Broadway Streetscape Improvements
- Project TypeTransportation
- Project StatusIn Process
Enhancing connectivity between Chinatown, Old Oakland, Jack London District, and the waterfront.
Sign up for email updates
About
Background
Broadway, historically Oakland's "main street," is a major high frequency transit corridor. More buses run on Broadway than on any other street in Oakland, and bus service on Broadway connects to all parts of the AC Transit system, making it a critical regional corridor. However, Broadway remains an auto-oriented street, leading to bus delays and unreliable travel times for routes serving East Oakland, North Oakland, and West Oakland. This creates barriers to travel by the AC Transit bus system, and interconnected transit systems, such as BART, Capitol Corridor, and the WETA Ferry, which connect Oakland with the larger Bay Area. Broadway is also part of Oakland's High Injury Network, meaning it is one of just 6% of streets that account for over 60% of severe and fatal traffic crashes, mostly due to speeding and not yielding to pedestrians.
Project Scope
The Broadway Streetscape Improvement project will make enhancements to bus operations, pedestrian safety, and the city's fiber optic network on Broadway between 2nd Street and 11th Street and 20th Street to Grand Avenue. Improvements include:
- Red bus-only lanes to extend the existing bus-only lanes (Phase 1) and further improve transit access and reliability
- Transit Signal Priority (TSP) at all signalized intersections to help keep the signals green for approaching buses to improve reliability
- New bus shelters, seating, and trash cans at bus stops
- Additional street trees, landscaping, and public seating along the corridor
- Pedestrian safety and accessibility measures such as large curb extensions to narrow intersections, slow turning movements, and improve yielding to people walking, new ADA curb ramps, high-visibility crosswalks, upgraded intersection safety lighting, and wayfinding signage to increase safety and visibility
- Broadway/I-880 underpass enhancements with lighting and placemaking elements to invite people to travel between neighborhoods with more comfort
- Removal of the existing slip turn at the 6th Street and Broadway off-ramp intersection to mitigate high-speed vehicular right-turns and poor sight lines between freeway off-ramp drivers and pedestrians in the crosswalk
- Fiber-optic cabling on Broadway between Embarcadero West and 7th Street to improve signal coordination through the corridor
- Upgrading traffic signals and provide protected left turns to increase safety
- Repaving the road
- Lowering the speed limit as part of a new Oakland ordinance to enhance safety
This project is currently in the final design phase.
Past Engagement and Outcomes
Several prior planning efforts have called for improvements on Broadway. These include the 2017 Pedestrian Plan, 2019 Bike Plan, Draft Downtown Oakland Specific Plan, Transit Action Strategy, Howard Terminal Transportation Plan, Capital Improvement Program, and the Oakland Alameda Access Project. As part of this prior planning work, engagement took place in the form of community and stakeholder meetings, workshops, surveys, and more. A summary of this previous engagement can be found in the Broadway Community Engagement Summary (2015-2022)(PDF, 343KB).
Building on past engagement, the project team conducted additional engagement in Summer 2023 to ensure that the project scope was in line with current stakeholder needs and to inform the conceptual plans. The Broadway Streetscape Improvements Engagement Summary (Summer 2023)(PDF, 13MB) describes the engagement approach, the feedback received, and explains how this feedback will be used to shape this project.
During Fall and Winter 2023, the project team conducted additional engagement to refine the project designs. This engagement included presentations, meetings, and an open house event. Learn more about the Community Streetscape Project Open House(PDF, 1MB). You can also watch a video of the Open House.
A final report that describes all engagement leading up to the final designs is coming soon! This report will describe how feedback informed the project designs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Broadway Streetscape Improvements
How is the project funded? Can this money be spent on other high priorities in Oakland?
These grant funds must be spent on major capital transportation improvements as originally scoped in the grant application, and they do not allow us to spend this money on our maintenance and operations, or any non-transportation related work. These funds can only be spent on the projects that were awarded. The small amount of funding from the city that is going to this project is budgeted for paving work on Broadway.
Why do the Broadway Streetscape Improvements not include bike lanes?
Broadway has limited roadway space, and bus lanes, vehicle lanes, bicycle lanes, and parking/loading areas for the Town's main commercial corridor cannot all fit along the street. A bike facility on Washington Street connects bicyclists from the waterfront to Downtown Oakland and additional bike connections will be constructed on nearby parallel streets, providing a safe, parallel route. The Martin Luther King Jr. Way Streetscape Project will be constructed at approximately the same time as the Broadway Streetscape Project and will include a high quality bike facility. Please see thismapfor existing and proposed bike facilities in Oakland.
Will the bus-only lanes allow bicycles?
The bus-only lanes will not have markings or signage that allows for bicycles because of the high volume of buses that travel on Broadway. With many buses traveling along Broadway, it would be unsafe to combine bus-bike lanes. There will be no strict law prohibiting bicyclists from using Broadway but biking in the bus only lanes on Broadway is not advised by the City.
Why can't Broadway be closed to private vehicles?
Broadway serves as a major transportation and commercial corridor for the City of Oakland. The proposed improvements will calm traffic and improve safety for all users, while considering access for businesses, such as loading zones. While some survey respondents have requested to make Broadway a car-free street, community members have requested that vehicle lanes remain on Broadway so as not to divert vehicle traffic into nearby residential streets.
Will parking be removed on Broadway?
On-street parking on Broadway between 20th Street and Grand Avenue is not expected to change. Some ADA-accessible parking spaces may be added on Broadway and on side streets in order to comply with current city standards. Parking impacts on Broadway between 2nd and 11th Street will be finalized during the design process, and will depend on whether bus stops are relocated, where bulb-outs are constructed, and the loading needs of businesses.
Why doesn't Broadway have light rail or streetcars instead of buses?
Constructing light rail or streetcars today is extremely costly and does not allow the flexibility of service that buses provide.
Why does Broadway need bus-only lanes?
Adding bus-only lanes improves travel time and bus reliability which will help those who depend on transit service. Broadway has the highest number of buses per hour than any other street in the East Bay and ridership on Broadway is closer to pre-pandemic levels than most other AC Transit bus lines. In addition, the bus lanes on Broadway will improve critical regional transit connections between/to BART and the Tempo Bus Rapid Transit stations in Downtown Oakland to the Ferry Terminal and Amtrak Station in Jack London.
How is maintenance being considered on this project?
OakDOT works within and across City departments to help inform details of the project design. The design team will select materials that are as durable as possible, and that can be most easily and readily maintained by City crews. OakDOT continues to explore additional opportunities to meet our growing maintenance needs, including strategies, funding, and partnerships, to support these investments in street improvement projects through the near and long term.