Oakland, Calif. – Nov. 2, 2017: City and Port of Oakland officials are meeting with neighbors to hear concerns about big rig traffic on streets in West Oakland. The agencies say they anticipate a new West Oakland Truck Management Plan by the fall of 2018 that will address trucking problems in the area. The goal: steer heavy truck traffic away from West Oakland residences bordering the Port.
“This will be a plan that relies on community input to address truck circulation and parking,” said Patricia McGowan, Senior Planner for the City of Oakland Planning and Building Department. “We want trucks to be less disruptive by controlling where they drive and park.”
Officials spoke last month at the first of five community workshops in West Oakland to be conducted by the City and Port. About 100 people attended to provide their views on diesel-powered semis hauling cargo containers near their homes and businesses. Among the concerns:
- Safety;
- Lack of truck route signs;
- Diesel exhaust; and
- Big rigs parked overnight in residential neighborhoods.
About 3,000 trucks daily transport containers in Oakland, said Richard Sinkoff, the Port’s Environmental Programs and Planning Director. Most of that traffic sticks to Port roads or nearby freeways, he said. But truckers in search of fuel, food or repairs, sometimes detour through nearby West Oakland.
The City designated truck routes around the area in 2005, said Ms. McGowan. But not every driver stays on track, she pointed out. The new plan will specify where trucks can drive and park. It will also strengthen enforcement of truck restrictions.
The City and Port are conducting workshops to find out what else needs to be in the plan. “That’s why we are holding the public meetings and encouraging public input,” said Ms. McGowan. “We want the community to come together with the City and the Port to develop a plan that addresses their concerns.”
The City and Port said they are already taking steps to steer freight-haulers away from residential neighborhoods. Truck service centers are planned at the Port and at an adjacent City development so that drivers won’t have to venture into West Oakland for fuel, food and other services. Overnight truck parking spaces are being added, too.
About the Port of Oakland
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Marilyn Sandifur
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