As-Needed Transportation Engineering Project

Broadway/Keith Avenue to Golden Gate Way Bike/Pedestrian Project, Oakland, CA

Under an on-call contract for the City of Oakland, Michael Baker International (formerly RBF Consulting) with Diablo Engineering Group management (Jennifer Harmon) prepared an Alternatives Analysis, 35% Conceptual Design Plans with community outreach, and under a separate contract, final Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&E) for improvements along Broadway from Keith Avenue to Golden Gate Way in the City of Oakland. The proposed work required an encroachment permit from Caltrans as it is immediately adjacent to the on and off ramps for SR-24.  The design team recently delivered the final construction punch list.

Goals of the project are to add traffic calming measures, incorporate bike lanes, and improve pedestrian accessibility as there are two schools in close proximity to the project. In addition, the design team was requested to address access to private properties that had not previously been addressed at the time of the preliminary settlement agreement concepts. The design team provided alternatives for standard bike lanes and for a cycle track. Although the pedestrian and bicycle coordinator at the City was not supportive of the cycle track alternative at first, the design team demonstrated the benefits in removing conflicts with the freeway on and off ramps and providing for a protected area for bicyclists separate from pedestrians, while still providing clean conforms back to the standard bike lanes. The City pedestrian and bicycle coordinator became “excited about implementing this design.”