the super-wide free right turn lanes around the edge of Mills College.

• Additional Issues: Crash Data: Consultants haven’t shared crash data yet and EBBC is requesting that this important information be included in the considerations. Traffic Volumes: Consultants have agreed to provide more traffic volume data that should justify the road diet Repaving in 2011:Oakland is repaving this stretch of MacArthur in 2011, but the LAMMPS Plan will not be ready for construction until at least a couple of years later. An Interim Plan is being developed by the City and EBBC is requesting that the road diet with bike lanes be included in this Interim Plan.

Please contribute to this Blog with your additional ideas, concerns and thoughts and EBBC we relay them to the consultants and City staff. Thanks!