The City redesigned West Street between West Grand Avenue and 52nd Street, with the goal of reducing traffic collisions and speeding, making the street safer for residents, and more comfortable for pedestrians and bicyclists. The project was part of the Department of Transportation’s 2019 three-year paving plan and implemented recommendations in Oakland's Pedestrian Plan (2017)and Bicycle Plan (2019).
In the Documents section below, find the project feasibility study, appendices, and mailers sent to residents.
Project Design Elements
The project paved the length of the street, upgraded curb ramps to meet accessibility standards, and adjusted the lane configuration, replacing the two-way center turn lane with a six-foot wide striped median and adding striped buffers to the existing bike lanes. Other features included:
- High visibility crosswalks;
- Raised pedestrian safety islands at six crosswalks;
- Raised corner islands (also known as protected intersections) to slow turning vehicles and shorten bicycle and pedestrian crossings at 27th Street and W MacArthur Boulevard;
- A median refuge area for northbound bicyclists crossing San Pablo Ave created by removing the northbound left turn pocket at Isabella Street;
- One speed hump and six speed cushions (with emergency vehicle pass-throughs); and
- Two raised intersections.
Geographic Context
West Street from W Grand Avenue to 52nd Street is a collector roadway, 1.6 miles in length, connecting Oakland’s Hoover-Foster, Longfellow, and Santa Fe neighborhoods. To the north, it connects to the 52nd Street/Genoa Street Neighborhood Bike Route (Bicycle Boulevard), and to the south with bike lanes on W Grand Avenue. It intersects with existing bikeways at San Pablo Avenue, 27th Street, W MacArthur Boulevard, and 40th Street, as well as proposed bikeways at 42nd Street and 45th Street. School crosswalks serve “The Center” food education school (OUSD), Hoover Elementary, The Oakland Military Institute, and Yu Ming Charter School. Bike lanes were first installed on West Street 1997 (the City's second bike lane facility).
