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February 24, 2026
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Josh Rowan
City Administrator Director, Oakland
Department of
Transportation
SUBJECT: Oakland Alameda Access Project –
Delegated Maintenance Agreement
Amendment
DATE: February 10, 2026
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To Negotiate And Execute An Amendment To The 1991 Delegated Maintenance Agreement (DMA) Between The City Of Oakland And California Department Of Transportation (Caltrans) To Include Maintenance Activities Related To The Oakland Alameda Access Project; And Making California Environmental Quality Act Findings
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) are implementing the Oakland Alameda Access Project (OAAP) in collaboration with the City of Oakland (City), City of Alameda, and other local stakeholders. OAAP will simplify I-880 freeway access between Posey and Webster Tubes and local streets to reduce conflicts between regional and local traffic on local streets, provide better connectivity and accessibility between the cities of Oakland and Alameda via the Webster and Posey Tubes for all modes, and improve safety on local streets in Chinatown, the Jack London District, and Downtown Oakland. The OAAP will divert regionally bound traffic away from local streets, reducing vehicle traffic and associated emissions and noise impacts to the surrounding neighborhoods. The construction of the OAAP is anticipated to start by Spring 2026.
Prior to construction of the OAAP, Caltrans requires the City to execute an amendment to the 1991 Delegated Maintenance Agreement (DMA) with Caltrans to record maintenance responsibilities of improvements in Caltrans right of way delivered by the OAAP. As a key condition of the OAAP DMA amendment once executed, the City will be responsible for removal of encampments and maintenance of the pedestrian and bike path approaching the Webster Tube in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. This new approach will carry users along Fourth Street to the Webster Tube Portal. The benefits of this new path are improved multimodal safety that will reduce conflicts between vehicles and non-motorized Jestin Johnson (Feb 13, 2026 06:21:28 PST)
02/13/2026
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Oakland Alameda Access Project – Delegated Maintenance Agreement February 10, 2026 Page 2
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modes of travel and improve mobility and accessibility between the City’s downtown neighborhoods and the City of Alameda, including equity priority communities that are low- income, have been historically underserved, and experience some of the City’s most disparate traffic-related crash outcomes.
Staff recommends that the City Council approve the proposed resolution allowing the City Administrator to negotiate and execute an amendment (Attachment A) to the 1991 DMA (Attachment B) for the OAAP.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
The OAAP is a capital transportation improvement project that is sponsored by ACTC and that will be delivered by Caltrans. The OAAP received the final Environmental Impact Report and Environmental Assessment approval from Caltrans in Summer 2021. Designs, led by ACTC, began in Summer 2023 and were completed in Spring 2025. The OAAP was advertised for bidding in Summer 2025, and construction to be led by Caltrans is anticipated to start by Spring 2026.
The OAAP will simplify I-880 freeway access between Posey and Webster Tubes and local City streets in Oakland to reduce conflicts between regional and local traffic on local streets, provide better connectivity and accessibility between the cities of Oakland and Alameda via the Webster and Posey Tubes for all modes, and improve safety on local City streets in Chinatown, the Jack London District and Downtown Oakland.
Anticipated benefits of the OAAP include:
• improved multimodal safety and reduced conflicts between regional and local traffic, particularly pedestrian safety within Oakland Chinatown; • enhanced bicycle and pedestrian accessibility and connectivity; • encouraged mode shift away from the private vehicle by increasing access to more sustainable multimodal options;
• reduced carbon emissions by the reduction of freeway-bound regional traffic and congestion on local roadways and in the OAAP’s surrounding neighborhoods of Chinatown, Downtown, and the Jack London District in Oakland; and • improved mobility and accessibility between I-880, the Posey and Webster Tubes (State Route 260), the City’s downtown neighborhoods and the city of Alameda, some of which are within the City’s highest priority and medium priority communities, which include areas with a higher concentration of low-income households, households with limited English proficiency, people with disabilities, seniors, Black, Indigenous and People of Color communities, and historically underserved communities.
The OAAP’s improvements will result in access changes to I-880 in the City, including a change in the ramp terminus for the Northbound I-880 Jackson Street on-ramp, with the construction of a horseshoe connector between Posey Tube and Jackson Street, a widening of the Northbound I-880 Oak Street off-ramp, and removal of the Northbound I-880 Broadway off-ramp.
Specific changes to the local City streets are also planned, including but not limited to:
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Oakland Alameda Access Project – Delegated Maintenance Agreement February 10, 2026 Page 3
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• A protected two-way cycle track on a newly opened 6th Street between Oak Street and Washington Street
• A protected two-way cycle track on Oak Street between 3rd Street and 9th Street • A bike path connecting 4th Street and 6th Street to Harrison Street • Direct vehicle access from the Posey Tube along 5th Street to separate regional from local traffic coming from the City of Alameda
• Intersection improvements along 7th Street between Harrison Street and Jackson Street
To learn about other improvements, see Attachment C for the OAAP Construction and Project Information brochure in English. The brochure translated in other languages is available at this webpage: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-4/d4-projects/d4-oakland-alameda- access-project
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
Once completed, the project will advance the City’s priority for vibrant, sustainable infrastructure by creating dedicated bike infrastructure that promotes sustainable transportation modes, while simultaneously separating regional traffic from local streets on local neighborhood streets. These combined improvements create safer, more walkable and bikeable streets that support local businesses and the community while reducing vehicle emissions in some of Oakland’s higher priority equity neighborhoods.
The proposed amendment to the DMA describes the responsibilities of the City and Caltrans to maintain the improvements constructed by the OAAP in Caltrans right of way and is required for Caltrans to begin construction on the project. Construction is currently scheduled for completion in Spring 2029, at which time the agreed upon maintenance activities will be incorporated into the City’s Department of Transportation’s existing maintenance activities.
All maintenance agreements between the City and Caltrans are reviewed by City staff, including staff from the City Finance Department, Attorney’s Office, and City Administrator’s Office, and are typical for capital improvements constructed within Caltrans right of way. Delaying the execution of the DMA would delay construction on the OAAP and would put the OAAP’s grant funding in danger of expiring.
Per Oakland Charter Section 504 (l), the City Administrator shall represent the City in its intergovernmental relations and negotiating contracts for joint governmental actions, when directed by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
Authorizing the City Administrator to negotiate and execute an amendment to the 1991 DMA with Caltrans will not have any direct cost to the City. Under the 1991 DMA, the City is reimbursed for specified maintenance activities within Caltrans owned facilities. It is anticipated that the Agreement Amendment will increase the overall amount of reimbursement received by the City from Caltrans.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Oakland Alameda Access Project – Delegated Maintenance Agreement February 10, 2026 Page 4
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PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
Since 2015, the ACTC and Caltrans-led OAAP team has conducted extensive community engagement. The team held over 250 meetings with diverse stakeholder groups from the cities of Alameda and Oakland, as well as Chinatown organizations, Jack London Improvement District, bike advocacy groups, and numerous public agencies.
In addition to developing the OAAP over many years of community engagement, the Alameda CTC OAAP team continues to engage the cities of Oakland and Alameda, Jack London Improvement District, Oakland Heritage Alliance, and Bike East Bay through the OAAP delivery process. In anticipation of upcoming construction, ACTC and City staff hosted several public meetings in Spring 2025 to review project improvements and construction impacts.
Caltrans and ACTC plan to conduct additional community outreach during the construction phase of the OAAP.
Furthermore, the ACTC team, in coordination with the City, led outreach to the construction contractor community and nearby Oakland communities in advance of the request for proposals and start of construction. Caltrans will lead the construction of the OAAP and will continue to lead communications through the completion of the OAAP.
For more information about the OAAP, recent outreach, and ongoing efforts to communicate with the public through the construction of the OAAP, visit www.OaklandAlamedaAccessProject.com.
For questions about the OAAP, email [email protected].
COORDINATION
The Oakland Department of Transportation continues to coordinate the review of the OAAP design and implementation with the ACTC and Caltrans. Additionally, the Office of the City Attorney and the Budget Bureau have reviewed this report and resolution.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: This project will improve transportation operations, reduce transportation delays, and improve safety for all roadway users, which enhances access to jobs. Easier, more efficient travel between the cities of Oakland and Alameda will also improve access to businesses in Chinatown, Jack London District, and Downtown Oakland.
Environmental: The project will provide safer, more attractive local streets for walking, biking, and riding the bus, which may encourage fewer single-occupancy vehicle trips. Additionally, reducing congestion approaching the I-880 freeway on- and off-ramps minimizes pollutant exposure to residents of Chinatown, Jack London District, and Downtown Oakland.
Race & Equity: Between 2020 and 2023, there have been 78 collisions at the local City Street intersections within the OAAP area, including one collision involving people biking and 16 Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
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collisions involving people walking. Between 2016 and 2018, there have been 98 collisions at the local street intersections within the project area, including twenty collisions involving people walking. In 2018, the Oakland Equity Indicators Report found troubling disparities in pedestrian deaths in the City. There are about two severe or fatal traffic crashes each week, with crashes disproportionately impacting Black, Indigenous and people of color and high priority communities. The OAAP area is located within the City’s high and medium priority communities.
Safety improvements that prioritize people walking and biking help address collision disparities and reduce barriers to accessing active transportation.
CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA)
Caltrans served as the lead agency under CEQA for the OAAP and certified a Final Environmental Impact Report on August 20, 2021. The City is a responsible agency for purposes of CEQA. Approval of the proposed amendment to the DMA does not constitute a new discretionary project and does not trigger additional environmental review.
Jestin D. Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: Oakland Alameda Access Project – Delegated Maintenance Agreement February 10, 2026 Page 6
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ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt A Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To Negotiate And Execute An Amendment To The 1991 Delegated Maintenance Agreement (DMA) Between The City Of Oakland And California Department Of Transportation (Caltrans)To Include Maintenance Activities Related To The Oakland Alameda Access Project; And Making California Environmental Quality Act Findings
For questions regarding this report, please contact Ricki Wells, Regional Partners Project Manager, at [email protected].
Respectfully submitted,
Josh Rowan
Director, Department of Transportation
Reviewed by:
Jamie Parks, Assistant Director
Prepared by:
Ricki Wells, Regional Partners Project Manager
Attachments (3):
Attachment A: Proposed Amendment to 1991 DMA
Attachment B: 1991 Delegated Maintenance Agreement
Attachment C: OAAP Construction information Brochure (English)
Josh Rowan (Feb 11, 2026 15:47:28 PST)