Broadway in Downtown Oakland Set to Be Narrowed with Bulb-Outs
Downtown Oakland’s primary street is set to undergo substantial renovations to significantly enhance pedestrian safety in 2025. The Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) has outlined plans to introduce “bulb-outs” at nearly every intersection along Broadway, spanning from 2nd Street at Jack London Square to 11th Street.
The bulb-outs are extensions of the sidewalk curbs designed to resemble the shapes of light bulbs. Their primary objective is to expand the sidewalk’s width while concurrently decreasing the road’s width. Often incorporated during repaving or major construction projects, bulb-outs have gained popularity among urban planners due to their ability to reduce the time pedestrians spend crossing streets, thereby reducing collision rates. Furthermore, they serve as barriers to prevent vehicles from overtaking other cars on the right side of the road when making right or left turns. This maneuver puts pedestrians attempting to cross the street at risk of accidents.
OakDOT officials emphasized the notable reduction in the distance pedestrians need to cover when crossing the street due to bulb-outs. Additionally, they highlighted creating designated areas for vehicles to turn and tightening intersections and median islands, reducing the speed of left-turning cars. This endeavor is anticipated to significantly impact safety and the overall pedestrian experience within the neighborhood.
About the Broadway Redesign Project
The Broadway redesign project will partially remove one car lane between Jack London Square and 11th Street in each direction. These lanes will be replaced by red-painted bus-only lanes, aligning with the existing design on the street between 11th Street and 20th Street. Additionally, the city plans to install new traffic signals at the 2nd and 4th Street intersections, and bus-only lanes will be introduced between 20th Street and Grand Avenue.
In recent times, OakDOT has installed bulb-outs or sidewalk extensions along several of Oakland’s busiest streets. This year, for instance, Fruitvale Avenue in East Oakland, spanning from E. 12th Street to Alameda Avenue, is set to receive multiple sidewalk extensions. San Pablo Avenue is also slated to incorporate bulb-outs in its major redesign. At the same time, Telegraph Avenue and Grand Avenue have already seen the addition of a few of these extensions within the past two years.
Broadway is on the verge of undergoing several improvements, including installing new lighting under the I-880 overpass, replacing pavement, and introducing new crosswalks. To accommodate bus-only lanes, parking will be eliminated in certain blocks, such as the southbound side of Broadway and the northbound lane between 21st and 22nd Streets.
According to information from the Transportation Injury Mapping System, the intersection of 5th Street represents the most hazardous junction south of 11th Street on Broadway. In this location, two lanes of cars join together, going to either I-880 or the Alameda tunnel. Over the years, from 2010 to 2022, 20 crashes occurred at this crossing.
As part of the Oakland Alameda Access Project, there are plans to reconstruct this intersection, incorporating a new horseshoe ramp under I-880 at Jackson Street to reduce car traffic on Broadway.
During the summer, OakDOT surveyed residents, revealing strong support for improving pedestrian safety on Broadway, particularly by constructing improved crosswalks. Additionally, there was a notable desire for better traffic signals, which have often posed visibility challenges and tended to malfunction.
Other Prominent Streets Set for Transformations
Several other major streets are also slated for comprehensive transformations as part of OakDOT’s streetscape redesign initiative. One such street undergoing a significant overhaul is Martin Luther King Jr. Way, which traverses downtown Oakland. Although the MLK Jr. redesign mirrors Broadway’s, it does not include dedicated bus lanes. Instead, the city intends to introduce concrete-raised medians at bus stops. Pedestrians will cross a lane designated exclusively for bicycles via a crosswalk to reach these protected medians, where they can await buses. This design expedites transit services as bus drivers can halt directly on the road, eliminating the need to maneuver their large vehicles in and out of sidewalk bus bays.
Raised medians of a similar kind were recently incorporated on Telegraph Avenue, and they also exist along certain sections of International Boulevard for AC Transit’s Bus Rapid Transit line. However, the medians on International Boulevard have faced criticism due to their central location on the road, where motorists often unlawfully speed through bus lanes.
Installing raised medians will also create space for city engineers to establish a two-way cycle track on the eastern side of MLK Way, while some city blocks will retain on-street parking. Cycle tracks mitigate the risk to cyclists of encountering a parked car door suddenly opening in their path, serving as a road safety solution that Oakland’s bicycle advocates have recently championed, particularly following a tragic incident involving a four-year-old girl on Lakeshore Avenue, where a door collision led to her death.
The video below explains the benefits of bulb-out curb extensions.
Oakland Personal Injury Attorney
I’m Ed Smith, an Oakland Personal Injury Lawyer. To gain a deeper insight into our service offerings and make the most of our free and friendly case consultation, we encourage you to contact our legal team at (510) 631-0200 or (800) 404-5400. Our dedicated injury attorneys are here to assist you and provide valuable insights tailored to your situation.
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