Safer, Smoother Streets in Oakland As City Repaves Record High of 47 Miles

Through the incredible determination and tenacity of OakDOT crews and contractors, the City of Oakland has reached a record high of repaving in the last Fiscal Year-repaving a total of 47 miles of streets.

The City's 2022 Five-Year Paving Plan builds upon the record-breaking accomplishments of the 2019 3-Year Paving Plan and sets ambitious goals to invest in the care and maintenance of Oakland's streets, intentionally focusing on local neighborhood streets and historically underserved neighborhoods.

"Oaklanders rightly expect and deserve clean, safe streets in every neighborhood, and today we're marking record progress toward delivering those streets," Mayor Sheng Thao said. "I am so proud of our hardworking OakDOT team for setting a new standard for paving delivery, and I am so grateful to the Oakland voters who passed Measure KK and Measure U and made this work possible by funding it. We know there is much more work ahead and we want our community to know we are in high gear working every day to deliver for you."

Streets are vital lifelines that connect Oaklanders to jobs, housing, education, and services. OakDOT's equity-focused paving plan addresses long-standing patterns of disinvestment in Oakland's most underserved neighborhoods to deliver smoother and safer streets where they are needed most, while the department continues to deliver paving and safety improvements in every neighborhood.

Since Oaklanders first entrusted OakDOT with dedicated bond funding-first through Measure KK approved in 2016 and currently through Measure U approved in 2022-OakDOT has been able to repave 250 miles, or nearly one-third of all streets in Oakland.

OakDOT has also successfully leveraged paving projects to deliver critical safety improvements for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and drivers at an astounding pace. Traffic safety improvements through paving projects have included everything from enhanced crosswalks, curb ramps, bus lanes, and bikeways to speed cushions, pedestrian safety islands, and protected intersections-as can be seen in the recently completed High Street Paving Project and currently under construction West Grand Repaving and Pedestrian Improvement Project.

"Our paving projects present us with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rebuild our streets back better than they were before," said OakDOT Director Josh Rowan. "Our planners, engineers, and crews are grateful for the faith Oaklanders have put in us to deliver safer, smoother streets and sidewalks-and we have no plans to slow down!"

With the summer construction season well underway, OakDOT has 22 miles of paving projects in active or near-term construction. These projects include pavement rehabilitation and protected bikeway improvements on Lakeshore Avenue and Franklin Street, and long-awaited railroad track removal and pavement restoration on Poplar, Union, and Wood Streets in West Oakland. More information about the Five-Year Paving Plan, including an online map of streets included and their anticipated delivery year can be found at https://www.oaklandca.gov/projects/20225yp

While there are far more streets in need of repair than resources to immediately provide that repair, continuing to advance the Five-Year Paving Plan is the most effective way to comprehensively address potholes and other maintenance issues. Residents are still encouraged, however, to report routine infrastructure maintenance issues and problems (including potholes) through any of the following means:

• Phone: Call 311 from any phone within Oakland. (If calling from outside Oakland, use the number 510-615-5566.)
• E-mail: [email protected]
• Web: 311.oaklandca.gov
• Mobile App: OAK 311, available free for Apple and Android smart devices (powered by SeeClickFix)