Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
May
2016
VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.
PHOTOS:
Photo 1: Modes of Transit, AC Transit, WETA, Capitol Corridor and BART
Photo 2: Local wayfinding signs
Photo 3: Improving effectiveness along current routes credit: LA Street Blog
Photo 4: Fruitvale Transit Village, example of a TOD
Photo 5:
II.
PURPOSE:
This report, Common Goals and Strategies for Oakland Transit, defines transit goals and strategies that the City of Oakland
and local transit agencies should pursue based on an assessment of thirty-five planning documents, studies, and polices
published within the last decade. In combination with a document analysis, goals and strategies were vetted through an
in-depth interview process with local transit stakeholders and technocrats. This report aims to find consensus and set
common transit objectives with the intention of developing a more transit-oriented Oakland.
THE GOALS:
1. Achieve a state of good repair; maintain
information.
6. Ensure that transit is accessible and equitable.
7. Expand and alter transit service and improve
system connectivity.
facilities.
13. Improve customer service and operational
efficiencies.
14. Implement priority treatments along key transit
corridors.
III.
San Francisco (27%), Berkeley (7%), San Leandro (3%), Hayward (2%), and Alameda (2%)
Comprehensive Circulation Study for Downtown Oakland and Access to/from West Alameda, 2015
3
AC Transit 2012 Passenger Study, Survey Findings
4
Location Quotient: 5.0
5
Capitol Corridor Performance Report, 2015
2
Figure 3 : Proportion of public transportation users by census yract, 2009-2014 American Community Survey
i) RIDERSHIP:
AC TRANSIT:
AC Transit spans 45-miles north to south and is contained to 5-miles east to west. Downtown Oakland is the center of
AC Transits network, with many patrons originating, transferring, and completing their travel between Jack London
Square and the MacArthur BART station. All but two of AC Transits major corridor lines pass through the central artery
of Oakland. The College/University Avenue corridor (51A/B) has the second highest ridership in the entire system,
transporting more than 20,000 riders per day. Second to the 51A/B is the Transbay NL line from East Oakland to San
Francisco. This line has seen a surge in ridership in the last several years.6 As shared in AC Transits 2012 Passenger
Study, 43% of riders use the system for work related travel, followed by school trips which are responsible for 16% of all
AC Transit trips.7
T FREQUENCY OF
a
ARRIVAL
b
l
e
72R N
72R S
18
1R
DAILY RIDERSHIP
14,789
7,898
6,575
T
Table1: AC TRANSIT Ridership from the Major Corridors Study, 2016
51A/B
57
NL
NL SF
40 N
40 S
20
21
97
99
11,352
10,372
5,135
4,394
4,227
BART:
Eight BART stations are in Oakland: Rockridge, MacArthur, 12th Street, 19th Street, West Oakland, Lake Merritt, Fruitvale,
and the Coliseum. According to BARTs April 2016 Monthly Ridership report, nearly 70,000 people travel to and from
Oakland each day by BART. And on average, more than 8,000 BART patrons travel within Oakland per day.
Oaklands BART ridership is one-third of all system-wide trips. As noted in the charts below, within the last decade,
BART ridership has increased by approximately 40% for those traveling across the BART system. Weekday and
weekend ridership traveling strictly within Oakland has increased by 20% and 50%, respectively.8
6
7
8
http://www.actransit.org/2014/01/30/high-spiraling-rideship-for-ac-transit/
AC Transit 2012 Passenger Study, Survey Findings
http://www.bart.gov/about/reports/ridership
DAILY
RIDERSHIP
( number of
riders/weekday)
ARRIVING
TO
OAKLAND
LEAVING
FROM
OAKLAND
TRAVELING
WITHIN
OAKLAND
APRIL 2006
48,366
46,897
APRIL 2016*
68,837
% CHANGE
42%
DAILY
RIDERSHIP
(number of
riders/Saturday)
ARRIVING
TO
OAKLAND
LEAVING
FROM
OAKLAND
TRAVELING
WITHIN
OAKLAND
7,211
APRIL 2006
21,795
21,446
3,458
67,326
8,565
APRIL 2016
31,139
30,621
5,211
43%
19%
% CHANGE
42%
42%
50%
Table 2a and 2b: Daily BART Ridership reports: change from April 2006-April 2016
CAPITOL CORRIDOR:
Capitol Corridor is a 168-mile inner city Amtrak line. As stated in the agencys Business Plan Update, there are 30
weekday and 22 weekend trips between Sacramento and Oakland. Between Oakland and San Jose, there are 14
trips, seven days a week.10 18% of all Capitol Corridor riders live in Alameda County.11And across the route, 54% of all
riders use the system to commute to work. 22% of riders travel for social and recreational pursuits. Capitol Corridor has
its strength in regional service. However, due to reduced ridership system wide, Capitol Corridor aims to develop
campaigns and programs to increase usership over the next several years.12
OAKLAND
TO
SACRAMENTO
OAKLAND
TO
SACRAMENTO
(JLS)
(COL.)
OAKLAND
TO
SAN JOSE
FY NOV 2015
~220
~67
FY NOV 2016
~233
% CHANGE
5.8%
TOTAL PASSENGERS
FY 2012-2013
~1700
~84
FY 2013-2014
~2,300
~61
~84
FY 2014-2015
~2,590
-8.6%
0%
% CHANGE
50%
FERRY:
The Alameda/Oakland ferry provides weekday and weekend service to Alameda, Oakland, and San Francisco
terminals. Seasonal service is provided from Jack London Square to AT&T Park. According to WETAs Short Range
Transit Plan 2015-16 to 2024-25, within the last two years, annual ridership to and from the Alameda/Oakland terminal
has increased by 50%.13 As of June 2015, the Alameda/Oakland ferry line is responsible for 3,267 weekday trips.14
13
14
10
15
16
11
17
12
IV.
The well-being of growing and expanding urban metropolitan regions is intimately connected to the provision of adequate
and appropriate transportation services. This perspective from Professor Alan Murray is just as relevant today as it was
twenty years ago. Evidence for close knit relationships between public transportation services and economic and societal
health is apparent.18 According to a 2011 report published by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), a
dollar invested in public transportation generates four dollars in economic returns.19 From an environmental and human
health perspective, transit provides significant benefits when compared to the automobile.
LaChapelle and Frank (2008) remind us that by definition, transit users are also walkers and therefore, have higher exposure
to physical activity, reducing the on-set of obesity and other diseases.20 And equally as important, the environmental
benefits that public transportation provides are agreeable across scholarship. In his well-acclaimed book, Transit Metropolis,
Robert Cervero speaks to the long-term environmental benefits public transit can provide when paired with smart
technologies, [public transit] can contain traffic congestion, reduce pollution, conserve energy, and promote social
equity21 Furthermore, the APTA shares that eliminating one car from the road, reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 30%.22
For these reasons and beyond them, it is advantageous for local governments to promote and fund public transit to
encourage equitable and sustainable travel between residential zones, commercial districts, and amenities. Yet, despite
the evident benefits, public transit is often considered secondary to auto-travel. The reason for this varies across cities and
18
Murray, Alan T., Rex Davis, Robert J. Stimson, and Luis Ferreira. "Public transportation access." Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment 3, no. 5 (1998): 319-328.
http://www.publictransportation.org/benefits/grows/Documents/Economy-Fact-Sheet-2011.pdf
20
Lachapelle, Ugo, and Lawrence D. Frank. "Transit and health: mode of transport, employer-sponsored public transit pass programs, and physical activity." Journal of Public Health Policy (2009): S73-S94.
21
Cervero, Robert. The transit metropolis: a global inquiry. Island press, 1998.
22
APTA: Public Transportation Reduces Greenhouse Gases and Conserves Energy
19
13
ii.
In 2008, Senate Bill 375 was adopted to reduce state-wide greenhouse gas emissions through more efficient, more compact
development. As detailed by Barbour and Deakin (2012), the bill emphasizes coordinated efforts between land-use and
transportation; the structure of the bill requires that MPOs work with cities within their jurisdictions to set targets to expand
alternative travel options. This request is a challenge as traditional planning practices have often decoupled land-use and
transportation planning. With aggressive enforcement at the state and regional level, it is beneficial for the City of Oakland
and local transit partners, to achieve SB 375 targets by thinking collaboratively and systematically.24
23
24
14
V.
In her newly published book, Street Fight, Janette Sadik-Khan says, buses are as sexy as Amish dresses We all know the
story, buses and rail have been the step-child to auto-centric development thanks to a strong automobile lobby, which
replaced street-cars with publically funded highways in the mid-twentieth century. This pattern has perpetuated, providing
insufficient financing for transit investments. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, recently shared that $24.5 billion is
needed per year to improve the countrys transit-systems. 25
However, the optimistic planner would see a glass half-full. U.S. cities from Denver to Chicago are turning to transit systems
to mobilize commuters cost-effectively. There is transit growth occurring in some of the most unlikely of places. According to
the most recent American Community Survey, the Los Angeles metro-area experienced a 10% increase in transit ridership,
due in part to the launch of the Los Angeles Transit Neighborhood Initiative and the new subway expansion to Santa
Monica.
Government entities are re-invigorating transit mobility through local and regional funding mechanisms. This includes bond
measures, local tax increases, and development fees. In 2014, Alameda County passed Measure BB, a half-cent sales tax to
sponsor transportation investments in the East Bay. This emergence of funding, $8 billon over thirty years, gives Oakland
motivation to update practices and reconsider how staff, resources, and cross-agency collaboration can keep Oakland
competitive for new transit funding.
25
http://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=19495&omniRss=press_releasesAoc&cid=102_P_R
i.
TRANSIT COORDINATION:
Transit planning, like other planning disciplines, extends beyond geographical and political constraints; transit
planning includes multiple organizations, agencies, and perspectives. Hence, it is a great accomplishment
when we are able to pair solutions to a need, and do so in a manner that is agreeable to all concerned
parties.
Christensen (1985) approached this classic planners dilemma with a matrix to suggest how civil servants can
find solutions to complex needs. The matrix, divided into four quadrants, shows that for a portion of our planning
needs, we are unsure how to link concerns with solutions. Its the question of how do we solve a problem and
with what tools? It is within this quadrant that it is critical to work with planning partners to form goals and
strategies that are agreeable.26
When the problem is known but the solution is unknown, innovation is needed.
(Christensen, 1985)
26
Christensen, Karen S. "Coping with uncertainty in planning." Journal of the American Planning Association 51, no. 1 (1985): 63-73.
16
27
Span, Kees CL, Katrien G. Luijkx, Jos MGA Schols, and Rene Schalk. "The relationship between governance roles and performance in local public interorganizational networks: A conceptual analysis." The American
Review of Public Administration (2011): 0275074011402193.
28
Gray, Barbara. "Conditions facilitating interorganizational collaboration."Human relations 38, no. 10 (1985): 911-936.
29
Innes, Judith E. "Planning through consensus building: A new view of the comprehensive planning ideal." Journal of the American planning association62, no. 4 (1996): 460-472.
30
Innes, J. "Planning Through Consensus Building: A New View of the Comprehensive Planner." Berkeley, Calif.: University of California at Berkeley(1994).
ii.
There are a variety of methods for achieving a high level of interagency coordination. To begin, trust at the managerial
level is crucial. Managers that are willing and eager to cross-pollinate ideas, offer flexibility, and share resources will foster
accountability between agencies. Engaged managers set a precedent for their own staff members. We can consider it to
be an osmosis effect; city-staff will mirror engaged and empowered managers, and strive for the same goals. Research by
Zeffane and Kosgaard offers that strong leader-member relationships encourage employees to take on challenging, rather
than risk-averse tasks. This, in combination within external coordination practices, which includes meeting in-person with
stakeholders, assessing problems together, and jointly monitoring goals and strategies, cultivates high-level interagency
collaboration3132.
To determine what goals and strategies the City of Oakland should implement, methods of collaboration were applied:
I.
II.
An in-depth assessment of planning documents published by the city, transit agencies, and regional commissions.
Interviews with local transit stakeholders including transit agencies, regional commissions, and transit advocates
31
Zeffane, Rachid. "Patterns of organizational commitment and perceived management style: A comparison of public and private sector employees." Human Relations 47, no. 8 (1994): 977-1010.
Korsgaard, M. Audrey, David M. Schweiger, and Harry J. Sapienza. "Building commitment, attachment, and trust in strategic decision-making teams: The role of procedural justice." Academy of Management journal 38,
no. 1 (1995): 60-84.
32
VI.
PLAN ASSESSMENT:
Regional Transportation Comission
City of Oakland
Neighborhoods
Metropolitan Transportation
Commission
Transit Agencies
AC Transit
BART
Capitol Corridor
WETA
20
i.
Reasoning:
An analysis of planning documents, including studies and outreach reports, developed and published by the City of
Oakland, partnering transit agencies, and regional transportation authorities, were synthesized to gain an understanding of
the current goals and objectives circulating within the Oakland transit network. By extracting goals and strategies found in
the documents, prominent and repeating interests were able to be identified.
Technique:
Planning documents were assessed based on descriptive goals and recommendations outlined in the plans. Goals were
cataloged into a variety of ways to identify associations and patterns. Once categorized by key themes and terms, goals
were merged to reduce redundancies. Plans and policies articulated by regional agencies, including the Metropolitan
Planning Commission (MTC) and the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC), were marked as goals that the
city is required to comply with. These goals, although often more general, includes state polices: AB 32 and SB 375 which
aim to reduce greenhouse gases and attend to underserved communities. This process of analysis was cultivated with
inspiration from Salt Lake Citys State of the System Fact Book, a component of Seattles transit master plan.33
Disclaimer:
The plans that were assessed for this report do not encompass all reports published by the City of Oakland and partnering
agencies over the last ten years. These plans aim to identify and assess a cross-section from all parties-- recognizing that a
plan may have been overlooked without intention during the assessment process.
33
Salt Lake City Transit Master Plan: State of the System Fact Book
21
YEAR
TRANSIT AGENCIES
2013
AC TRANSIT
AC Transit Expansion Plan
Draft
AC Transit Public Outreach
Sustainable Oakland
Comprehensive Circulation Study for Downtown
Oakland
Oakland General Plan, Land-Use and
Transportation Element
Energy and Climate Action Plan
Transit-First Policy
2014
2015
CITY WIDE
Broadway Transit Circulation Study
SPECIFIC PLANS
Broadway Valdez
Central Estuary Plan
Central and East Oakland Community Based
Transportation Plan
Coliseum/Oakland Airport BART Station Access
Plan
Fruitvale Alive! Community Transportation Plan,
Final Report
Lake Merritt BART Station Area Plan
LAMMPS
Harrison Street/Oakland Avenue Community
Transportation Plan
Revive Chinatown Community Transportation
Plan
West Oakland Specific Plan
West Oakland Community-Based Transportation
Plan
YEAR
2015
2015
2004
2014
1998
2012
2013
2013
BART
Quarter Four Report
Build a Better BART
CAPITOL CORRIDOR
Capitol Corridor Vision Plan
Update
WETA
2005
ACTC
ACTC County-Wide Transit
Plan
Multimodal Arterial Corridor
Plan
YEAR
2015
2015
MTC
Plan Bay Area
2013
2015
Connectivity Plan
Transportation 2035
2006
2009
2014
OTHER
CALTRANS: Complete Streets
SPUR Seamless Transit
2014
2015
2015
2014
2007
2002
REGIONAL COMMISSIONS
2016
2013
2010
2004
2013
2006
22
Figure 4: Plans categorized, ascending from regional authorities, transit agencies, city-wide Oakland Plans, and neighborhood specific plans
24
VII.
DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
Regional/State: 3
Transit agencies: 2
City-Wide: 2
Neighborhood/Specific Plans: 1
Total: 8
Regional/State: 5
Transit Agencies: 3
City-Wide: 2
Neighborhoods/Specific Plans: 6
Total: 16
25
Regional/State: 4
Transit Agencies: 1
City-Wide: 2
Neighborhoods/Specific Plans: 3
Total: 10
Regional/State: 1
Transit Agencies: 1
City-Wide: 2
Neighborhoods/Specific Plans: 3
Total: 7
26
Photo 2: Local wayfinding signs credit: Teddy Forscher
Regional/State: 2
Transit Agencies: 4
City-Wide: 0
Neighborhoods/Specific Plans: 9
Total: 15
Regional/State: 4
Transit Agencies: 2
City-Wide: 0
Neighborhoods/Specific Plans: 0
Total: 6
27
Regional/State: 3
Transit Agencies: 1
City-Wide: 1
Neighborhoods/Specific Plans: 4
Total: 9
Regional/State: 1
Transit Agencies: 3
City-Wide: 1
Neighborhoods/Specific Plans: 5
Total: 10
28
Regional/State: 4
Transit Agencies: 1
City-Wide: 3
Neighborhoods/Specific Plans: 6
Total: 14
Regional/State: 3
Transit Agencies: 3
City-Wide: 3
Neighborhoods/Specific Plans: 6
Total: 15
29
Regional/State: 2
Transit Agencies: 2
City-Wide: 1
Neighborhoods/Specific Plans: 3
Total: 8
Regional/State: 5
Transit Agencies: 3
City-Wide: 4
Neighborhoods/Specific Plans: 7
Total: 19
30
Photo 1: Fruitvale Transit Village, example of a TOD
Credit: Teddy Forscher
Regional/State: 2
Transit Agencies: 2
City-Wide: 2
Neighborhoods: 6
Total: 10
Regional/State: 4
Transit Agencies: 1
City-Wide: 4
Neighborhoods: 4
Total: 13
AC TRANSIT:
When considering the placement and replacement of bus stops, the citys most significant coordinating
partner is AC Transit. Stated in the agencys expansion plan, and their report, Designing with Transit (2004),
AC Transit aims to make bus stops safe, efficient, and convenient for their customers. Similar sentiments were
reiterated by a senior transportation planner at the agency, suggesting that there needs to be a procedure
for bus stop location changes, a policy that the City of Oakland has yet to develop. At present, the agency
is forced to make changes stop by stop. This, as shared by the interviewee, can be laborious because there
is no regulation or common practice.
AC Transit has not been shy in their own reports to foster this goal across Oakland and the greater service
area. Noted in the agencys Short Range Plan, the agency wants to improve on-time performance to 72%
by improving mean miles. This goal is lofty, however, in response the interviewee did not seem intimidated by
the aim, suggesting that strategies to improve on-time performance can be as simple as developing
frequency of service maps and allowing for back-door and travel-lane boarding.
Noted within the citys specific plans and in the citys Sustainable Oakland 2014-2015 report, the City of
Oakland aspires to add local feeder lines. Yet, from the perspective of AC Transit, funding should not be
directed towards new line development. There should be fewer new routes and more focus on frequency
and maintenance. Stated by the interviewee, our riders care if the bus is reliable, not if it shows up at
8:14. From AC Transits perspective, the map is pretty good, its not so much about new routes, its about
the frequencies.
When asked if the agency was accepting of Oaklands Transit First Policy, reservations were articulated. As
the leading agency that controls and monitors bus traffic, the interviewee spoke on behalf of his fellow
34
colleagues. improvements that slow the roads, arguably take buses a longer time to complete their trips.
To improve the Transit First Policy, AC Transit asks that buses be a higher, or at least, equal priority to the city.
Improvements to the policy include removing on-street parking from 11th-20th street along Broadway in
downtown Oakland, and improving the rapid lines.
The Comprehensive Circulation Study for Downtown Oakland, the EBOTs Neighboring Cities report, and the
Lake Merritt BART Station Plan, are all examples of plans that introduce the concept of the transit
hub/intermodal facilities.. However, for AC Transit, the agency feels indifferent about a multi-modal station if
improvements to the above-mentioned Transit First Policy fail to be achieved. As shared by the interviewee,
transit hubs should only be developed in nodes where people want to connectexamples of this would be
the Eastmont Transit Center. If the street already works, a transit hub is not necessary--- especially if bus
stops have to be made shorter.
Tangential to improving the Transit First Policy, AC Transit is equally apprehensive about Complete Streets. It
is not complete if transit isnt helped. AC Transit was anxious to re-brand the term to Complete Corridor,
suggesting that not all modes need to travel on the same roadway-- as long as we improve travel for all
modes in the same direction. AC Transit calls out the main corridors: San Pablo, Telegraph, MacArthur, and
Broadway, as the corridors that are the backbone of the Oakland transit system.
Improving real-time transit information has been suggested in regional and specific neighborhood plans to
increase ridership. Stated in the MTC Connectivity Plan, real-time information should be consistent among
hubs. Despite documentation, goals for improving real-time information at bus shelters are not a high
priority for AC Transit. Smart phone use is so prevalent and we struggle with securing accurate real-time
35
information. Furthermore, the interviewee stated that before real-time information is a high-priority goal, we
need to improve sidewalks and again, remove parking. AC Transit is the first to recognize that coordination
across the system is far from perfect. coordination is spottygaps in communication have led to poor
coordination. As a recommendation, the AC Transit employee suggested looking to cities that have
embraced coordination better than we have. Seattles King County Metro, has taken a lead in multi-modal
arterial planning, a process that would be advantageous for the transit community of Oakland to learn
from
MTC:
From the perspective of MTC, transit priorities begin with land-use reform. A transportation planner at the
commission voiced that transit wont work if land-use wont respond. This recommendation is expressed in
the commissions Plan Bay Area report as a response to Senate Bill 375. From the viewpoint of MTC, cities
transit goals need to reflect the policies detailed in this plan. During the interview, it was offered that MTC is
more likely to fund capital and programmatic strategies that alleviate emissions.
Beyond GHG reductions, an equitable distribution of service really matters to regional transportation
planners. We care about rideability access. From the viewpoint of MTC, Oaklands transit system will
stagnant if the travel experience only improves for current users. According to MTC, increasing ridership can
be as simple as prioritizing way-finding and signaling improvements. From our interviewees perspective, its
the City of Oaklands responsibility to take the lead on way-finding. As the jurisdiction at large, Oakland
should be doing more to improve Oakland branding for signaling and walk signage.
36
Taking the above remarks into consideration, the interviewee suggested that the city take a step back. The
city has to decide what its going to be, a funnel for San Francisco transit, or something else? From the
regional viewpoint, when developing capital projects, the aim isnt to construct the next flashy project-- it is
the responsibility of the transit agency to service programs and capital projects that discourage
displacement. This is critical with the rise of sea-level rise eminent and the need to increase access to lowincome and senior residents.
BART:
During an interview with two accessibility coordinators at Bay Area Rapid Transit, herein BART, the
interviewees emphasized the agencys priority to reduce the citys automobile travel. From BARTs
perspective, to accomplish this, system access needs to be addressed and it begins with reducing on and
off-street parking. The city is beginning to remove parking minimums, but we need to set parking
maximums. In turn, this would free up the drop-off locations at stations, and remove bottlenecks during
commute hours. BART interviewees shared that this has been an area of dissonance for quite some time. For
example, at the Lake Merritt, Rockridge, and Coliseum stations, carpools are dropping off their passengers in
the AC Transit right-of-way due to the stops close proximity to the stations entrances. But, this has been
cause of unruly ticketingupwards of $300.000 by the county sheriff, a contract established by AC Transit.
A Band-Aid solution to improve this conflict would be improving way-finding and signage at stations.
However, the interviewees also stressed a stronger policy, the need for a curb management policy to
amend parking requirements, lengthen bus stops, and manage pick-up and drop-off locations. buses are
stopping in the center of corridors to let off their passengers, a signifier that we need coordinated efforts to
improve station access.
37
When asked about implementing transit hubs, BART was compelled but with a caveat which leaned on their
earlier concerns pertaining to curb management. ...with multiple BART entrances at each station, for a hub
to work, there would need to be a coordinated effort to pin-point one bus pick-up and drop-off location.
BART maintains the opinion that Oaklands Transit First Policy does not support transit enough. In defense of
AC Transit, the BART interviewees referenced the Telegraph Avenue Complete Streets Implementation Plan.
As shared in a memo by AC Transit General Manager, David Armijo, the aim of the policy is to prioritize
transit over the automobile, re-stating the policy, increased speed, better accessibility to, and improved
frequency of transit service encourages greater use of public transit and increases fare box revenues.
However, both transit agencies state that the Telegraph improvements were created at the expense of
transit. BART interviewees feel that the streetscape modifications will reduce transit speeds and increase their
costs. Oakland goals do not translate into our concerns. When asked what role the city can play to
improve coordination efforts, the interviewees quickly suggested that the department hire a transit
coordinator. We have never had a transit advocate at the City of Oakland; there has not been an
on-going relationship. We have come up against many missed opportunities. In their final words, the
interviewees emphasized the East Bays position within the bay. People are moving east and using the
system; this is our opportunity to make it better.
COMMUNITY ADVOCACY GROUPS:
SPUR & TRANSPORT OAKLAND
Local advocacy groups interviewed offered that the Oakland transit system needs to prioritize poor
connections. With limited financial resources, SPUR advocates for moving resources to where the most
number of riders reside, as well as encourage private partnerships with Uber and Lyft to support last-mile
coverage.
38
To make Oakland transit great, SPUR suggests bringing transit to a basic standard. To do this, and with limited
resources, a director of transportation planning at SPUR advocates for developing a priority list of Oaklands
highest need areas. If the same goal is appearing in twenty plans, then said goal should be tackled until it is
complete. In turn, this will articulate to the greater community that Oakland cares about transit. Take the
busiest route and make it great.
A member of Transport Oakland said that, as far as transit goes, Oakland is on the right track-- the city
just needs to move the right projects forward. The interviewee projected that this is likely due to not having
enough staffing. patchwork planning will no longer suffice... Implementing transit infrastructure requires
conversations with the community, compromise, and pilot programs. Furthermore, in an agreement with the
interviewees from BART and AC Transit, Transport Oakland advocates for a revised Transit First Policy that
fights for basic service we have to ask ourselves what the best ways are to provide service is to our
customers.
Listed on their website, Transport Oakland notes the importance of cross-agency coordination. Repair
relationships with AC Transit and BART and support the creation of an administrative process to
de-politicize decisions about bus stop additions, removals, and relocations. Transport Oakland advocates for
an Oakland DOT; the interviewee was candid about wanting a department that is well-resourced and
allows for staff to have explicit roles. Dedicated staff will drive better policies and projects.
39
transportation infrastructure
development
40
VIII.
The City of Oakland, transit agencies, and regional commissions are in general agreement with the goals that
have been defined across more than thirty plans published at the local, city, and regional level. After an in-depth
document synthesis, vetted with stakeholder interviews, the following goals are assumed necessary for providing
an effective transit system to the residents and visitors of Oakland.
The document analysis and the interviews articulated goals and strategies to improve the Oakland transit system.
How do we operationalize the aforementioned goals and strategies? The next phase of this report, seeks to pair
agencies to strategies to begin a conversation about next-steps and the necessary coordination efforts required
to achieve Oaklands common goals for Transit. The following matrix pairs the strategies that are notated in the
reports and interviews with leading and supporting agencies.
Disclaimer: These strategies and partnerships are malleable; as they do not fully encompass the numerous
strategies and approaches to updating the current transit system.
41
IX.
THE MATRIX:
Responsible Agencies:
Leading = Support = S
City of
Oakland
MTC
ACTC
AC
Transit
BART
Capitol
Corridor
WETA
Private
42
Encourage economic
development
Ensure that improvement to
Broadway will not preclude the
possibility of future streetcar
service along the corridor/ trolley
service
10
10
11
12
12
13
14
15
16
Develop
special zoning to support transit
and pedestrian orientation
on these streets
Monitor GHGs -- Increase nonauto mode share by 10
percentage points
(to 26 percent of trips)
Decrease automobile vehicle
miles traveled per capita by 10
percent
i.
THEMES:
Beyond the sixteen aforementioned goals, themes are apparent that should be considered when the City of
Oakland and partnering agencies develop policies and action plans. The following considerations are central to
the success of implementing all goals and strategies. Those considerations are:
Improving coordination efforts
Defining administrative policies.
i) COORDINATION:
During interviews with both AC Transit and BART, the interviewees addressed the need for improve coordination.
Gaps in communication and the lack of transit advocacy within public works, has led the agencies feeling
unsupported in a city which claims to be a transit-first city. Referring back to the planning documents, the desire to
improve coordination is apparentwith more than fifteen reports remarking on the need to improve
collaboration. This further nods to the academic research noted earlier in this report, which remarks on the need
to address planning more creatively through partnerships. At the regional level we read from MTC to coordinate
last-mile connecting services and to improve scheduled coordination. City-wide plans address this need, as well.
In the Complete Streets: Integrating the transportation system report, Utilize leadership and strategic partnerships
to develop an integrated transportation system. Neighborhood/Specific plans emphasis the need to coordinate
across public partners, but also with private shuttle services to fulfill last mile connections.
50
From the perspective of the transit operators and senior transportation planners at the city, there is a gap in
administrative policies, which delays quick and effective change. As shared, without set policies and instructions,
an improvement, arguably as simple as replacing or moving a bus-stop, is prolonged. When speaking to BART
employees on the matter, they noted that despite attempts, there continues to be little direction about who at
the city is effectively responsible for certain transit matters. Establishing defined roles and setting policies within The
City of Oakland should curb these concerns.
(1) ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES:
The plans reviewed for this report illustrate that the elements for the following administrative polices exist; the city
and partnering agencies have noted their importance and are pursuing them at a certain scale. This is an
opportunity to solidify these-- improving on their granularity for the betterment of the transit-system.
A Transit-First Policy: we have the elements of a transit-first
Unanimously, interviewees reflected that Oaklands Transit First Policy, a policy enacted in 1996 to promote public
transit, has not been mirrored with changes on the ground. As communicated by members of Transport Oakland,
a policy is only as strong as the tools provided. Furthermore, in a 2006 resolution to introduce a car-free day in
Oakland, the following was stated, bring Bay Area residents to the premier transit-friendly hub of the East
Bay Yet, transit employees question the citys dedication to becoming a more transit-oriented city, despite twodecades of policy.
Parking Policy:
Based on the opinions of the agencies, Oakland cannot be a transit-oriented city without amending current
parking policies, a policy that should be paired with Transit-First. Interviewees from AC Transit and BART,
recommend setting parking maximums to remove bottlenecks at congested stations, and incentivizing public
transit ridership and carpool drop-offs. Furthermore, the agencies would like to see parking removals along
51
corridors, like Broadway, which can afford to have less parking. As suggested, a policy to remove parking from
11th-20th street along Broadway would improve the speed of bus rapid lines, a significant need for passengers who
request improved on-time arrivals.
A Curb Management Policy:
The need for a curb management policy is clear and plays into similar frustrations that the transit agencies share
about off-loading their passengers. At present, there is a general consensus from transit partners that a curb
management policy is required to set street standards. This includes policies for removing or extending curbs,
modifying on-street parking, and changing bus-stop locations. Furthermore, for transit hubs to be installed at key
locations throughout Oakland, it is critical that a curb management policy be accepted to pin-point central dropoff locations and street designations.
A Way-Finding Policy:
At present, way-finding and signage deployment is ad-hoc. Yet, MTC notes that signage is an inexpensive way to
increase ridership; its the City of Oaklands responsibility to take the lead on way-finding. Oakland can do more
to improve Oakland branding for signaling and walk-signage. MTCs perspective of way-finding is further detailed
by the agencies. In the interviews, AC Transit and BART interviewees, advocated for a city initiated way-finding
program to avoid conflicts at stations where multiple modes of traffic need to be directed.
52
X.
NEXT STEPS:
Should Oakland move forward with a transit action plan, the first step that the City of Oakland needs to pursue is
to develop a protocol for prioritizing pipeline projects, based on the aforementioned common goals and
strategies. Defining top-priorities, a recommendation from SPUR and Transport Oakland, will direct resources and
staffing to the most critical projects. This process can begin by re-instating monthly action meetings with
stakeholders to determine which projects are the most viable.
Furthermore, action steps need to be taken to amend and develop administrative policies; this includes revising
the Transit First Policy, modifying the parking program, and creating a curb management program that emulates
AC Transits road standards. This process deserves up-front dedicated resources and staffing to determine
Oaklands priority corridors and priority hubs.
Based on concerns derived from the interviews, it would be advantageous for the City of Oakland to hire a transit
coordinator to advocate for system-wide improvements. At present, a dedicated transit coordinator does not
exist; if this arrangement persists, it will gridlock the goals and strategies that all transit partners wish to achieve. This
empowered employee would have a strong understanding of this complex transit system-- able to maneuver and
advocate across the agencies, able to bring service up to a basic level of need, and creatively approach
inter-agency collaboration.
Above all, the city and its partners have an opportunity, the knowledge, and tools to strengthen Oakland transit to
improve access for current and future riders.
53
XI.
APPENDIX:
Way-Finding Policies:
In 2010, the City of Alexandria, Virginia, assembled a way-finding stakeholder advisory group to unify the citys
design identity, streamline signage protocols, and improve walking and transit direction information. A working
group formed allowing for a creative and collaborative process to lead the effort. Community meetings and
multiple work sessions with the Boards of Architectural Review, the Planning Commission, and City Council,
endorsed the process.
Link: Alexandra, Virginia Way Finding Program
Progressive Parking Policies:
Places including Pittsburg, Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco have led the effort to set caps on parking. In
nearby San Francisco, the city has eliminated minimum residential parking requirements in neighborhoods served
well by transit. In the downtown, developers are only able to allot .75 parking spaces for each new housing unit.
Resources that can offer guidelines for altering parking policies and zoning include: Parking Spaces / Community
Places: Finding the Balance through Smart Growth Solutions and the High Cost of Parking, Donald Shoup.
Curb-Management Policies:
In 2010, The Institute of Transportation and Development published U.S. Parking Policies: An Overview of
Management Strategies, to highlight alternative methods for curb management. As shared in the report, San
Francisco, Portland, Boulder, Chicago, New York City, and Cambridge have led the way in curb space
reinvention.
54
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