The City of Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) Racial Equity Team (RET) supports the broad vision directly expressed in the OakDOT Strategic Plan for equitable outcomes in transportation for all of Oakland’s diverse constituencies. The OakDOT RET will work to implement this vision in accordance with the OakDOT Strategic Plan, with the support of the Department Director through the adoption of the Racial Equity Charter (hereafter referred to as the Charter), and execution of the OakDOT Racial Equity Action Plan (hereafter referred to as the Action Plan). The overall mission of the RET is to end systemic causes of racial disparity through improving and developing policies, programs, and practices at OakDOT. This is a challenging and long-term effort that requires dedication and commitment from all levels of staff.
The OakDOT RET is guided by:
- Oakland Municipal Code 2.29.170 - Department of Race and Equity
- Department of Race & Equity
- OakDOT Strategic Plan
- OakDOT RET Racial Equity Charter
OakDOT RET has five (5) subcommittees:
Capacity Building - The Capacity Building Subcommittee works to build OakDOT's organizational capacity for racial equity. Through events, trainings, and resources (podcasts, articles), we support staff in having everything they need to further racial equity in their work. We understand that staff must have shared language around individual, institutional, and structural racism to do racial equity work. We support staff wherever they are and hold OakDOT accountable for creating a work environment that supports staff learning about racism and living through racism.
Community Engagement - The mission of the Community Engagement Subcommittee is to increase our department’s understanding of, commitment to, and investment in robust public engagement that prioritizes Oakland’s most underserved communities. Cities do the most good when they are designed and implemented with the coordination of the people receiving service. We know there are significant disparities regarding which Oakland communities are able to access resources, influence decision-making and demand the City’s attention. We will work toward rebalancing this disparity by establishing transparent and equitable standards for community engagement, working with our leadership and staff to provide the necessary support and resources to meet those standards, and holding our leadership accountable for sustained commitment to this work.
Data Analytics - The mission of the Data Analytics Subcommittee is to advance equity through data driven analysis. By providing tools for equity analysis, we will hold the Department of Transportation accountable to the equity goals of the Strategic Plan.
Digital Services - The mission of the Digital Services Subcommittee is to apply our department’s equity values to the processes by which OakDOT provides information and services with digital tools. We will seek to use digital communications tools to hold our leadership, our colleagues and ourselves accountable for our equity work and make that work accessible and clear for the Oakland community. We will consult, advise, and in some cases train and support our colleagues in the process of producing digital content. We will advocate for applying an equity lens to our department’s progress to deliver more services and better services through digital tools. As the City of Oakland continues to expand an emphasis on digital services, we will work to establish OakDOT as a model for applying equity principles to that expansion.
Recruitment & Retention - The mission of the Recruitment and Retention Subcommittee is to adopt and adapt equitable policies that result in a diverse staff reflective of the community we serve.
Traffic Enforcement - The RET Traffic Enforcement Subcommittee is dedicated to ending racial inequities in traffic enforcement. We advise and serve as a resource to community- and department-led efforts to improve transportation safety and minimize harmful interactions between police officers and communities of color. These efforts include: deprioritizing and decriminalizing common behaviors by bicyclists and pedestrians that do not typically endanger public safety; investing in social services as an alternative to armed enforcement; design and implementation of engineering-based solutions that improve roadway safety; changing local and state laws to support traffic safety, including automated speed enforcement, camera-based-ticketing, and reintroduction of red-light cameras; and evaluation of structural changes within City departments that facilitate these efforts.