Adam RollinsThe city of Oakland, California, will spend $28 million to completely revamp Broadway Street into a complete street, prioritizing safe mobility improvements, transit accessibility and pedestrian enhancements. Currently in the design phase, construction is expected to begin in 2026.
Although Broadway Street is a major high-frequency transit corridor in the city, its design flaws create bus delays, produce unreliable travel times and impact pedestrian safety, according to city officials. The project’s goal is to improve bus reliability while ensuring all non-motorized travelers benefit from enhanced safety and mobility.
Among the major plans for the road, Oakland will create red bus-only lanes, extending the existing bus-only lanes and further enhancing transit access and reliability. In addition, the city will implement Transit Signal Priority (TSP) to keep lights green for approaching buses.
Measures to protect non-motorized travelers primarily feature the enhancement of pedestrian infrastructure, including implementing bulb-outs, accessible curb ramps, high-visibility crosswalks, lighting and wayfinding.
A major planned street modification will involve removing the existing slip turn at 6th Street and Broadway, enabling drivers to more safely turn right while maintaining pedestrian visibility. The city will also upgrade the traffic signals to protect left turns, repave the roadway and lower the speed limit.
Additional infrastructure plans will include building bus shelters, seating and trash cans at bus stops. The city plans to install more street trees, landscape the area and expand public seating availability, along with calling for fiber cables to improve signal coordination and expand Wi-Fi and internet access.
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