One of East Oakland's most dangerous streets is getting a long-awaited physical overhaul, as Oakland moves to install protected bike lanes, traffic circles, speed humps, and new storm drains along East 12th Street between 35th Avenue and International Boulevard.
The corridor has ranked among Oakland's deadliest for years. OakDOT's own High Injury Network data shows East Oakland streets account for a disproportionate share of the city's pedestrian and cyclist fatalities, and East 12th has drawn repeated attention from community advocates and city council members pushing for concrete safety interventions. The neighborhood is predominantly Latino and Black and has historically received less infrastructure investment than other parts of the city.
The redesign bundles several priorities into one project. Raised concrete islands will physically separate bike lanes from traffic, replacing painted-only markings that safety advocates have long argued are inadequate. Traffic circles and speed humps will slow vehicles on a corridor known for speeding and sideshow activity. The project also includes signal upgrades, ADA-compliant curb ramps and sidewalk repairs.
Source: NationGraph.
A separate but equally pressing mandate drives the stormwater component: the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board requires Bay Area cities to install full trash capture screens on storm drains to reduce pollution flowing into the Bay, and this project retrofits East 12th to meet that requirement.
The work is rooted in Oakland's Vision Zero commitment, adopted in 2017, and the city's 2019 Bike Plan. State Active Transportation Program grants have supported the East 12th corridor in prior funding cycles, and Measure U, the $850 million infrastructure bond Oakland voters passed in 2022, may cover local match costs. The project requires coordination with Caltrans, whose bridge infrastructure is part of the work zone. Oakland is also overhauling the Broadway corridor with bus lanes and safer crossings, reflecting a broader push under OakDOT to redesign high-injury streets citywide.
Oakland posted the project to its bid portal on July 2, 2026. Once a contractor is selected, construction will affect East 12th Street residents and businesses across Council Districts 5 and 6.
