Oakland Excluded Protected Bike Lanes From Road Project
Local business owners should track how the lack of traffic calming on Foothill Boulevard affects accessibility.
Updated on Oct. 9, 2026 in Remote Work
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Should your local government prioritize protected bike lanes in street safety improvement projects?
The Oakland Department of Transportation has released a survey for its upcoming Foothill Boulevard repaving project that excludes protected bike lanes. The city plans to repave the corridor between Fruitvale and 23rd Avenue in 2028.
Why it matters
The exclusion of protected bike lanes in favor of painted lanes affects how customers and employees reach businesses along the corridor. City staff cited the density of driveway access points along the street as the primary reason for opting against physical barriers.
Since 2019, 87 crashes and 5 fatalities have occurred on this section of Foothill Boulevard. The city project, titled Calm Fruitvale Streets, is scheduled for execution in 2028.
The players
Oakland Department of Transportation
The municipal agency responsible for maintaining city infrastructure and regulating street design.
The details
The project involves a repaving initiative that aims to address traffic safety issues through a design process currently collecting public feedback. Officials opted against protected bike lanes, noting that the frequency of driveway access points makes them impractical for the corridor. Businesses operating on this stretch must weigh the impact of higher-speed vehicle traffic against the potential for safer, protected access for cyclists.
Timeline
2019: Five people were killed in crashes on the corridor.
September 2026 to October 2026: OakDOT conducted in-person outreach for the project.
2028: The city plans to repave Foothill Boulevard.
Market Landscape
The decision to favor painted lanes over protected infrastructure deviates from the safety recommendations outlined in the NACTO Urban Street Design Guide. This approach reflects a continued tension between managing high-frequency driveway access and meeting modern traffic calming standards.
Operators along Foothill Boulevard should monitor the city's outreach process to understand how final street designs will impact delivery access and foot traffic. Assess your current liability and logistics planning based on projected 2028 changes to traffic flow.
The takeaway
The city is currently collecting public input on the repaving project with over one month of outreach remaining. Business owners should participate in the upcoming feedback sessions to represent their operational needs regarding loading zones and customer access.
Further reading
For more information on how infrastructure shifts influence local commerce, see our Remote Work section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Streetsblog San Francisco.
Live Poll
Should your local government prioritize protected bike lanes in street safety improvement projects?
