ten ideas for equitable transportation in oakland
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JULY 2021
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Leveraging the next generation of
transportation investment to better
serve and connect Oakland
Ten Ideas for Equitable Transportation in Oakland
Authors:Ronak Davé Okoye, SPURHannah Schwartz, SPURLaura Tolkoff, SPURBenjamin Grant, SPURStephen Engblom, AECOMCristian Bevington, AECOMHugo Errazuriz, AECOM
Acknowledgements
This report is a component of the SPUR Regional Strategy,
a vision for the future of the San Francisco Bay Area
spur.org/regionalstrategy
This report was adopted by the SPUR Oakland Board on June 23, 2020.
Contributors:Joy Woo, AECOMRadhya Adityavarman, AECOM
Special thanks to:Bill Gilchrist, Dahlia Chazan, Duncan Watry, Edward Manasse, Ian Griffiths, Lydia Tan, Morten Jensen, Robert Ogilvie, Sadie Graham, Warren Logan
Contents
Introduction 4
OurVisionforOakland 5
TheInfrastructureLandscapeToday 7
10IdeastoEnsureOaklandBenefitsFrom 12
RegionalTransportationInvestments
CaseStudies 21
EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION IN OAKLAND 4
IntroductionSPUR’sBiggerPictureseriesproposesideasforkeylocationsinSanFrancisco,SanJoséandOakland,the
BayArea’sthreelargestcities.Eachexplorationrepresentsanopportunitytotacklemajorregionalchallenges
throughlocalplanningprocesses.And,conversely,eachsuggestshowbiginvestmentsininfrastructurecan—if
plannedcarefully—bringaboutpositivetransformationfortheimmediateneighborhood.
ThisseriesispartoftheSPURRegionalStrategy,anaspirational50-yearvisionfortheBayAreaanda
roadmaptocreatinganequitable,sustainableandprosperousfuture.WepartneredwithAECOMtoidentify
andexplorelocationsthathaveimportantimplicationsforthefutureoftheregion.Thenwebroughttogether
communityorganizations,businessesandgovernmentleaderstoidentifyopportunitiesandgoalsforthese
locations.Weseethemasgreaturbanplacesthatcanupliftboththelocalcommunityandthegreaterregion—
ifdecisionmakerskeepthatbiggerpictureinmind.
ThisexplorationlooksathowkeyregionaltransportationinfrastructurecurrentlyintersectsinOakland—
andhowitmightdosodifferentlyinthefuture:Thenextgenerationoftransportationinvestmentsandpolicy
changescouldrectifypastplanninginjusticestofacilitateahealthy,climateresilientandequitableOakland.The
ideasherebuildonexistingplansandsuggestwaystoensurethattheyconnectwithandsupportoneanother.
Theresultisaholisticvisionthatwillrequireboldcollectiveaction.
EQUITABLETRANSPORTATIONINOAKLAND 5
Our Vision for OaklandIn 2070, Oakland is among the most transit-rich, interconnected parts of the region and has retained its distinct
racial, cultural and economic identity as it has grown and prospered. Major transportation investments have
restored public life, created a just city and repaired the natural environment and ecology by putting freeways
and trains underground, enabling communities that were once segregated by infrastructure to reconnect and
reclaim their neighborhoods. All Oaklanders are housed, supported in part by thousands of additional housing
units, across the affordability range, where freeways once stood.1 Significant new express bus and rail service
between Oakland and San Francisco facilitates increased ridership across the region. Passengers enjoy seamless
transfers between rail, bus and other travel modes at a landmark transit hub, which is a destination in and of itself.
The pollution, noise and speeding cars of the past are a fading memory, along with the environmental and health
disparities they once produced.
Complete streets, greenways and trails connect downtown, the surrounding neighborhoods and Lake Merritt
to one another and to the waterfront. Everyone feels safe traveling anywhere in Oakland by foot, bike, bus or
other sustainable modes of travel. Oakland’s waterfront serves as a resilient barrier to sea level rise, using nature-
based solutions to protect communities and infrastructure that are vulnerable to rising tides.
Transit investments have contributed to equitable and sustainable growth while providing more robust and
efficient options for residents to travel both within and beyond Oakland. Abundant, well-connected local and
regional services make public transit a fast and easy way for residents and visitors to get around. New transit
stations and their surrounding communities are hubs of activity, providing local shops and restaurants, housing
that everyone can afford, amenities for residents and visitors to enjoy, and welcoming public spaces that provide
a sense of belonging. Housing-stabilization policies enable long-time residents to stay in Oakland and benefit
from new transit access, public services and economic opportunities.
1 ThedraftDowntownOaklandSpecificPlan(August,2019)estimatesthatremovingtheI-980freewaywouldreleaselandthatcouldresultinmorethan5,000residentialunits
and1.5millionsquarefeetofcommercialspace.See:https://cao-94612.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/FINAL_DOSP-Public-Review-Draft-Plan_082819_Compressed.pdf
PHOTOBYSERGIORUIZ
6
Oakland, 2070Inourfuturevision,Oaklandisthehuboftheregion’srobustandresilienttransitnetwork.Interstate980,partsofInterstate880,andportionsoffreight
railhavebeenputunderground,reconnectingOakland’sneighborhoodstooneanotherandtothewaterfront.Landthatwasoncedominatedbyfreeways,
freightlinesandrailtransithasbeenreclaimedforhousing,publicspacesandboulevardsthataresafeandwelcomingtopedestriansandcyclistsandthat
prioritizepublictransit.
EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION IN OAKLAND 7
The Infrastructure Landscape TodayTheBayArea’stransportationinfrastructure—includingmajorfreeways,freightlinesandrailtransit—was
largelybuiltduringthe20thcenturyandinmanywayscreatedtheregionweknowtoday.Itconnectsournine
counties(and101cities),enablestheflowofgoodsfromoutsideandwithintheregion,andisamajordriverof
economicgrowth.However,ourregionalinfrastructurelandscapeposesthreeexistentialthreatsforOaklandthat
mustbeaddressedbythenextgenerationoftransportationinvestments:
1. Negative impacts on public health and local communities
ManyoftheBayArea’sinfrastructureprojectsweredesignedwithoutregardfortheirimpactonlocal
communities,whichhaveincludednoisepollution,barrierstowalkingandcycling,andhigherratesofasthma
andcardiovasculardiseaseconnectedtopoorairquality.Theseenvironmentalandhealthburdenshavefallen
heavilyonpeopleofcolorandhistoricallymarginalizedcommunities.Oaklandisattheheartofthisstoryand
illustratesthetensionbetweeninfrastructure’sbenefitsandharms.
At the intersection of 5th Street and Broadway, pedestrians walk under
the I-880 and I-980 overpasses. The interstates act as barriers between
downtown Oakland and Jack London Square and create an unwelcoming
environment for pedestrians. PHOTOBYSERGIORUIZ
EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION IN OAKLAND 8
Oakland’soriginalrailwaysandportfacilitiesshapeditsearlygrowthandeconomy,creatingmanyofits
vibrantanddiversecentralneighborhoods.Overtime,asportandrailactivitiesexpanded,thehealthand
interestsofnearbyBlackcommunitieswerenotadequatelyaccountedfor.Whilestillanimportantsourceof
living-wageemploymentforthousands,theportandrailwayinfrastructurearealsomajorbarriers,cuttingoff
accesstoopenspaceandthewaterfront.
Similarly,theBayArea’smajorfreewaysconvergeinOaklandandposesignificantpublichealthand
environmentalharms.RequiringthedemolitionofmanyhomesandbusinessesintheWestOakland
neighborhood,anddisplacingitsBlackmiddleclass,Interstate980continuestoactasabarrierbetweenWest
Oaklandanddowntown.Interstate880alignswiththeUnionPacificRailroadtothewestofdowntownandacts
asasignificantbarrierbetweenOaklandneighborhoodsandthewaterfront.TheareassurroundingInterstate
880havesomeofthehighestratesofairpollutionintheBayArea.2
2. Lack of coordination and capacity
TheBayArea’spublictransitservicesarefragmentedacrossoperatorsandgeographies,limitingOakland’s
connectivitytotheregiondespiteitscentrallocation.WithCaltrainonthePeninsula,Amtrak’sCapitolCorridor
lineintheEastBay,andACEintheSouthBay,regionalrailisoperatedandfundedasseparateservices,rather
thanfunctioningasacompleteandintegratednetwork.IntheEastBay,Amtrakoperatesonthesametracks
asUnionPacificfreightrail,whichcompromisesbothoperationsandcanresultinslow,unreliablepassenger
service.Buses,includingregionalbusesontheBayBridge,don’thavededicatedlanesandarestuckbehindcar
andtrucktraffic,makingjourneysslowandlessreliable.Thelackoffareandserviceintegrationbetweenthe
region’stransitagenciesisabarriertoincreasingoverallridershipandunfairlypunishestransit-dependentriders
whomustmaketransfersbetweenservices.
Improvementstotransitinfrastructurearehamperedbyacomplexfundingandgovernancelandscape,
projectdelaysandcostoverruns.PriortotheCOVID-19pandemic,BART’stransbayservicewasatcapacityand
lackedtheredundancyneededforeffectiveservice.Oncepassengertravelresumestopre-COVID-19levels,this
servicewillexperiencethesamechallengesatakeylinkintheregion’stransportationnetwork.
3. Vulnerability to sea level rise and other threats
Sealevelrise(seemaponpage9),liquefactionandearthquakedamagearethreatstowaterfrontandlow-lying
neighborhoodsandtotheregion’sexistinginfrastructure,includingtheBayBridge,CapitolCorridortracks,the
transbayBARTtubeandseveraltransitstations.
Adaptingtheseassetsandprotectingcommunities—particularlycommunitiesofcolor,whohavealready
bornethebruntofinfrastructuralinequitiesandmakeupalargeproportionofthepopulationthatismost
vulnerabletofutureimpacts—willrequiresignificantcollaborationandcoordinationacrossjurisdictionsandthe
immediateimplementationofboldstrategies.
2 I-880hasmuchhigherpollutionthannearbyI-580.See“ATaleofTwoFreeways,”EnvironmentalDefenseFund,https://www.edf.org/airqualitymaps/oakland/tale-two-freeways
Scenario: 5.5 feet sea level rise plus 100-year storm2090 timeframeMedium/High Risk Aversion; High Emissions Scenario
Scenario: 8.25 feet sea level rise plus 100-year storm2090 timeframeH++; High Emissions Scenario
This map shows the range of projected sea level rise on Oakland’s
waterfront by 2090, highlighting the importance of a waterfront-wide
approach to sea level rise resilience. Without action, many of Oakland’s
most vulnerable communities and key infrastructure assets would be
inundated. As is typical for adaptation planning projects, we included
the impacts of a 100-year storm on top of expected sea level rise to
understand the worst-case scenario.
EQUITABLETRANSPORTATIONINOAKLAND 9
EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION IN OAKLAND 10
Why Addressing the Bigger Picture Matters
Oakland lies at the geographical center of the region, making it
the sensible home for a future transit hub. PHOTOBYSERGIORUIZ
ProposalstorectifytheimpactsofregionalinfrastructureonOaklandandreimaginethecity’slandscape,such
asundergroundingI-980,havelongbeenconsidered“moonshot”ideas.However,2021findstheregionina
newmoment.ThroughprogramssuchasLink21,astudyofrailinvestmentsthatwouldconnectthe21counties
intheNorthernCaliforniamegaregion,andwithfederalfundingthroughtherecentlypassedAmericanRescue
Planandproposedinfrastructurebills,theBayAreaispoisedtomakeonce-in-a-generationinvestmentsinits
transportationinfrastructure.Theseproposalsindicatethatpoliticalwillisgrowingatthelocal,stateandfederal
levelstoaddressthecrisesthattoday’sauto-orientedsystemperpetuates:racialandenvironmentalinjustice,the
housingcrisisandtheclimatecrisis.
Oaklandiswell-positionedtobecomethehuboftheregion’sfuturecoordinatedtransitnetworkbecause
ofitspositionatthecenteroftheregionandbecauseithasroomtogrow.3Oaklandcanleverageinvestments
inregionaltransportationtoredresshistoricalandpresent-dayinequities,improvethelocalmobilitylandscape,
freeupspaceforhousingdevelopment,andprotectitswaterfrontamenitiesandneighborhoodsfromrising
seas.Theeconomicbenefitsofincreasedregionalconnectivitycouldalsobeleveragedtocatalyzecommercial
3 ThedraftDowntownOaklandSpecificPlan(August,2019)contemplatesadding20millionsquarefeetofofficespaceand29,100newhomesinDowntownOaklandby2040.
https://cao-94612.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/FINAL_DOSP-Public-Review-Draft-Plan_082819_Compressed.pdf
EQUITABLETRANSPORTATIONINOAKLAND 11
developmentandincreaselocalemploymentopportunities.Oaklandcouldenactstrongerpoliciesthatsupport
anti-displacementmeasures,communitywealth-buildingandplacemakingasthelocaleconomyexpandsas
aresultoftransitinvestments.However,withoutaclearvisionforhowtheregionalinvestmentswillbenefit
Oakland,andhowtheprojectsalign,thereisariskofhistoryrepeatingitself.
TheBayArea’snextsetoftransportationinvestmentsmustbethoughtofasinvestmentsinracialequity,
environmentaljustice,climateresilienceandaffordablehousing—inshort,theyareinvestmentsinOakland
anditsresidents.EnsuringthattheseinvestmentsserveOaklandwillrequiresignificantforwardthinkingand
coordinationacrossgeographiesandagencies.Itwillalsorequiredevelopmentofananti-displacementand
racialequitystrategytoserveasanoverarchingguide.
Public events like First Fridays play an important role in elevating Oakland’s
culture and keeping its communities intact. PHOTOBYSERGIORUIZ
EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION IN OAKLAND 12
10 Ideas to Ensure Oakland Benefits From Regional Transportation Investments Inthefollowingpages,weproposeaseriesofideasthatwouldpositionOaklandasacriticalhubina21-county
NorthernCaliforniaregionaltransitnetwork,helpthecitybenefitfromfuturetransportationinvestments
andrepairtheharmsofpreviousinfrastructure.Thissetofideasdoesnotrepresentasingularwayforward
butillustratesthescaleoftransformationthatispossiblewhendecisionmakersalignandconnecttransit
investmentstorealizeaholisticvision.
LeveragingthefullpotentialofmajortransportationinvestmentsforOakland’sbenefitwillrequirevisionary
leadershipandcollectiveaction.Someoftheprojectsandplansmentionedherearealreadyintheworks:The
decisionsthatshapetheseprojectsshouldprioritizeOakland’spotentialanditsimportancetotheregion.The
lessonslearnedfrompastinfrastructureprojectsmustbeattheforefront,withracialequityguidingthecity’s
transformation.Leaderswillneedtoembraceboldideasandkeepthebiggerpictureinmindtomakethemost
oftheseonce-in-a-centuryinvestments.
IDEA 1
Develop an anti-displacement and racial equity framework to guide the next set of regional transportation investments. Aframeworkforinclusivenessthatguidestheplanninganddesignofthenextgenerationofinfrastructurefor
Oaklandwillhelpensuregrowthandprosperityforlocalneighborhoodsandthebroaderregion.Eachinfrastruc-
tureprojectrecommendedherewouldrequireacommunityengagementstrategythatembedslocalknowledge,
communitybuilding,participatorypractices,shareddecisionmakingandtransparentcommunication.Inaddition
toextensivecommunityinvolvement,asuiteofpoliciesandactionsfocusedonanti-displacementmeasures,
communitystabilizationandwealthgenerationwillbeneededtoensurethatexistingresidentsbenefitfromnew
investments.Justastheinfrastructureitselfshouldbedesignedincoordinationwithanoverarchingvision,so
shouldthestrategyforanti-displacement,communitywealth-buildingandrepairinghistoricalandpresent-day
racialinequities.Akeycomponentofthisapproachshouldbetoimaginetransithubsasanchorsofthecommu-
nityandtoplacelandunderpublicornonprofitownershipforaffordablehousingandothercommunityneeds.
EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION IN OAKLAND 13
Equitable community planning includes:>Authenticcommunityengagement
>Renterprotections
>Anti-displacementmeasures
>Affordablehousingdevelopment
>Homeownershipandwealthgeneration
>Small-businessprotectionthrough
constructionmitigation
SPUR’sreportRooted and Growing: SPUR’s
Anti-Displacement Agenda for the Bay Area4
providesdetailedrecommendationsfor
achievingtheseoutcomes.
4 KristyWang,Rooted and Growing: SPUR’s Anti-Displacement agenda for the Bay Area,SPUR,April2021,https://www.spur.org/publications/spur-report/2021-04-22/rooted-and-
growing
Equitable infrastructure should:>Designtohonorpasthistoryandrepair
previousinjustices
>Reducecommunityexposuretoairand
noisepollution
>Createnewtransitaccessandeconomic
opportunity
>Reclaimpubliclyownedlandasan
opportunitytoprovideaffordablehousing
>Providepublicamenities
IDEA 2
Create new transbay transit crossings. Increasingthecapacityandresilienceoftheregion’stransportationnetworkwillmeancreatingadditionalways
fortransittocrosstheBay.Thefastestandeasiestwaytobuilda“new”crossingistodedicateexistinglaneson
theBayBridgetobusesandhighoccupancyvehicles.Tobeeffective,theserepurposedlanesshouldcontinue
onfreewaysthatradiatefromOakland,likeI-80,I-880,I-580andCA-24.Atrelativelylowcost,thiscould
deliversignificanttransitcapacityfromSanFranciscointotheEastBay.Thisservicecouldcompetefavorably
withdrivingformosttripsandcoulduseexistingroadinfrastructureasits“rails.”Thisbusconnection,andthe
regionalexpressbusnetworkitcancatalyze,couldbeasimportantasnewrailconnectionsforthefutureof
Oaklandandtheregion.
Overtime,theregionwillalsoneedoneormorenewtransbayrailcrossings,inadditiontotheexistingBART
tube.ThisisamongtheinvestmentstheLink21programisstudying.Manydesignandoperationaldecisionsare
yettobemadeforanewrailcrossing,includingwhichtransitserviceswoulduseit,thealignment(meaningwhat
routeitwouldtakeandwherethestationswouldbe)andwhetheritwouldconnectintodowntownOakland.
EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION IN OAKLAND 14
SPURsupportstheideaofanintegratedmegaregionaltransitnetworkandbelievestheBayAreashould
playakeyroleinit.Tobesuccessful,thenetworkshouldbedesignedaroundasetofhubstations,aregularand
frequentscheduleandtimedtransfers,followingtheleadofrailnetworksinEurope.5,6Thistypeof“pulse-hub”
networkwouldreducetraveltimesdramatically,makingitpossibletogetanywhereintheBayAreabytransit
inanhourorless.Toachievethisvision,wesupportadditionalrailcrossingswithbothconventional(standard
gauge)railandBART(widegauge)rail.7Addingoneormorenewlinksthatdonothavetousetheconstrained
OaklandWye8wouldprovidenewcapacityintheregion’smostcongestedcorridor.Additionally,newcrossings
wouldaddcriticallyneededresiliencetothetransitsystemintheeventthatsegmentsofthenetworkgoout
ofserviceduetoanearthquake,repairworkorotherdisruptions.Thisbecomesincreasinglyimportantas
theexistingcrossingagesandrequiresmaintenance.Reliable,seamless,resilientconnectionsbetweenSan
Francisco,SiliconValley,SacramentoandthenorthernSanJoaquinValleywouldelevateOakland’strajectoryas
bothajobandpopulationcenter.ThenewcrossingcouldconnectdowntownOaklandtoSanFrancisco’sSOMA
district,connecttoasubwayontheWestSideofSanFranciscoviaGearyand19thAvenue,thenconnecttothe
existingsystematDalyCityStation,andonwardtoSanJoséviaconventionalrail.
Key Operational Considerations for New Transbay Rail Crossings
Designingandbuildingnewraillinkswillrequirelayersofmajorinterrelateddesigndecisionsthatwill
impactthefunctioningoftheregionalrailnetworkandfreightnetworkforthenextcenturyandbeyond.
Whateverdesignchoicesaremade,theyshouldensure:
>Thereisoneoperationaltransbayrailcrossingatalltimes
>AllBARTtrainsfromtheEastBaycanaccessanewcrossingwithoutusingtheOaklandWye
>Newcrossingsdonoharmtoexistingpassengerorfreightrailandinfrastructurebyintroducing
newbottlenecksorothercapacityconstraints
>Trainmaintenanceandstoragefacilitiesforpassengerandfreightrailaredesignedtobeadequate
fortrainoperationswhilenotdegradingandpollutingsurroundingcommunities
>Decisionsaboutthealignmentandconstructionmethodsshouldbebasedonthebestwayto
provideintegratedserviceswithahigh-qualitypassengerexperience
>Publicinvestmentsinprivatefreightsystemsmustleadtosignificantflexibilityforthegrowthof
passengerrail
5 LauraTolkoff,“GivingOldInfrastructureNewLife,”SPUR,July2019.https://www.spur.org/publications/urbanist-article/2019-07-29/giving-old-infrastructure-new-life
6 LauraTolkoffandDeikePeters,“LessonsforDiridon:RebuildingRotterdamCentraalStation,”SPUR,September2016.https://www.spur.org/news/2016-09-22/lessons-diridon-
rebuilding-rotterdam-centraal-station
7 Thiscouldbeintheformofasingle,four-trackcrossingortwo,two-trackcrossings,pendingfurtherstudy.
8 TheOaklandWyeistheundergroundBARTjunctionindowntownOakland.
EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION IN OAKLAND 15
IDEA 3
Build an Oakland transit hub.OneofthedecisionsyettobemadeabouttheadditionalrailcrossingsiswheretheymightconnectinOakland
andhowbesttofacilitatetransfersbetweenBART,regionalrailandexpressbusesinOakland.Thesuccessof
futureinvestmentsintheLink21visionwouldbeenhancedbyaholisticapproachtoseamlesstransfersbetween
differentmodesoftransportation.Twokindsofstationscanfacilitatethis:transferstationsandhubs.Transfer
stationsareneighborhoodstationsthatprovidetransfersbetweenmodeslikelocalbusandregionalrail.They
canbringthebenefitsofgreatertransitchoicestoOaklandcommunitiesnotcurrentlyaswellservedbyBART
andregionalrail,suchasSanAntonio(seemaponpage16).Ahubstationisadestinationinitselfthatprovides
coordinationbetweenoperatorsandmodes,servesasamajorconnectionpointforbothlocalandregionaltrips,
providesservices,shopsandpublicgatheringspaces,andoffersopportunityforsmallbusinesses,bothwithin
andaroundthestation.AnOaklandtransithubshouldintegratetransitmodesseamlessly,supportOakland’s
urbanaspirationsandhelpanchorpubliclife. Thereareseveralpotentiallocationsforahub,manyofwhichwillbestudiedextensivelyaspartoftheLink21
program.ItisnottooearlyforOaklandtobegintoconsiderthisquestion.Thehubshouldbealandmark,a
driverofgrowthforgenerationsandasourceoflocalpride.Itshouldbedesignedtoconnectandintegratethe
surroundingneighborhoods,withacommitmenttosupportingOakland’sresidents,workers,smallbusinesses
andlocalentrepreneurs.Thehubcouldbeonestationorseveralstationslinkedtogetherwithseamlesstransfers
thatbringpeopleinto—notjustthrough—downtownandcouldgiveOaklandresidentsbetteraccesstothe
entireNorthernCaliforniamegaregion.Planningforsignificantnewgrowthmustintegrateanti-displacement
policiesforresidentsandbusinessessotheunparalleledopportunityfornewaccesstohigh-quality,regional
transitbenefitseveryone.
Giventhatthealignmentofadditionalcrossingshasnotbeenchosen,thereareseveralpotentiallocations
foranOaklandhub,includingbutnotlimitedtotheoptionsdescribedbelowandshowninthemaponpage16.
Thetrade-offsinmakingthisdecisionincludewhethertoprovidedirectaccesstodowntownOaklandorconnect
toareasofthecitynotcurrentlyservedbyrail,increasingpotentialridership.9Whicheveralignmentischosen,it
willbecriticaltodesignittopositiondowntownOaklandasthecenteroftheregionaltransitnetwork.
Possiblelocationsinclude:
>The I-980 corridor.TheI-980trenchhaslongbeenidentifiedasapromisingsitefortransfersbetween
transbayandEastBayraillines.ThislocationwouldserveWestOakland,anareaofthecitynotcurrently
integratedintotheregionaltransitnetwork,andifI-980isundergrounded(seeIdea5),thehubcouldalso
serveasaconnection—ratherthanabarrier—betweenWestOaklandanddowntown.Onedownside
isthatitcouldpullfocusawayfromdowntown.Ontheotherhand,newdevelopmentonanestimated
15acresoflandthatwouldbefreed-upiftheI-980isundergroundedcouldprovideopportunityfor
affordablehousingandincreasedridershipwhilesupportingthefinancialviabilityoftheproject.
9 RatnaAminandBrianStokle,Designing the Bay Area’s Second Transbay Rail Crossing,https://www.spur.org/publications/white-paper/2016-02-10/designing-bay-areas-second-
transbay-rail-crossing,SPUR,February2016.
EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION IN OAKLAND 16
>On or near Broadway.ThereareseveraloptionstomodifyexistingBARTstationsbetween5thand
19thstreetsalongBroadway.AlocationherewoulddirectlyservedowntownOaklandandcouldrenew
Broadway’soriginalpurposeasthecity’smainstreet.WhereI-880crossesBroadway(between5thand
6thstreets),ahubcouldserveasaconnectionpointbetweenstandardgaugerailtracksandBARTtracks.
ThislocationwouldalsobestserveJackLondonSquareandpotentialdevelopmentatHowardTerminal.
>Howard Terminal/Jack London Square.IfthetunnelconnectsatHowardTerminal,itcouldbeadefining
featureforthefutureofJackLondonSquareandservetheproposedOaklandWaterfrontBallparkDistrict,
shouldthatdevelopmentmoveforward.Thisstationcouldalsoserveasatransportationoptionfor
Alameda,asaplanforapedestrianbridgeacrosstheOaklandEstuaryisalsounderway.
Potential locations for an Oakland rail hub include the I-980 corridor,
Jack London Square and various locations along Broadway.
EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION IN OAKLAND 17
IDEA 4
Ensure Oakland’s land use plans support the infrastructure investments of tomorrow. Severalplansunderdevelopment,suchastheDowntownOaklandSpecificPlanandWestOaklandSpecific
Plan,arecriticaltothefutureofOaklandandmustbeimplementedwithfuturetransportationinvestmentsin
mind.InorderforOaklandtobenefitfromregionalinvestmentsintransportation,thecitymustbepreparedto
accommodategrowthanddevelopmentnearplannedtransitstationsandcorridors.Asthecitymovestoupdate
itsgeneralplaninthenearterm,itshouldensurethatnewplanningcodesandregulationssupporttransit-
orienteddevelopmentinproposedareasoffuturegrowth.Additionally,newplansandmajordevelopment
projectsmustconsidernewtransbaycrossings.
IDEA 5
Underground I-980. I-980representsoneofthemostdestructiveaspectsofourregion’s20th-centurytransportationinfrastructure.
TheconstructionoftheinterstatedemolishedhomesandbusinessesinWestOakland,displacedprimarilyBlack
households,broughtairandnoisepollutiontoaresidentialneighborhoodandcreatedabarrierbetweenWest
Oaklandanddowntown.TorepairtheseimpactsandreconnectWestOaklandtodowntown,majorportions
ofI-980couldbedecked,withtheroadwayroutedonthenewdeckasaboulevard.TheoldI-980underthe
deckcouldbetransformedintoatransittunnelandstation,aspartofanadditionaltransbayrailcrossing.The
publiclyownedlandcouldberepurposedforhousing,officedevelopmentandjobgrowth,andpublicopen
space,amongothercommunityuses.TheadvocacygroupConnectOaklandpresentsasimilarvisionforthe
redevelopmentofthisarea,andtheDowntownOaklandSpecificPlandiscussestheconceptofconvertingI-980
intoasurfaceboulevard,anotherideathatcouldprovidesignificantcommunityandenvironmentalbenefits.
TheEconomicJusticeAct,currentlyunderreviewbythefederalgovernment,includes$10billionforplanning
andfeasibilitystudiestoremovetransitinfrastructureinurbancommunities.I-980isaprimecandidatefor
suchfundingandcouldbeaseminalprojectforreclaimingurbanlandandtearingdowndestructivefreeway
infrastructure.
EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION IN OAKLAND 18
IDEA 6
Underground parts of I-880 and freight infrastructure. I-880,whichisparticularlyvulnerabletorisingsealevelsandadetrimenttothepublichealthofneighboring
Oaklandresidents,couldbeundergroundedwhereitintersectsdowntown,unlockingsevencityblocksfor
mixed-usedevelopmentsandconnectingdowntowntoJackLondonSquareandapossiblefutureballpark.
Theefforttoundergroundthisfreewaymustbepairedwithsea-level-riseadaptationandmitigationmeasures,
notonlyfortheinfrastructureitselfbutalsoforthesurroundingcommunities.UndergroundingI-880couldalso
beanopportunityforOaklandtoseparatefreightrailandpassengerrail,whichcurrentlyoperateonashared
track.This“super-corridor”conceptisdiscussedfurtherinIdea8andisshowninthemaponpage6.Anew
dedicatedfreighttunnelcouldservethePortofOakland,relocatingbothfreightrailandport-boundtrucktraffic
toanundergroundaccessroutesouthoftheLakeMerrittChannel.Thisconceptwouldsupportthedesiretode-
carbonizethemovementofgoodsthroughtheuseofelectricandhydrogenfreighttraffic,supportingimproved
airqualityandenvironmentaljustice,andachievingtheregion’sgreenhousegasreductiongoals.10Thisidea
couldbeundertakeninconjunctionwithbringinganadditionaltransbaycrossingintoOakland,ifoneofthenew
crossingsusestheI-880alignment.
IDEA 7
Use land freed up by freeway undergrounding to reconnect Oakland, increase affordable housing and support inclusive development. WithI-980andI-880buried,Oaklandcouldreconnectitsneighborhoodsthroughgreenspaces,affordable
housing,commercialdevelopmentandresultingjobs,andstreetsthatsupportpublictransit,walkingandbiking.
Thefreewayundergroundingdescribedinideas4and5wouldunlockapproximately40acresoflandandshould
serveasacatalystforhousingproductionandotherneighborhooduses.AccordingtothedraftDowntown
OaklandSpecificPlan,theI-980corridoralonecouldberedevelopedtoaccommodate5,000residentialunits
and1.5millionsquarefeetofcommercialspace.
10 SPUR’spublicprogram“ThinkingBiginDowntownOakland”exploredthisvision,aswellasseveralothertransformationalconcepts.Seethepresentationsat:https://www.spur.
org/events/2019-07-10/thinking-big-downtown-oakland
EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION IN OAKLAND 19
IDEA 8
Design transportation investments as resilience investments, and protect existing infrastructure. Majorinvestmentsininfrastructuremustbeviewedaspartofalargerclimateadaptationandresiliencestrategy.
OneexampleistheconceptofanEastBaytransportation“super-corridor”thatcouldintegratefreightrail,
passengerrailandfreewayinfrastructurealongonemajorcorridor,improvingefficiencyandresultinginbetter
ecologicalandenvironmentalhealthoutcomes.UndergroundingI-880,railtracksandkeyutilityinfrastructure
locatedsouthoftheLakeMerrittchannelcouldprotectthemfromsealevelrise.Additionally,switchingrail
enginesfromdieseltoelectricpoweralongtheCapitolCorridorwouldreduceairandnoisepollution.
ImplementingtheCityofOakland’s2017SeaLevelRiseRoadMapwillbeaboldandimmediateaction
neededtoprotectvulnerablecommunitiesandkeypiecesoftransportationinfrastructurefromsealevelriseand
otherthreats.11Protectingtransportationassetsiscriticaltodecreasingrelianceoncartravelandensuringthat
householdswithoutaprivatevehiclecaneasilyandsafelygetwheretheyneedtogo.Theroadmapoutlines
severalnature-basedstrategiesthatshouldbeimplementedimmediatelytopreventflooding,including“living
levees”attheBayBridgetouchdownnorthofI-80andborderingtheDamonSloughfacilityintheOakland
Coliseumarea.SPUR’sSan Francisco Bay Shoreline Adaptation Atlasexploresthisideaforanumberofsites
aroundtheBay.12
IDEA 9
Add a new passenger rail tunnel through downtown Oakland.IftheI-880corridorisundergroundedaspartofalargerresiliencestrategy(asdescribedinidea8),this
wouldprovideanopportunitytoreconsiderhowpassengerrailisdirectedthroughOakland.MovingCapitol
CorridorservicefromitssharedtracksthroughJackLondonSquaretoapassengerrailtunnelthatrunsthrough
downtownisoneoption.ThistunnelcouldconnecttotheexistingrailsystemsouthoftheLakeMerrittChannel,
serveanOaklandrailhubandproceedviatheexistingBARTalignmentortheI-980corridorandSanPablo
AvenuetoEmeryvilleStation.
11 CityofOakland(ResilientOakland),Fall2017“SeaLevelRiseRoadMap,”https://cao-94612.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/oak068799.pdf
12 JulieBeagle,LauraTametal,San Francisco Bay Area Shoreline Adaptation Atlas,SPURandSFEI,May2,2019,page84,https://www.spur.org/publications/spur-
report/2019-05-02/san-francisco-bay-shoreline-adaptation-atlas
EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION IN OAKLAND 20
IDEA 10
Prioritize projects that support walking, cycling and other sustainable modes of transportation. Whilemajorinfrastructureprojectsarebeingdesignedanddeveloped,accessibilityandsustainabilitygoals
canbeservedbypedestrianandbicycleprojectsthataremuchquickertobuild.ThedraftDowntownOakland
SpecificPlanrecommendscompletionoftheGreenLoopandWestOaklandWalk,twoproposalsthatwould
servetoreconnectOakland’sdowntownneighborhoodstothewaterfrontandLakeMerrittwithprotected
bikelanes,walkingpathsandpublicspaces.13Thedraftplanalsocallsfortheimplementationoftheprograms
andpoliciesoutlinedinthe2017OaklandPedestrianPlan,whicharecriticalstepstowardcreatingawalkable
andbikeableOakland.TheseproposalsshouldbeviewedaskeycomponentsofOakland’stransportation
infrastructure.14
13 CityofOakland,DowntownOaklandSpecificPlan,DraftAugust2019,https://cao-94612.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/FINAL_DOSP-Public-Review-Draft-Plan_082819_
Compressed.pdf
14 CityofOaklandDepartmentofTransportation2017PedestrianPlanUpdate,https://cao-94612.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/Ped-Plan-2017-rev-sep2018-compressed.pdf
EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION IN OAKLAND 21
Case Studies
Alaskan Way ViaductSeattle
Citiesaroundtheworld,fromSeattletoMarseilletoLondon,havedeployedadvancedtunnelingtechniques
toreclaimlandforgrowthandpublicspace.TheremovaloftheAlaskanWayViaduct,anelevated,two-level
highwayinSeattle,isanexampleofafreewaytransformationthatreconnectedSeattle’sdowntownand
waterfrontneighborhoods.Theviaduct,whichwasseismicallyvulnerable,wasreplacedwithanewtunnelfor
StateRoute99plusasurfacestreet.
Key idea for Oakland:Thisprojectillustrateshowconvertingaraisedfreewayintoatunnelandsurface
boulevardcanachievesignificantbenefitswithoutcompromisingtraveltimesortheefficiencyofport
operations.Whilefreewayundergroundingprojectsarecomplex,theirimpactscanbetransformational.
PHOTOCOURTESYWASHINGTONSTATEDEPARTMENTOFTRANSPORTATION
RESILIENTINFRASTRUCTUREINOAKLAND 22
Central-Wan Chai Bypass and Island Eastern Corridor LinkHong Kong
Openedin2019,theCentral-WanChaiBypassandIslandEasternCorridorLinkisa2.8-milehighwayalongthe
northshoreofHongKongIslanddesignedtoalleviatetrafficcongestionalongtheexistingmajorroads.The
projectalsoimprovesairqualitybydivertingtrafficthrough2.3milesoftunneledhighwayequippedwitha
state-of-the-artairpurificationsystem.Constructiontookplace65feetbelowtheCrossHarborTunnelsouthern
approachrampwithoutdisruptingthedailyjourneysof120,000vehicles.Thedesignoftheventilationbuildings
andoverheadventductswerevotedonbythecommunity,withthefinaldesignshavingastrongfocuson
greeningandenhancingtheurbanenvironment.
Key idea for Oakland: Significanttransportationinfrastructureimprovementscanbedeliveredtoprovide
significantenvironmentalbenefitswhendecisionmakersthinkbigandleveragethelatestengineering
innovations.
PHOTOCOURTESYOFAECOM
EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION IN OAKLAND 23
Alameda CorridorSouthern California
TheAlamedaCorridorisa20-milededicatedfreightrailexpresswaythatconnectstheportsofLosAngeles
andLongBeachtothenationalrailnetwork.ThecorridorisoperatedbytheAlamedaCorridorTransportation
Authority,ajointpowersauthorityformedbytheCityofLosAngelesandCityofLongBeach.A10-milestretch
ofthecorridorhasbeensunkinatrench33feetbelowstreetsurface.Theprojectseparatesfreighttrafficfrom
passengerrailandthestreetleveltosupportmoreefficientfreightmovementandreducenegativeimpacts
onthesurroundingcommunities.Connectivityacrossthecorridorwasimprovedwithaseriesofbridges,
underpassesandoverpasses.
Key idea for Oakland: SeparatingOakland’sfreightandpassengerrailwouldhavesignificantbenefitsfor
environmentaljusticeandsustainabilitygoalswhileimprovingportandregionalfreightactivities.
PHOTOCOURTESYOFTHEALAMEDACORRIDORTRANSPORTATIONAUTHORITY
EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION IN OAKLAND 24
EQUITABLE TRANSPORTATION IN OAKLAND 25
San Francisco | San José | Oakland
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