Fruitvale Avenue to Introduce its First Protected Bike Lane
After 15 years of planning and design, the first protected pedestrian and bike lane on Fruitvale Avenue in East Oakland is finally underway. It will stretch from E. 12th Street to Alameda Avenue, located at the base of the Fruitvale Railroad bridge. In a much-needed improvement for this neglected area of the city, community leaders and residents on and off Fruitvale Avenue express their anticipation for creating a safe space for biking and walking.
Rob Prinz, a director at Bike East Bay, shared his excitement about the project, stating that he is thrilled about it. Prinz has been a strong advocate for a safer Fruitvale Avenue since the inception of the design and legislative process.
By the middle of 2024, there is a possible connection between the Fruitvale Land Crossing Bay Trail project and the Fruitvale Avenue crossing. According to Prinz, this development will allow cyclists to safely navigate the town. Furthermore, expanded sidewalks will facilitate pedestrian movement between Fruitvale BART, Alameda, and nearby establishments, including the renowned Guadalajara Restaurant on E. 12th Street.
About the Fruitvale Avenue Project
The Fruitvale Avenue project, known as “Fruitvale Alive!” is set to convert one northbound car lane into a dedicated bike lane while maintaining one lane for cars in each direction. The road will feature visible concrete separators to enhance safety measures, effectively slowing down vehicles that speed from Alameda into Oakland.
Extensive research on driver speeding has consistently shown that narrower car lanes compel drivers to reduce speed, resulting in safer streets. This reduction in speed decreases the likelihood of severe injuries or deaths in a collision.
The bike-protected lanes will be the same height as the pedestrian sidewalk, with black asphalt and yellow markings. By elevating the bike lane, cyclists will be separated from the main roadway, improving driver visibility. Although raised bikeways have been implemented in other East Bay cities like Fremont, this will be the first of its kind in Oakland.
Funding for the Protected Bike Lanes
Unlike other protected bike lanes, such as those found on Telegraph Avenue, which utilizes concrete barriers, bus platforms, and parked cars for protection, Oakland has faced budgetary constraints that prevented the construction of raised bike lanes. Redesigning established sidewalk curbs tends to be more expensive. However, substantial funding was secured through a California Active Transportation Program grant for the Fruitvale Avenue project, allowing the city and Department of Transportation engineers to comprehensively redesign the Street, including the curbsides.
Prinz also points out that Fruitvale Avenue experiences less bicycle and pedestrian traffic than downtown areas, reducing the likelihood of conflicts between cyclists and pedestrians.
Changes in the Sidewalk
A prominent change in the sidewalk will be its expansion from five feet to seven feet. Additionally, the project will introduce new pedestrian and traffic lights and bulbous on-street corners, making road crossings shorter and more accessible. Furthermore, a row of landscaping will be installed at the sidewalk’s edge, potentially discouraging cars from driving onto the sidewalk to bypass stopped vehicles.
The Fruitvale Avenue project is connected to a previously completed bike lane project on Fruitvale Avenue, finalized last year from E. 12th Street to E. 22nd Street. This initiative added buffered bike lanes by applying new paint and bike markings across ten blocks. However, implementing these lanes resulted in removing numerous parking spaces in front of businesses, leading to community complaints. Responding to these concerns, the city restored most of the parking spots.
Future Protected Bikeways in Oakland
This year, additional protected bikeways are being constructed on hazardous roads in Oakland. One notable project encompasses 14th Street and the surroundings of Lake Merritt, creating a cycle track that completely encloses the city’s renowned park.
Furthermore, a bikeway is being built on the Alameda side of the Fruitvale bridge, extending from Tilden Way to Broadway. However, individuals cycling on the actual bridge will still have to either share the main roadway with cars or dismount and walk across a narrow bridge passage.
The following video explains why protected bike lanes are more valuable than parking spaces.
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Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
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