Oakland is moving forward with a major overhaul of Broadway, one of the city's busiest downtown corridors, targeting faster bus service, safer crosswalks, and calmer traffic through the heart of the city.
The Broadway Streetscape Improvements project covers two stretches of the corridor: Broadway between 2nd Street and 11th Street, and between 20th Street and Grand Avenue. Together, those segments run through some of Oakland's most heavily traveled pedestrian and transit territory.
For bus riders, the changes are substantial. Red bus-only lanes will extend the existing dedicated lanes already on Broadway, and the city will expand Transit Signal Priority at every signalized intersection along the route. That technology detects approaching buses and adjusts signal timing to keep them moving, reducing delays that have long frustrated riders on AC Transit lines that use the corridor.
Pedestrian safety is the other major focus. The project will install new ADA curb ramps, high-visibility crosswalks, upgraded intersection lighting, and wayfinding signage. One specific hazard targeted is the free-right turn at Broadway and the 6th Street freeway off-ramp, where high-speed vehicles turning off Interstate 880 have created dangerous conditions for people in the crosswalk. That turn will be eliminated. The Broadway underpass beneath I-880, long considered a grim stretch that discourages walking between neighborhoods, will receive new lighting and design improvements intended to make it feel safer and more welcoming.
The city will also repave Broadway, upgrade traffic signals to include protected left turns, install fiber-optic cabling between Embarcadero West and 7th Street to improve signal coordination, and lower the speed limit under a new Oakland ordinance.
Oakland is now seeking a contractor to carry out the work. A timeline for construction has not been publicly detailed, but the scope suggests a project that will affect commuters, transit riders, and nearby businesses for an extended period once work begins.
