Prompted by community members’ concerns and the leadership of City Councilmembers in Council Districts 1 and 4, the City of Oakland is continuing to develop solutions to address a serious public safety issue regarding emergency vehicle access through narrow streets. This is especially an issue in Oakland’s hills where residents have reported delays in emergency response due to parked cars blocking the roadway, leaving too narrow a space for typically-larger emergency vehicles to safely pass. New signs and enforcement efforts were launched in 2017, with input from the Oakland Fire Department, Oakland Public Works, the Oakland Department of Transportation and the City Administrator’s Office.
PROJECT OBJECTIVE: Create safe conditions in the Oakland Hills, ensure travel for emergency vehicles and residents in times of emergency. Raise community awareness about parking choices and how they affects residents living and visiting the Oakland Hills.
PROJECT APPROACH: Use a pilot program where the City identifies problem streets, restricts parking on narrow streets and enforces parking. Create educational materials about safe parking habits, Red Flag days, residents’ and city’s emergency needs and saving human and animal lives in an emergency situations.
TARGET AREA: Neighborhoods north of Highway 13 between the Contra Costa/Berkeley border (to the west) and Castro Valley border (to the east).
STREET SELECTION: The Fire Department provided a list of areas where it has been difficult for emergency vehicles to pass; the Paving Program provided a list of streets less than 20 feet wide; Council offices conducted an online survey of Hills residents to find out which areas they were concerned about. The locations that were common on all three lists made it into the Pilot Program. As a result, “No Parking Any Time” signs were installed in the following locations:
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Council District 1 |
Council District 4 |
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Charing Cross Rd. between Sherwick Dr. and Tunnel Rd. |
Capricorn Ave. between Florence Terr. and Broadway Terr. |
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Grand View Dr. between Dorothy Pl. and Vicente Pl. |
Butters Dr. between Crestmont Dr. and Joaquin Miller Rd. |
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Vicente Pl. between Vicente Rd. and Westview Dr. |
Merriewood Cir. between Merriewood Dr. and Nottingham Dr. |
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Buckingham Blvd. between Bristol Dr. and Norfolk Rd. |
Westover Dr. between Thackeray Dr. and Shelterwood Dr. |
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Marlborough Terr. between Norfolk Rd. and Grizzly Peak East Bay Regional Park |
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Norfolk Rd. between Strathmoor Dr. and North End |
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Sherwick Dr. between Charing Cross and Bristol Dr. |
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Charing Cross Rd. between Sherwick Dr. and Tunnel Rd. |
ENFORCEMENT
Parking enforcement technicians are routinely visiting the pilot areas to ticket vehicles parked illegally.
Enforcement is also available to respond to resident calls from Monday through Friday, 8:30pm to 5:00pm. If you witness a violation, please call (510) 238-3099 and a technician will be dispatched to the area and issue citations.
NEXT STEPS
Staff and City Council offices are currently studying what next steps can be taken to ensure this project’s success and continue to provide improved safety for residents. This page will be updated periodically to reflect any adjustments or additional plans.