Oakland Alameda Access Project

[mrsman]

Doing some reading earlier today, and I discovered a Caltrans / Alameda County plan to improve the connection between Alameda and I-880. 

Access between the freeway and the roadway networks between I-880 and the [Webster and Posey] Tubes is limited
and indirect, and access to/from the cities of Oakland and Alameda is circuitous. Existing
access to I-880 from Alameda and the Jack London District requires loops through several local
streets and intersections, routing vehicles through the downtown Oakland Chinatown
neighborhood.

There are of course a ton of reports on it.  Here is one of the reports.  An interesting description and some maps begin on page 15:

https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/district-4/documents/oaap/0g360_oaap_ded_appendices_compressed_20200921.pdf


And a video description:

https://player.vimeo.com/video/236132356

[Max Rockatansky]

Holy crap, actual Caltrans documents showing CA 260 shields through the Posey Tubes.  That highway is so obscure it's signed as CA 61. 

[gonealookin]

I lived in Alameda for a while; improvements to that connection have been needed since the freeway now known as I-880 was originally constructed.

A project in that area should include consideration of improved access from I-880 and I-980 to the Howard Terminal area, where the Oakland A's are proposing to build their new ballpark.  Construction of the ballpark is by no means certain but it's (long past) time to fish or cut bait on that project; there should be some final decision in the next 18 months or so.  Howard Terminal is approximately 6 city blocks northwest of Jack London Square, along the estuary and more or less in a straight line with I-980 if it were extended to the estuary.

[SeriesE]

Well, that 5th Avenue bridge replacement seems shortsighted now. This project wants to rest ripe the lanes on I-880 north, eliminating shoulders and make the road non-standard again. It should have been considered when the bridge was getting rebuilt.

[Plutonic Panda]

So this project removes a lane in the tunnel for a two way protected bike lane?

[mrsman]

So this project removes a lane in the tunnel for a two way protected bike lane?

I don't think so.  It seems that there was always a catwalk in the tunnel that was used for maintenance purposes.  This catwalk is going to be widened to accommodate bicycles.  Each tunnel is 2 lanes wide and will remain two lanes wide. 

The bike path is a terrible idea.  Who would want to bike in a tunnel filled with exhaust, even if there is a separated path?

[Max Rockatansky]

Considering Alameda is involved I can foresee a bike lane being very popular. 

[heynow415]

So this project removes a lane in the tunnel for a two way protected bike lane?

I don't think so.  It seems that there was always a catwalk in the tunnel that was used for maintenance purposes.  This catwalk is going to be widened to accommodate bicycles.  Each tunnel is 2 lanes wide and will remain two lanes wide. 

The bike path is a terrible idea.  Who would want to bike in a tunnel filled with exhaust, even if there is a separated path?

It's not ideal but since there is no alternative route between downtown Oakland and Alameda, you work with what you have (and it's only 1/2 mile so it's not that long).  Since it's an active shipping channel through there, building a bridge over it is a nonstarter.  There are other bridge crossings from Oakland a few miles to the south but they are either coming by way of the airport or through a demilitarized zone and are a significant detour if you're coming from downtown or points north.

[jdbx]

So this project removes a lane in the tunnel for a two way protected bike lane?

I don't think so.  It seems that there was always a catwalk in the tunnel that was used for maintenance purposes.  This catwalk is going to be widened to accommodate bicycles.  Each tunnel is 2 lanes wide and will remain two lanes wide. 

The bike path is a terrible idea.  Who would want to bike in a tunnel filled with exhaust, even if there is a separated path?

I work with a couple of people from Alameda, and back in pre-COVID days, they both would commute via bicycle through the Posey / Webster tubes to get to the BART station.  Both of them commented on how absolutely horrible riding along that narrow walkways was, but that the alternative of going the long-way down the island to cross on Park Street was a non-starter.  I anticipate that this bike path will get far more use than some may think.

[TheStranger]

Saw there had been no updates on this in a while, so i googled the project and came across the Final Environmental Document completed in 2022:

https://www.alamedactc.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/0G360_OAAP_Admin-FED4_Main_Document_Remediated_2022023.pdf

[The Ghostbuster]

This is unrelated to the project, but I find it ironic that both Oakland and San Francisco have shoreline roadways that are named Embarcadero.

[jdbx]

This is unrelated to the project, but I find it ironic that both Oakland and San Francisco have shoreline roadways that are named Embarcadero.

Shouldn't be surprising in any area that was originally settled by Spain or Mexico.  Embarcadero just means an inland landing place where boats could be unloaded.

[TheStranger]

This is unrelated to the project, but I find it ironic that both Oakland and San Francisco have shoreline roadways that are named Embarcadero.

Shouldn't be surprising in any area that was originally settled by Spain or Mexico.  Embarcadero just means an inland landing place where boats could be unloaded.

And those two aren't even the only Bay Area roads with that name: Embarcadero Road in Palo Alto is a major access point from the Bayshore Freeway!

[Max Rockatansky]

Even places like Morro Bay have an Embarcadero Road.

[The Ghostbuster]

I've never been to California, so I had no idea the Embarcadero name was used so extensively throughout the state.