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Agenda Item
7 23-0872 Subject: Community Traffic Safety Program
From: Councilmember Fife
Recommendation: Adopt A Resolution Declaring The City Council's Intent And Desire To Establish A 3-Year Pilot For A Short-Term Encroachment Permit Program That Allows Schools, Businesses, And Community Centers That Serve Vulnerable Populations To Apply For Temporary Encroachment Permits To Install Removable Traffic Safety Treatments And Create Traffic Calming Zones In The City's Streets And Directing The City Administrator To Hold At Least Two (2) Community Meetings In Areas Of The City Within Oakland Department Of Transportation's Identified High Injury Network To Solicit Feedback From Residents And Community Based Organizations And Assess Their Interest And Ability To Participate In The Pilot Program; And To Return To The Public Safety Committee Meeting On February 13, 2024 With A Report And Recommendations, Including The Following:
(1) Information On Cities In California Or The United States That Have Successfully Implemented Similar Programs To Reduce The Number Of Traffic Accidents And Fatalities And Increase Safety For All Who Travel On Public Streets;
(2) Recommendations To Council About Legislative Or Administrative Changes Needed In Order To Implement A Similar Program In Oakland;
(3) Information Gathered From Residents And Community Based Organizations At Two Community 2 Meetings Assessing Their Interest And Ability To Participate In The Pilot Program;
(4) An Analysis Of Staffing And Budget Needs In Order To Begin And Sustain The Pilot Program; And
(5) A Report Exploring The Feasibility And Developing A Plan And Timeline For The City Of Oakland To Become A "Vision Zero Network" Member City
I strongly support the traffic calming resolution. As a community member, I often walk to do errands and you learn quickly to be vigilant!
Why is it that Head Royce gets not one but two traffic signals and Sequoia gets a stop sign? This resolution is long overdue!
I strongly support this measure. As a bike commuter, I feel very strongly that people don’t understand how important safe infrastructure is until they are vulnerable (NOT in a car). Giving the power of people not in cars to circumvent slow city government and install quick build infrastructure will do wonders for our community. When people see how it doesn’t slow traffic, encourages people to walk and bike, and minimizes pedestrian/cyclist injuries by cars, that more permanent infrastructure should be built. The only way to save lives is with car proof infrastructure, I’d love to see this happen!!
I am a Sequoia Elementary parent commenting in support of this traffic safety pilot resolution. A Sequoia student was hit by a car while inside the school crosswalk in August and it's been difficult to implement any improvements in the short term. Our school created an Oak311 ticket to address short-term safety needs (1340038) and OakDOT has neither been able to provide a path for our community to implement them nor implement any of our short term suggestions. Road design on Lincoln Ave allows drivers to ignore speed limits, stop signs, and pedestrian crosswalks, so installing temporary and removable traffic safety treatments to calm this busy road has been, and will continue to be, a priority for our community. This issue plagues many Oakland schools. All Oakland students deserve safe routes to school.
I highly support this resolution. Safety, particularly in the streets is of the utmost importance. This measure when used properly by the right entities gives them freedom to perform their work in a safe manner protecting themselves and others along the way.
Hello, I live in district 2 and the three year pilot program resolution has my full support. It's an important move toward safer streets, especially for the children of Oakland.
I live on Lincoln Avenue and use a bicycle as my primary means of transportation. I have noticed that the average speed on Lincoln Avenue is very high, especially in the northeast direction because there is no street parking on that side. This high speed traffic creates danger to those who choose to travel by foot or bike.
My children walk to Sequoia Elementary school, and I often walk with them. I feel unsafe with the high-speed traffic on Lincoln Avenue. This is also an equity issue because Head Royce School, a private school also on Lincoln Avenue, has two traffic lights but Sequoia only has a single stop sign on Lincoln Avenue. I think Sequoia needs (permanent) flashing lights, raised crosswalks, bulb outs to narrow the roadway, and a stop sign at both Hearst and Scenic.
I am a D2 (East Lake) resident. I strongly support the 3-year pilot program resolution put forward by CM Fife. This is a crucial step towards enhancing safety on our streets. The engagement of residents and community-based organizations is a great approach. Let’s gather input, assess interest, and work together to make Oakland a safer place for all its residents.
As an Oakland resident, I strongly support the 3-year pilot program resolution. This is a vital step towards enhancing safety on our streets. The engagement of residents and community-based organizations is a great approach to make Oakland a safer place for everyone.
I am in strong support of anything Oakland can do to make our road safer for cyclists and pedestrians - kids and everyone. I'm a regular cyclist, want to bike with my kid to school, but don't feel safe doing it because there are not enough safe spaces on our route, and too many sketchy ones. And I am definitely not alone. We are blessed with a climate that permits all-year cycling. Oakland should commit real resources to making cycling accessible and safe for everyone.
I walk daily with my kids to Sequoia Elementary and it's dangerous with the current set up traffic flow. Cars speed up/down the hill, rarely stop at the stop signs and with the lack of funding for a proper crossing guard--families are taking a risk every single day walking to school. We recently had a young student hit by a car and almost misses happen multiple times per day. Temporary measures will be an improvement, but permanent measures would bring safety to our neighborhood and all those neighborhoods that face similar circumstances. It's not as simple as reducing the speed limit, there must be high visibility of the school zone and enforcement of the rules. Many parents would like to allow their children the freedom to walk to school alone or with friends, the current state of Lincoln Ave makes this almost impossible. Thank you!
As a D1 resident, I strongly advocate for prioritizing calm streets, especially around community gathering places where our most vulnerable neighbors frequent like schools, senior centers, etc. Traffic calming pilots are a dynamic and affordable avenue to involve the community and address concerns promptly. Pilots also allow us to make the necessary changes we need once a project is in place to ensure the design best fits the needs of the community. Ensuring the safety of our most vulnerable neighbors who navigate our streets on foot, bike, or mobility devices is of utmost importance. Please give precedence to this effort; a swift response to emergency dangers is paramount to us. Thank you to Councilmember Fife and the neighbors/parents/advocates who brought forth this resolution!
I am a Sequoia Elementary parent commenting in support of this traffic safety pilot resolution. A Sequoia student was hit by a car while inside the school crosswalk in August and it's been difficult to implement any improvements in the short term. Our school created an Oak311 ticket to address short-term safety needs (1340038) and OakDOT has neither been able to provide a path for our community to implement them nor implement any of our short term suggestions. Road design on Lincoln Ave allows drivers to ignore speed limits, stop signs, and pedestrian crosswalks, so installing temporary and removable traffic safety treatments to calm this busy road has been, and will continue to be, a priority for our community. This issue plagues many Oakland schools. All Oakland students deserve safe routes to school. Thank you.
If the City of Oakland will not pay the necessary cost to rapidly correct poor street design where pedestrian safety is not prioritized, I support this tool to allow community involvement to solve our road safety crisis. Telling the community to wait years is unacceptable. I support this effort to allow improvements with oversight from the city. Thanks to the Councils commitment to safety.
I also support better enforcement of 15 MPH school zones and new 20 MPH zones. Speeding is a big problem in Oakland and needs attention.
Welcome all initiatives to create safe spaces for bicycles and strengthen the bicycle culture in Oakland. I am a mother whose goal is to take the children to school by bicycle every day. I can't deny that I panic when my children are around reckless drivers, especially during times of peak traffic congestion when many people prioritize getting to their destination over safety.
I am an Oakland resident with children attending Sequoia Elementary School, where we walk to and from every school day, as do many other families. I also work for transportation and have participated in traffic calming projects in many parts of the Bay Area. I have experienced and witnessed numerous close calls on the streets near Sequoia Elementary and other schools in the area. Sequoia Elementary also had an accident involving a child pedestrian not that long ago. In my profession I have seen the benefits of road diets, bulb outs, traffic islands and more visible stop signs/signals. These elements have not only kept the existing pedestrians and bikers safe, but encourage more pedestrian and bike commuters. OUSD currently has events that encourage walk/roll to school, and keeping the students and caretakers safe will greatly encourage the community to make this a year round form of commuting. Many of these schools are within residential neighborhoods as well, which will also benefit from traffic calming measures. Oakland is moving closer to being a more bike and pedestrian friendly city, and protecting those walking to and from schools should be on the front of the agenda for this change.
I am a Sequoia Elementary school parent commenting in support of this traffic safety pilot resolution. A Sequoia student was hit by a car while inside the school crosswalk in August and it's been difficult to implement any improvements in the short term. Our school created an Oak311 ticket to address short-term safety needs (1340038) and OakDOT has neither been able to provide a path for our community to implement them nor implement any of our short term suggestions. Road design on Lincoln Ave allows drivers to ignore speed limits, stop signs, and pedestrian crosswalks, so installing temporary and removable traffic safety treatments to calm this busy road has been, and will continue to be, a priority for our community. This issue plagues many Oakland schools. All Oakland students deserve safe routes to school.
I am a Sequoia Elementary parent commenting in support of this traffic safety pilot resolution. A Sequoia student was hit by a car while inside the school crosswalk in August and it's been difficult to implement any improvements in the short term. Our school created an Oak311 ticket to address short-term safety needs (1340038) and OakDOT has neither been able to provide a path for our community to implement them nor implement any of our short term suggestions. Road design on Lincoln Ave allows drivers to ignore speed limits, stop signs, and pedestrian crosswalks, so installing temporary and removable traffic safety treatments to calm this busy road has been, and will continue to be, a priority for our community. This issue plagues many Oakland schools. All Oakland students deserve safe routes to school.
I am a Sequoia Elementary parent commenting in support of this traffic safety pilot resolution. A Sequoia student was hit by a car while inside the school crosswalk in August and it's been difficult to implement any improvements in the short term. Our school created an Oak311 ticket to address short-term safety needs (1340038) and OakDOT has neither been able to provide a path for our community to implement them nor implement any of our short term suggestions. Road design on Lincoln Ave allows drivers to ignore speed limits, stop signs, and pedestrian crosswalks, so installing temporary and removable traffic safety treatments to calm this busy road has been, and will continue to be, a priority for our community. This issue plagues many Oakland schools. All Oakland students deserve safe routes to school.
I am an OUSD parent and enthusiastically support this pilot program!!
Creating safe spaces for pedestrians around schools is not only about mitigating both car and pedestrian accidents around our schools but also a more equitable policy for our students and caregivers. Many OUSD community members walk, bike, or take public transportation to or near school and we need to prioritize their safety and facilitate easy access to campuses. This is also a measure that would work towards addressing climate change and safer pedestrian spaces around schools will also encourage those who now drive to consider alternate and less damaging modes of transportation. My family bikes 3 miles to school and I am often most concerned for our safety in the immediate vicinity of the school where drivers dropping off their children are the most erratic.
We’re inspired by how New Jersey mayors have been able to prevent road deaths and injuries with fast, low-cost, community driven measures. Let’s not wait.
I strongly support the traffic calming resolution. As a community member, I often walk to do errands and you learn quickly to be vigilant!
Why is it that Head Royce gets not one but two traffic signals and Sequoia gets a stop sign? This resolution is long overdue!
I strongly support this measure. As a bike commuter, I feel very strongly that people don’t understand how important safe infrastructure is until they are vulnerable (NOT in a car). Giving the power of people not in cars to circumvent slow city government and install quick build infrastructure will do wonders for our community. When people see how it doesn’t slow traffic, encourages people to walk and bike, and minimizes pedestrian/cyclist injuries by cars, that more permanent infrastructure should be built. The only way to save lives is with car proof infrastructure, I’d love to see this happen!!
I am a Sequoia Elementary parent commenting in support of this traffic safety pilot resolution. A Sequoia student was hit by a car while inside the school crosswalk in August and it's been difficult to implement any improvements in the short term. Our school created an Oak311 ticket to address short-term safety needs (1340038) and OakDOT has neither been able to provide a path for our community to implement them nor implement any of our short term suggestions. Road design on Lincoln Ave allows drivers to ignore speed limits, stop signs, and pedestrian crosswalks, so installing temporary and removable traffic safety treatments to calm this busy road has been, and will continue to be, a priority for our community. This issue plagues many Oakland schools. All Oakland students deserve safe routes to school.
Thank you,
Erin Mazow
I highly support this resolution. Safety, particularly in the streets is of the utmost importance. This measure when used properly by the right entities gives them freedom to perform their work in a safe manner protecting themselves and others along the way.
Sincerely,
Michael Podolak
Hello, I live in district 2 and the three year pilot program resolution has my full support. It's an important move toward safer streets, especially for the children of Oakland.
I live on Lincoln Avenue and use a bicycle as my primary means of transportation. I have noticed that the average speed on Lincoln Avenue is very high, especially in the northeast direction because there is no street parking on that side. This high speed traffic creates danger to those who choose to travel by foot or bike.
My children walk to Sequoia Elementary school, and I often walk with them. I feel unsafe with the high-speed traffic on Lincoln Avenue. This is also an equity issue because Head Royce School, a private school also on Lincoln Avenue, has two traffic lights but Sequoia only has a single stop sign on Lincoln Avenue. I think Sequoia needs (permanent) flashing lights, raised crosswalks, bulb outs to narrow the roadway, and a stop sign at both Hearst and Scenic.
I am a D2 (East Lake) resident. I strongly support the 3-year pilot program resolution put forward by CM Fife. This is a crucial step towards enhancing safety on our streets. The engagement of residents and community-based organizations is a great approach. Let’s gather input, assess interest, and work together to make Oakland a safer place for all its residents.
As an Oakland resident, I strongly support the 3-year pilot program resolution. This is a vital step towards enhancing safety on our streets. The engagement of residents and community-based organizations is a great approach to make Oakland a safer place for everyone.
I am in strong support of anything Oakland can do to make our road safer for cyclists and pedestrians - kids and everyone. I'm a regular cyclist, want to bike with my kid to school, but don't feel safe doing it because there are not enough safe spaces on our route, and too many sketchy ones. And I am definitely not alone. We are blessed with a climate that permits all-year cycling. Oakland should commit real resources to making cycling accessible and safe for everyone.
I walk daily with my kids to Sequoia Elementary and it's dangerous with the current set up traffic flow. Cars speed up/down the hill, rarely stop at the stop signs and with the lack of funding for a proper crossing guard--families are taking a risk every single day walking to school. We recently had a young student hit by a car and almost misses happen multiple times per day. Temporary measures will be an improvement, but permanent measures would bring safety to our neighborhood and all those neighborhoods that face similar circumstances. It's not as simple as reducing the speed limit, there must be high visibility of the school zone and enforcement of the rules. Many parents would like to allow their children the freedom to walk to school alone or with friends, the current state of Lincoln Ave makes this almost impossible. Thank you!
As a D1 resident, I strongly advocate for prioritizing calm streets, especially around community gathering places where our most vulnerable neighbors frequent like schools, senior centers, etc. Traffic calming pilots are a dynamic and affordable avenue to involve the community and address concerns promptly. Pilots also allow us to make the necessary changes we need once a project is in place to ensure the design best fits the needs of the community. Ensuring the safety of our most vulnerable neighbors who navigate our streets on foot, bike, or mobility devices is of utmost importance. Please give precedence to this effort; a swift response to emergency dangers is paramount to us. Thank you to Councilmember Fife and the neighbors/parents/advocates who brought forth this resolution!
I am a Sequoia Elementary parent commenting in support of this traffic safety pilot resolution. A Sequoia student was hit by a car while inside the school crosswalk in August and it's been difficult to implement any improvements in the short term. Our school created an Oak311 ticket to address short-term safety needs (1340038) and OakDOT has neither been able to provide a path for our community to implement them nor implement any of our short term suggestions. Road design on Lincoln Ave allows drivers to ignore speed limits, stop signs, and pedestrian crosswalks, so installing temporary and removable traffic safety treatments to calm this busy road has been, and will continue to be, a priority for our community. This issue plagues many Oakland schools. All Oakland students deserve safe routes to school. Thank you.
If the City of Oakland will not pay the necessary cost to rapidly correct poor street design where pedestrian safety is not prioritized, I support this tool to allow community involvement to solve our road safety crisis. Telling the community to wait years is unacceptable. I support this effort to allow improvements with oversight from the city. Thanks to the Councils commitment to safety.
I also support better enforcement of 15 MPH school zones and new 20 MPH zones. Speeding is a big problem in Oakland and needs attention.
Welcome all initiatives to create safe spaces for bicycles and strengthen the bicycle culture in Oakland. I am a mother whose goal is to take the children to school by bicycle every day. I can't deny that I panic when my children are around reckless drivers, especially during times of peak traffic congestion when many people prioritize getting to their destination over safety.
I am an Oakland resident with children attending Sequoia Elementary School, where we walk to and from every school day, as do many other families. I also work for transportation and have participated in traffic calming projects in many parts of the Bay Area. I have experienced and witnessed numerous close calls on the streets near Sequoia Elementary and other schools in the area. Sequoia Elementary also had an accident involving a child pedestrian not that long ago. In my profession I have seen the benefits of road diets, bulb outs, traffic islands and more visible stop signs/signals. These elements have not only kept the existing pedestrians and bikers safe, but encourage more pedestrian and bike commuters. OUSD currently has events that encourage walk/roll to school, and keeping the students and caretakers safe will greatly encourage the community to make this a year round form of commuting. Many of these schools are within residential neighborhoods as well, which will also benefit from traffic calming measures. Oakland is moving closer to being a more bike and pedestrian friendly city, and protecting those walking to and from schools should be on the front of the agenda for this change.
I am a Sequoia Elementary school parent commenting in support of this traffic safety pilot resolution. A Sequoia student was hit by a car while inside the school crosswalk in August and it's been difficult to implement any improvements in the short term. Our school created an Oak311 ticket to address short-term safety needs (1340038) and OakDOT has neither been able to provide a path for our community to implement them nor implement any of our short term suggestions. Road design on Lincoln Ave allows drivers to ignore speed limits, stop signs, and pedestrian crosswalks, so installing temporary and removable traffic safety treatments to calm this busy road has been, and will continue to be, a priority for our community. This issue plagues many Oakland schools. All Oakland students deserve safe routes to school.
I am a Sequoia Elementary parent commenting in support of this traffic safety pilot resolution. A Sequoia student was hit by a car while inside the school crosswalk in August and it's been difficult to implement any improvements in the short term. Our school created an Oak311 ticket to address short-term safety needs (1340038) and OakDOT has neither been able to provide a path for our community to implement them nor implement any of our short term suggestions. Road design on Lincoln Ave allows drivers to ignore speed limits, stop signs, and pedestrian crosswalks, so installing temporary and removable traffic safety treatments to calm this busy road has been, and will continue to be, a priority for our community. This issue plagues many Oakland schools. All Oakland students deserve safe routes to school.
I am a Sequoia Elementary parent commenting in support of this traffic safety pilot resolution. A Sequoia student was hit by a car while inside the school crosswalk in August and it's been difficult to implement any improvements in the short term. Our school created an Oak311 ticket to address short-term safety needs (1340038) and OakDOT has neither been able to provide a path for our community to implement them nor implement any of our short term suggestions. Road design on Lincoln Ave allows drivers to ignore speed limits, stop signs, and pedestrian crosswalks, so installing temporary and removable traffic safety treatments to calm this busy road has been, and will continue to be, a priority for our community. This issue plagues many Oakland schools. All Oakland students deserve safe routes to school.
I am an OUSD parent and enthusiastically support this pilot program!!
Creating safe spaces for pedestrians around schools is not only about mitigating both car and pedestrian accidents around our schools but also a more equitable policy for our students and caregivers. Many OUSD community members walk, bike, or take public transportation to or near school and we need to prioritize their safety and facilitate easy access to campuses. This is also a measure that would work towards addressing climate change and safer pedestrian spaces around schools will also encourage those who now drive to consider alternate and less damaging modes of transportation. My family bikes 3 miles to school and I am often most concerned for our safety in the immediate vicinity of the school where drivers dropping off their children are the most erratic.
We’re inspired by how New Jersey mayors have been able to prevent road deaths and injuries with fast, low-cost, community driven measures. Let’s not wait.