Earlier this month, the draft update to Oakland CA’s bicycle master plan was released for public review and comment. “Let’s Bike Oakland”, a culmination of a collaborative effort between the Oakland Department of Transportation, the Oakland community, and a project team led by Alta Planning & Design, sets a new standard for equity-focused planning. Toole Design was pleased to play our part by leading the community engagement strategy alongside numerous community organizations, conducting a collision analysis, developing a High-Injury Network, and crafting the vision, goals, and objectives for the plan.
The project’s Equity Framework was front and center in the draft plan. We developed the Framework early in the planning process to serve as the guiding principle through which the plan came to life. Community organizations were equal partners with the City and the project team throughout the public engagement process. Bikes 4 Life, Cycles of Change, the East Oakland Collective, the Scraper Bike Team, and Outdoor Afro co-lead public events to ensure the plan incorporated diverse perspectives that went far beyond traditional community engagement methods.
The resulting draft plan is ambitious, and deeply influenced by the perspectives and experiences of Oakland communities. It also incorporates statistically-significant survey responses of all Oakland residents. We’re looking to summarizing public comments on the draft plan and contributing to the final recommendations.
