City of Oakland California

The decisions we make today regarding housing, land use and transportation will shape the future of our community for generations to come. Established in 1852, Oakland is located in the heart of the Bay Area. Oakland is a city of desirable, accessible and connected neighborhoods, and a transportation system enabling efficient and non-polluting mobility. Planning decisions can build on and reinforce these qualities, increasing accessibility for all members of the Oakland community, and supporting regional development goals in a manner that makes Oakland an even better place to live.

New Affordable Green Developments Offer Models for the Region - Recent Oakland housing developments are providing low-to-moderate income families with energy-efficient buildings, use of solar energy, water-efficient fixtures and landscaping, healthy building materials, and gardening areas for residents. Jack London Gateway at 989 Brush Street received the highest GreenPoint rating awarded by Build It Green as of fall 2009. Tassafaronga Village (photo at right) was awarded LEED Platinum certification. Fox Courts, Ironhorse Apartments and Lion Creek Crossings offer green living options in Uptown, West Oakland and East Oakland, respectively.

Transit-Oriented Development - Oakland is prioritizing transit-oriented development (TOD) to improve neighborhoods and mitigate future air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The City has established six transit-oriented priority development areas in Oakland and is currently developing comprehensive plans and zoning to guide future development in these areas. Recent and ongoing projects include the Fruitvale Transit Village, the MacArthur Transit Village Project. The City has also made streetscape improvements in transit-oriented areas along 7th Street and Fruitvale Ave.

Free Downtown "B" Shuttle - In 2010, the City of Oakland and AC Transit launched the Broadway "Free B" Shuttle serving locations in Jack London Square, Old Oakland, Chinatown, City Center, Uptown and Lake Merritt. The Free B is making it easier to get around and reducing air pollution by displacing automobile trips. View routes, schedules and more information, and hop on the Free B!

100 Years of Oakland Parks - Oakland has more than 100 parks and 27 recreation facilities throughout its neighborhoods and is currently celebrating 100 years of providing recreation and outdoor experiences.

Bicycle Plan Implementation - The City continues to pursue projects identified in the Bicycle Master Plan, and Oakland cyclists are enjoying more bikeways, bike-sensitive traffic lights, and improved parking options. The Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Program plans, secures funds for, and implements bicycle and pedestrian projects throughout Oakland. Oakland now offers more than 100 miles of bikeways, and in the last ten years has installed more than 700 bike racks in commercial districts. In 2009, a record setting 858 bike parking spaces were created.

Port of Oakland Diesel Truck Filters - Under the Truck Replacement Project, the Port is providing qualifying truck owners up to $40,000 to replace on-road heavy-duty diesel trucks serving the Port's Maritime Area with a 1999 or newer model year truck. The Port will provide up to $2 million in total funding to replace approximately 80 trucks.

Clean Vehicles - The City adopted a Green Fleet Resolution (PDF) in 2003 establishing "Green Fleet" policies and procedures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality in the City of Oakland, and to increase the fuel efficiency of the City's fleet.

Electric Vehicles - The City will soon be adding three Nissan LEAF electric vehicles to its fleet thanks to a grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. These vehicles will reduce operating costs and local air pollution.

Alternative Fuels - There are four stations in Oakland that currently or will soon provide alternative fueling options. AC Transit and the City of Oakland collaborated on Oakland’s first hydrogen fueling station, located on Seminary near San Leandro Street. AC Transit is also working in partnership with Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley, Schatz Energy Research Center at Humboldt State University, Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland, and the City of Oakland to build and operate the HyRoad Learning Center on the same property as the hydrogen fueling station. This Center will provide transportation related information for the community and engage school children and policy-makers in an interactive exploration of emerging energy and transportation systems and paths to a sustainable future. A second alternative fueling station close to downtown at Market and Brush Streets is anticipated to be operational by late 2006. The station, which will be open to the public, will offer Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and will be plumbed for hydrogen fueling. The Oakland Airport has a compressed natural gas fueling station in operation and the City of Oakland has a CNG fueling station at the City’s Municipal Service Center, for the exclusive use of the City’s CNG fueled vehicles.

I BIKE Oakland - A growing number of Oakland residents are bicycling to work as their primary means of transportation. Out of the 70 largest cities in the United States, Oakland now has the fifth largest percentage of people bicycling to work (US Census Bureau, 2009 American Community Survey). The top ten cities in rank order are Portland, Minneapolis, Seattle, San Francisco, Oakland, New Orleans, Honolulu, Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Boston. Oakland’s bicycle mode share increased from 1.2% in 2000 to 2.5% in 2009.

Park Accessibility - Park accessibility continues to be outstanding with almost 90% of residents living within one half mile of a park or open space.

10K Downtown Housing Initiative - Launched in 1999, the 10K Downtown Housing Initiative is realizing its goal of attracting 10,000 new residents to downtown by encouraging the development of 6,000 market-rate housing units.