Oakland transportation officials are in full-on money hunt mode, chasing a wave of state, federal and county grants that could send tens of millions of dollars into safety overhauls on 73rd Avenue, West Grand Avenue and Hegenberger Road. City staff say the proposals would bring in protected bike routes, safer crosswalks and transit upgrades along some of Oakland’s most dangerous corridors.
As reported by The Oaklandside, the Department of Transportation is working up roughly 13 grant applications that together could seek at least $75 million from outside programs. That reporting notes about $50 million as the single largest combined ask across two active transportation proposals, and says the city is seeking about $700,000 to plan and design pedestrian and bike upgrades on Hegenberger Road. The Oaklandside story also points to city documents showing Hegenberger and nearby intersections have produced a high number of serious crashes, which helped push the corridor to the top of OakDOT’s priority list.
73rd Avenue's major bid
One of the biggest single requests would advance the 73rd Avenue Active Routes to Transit project into design and construction, with plans for a median bikeway, bus boarding islands and protected intersections. According to the City of Oakland, OakDOT has been seeking Active Transportation Program funding for the median path concept, roughly a $40 million construction request from Caltrans in earlier rounds, and is still refining design alternatives with neighborhood feedback. The goal is to knit together Eastmont Transit Center, Coliseum BART and International Boulevard with lower stress walking and biking routes so people are not risking their lives just getting to the bus or train.
West Grand and other corridor fixes
Another top application targets West Grand Avenue, where the city is eyeing corridor improvements that could include sidewalk bulbouts and a protected bike lane to slow traffic and shorten crossing distances. The Oaklandside reports that the two active transportation proposals together make up the largest single chunk of OakDOT’s current grant push. Staff say that if the city lands one or both awards, it would cover most of the construction costs for redesigning those streets, costs that would otherwise blow past what the city’s capital budget can handle.
Where the money would come from
Oakland expects to stack these outside grants on top of local bond dollars and its regular capital program to pay for design and construction. Per the City of Oakland, Measure KK and Measure U bond proceeds were always meant to serve as local match money for bigger state and federal grants, and to cover sidewalks, curb ramps and other capital fixes that help make those larger awards possible. OakDOT staff say those local matches are often the make-or-break factor in whether a major transportation grant is competitive.
Next steps and community input
For now, OakDOT’s grant team is busy polishing applications and lining up the required local matches while juggling a packed two year capital program. Acting Funding Strategy Lead Yvonne Chan recently walked commissioners and residents through the department’s strategy at a BPAC meeting, where staff asked for feedback on project checklists and matching approaches. If the city wins these grants, construction timelines will depend on each funder’s award schedule and on how quickly Oakland can finish design work, environmental review and its own match commitments. In other words, landing the money is only the first leg of the race.
