Informational Report on Traffic Calming
OakDOT Safe Streets Division
April 19, 2022
Recommendation
Staff Recommends That City Council Receive An Informational Report, And Recommendations, For Improving And Expediting Traffic Calming Installations Throughout Needed Locations In Oakland, Including Completion Of Installation Of Approved Speed Bumps, And Recommended Budget Adjustments To Provide For Ongoing Capacity To Ensure Traffic Safety And Pedestrian Safety Improvements Are Completed Timely Throughout Oakland, Including Status Of Implementing Traffic Calming Funding From The Current Budget.
OakDOT Traffic Calming Programs
Programs to deliver smaller-scale, nearer-term traffic calming, traffic safety and pedestrian safety improvements
Core Safety Programs:
• the Traffic Safety Service Request Program
• the School Safety Request Program
• the Speed Bump Program
• the Rapid Response Program - Fatal and Severe injury crashes Council Member Safety Projects:
• April 2021 (FY20-21) $800,000 Earmark
• July 2021 (FY21-23): ~$3 million Earmarks
Pilot Safety Projects (at the intersection of traffic safety and community violence):
• Sideshow Prevention Pilot Program (~$650,000)
• Violence Prevention Pilot Program (~$1 million for 2 years) Please note: The programs that are the focus of this informational report are notably distinct from larger-scale, more capital-intensive transportation safety projects funded through Oakland’s Capital Improvements Program (CIP), federal/state grant programs such as the Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) or the state Active Transportation Program (ATP), or safety improvements delivered through OakDOT’s Paving Program. Some of the safety issues brought to light by the above programs require larger-scale, capital-intensive solutions for which OakDOT seeks funding from the above-mentioned sources.
Focus: Traffic Safety Service requests submitted via 311 – over 1,000 received each year – to deliver traffic signs, pavement markings, and small-scale traffic calming devices focused on specific intersections or street segments to improve traffic safety by reducing traffic speeds and calming driving behavior.
Prioritization: Based on most recent crash data (5 years) with more weight for severe and fatal crashes, OakDOT Priority Equity Neighborhoods (race, income, ability and age factors), and proximate land uses accessed by vulnerable populations (e.g., schools, senior centers, libraries, health care services).
2021: Over 300 prioritized requests investigated by traffic engineering, 84 work orders issued to traffic maintenance, and 132 work orders constructed (from the current and previous years) as the teams worked to address a COVID-induced backlog. 2022/23: Continue to evaluate and respond to prioritized requests. OakDOT staff capacity and time to deliver resident-requested safety improvements in the highest priority equity areas of Oakland, where crashes occur adjacent to locations where our most vulnerable residents travel is constantly being balanced with the urgency to deliver the other programs described in this report.
Webpage:
https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/traffic-safety-requests Core Safety Programs
Traffic Safety Service Requests: Prioritizing and Delivering Quick-build, Low-Cost Safety Improvements
Traffic safety requests OakDOT receives from schools, typically from a school principal, the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) Transportation Department, a Council Office, or a Neighborhood Services Coordinator, are handled separately from the Traffic Safety Service Request prioritization process.
OakDOT assigns all school-initiated requests to staff and funding sources set aside for school-related improvements. Every request from a school is investigated for engineering improvement.
Toolkit: Signage, pavement markings, including crosswalk markings, curb paint.
Local, residential streets near schools may also be eligible for the City's Speed Bump program.
Core Safety Programs
School Safety Request Program: Prioritizing School Safety Please note that parents and neighbors concerned about school traffic issues are advised to reach out to the school administrators to raise concerns with them. School administrators in turn work with OUSD transportation staff to make appropriate recommendations. OakDOT and OUSD meet regularly to discuss school travel needs, which helps ensure that requests are consistent and prioritized within OakDOT's other activities.
Focus: Residents can petition the City to have speed bumps installed on their street.
Prioritization: Resident-driven, requiring support from two-thirds of the addresses on the block in request.
2021: 20 Speed Bumps, 3 intersection mini-bumps, and one elongated, cul-de-sac median speed bump were installed by OakDOT’s Great Streets Maintenance. Safe Streets received 63 Applications, completed design for over 70 blocks for 2022 delivery. Another 31 applications received and under review for 2023 installation.
2022/23: Due to the currently high staff vacancy rate in OakDOT’s Great Streets Maintenance program that delivers in-house paving (18 of 67 positions vacant), OakDOT staff have been working to deliver the next batch of 70+ speed bump locations with contractors targeted to start in Summer 2022. Webpage includes a link to the 2022 Speed Bumps installation schedule and applications under review for installation in 2023.
Webpage: https://www.oaklandca.gov/services/apply-for-a-speed-bump Provides background, how to apply for a speed bump and installation/review schedule.
Core Safety Programs
Speed Bump Program: Encouraging motorists to travel at safe speeds.
Focus: Coordinated response to deaths and severe injuries. May include investigations, targeted maintenance, near-term improvements and the identification and prioritization of longer-term capital needs.
Prioritization: May be activated for traffic crashes resulting in pedestrian or bicyclist fatalities, or severe injuries to pedestrians or bicyclists who are youth or seniors. May be activated for additional crashes based on individual crash circumstances. 2021: 10 Rapid Response investigations initiated. Three locations resulted in quick build improvements or expedited construction; two designs for improvements were advanced for installation in 2022; two improvements are being incorporated into forthcoming major capital projects; one major improvement recommended for the next CIP.
2022/23: Rapid Response investigations and improvements continue.
Webpage: Will be establishing a webpage in 2022 for increased transparency on traffic deaths in Oakland and associated rapid responses.
Core Safety Programs
Rapid Responses to Severe and Fatal Traffic Injuries with Near-Term Improvements
Safe Oakland Streets (SOS) Goals:
• Prevent severe and fatal crashes and related disparities impacting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, persons with disabilities, seniors and low-income populations.
• Eliminate severe and fatal injury inequities including racial disparities impacting BIPOC communities that exist today in Oakland. • Inform safety strategies that prevent injury and injury inequities, and do not have adverse equity impacts on BIPOC communities, seniors, persons with disabilities and low-income populations.
Safe Oakland Streets
These Core Safety Programs Compliment OakDOT’s Major Capital and Paving Projects for a Comprehensive Engineering Approach to Save Lives and Advance Equity KEY
Priority
Neighborhood Designation:
High
Medium-High
Medium
Low-Medium
Low
No Data
High Injury Network
Safe Oakland Streets Webpage:
https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/safe-oakland-streets
OakDOT Major Projects Map: www.oaklandca.gov/resources/active- major-improvements-project
Focus: City Council allocated $800,000 total to “allow each Member to be able to designate high-need traffic calming projects for rapid implementation.” Split equally = $100,000 per Council Office.
Prioritization: Determined by each Council Member.
Current Status:
At Large Member, Vice Mayor Kaplan – Identified East 18th Street from 5th to 14th Avenues; OakDOT assessment underway District 1, Councilmember Dan Kalb – Identified Idora Park; OakDOT assessment underway District 2, Council President Nikki Bas – Identified Lakeshore Avenue at Prince Street and Santa Ray Avenue; OakDOT assessment underway
District 3, Councilmember Carroll Fife – Identified Frontage Road Safety Improvements; OakDOT is seeking a contractor for implementation District 4, Council President Pro Tempore Sheng Thao –Identified improvements related to crosswalks on Redwood Road near Safeway and pedestrian safety at 35th Ave and Kansas Street crosswalk; OakDOT assessment underway District 5, Councilmember Noel Gallo – Identified middle section of Park Boulevard; design being finalized for delivery in Summer 2022 District 6, Councilmember Loren Taylor – Identified Ney Avenue Quick-Build Traffic Calming; completed December 2021 District 7, Councilmember Treva Reid – Identified Crest Avenue Measures to Address Weekend Party Scenes/Associated Violence; design finalized, construction planning underway for delivery in Summer 2022 Webpage: https://www.oaklandca.gov/projects/traffic-safety-800k-allocation-oakdot-prioritization-and-process Provides background information on OakDOT programs, costs, and status of the $800,000 allocation by Council District Council Member Safety Projects
$800,000 in Council Earmarks: April 2021 (FY20-21)
Focus: City Council amended the FY 2021-23 Biennial Budget to increase OakDOT’s operational capacity by approximately $3 million to implement specific, earmarked traffic safety projects using OakDOT’s fund balance in Measure BB Transportation Sales Tax from Fiscal Year 2020-2021.
The budget action additionally added a Transportation Engineer position for the Traffic Engineering Section of OakDOT and a Public Works Maintenance Worker for the Traffic Maintenance Section.
This fund balance existed due to financial challenges resulting from the COVID-19 health crisis that triggered city restrictions placed on spending and >20% vacancy rate for full-time positions.
Prioritization: Determined by specific Council Members
Status/Webpage: https://www.oaklandca.gov/projects/2021-2023-traffic-safety-earmarks Provides background and a link to a detailed table on the status of each of the earmark by location/project type. The Table is updated approximately quarterly.
Council Member Safety Projects
~$3 million in Council Earmarks: July 2021 (FY21-23)
Focus: An inter-departmental pilot of engineering strategies to support sideshow enforcement and policy efforts led by OPD and the City Administrator’s Office Prioritization: Locations identified by OPD as heavily impacted by sideshows as well as accompanying violence
2021: July 2021 Earmarks allocated ~$650K for sideshow prevention measures. An engineering pilot that included hardened centerlines and Botts’ Dots initiated at three locations, designed to reduce the area where sideshows can occur/discourage sideshow activity, with traffic safety co-benefits. OakDOT staff engaged with Caltrans regarding potential improvements at an additional two locations identified by OPD that are in Caltrans jurisdiction: 42nd Ave/International Blvd and 42nd Ave underneath the I-880. 2022: Five additional locations for sideshow prevention measures identified for implementation in Spring 2022. Additionally, District 4 Council office specifically identified two more locations for sideshow prevention improvements as a part of traffic safety earmarks in Oakland’s 2021-2023 biennial budget.
Webpage: https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/sideshow-prevention-efforts; more detailed information including the status of individual locations.
Pilot Safety Projects
The Sideshow Prevention Pilot Program: Supportive Engineering Strategies
Focus: Addressing neighborhood‐level community violence issues in support of interagency initiatives including issues such as concentrations of violent driving, violent crime, human trafficking, etc. with a focus on areas where traffic safety concerns such as speeding co‐occur. Similar to sideshows, OakDOT has a supporting role in this work.
Prioritization: Funding is being prioritized in the police beats prioritized for the NEST (Neighborhood Enhanced Service Team) initiative – an inter-departmental city initiative led by the City Administrator’s office and focused on the police beats experiencing the highest levels of violence in Oakland (East Oakland: 34X, 30X, 26Y, 33X, 27Y, 35X; Central Oakland: 19X; West Oakland: 02X, 02Y, 07X). OakDOT is collaborating with the City Administrator’s Office, OPD and the Department of Violence Prevention through this initiative to identify and prioritize locations for pilot engineering interventions in the most impacted areas.
2021-23: July 2021 Earmarks included ~$1 million split evenly in FY21-22 and FY22-23. As of March 2022, the project identified for this funding is speed bumps on East 15th Street in police beat 19X. OakDOT will continue to work with the City Administrator’s Office, OPD, Department of Violence Prevention and Council Offices to identify additional projects for this funding in 2022.
Webpage: OakDOT will be launching a program webpage by Summer 2022 for transparency and accountability.
Pilot Safety Projects
Violence Prevention Pilot Program: Piloting Improvements to Support Community and Traffic Safety These programs are predominantly staffed by two teams in OakDOT’s Safe Streets Division.
Traffic Engineering Section
Nine employees led by a Supervising Transportation Engineer 4 FTE Transportation Engineers, 2 Vacancies -one is the new FY21-23 Earmark Positions 4 FTE Assistant Engineer
Traffic Maintenance Section
24 employees led by Public Works Supervisor II
Sign Maintenance Team: 10 FTE, 2 Vacancies
Paint Team: 13 FTE, 5 Vacancies
These operational teams are also responsible for leading and assisting on other urgent issues including developing and implementing right of ways changes to reduce the likelihood of wildfires, managing capital projects near schools, and ongoing critical traffic maintenance! Staffing
• Budget. Supply chain and costs have had
impacts. Council to receive mid-cycle budget
adjustment proposals in May. Continuation of I-
Bond is vital.
• Recruitment & Retention. Prioritize efforts
that support and retain existing staff and
expedite the recruitment and onboarding of
new staff into budgeted positions
• Policy and Procedures. Examine processes
that can lead to structural “expedition” of
processes. Remain committed to maintaining
and refining data-informed, evidence-based
systems that equitably and fairly prioritize the
allocation of limited resources
Recommendations: Challenges and Opportunities
Safe Streets Division
Megan Wier, Division Manager
[email protected]