Oakland Gets New DOT for a New Kind of Transportation Planning
Until this summer, like many other midsize cities, Oakland has had no Department of Transportation. Decisions about streets have fallen under the jurisdiction of public works or planning instead. Now, nearly a year after Mayor Libby Schaaf announced its creation as part of the city’s 2015-2017 budget, Oakland’s first DOT is taking shape. Earlier this month, the city announced that the transition would be led by Jeff Tumlin, a transportation consultant and director of strategy with planning firm Nelson/Nygaard. The department’s creation couldn’t come at a better time. The city is considering putting a $600 million infrastructure bond on the November ballot, which could yield $350 million for transportation if approved.
https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/oakland-first-dot-transportation-planning
Measure BB passed in the 2014 Election.
With 70.76% of Alameda County voters approving the measure, it passed the 2/3 threshold required of revenue-generating items.
In January of 2014, the governing body of the Alameda County Transportation Commission (Alameda CTC) approved the 2014 Alameda County Transportation Expenditure Plan (TEP), which includes a set of transportation projects and programs that would receive funding if voters approve Measure BB, a transportation sales tax measure that will appear on the November 4, 2014 ballot.
Alameda CTC currently collects a 0.5% sales tax that is due to expire in 2022. Measure BB would extend the existing tax until 2045 and increase the tax to a total of 1%. Under the TEP, Alameda CTC would use the additional tax revenue to support transportation projects and programs throughout Alameda County. This revenue, some of which will go to Oakland, would fund two broad categories of work over 30 years: 1) Capital projects with specific dollar amounts, including everything from expanding BART to improving pedestrian corridors; and 2) Operations and maintenance investments, such as reinstating canceled bus service and maintaining streets. Former Oakland Army Base infrastructure upgrades, including roadway and truck route improvements, also could receive support.
https://localwiki.org/oakland/Alameda_County_Measure_BB
May 2015
Oakland needs a Department of Transportation
It turns out Oakland has never, in its 162-year history, had a department dedicated to transportation. This omission is long overdue for correction, which needs to occur soon, and could happen with little cost to Oaklanders.
https://oaklandnorth.net/2015/05/11/you-tell-us-oakland-needs-a-department-of-transportation/
