Cities Index.
View Report

Oakland City Council
June 21, 2022

Document
View Report
Meeting
June 21, 2022
Body
Oakland City Council
Original file
380 KB
Text extracted from the city's file for reading and search. Open the original on oakland.legistar1.com. That file is the official record.

Oakland City Council
April 19, 2022

RECOMMENDATION

AGENDA REPORT

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.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This informational report responds to a request from Vice Mayor Kaplan at the City Council meeting on March 1, 2022. Vice Mayor Kaplan made a scheduling motion, seconded by Councilmember Gallo, to schedule this item to the April 19, 2022 City Council meeting.

The Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) Safe Streets Division manages a number of programs to deliver smaller-scale, nearer-term traffic calming, traffic safety and pedestrian safety improvements to Oakland residents, including core safety programs, Council member safety projects and pilot safety projects.

Core programs for this work are:

• the Traffic Safety Service Request Program, responding primarily to the 311 Call Center; • the School Safety Request Program, responding to individual schools, the school district, and other City departments;
• the Speed Bump Program, responding to neighborhood petitions; and • the Rapid Response Program, responding to fatal and severe injury crashes primarily involving pedestrians and bicyclists.

In addition to the above programs, the City Council has recently allocated additional funding for specific safety projects identified by Council members:

TO: Edward D. Reiskin FROM: Ryan Russo
City Administrator Director, Oakland
Department of
Transportation
SUBJECT: Informational Report on Traffic
Calming
DATE: April 1, 2022

City Administrator Approval Date: Apr 6, 2022

Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Informational Report on Traffic Calming
Date: April 19, 2022 Page 2
Oakland City Council
April 19, 2022

• April 2021: City Council allocated $800,000 total for minor traffic safety projects identified by City Council offices.
• July 2021: City Council amended the Fiscal Year (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 FY 2020-2021.

Finally, OakDOT has innovated its programmatic work to address urgent safety issues for Oakland residents and established the following additional pilot programs since 2021, which now have specific funding from the July 2021 Council Earmarks described above:

• The Sideshow Prevention Pilot Program
• The Violence Prevention Pilot Program

The above programs – core safety programs, Council member safety projects and pilot safety projects – are the focus of this informational report. Specifically, this informational report discusses each program’s focus, prioritization approach, FY 2021 accomplishments, FY 2022 and 2023 deliverables, and recommendations to improve and expedite their delivery to meet the needs of Oakland residents.

BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

The OakDOT Safe Streets Division manages a number of programs to deliver smaller-scale, nearer-term traffic calming, traffic safety and pedestrian safety improvements to Oakland residents. Additional detail is provided below regarding each of the programs’ focus, prioritization, recent accomplishments and planned deliverables, and associated webpages.

These programs are predominantly staffed by two teams in OakDOT’s Safe Streets Division. One of these teams is the Traffic Engineering Section – comprised of nine employees led by Supervising Transportation Engineer Joe Wang and c omprised of four full -time Transportation Engineers and four full -time Assistant Engineers. Of those positions, there are currently two Transportation Engineer vacancies in the Traffic Engineering section, one of which is a new position funded by the FY21-23 Earmarks. The second team is the Traffic Maintenance Section – led by Public Works Supervisor II Jamie Ramey and comprised of the teams that lead Street Sign and Paint installation and maintenance. The Sign staff are led by a Public Works Supervisor I and have two full- time staff that make signs in the Sign Shop and seven full -time Sign Maintenance Workers. The Signs Team has two vacancies – the Sign Shop Coordinator and a Sign Maintenance Worker. The Paint Team is led by a Public Works Supervisor I and has six full- time Painters and six full- time Public Works Maintenance Workers. The Paint Team has two Painter vacancies and three Public Works Maintenance Worker vacancies.

Please note that all of the following 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 Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Informational Report on Traffic Calming
Date: April 19, 2022 Page 3
Oakland City Council
April 19, 2022

the safety issues brought to light by the following programs require larger-scale, capital-intensive solutions for which OakDOT seeks funding from the above-mentioned sources.

In addition, it is important to recognize that these operational teams are called to assist in other urgent issues that are frequently identified – including developing and implementing right of ways changes to reduce the likelihood of wildfires and changes related to quality of life concerns.

This report addresses, core safety programs, Council member safety projects and pilot safety projects.

Core Safety Programs

Core programs for this work are described more below, and are as follows:

• Traffic Safety Service Request Program
• School Safety Request Program
• Speed Bump Program
• Rapid Response Program

Traffic Safety Service Request Program: One of the most public-facing processes to address traffic safety concerns of Oakland residents is the OAK 311 service request process. OakDOT’s Safe Streets Division has a traffic engineering team that evaluates every roadway safety request we receive and provide a response regarding whether OakDOT will be taking engineering action. The volume of traffic safety requests has seen growth over the years and currently we receive more than 1,000 annual service requests from our residents, merchants, advocacy groups, contractors, neighboring jurisdictions, and partner transportation agencies. OakDOT staff deliver quick -build and low -cost safety improvements —typically using 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 in response to 311 requests.

Because requests and the need in Oakland far exceed staff capacity, OakDOT uses servic e request prioritization criteria that prioritizes locations for improvements based on the most recent available 5 years of crash data with more weight for severe and fatal crashes, OakDOT Priority Equity Neighborhoods based on factors including race, income, disability and age, and proximate land uses accessed by vulnerable populations (e.g., schools, senior centers, libraries, health care services). This updated prioritization approach was implemented in 2021 and OakDOT published a webpage to increase transparency which includes a detailed methodology and interactive map:
https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/traffic-s
afety-requests (Attachment A). At its core, this model
supports OakDOT staff to prioritize and implement safety improvements in the highest priority equity areas of Oakland, where severe and fatal crashes are concentrated adjacent to locations where the most vulnerable residents travel. Prior to establishing the prioritization process, many requestors received no response and limited resources would be directed to issues identified by those who could most persistently and/or emphatically press their case (i.e. the “essay contest” system).

Traffic Safety 311 Service Requests have increased from roughly 850 in 2018 to over 1,000 in 2020 and 2021. In 2021, over 300 prioritized requests were investigated by the traffic engineering Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Informational Report on Traffic Calming
Date: April 19, 2022 Page 4
Oakland City Council
April 19, 2022

team, with 84 work orders issued to traffic maintenance as a result, and 132 work orders constructed by traffic maintenance (from the current and previous years) . This work included marking or upgrading school crosswalks at 11 intersections in the weeks before school started again in August 2021. Work to respond to Traffic Safety 311 Service Requests continues in 2022.

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.

School Safety Request Program: 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 prioritization process described above. 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. Generally, the toolkit of short-turnaround measures includes signage and pavement markings including crosswalk markings and curb painting. Local, residential streets near schools may also be eligible for the City's Speed Bump program. 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.

Speed Bump Program: The Speed Bump Program is primarily resident-driven, requiring support from two-thirds of the addresses on the block in request. This is different from the Traffic Safety Request Program mentioned above which uses a data -driven prioritization process. Residents may apply for a speed bump any time by submitting an application found on OakDOT’s Speed Bump webpage: https://www.oaklandca.gov/services/apply -for-a-speed-bump (Attachment B). Every speed bump request is evaluated by OakDOT's Safe Streets Division with input from the Oakland Fire Department and AC Transit for their operational needs such as vehicle size and travel/response time. Staff updated the speed bump web page to include the status of active applications to help address public inquiries.

In 2021, 20 residential speed bumps, 3 intersection mini -bumps, and one elongated, cul-de-sac median bump were installed by OakDOT’s Great Streets Maintenance. In the same year, Safe Streets Traffic Engineering received 63 applications and completed designs for over 70 blockss scheduled for 2022 delivery. An additional 31 applications have been received and are under review for 2023 installation. Due to the currently high staff vacancy rate in Great Streets Maintenance who also delivers in- house paving (18 of 67 positions are currently vacant), Safe Streets is working to deliver the next batch of speed bumps with contractors, which is targeted to start in Summer 2022 focused on the 70 or more locations. The webpage includes a link to a table of speed bumps scheduled for installation in 2022 as well as applications under review for installation in 2023 (Attachment C).

The Rapid Response Program: A Rapid Response is a coordinated OakDOT effort in the days and weeks following a traffic death, focused on fatalities involving people walking or biking, that may include investigations, targeted maintenance, innovative near -term improvements and the identification and prioritization of longer-term capital needs. Attachment D includes a recent Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Informational Report on Traffic Calming
Date: April 19, 2022 Page 5
Oakland City Council
April 19, 2022

presentation on the program given by OakDOT staff to the Bicyclist and Pedestrian Advisory Commission.

In 2021, 10 Rapid Response investigations to severe and fatal crashes – focused on vulnerable road users - were initiated by OakDOT. Three locations resulted in quick build improvements or expedited construction: Bancroft Ave & 100th Ave; Foothill Blvd & Mitchell St; Park Blvd at 3800 block. Two designs for improvements were advanced for installation in 2022: MacArthur Blvd & Chetwood; 23rd Ave and E. 27 th St. Two improvements are being incorporated into forthcoming major capital projects: Harrison St & 10th St; Bancroft Ave & 85th Ave. One major improvement is recommended to be advanced in the next CIP: Hegenberger Rd & Hamilton St. In 2022, OakDOT will be establishing a webpage for increased transparency for rapid responses which continue in response to death and severe injury on Oakland streets.

These core programs also play a critical role in a broader set of engineering strategies implemented by OakDOT for Oakland’s Safe Oakland Streets (SOS) initiative, which was launched in 2021 with the following 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.

The SOS focuses on six areas of strategy implementation to save lives and prevent severe injuries: engineering; policy; planning and evaluation; engagement, education, and programs; and enforcement. Staff from OakDOT, the Oakland Police Department (OPD), the City Administrator’s Office and the Department of Race and Equity will be providing an informational report on the status of that work to the May 24, 2022 Public Works Committee.

Council Member Safety Projects

In addition to the above programs, in the last year the City Council has twice allocated additional funding for specific safety projects identified by Council members.

April 2021 (FY20-21) $800,000 Earmark: 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 among the eight Council offices (seven geographic districts and one citywide at -large office) this provides $100,000 per Council Office to identify specific expenditure priorities.

OakDOT developed a webpage (https: //www.oaklandca.gov/projects/traffic-safety-800k- allocation-oakdot-prioritization-and-process) (Attachment E) to provide background information on the costs of traffic safety treatments and how OakDOT organizes and approaches traffic safety work in an effort to align the Council process of identifying projects for funding with the Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Informational Report on Traffic Calming
Date: April 19, 2022 Page 6
Oakland City Council
April 19, 2022

aforementioned core existing programs. Following is the status of the $800,000 allocation by Council District, which is also detailed on the webpage and updated regularly (including with the status of individual installations):

• At Large Member, Vice Mayor Kaplan – Identified East 18th Street f rom 5th to 14th Avenues; OakDOT assessment underway
• District 1, Councilmember Dan Kalb – Project Identification still to be determined • 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 - Project Identification still to be determined
• 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

July 2021 (FY21- 23) ~$3 million: 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 Tr ansportation 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 a vacancy rate of over 20 percent for full -time positions. OakDOT developed a webpage (https://www.oaklandca.gov/projects/2021-2023-traffic-safety-earmarks) (Attachment F ) that includes a detailed table listing each location-specific traffic safety project identified and prioritized as part of this budget process (Attachment G) to report on the status of those projects, which is updated approximately quarterly.

Pilot Safety Projects

OakDOT continues to adapt and innovate its programmatic work to address urgent safety issues for Oakland residents that intersect with transportation safety – including sideshows and community violence. The July 2021 earmark established funding for the following pilot programs, building on work that was already underway by OakDOT’s Safe Streets Division:

• The Sideshow Prevention Pilot Program : Because there are no established best - practice strategies to prevent sideshows, the City has embarked on an inter-departmental pilot led by OPD and the City Administrator’s Office with support from OakDOT to see what engineering strategies can be implemented to support enforcement efforts at some of the most impacted intersections in Oakland . Starting in Spring of 2021, OakDOT began implementing a pilot of engineering treatments at three locations designed to Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Informational Report on Traffic Calming
Date: April 19, 2022 Page 7
Oakland City Council
April 19, 2022

reduce the area where sideshows can occur and discourage sideshow activity. Hardened centerlines (an OakDOT innovation) and Botts’ Dots were installed at Foothill Ave./Fairfax Ave, 35 th Ave/MacArthur Ave, High St./MacArthur Ave in support of sideshow enforcement efforts. All three locations are also on the high injury network, and hardened centerlines have safety co-benefits in that they also reduce vehicle speeds while turning, when crashes – including those involving pedestrians – are more likely to occur. OakDOT staff are also 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.

The July 2021 Earmarks allocated ~$650K sideshow prevention measures, and in response OakDOT worked with the City Administrator’s Office and OPD to identify five additional locations for sideshow prevention measures in Spring 2022. Additionally, the 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. Those additional locations are MacArthur/Coolidge and MacArthur/Fruitvale.

More detailed information regarding OakDOT’s Sideshow Prevention Pilot Program including the status of individual locations is available on the program webpage:
https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/sideshow-prevention-efforts (Attachment H).

• The Violence Prevention Pilot Program: The July 2021 Earmarks also included ~$1 million split evenly in FY21- 22 and FY22 -23 to address 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. 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.

As of March 2022, the project identified for this funding are speed bumps on 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 and will be launching a program webpage by Summer 2022 for transparency and accountability.

ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES

OakDOT is greatly appreciative of the budgetary support and leadership the City Council has demonstrated around the concerns our community members have related to reckless driving and traffic safety. The department shares the City Council’s desire to plan, design and deliver needed improvements in as short a timeframe as possible and appreciates the opportunity to articulate the challenges and opportunities to that end. Before identifying those, it is important to recognize Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Informational Report on Traffic Calming
Date: April 19, 2022 Page 8
Oakland City Council
April 19, 2022

that, even in ideal conditions, from a budgetary, staffing, equipment and procurement standpoint, the processes involved to assess, design and deliver built improvements in the right of way take more time and are more expensive than is generally understood.

This informational report discusses the challenges and opportunities in three areas:

• Budget
• Recruitment & Retention
• Policy and Procedures

Budget. During each two- year budgeting cycle, OakDOT reviews available transportation funding and develops a strategic funding proposal that seeks to maximize the capacity to deliver needed improvements in the right of way. Challenges staff will be seeking to address related to the delivery of traffic calming improvements include addressing equipment needs that the teams have faced and cost increases in supplies. Generally, transportation funding has been healthy and has a positive outlook due to, within the last 10 years, an additional county transportation sales tax, the adjustment of the state gas tax and the recent passage of the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Oakland’s local infrastructure bond measure (Measure KK of 2016) has provided significant f unding to increase the number of improvements that have been implemented via capital projects including paving and sidewalk repair. OakDOT has a number of staff positions funded this way and it is important the infrastructure bond funding continue in the l ong term. OakDOT recommends that the City Council assist by supporting and helping pass an updated infrastructure bond measure currently anticipated for the November 2022 ballot. Specific recommendations around staffing, material and equipment have been developed for the mid- cycle budget adjustment and are under review by the Finance Department.

OakDOT looks forward to articulating those proposals when consolidated into Citywide budget adjustment for the Council’s consideration.

Recruitment and Retention. In ordinary times, Oakland faces challenges related to having in place the workforce to deliver needed services. In these extraordinary times, the challenge has been exacerbated and warrants sustained focused attention. First, OakDOT continues to be impacted by the ‘silver-tsunami’ of baby-boom generation employees reaching retirement age and moving on along with their skills, knowledge, expertise and leadership. This has impacted key sections involved in traffic calming project delivery. OakDOT is also being impacted related to the implementation of the City’s employee vaccination requirement. And broadly, the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the macro -economic conditions facing the city: high housing costs, inflation in other co sts like transportation, competition for talent in both the public and private sectors, and a reevaluation of career and personal priorities. (Although not specifically related to staffing, the current economic environment has additionally impacted the del ivery of traffic calming projects through periodic shortages and price changes in the materials needed for implementation.) When staff is short, achieving improvements via procured services or construction is pursued (Oakland needs and uses both approaches). However, staffing shortages in the department to process procurements limit the effectiveness of this approach. Whether work is kept in-house or contracted out, it cannot be stated more urgently that City leaders must prioritize efforts that support and retain existing staff and expedite the recruitment and onboarding of new staff into budgeted positions.

Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Informational Report on Traffic Calming
Date: April 19, 2022 Page 9
Oakland City Council
April 19, 2022

Policy and Procedures. There are many well -intentioned policies and procedures which impact the delivery of traffic calming projects. Staff recommends that policymakers examine those in detail to determine potential adjustments for more efficient and timely operations. In the area of procurement of materials, professional services and construction, policymakers could, for example, provide more administrative authority, particularly for priority activities.

Without policy or systems/procedures changes, “expediting” is simply an exercise of moving one priority in front of another. New policies, like automated speed-enforcement, if authorized at the state level, could calm traffic and lead to more equitable outcomes in multiple areas.

The City organization could probably benefit from a consistently scheduled system of reporting and accountability, rather than ad hoc scheduling requests. Procedures and policies related to recruitment and retention, which exist in places ranging from the City Charter to labor-management MOUs to administrative systems, could be examined for improvement and recognition of the need fo r hiring to keep up with growing funding needs as well as the inevitability of separations. Lastly, again, even in a perfect world of staffing and processes, it is unlikely that the City of Oakland will be able to meet every request that is made; therefore, we believe it is imperative to remain committed to maintaining and refining data- informed, evidence-based systems that equitably and fairly prioritize the allocation of limited resources.

Staff ask that the City Council commit to this approach and partner with OakDOT to explain and collaborate with communities who very much deserve response and services, particularly with regards to traffic calming and traffic safety. Oakland is a growing and dynamic city. Staff encourage that everyone involved in the project of serving this City operate with this in mind so that needed services, in this case, traffic calming improvements can be delivered efficiently and expeditiously.

FISCAL IMPACT

This item is for informational purposes only and does not have fiscal impacts.

PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST

There is a high level of public interest and need in Oakland for traffic calming and traffic safety improvements. Because of this, OakDOT is continually working to improve public facing information and communications on the programs we provide, how OakDOT prioritizes projects and what the department is delivering to meet the needs of Oakland residents. This includes developing and updating the webpages shared as attachments to this report to share in response to resident inquiries and feedback in support of transparency and accountability.

The Traffic Safety Service Request program and Speed Bump programs are explicitly in response to resident requests submitted via 311 or resident petitions. OakDOT staff also regularly attend Neighborhood Council meetings and other community forums organized by residents and Council offices in response to resident requests to share more about programs and projects and engage with residents regarding specific safety issues as well as project design. Staff also present and participate in meetings of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission, which is staffed by Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Informational Report on Traffic Calming
Date: April 19, 2022 Page 10
Oakland City Council
April 19, 2022

OakDOT. With respect to school-related traffic requests, OakDOT and OUSD meet regularly to discuss and address school traffic safety concerns.

COORDINATION

OakDOT coordinates with a number of departments and agencies on the traffic calming work described in this report, including the City Administrator’s Office, the OPD, the Oakland Fire Department, the Department of Violence Prevention, AC Transit and OUSD. Coordination efforts include: prioritizing locations for traffic calming improvements, ensuring that traffic calming improvements do not impede emergency or transit access, and supporting effective and efficient delivery of traffic calming treatments.

SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES

Economic: OakDOT’s traffic calming programs do not have direct economic benefits as they are focused on traffic safety including for people walking, biking and rolling. The program may have indirect economic benefits by slowing traffic and making Oakland more livable, as well as by preventing severe and fatal injuries and their associated direct and indirect costs to the City and society.

Environmental: OakDOT’s traffic calming programs work to create safer conditions for all road users and to support safer walking, bicycling and access to transit. This in turn has the potential to encourage and support the use of sustainable modes as an alternative to driving fossil fuel powered vehicles for transportation as well as recreation.

Race & Equity: Communities of color are disproportionately impacted by severe and fatal traffic crashes in Oakland. OakDOT prioritizes responding to Traffic Safety Service Requests in high priority equity neighborhoods with higher concentrations of communities of color, low income residents, seniors, and people with disabilities, as defined by OakDOT’s Geographic Equit y Toolbox. These requests are further prioritized by locations adjacent to places where vulnerable populations travel, such as schools, libraries, senior centers, health clinics, major transit stops, etc., and in locations with the highest rates of traffic collisions with a focus on collisions that result in severe injuries and fatalities. All traffic safety requests from OUSD school administrators are evaluated and responded to by OakDOT. Speed bumps are implemented citywide by resident request to all residents who meet the program requirements, in support of slowing speeds citywide. Traffic safety improvements in support of community violence prevention efforts are prioritized based on the police beats that are experiencing high rates of violence crime, which is disproportionately concentrated in Oakland’s communities of color. Sideshow prevention efforts are also prioritized in the most impacted areas as reported by OPD. Earmarked traffic safety projects that are not aligned with the above programs are at the discretion of Council offices and are not prioritized based on equity criteria.

Edward D. Reiskin, City Administrator
Subject: Informational Report on Traffic Calming
Date: April 19, 2022 Page 11
Oakland City Council
April 19, 2022

ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL

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.

For questions regarding this report, please contact Megan Wier, Safe Streets Division Manager, at [email protected].

Respectfully submitted,

RYAN RUSSO
Director, Department of Transportation

Reviewed by:

Fred Kelley, Assistant Director

Prepared by:

Megan Wier, Division Manager
Joe Wang, Supervising Transportation
Engineer
Safe Streets Division

Attachments (8):

Attachment A. Webpage: Traffic Safety Requests

Attachment B. Webpage: How to Apply for a Speed Bump and Active Applications Attachment C. Table: OakDOT Speed Bump Application Status List: March 21, 2022 Attachment D. Slide Deck: OakDOT Safe Streets Divisions Rapid Response Attachment E. Webpage: $800K Allocation for High Priority Traffic Calming and Speed Bumps Attachment F. Webpage: 2021-2023 Traffic Safety Earmarks Attachment G. Table: FY2021-23 Council Earmarked Projects/Programs Attachment H. Webpage: OakDOT Sideshow Prevention Efforts

← All documents from this meeting