Oaklandside: Oakland wants to make it easier for community groups to slow traffic
Improving city infrastructure, like implementing a road diet to reduce vehicle speeds and give bike riders and pedestrians more space, takes time. Each stage, from planning and designing to funding and constructing, can take months or years. Unfortunately, this has postponed many new road projects that can save lives.
To speed things up, the Oakland City Council is urging the city’s Department of Transportation to change how it approves “encroachment permits” that are necessary for many temporary traffic calming projects.
Encroachment permits normally allow private individuals or businesses to take up part of the road and other public space with temporary infrastructure, signs, or other items that can slow or alter traffic, often with the goal of making things safer. One common example is the use of K-rails around the edges of construction sites to create temporary protected walkways for pedestrians while workers occupy the sidewalk.
