Oakland Walks!

OakDOT
The City’s previous Pedestrian Master Plan
(California’s first!) was written in 2002. In
the intervening decade-and-a-half, many
significant changes to planning in the walking
realm have taken place in Oakland, including:
• Improvements to the way that pedestrian
facilities are designed. Due to this input,
new organizations such as the National
Association of City Transportation Officials
(NACTO).
• Local success repurposing excess traffic
lanes for walking, such as Lake Merritt
Boulevard.
• Three dozen road diets, which convert
roadway space to make walking and
bicycling safer.
• New standards for curb ramps and other
facilities for people with disabilities.
• New technology which may lead to less
need to own a car.
As this plan was in development, the Oakland
Department of Transportation (OakDOT)
was created in 2016. The new OakDOT will
centralize the responsibility for managing
and improving how people get around on
Oakland’s city streets, sidewalks, highways,
and bridges.
The Department’s mission underscores that
the quality of transportation options shouldn’t
hinge on who you are, how much you earn, or
Map 1.1: Oakland's Nine Plan Areas
where you live in Oakland.
In order to achieve this mission, this Plan
deliberately defines and prioritizes social
equity in its decision-making.
In addition, this Plan builds on other City and
Regional plans and local policies, including
Oakland's Complete Streets Policy, Area
Specific Plans, the Energy and Climate Action
Plan, and crosswalk policies.
A full list of supporting and related documents,
with descriptions can be found in Appendix A.
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