Two projects that will improve the efficiency, safety and reliability of truck and rail access and circulation within and near the Port of Oakland have received grants funded by SB 1, the new statewide transportation funding enacted in 2017.
The 7th Street Grade Separation (East) and Freight Intelligent Transportation System projects were awarded SB 1 grant funds on May 16, 2018. These projects will improve the efficiency, safety, and reliability of truck and rail access and circulation within and near the Port of Oakland and eliminate truck back-ups onto local streets, reducing emissions.
The GoPort projects will improve the efficiency, safety and reliability of truck and rail access and circulation within and near the Port. These improvements will reduce impacts on local communities by accommodating anticipated truck and rail on Port property rather than spillover on local streets, and the overall Port circulation efficiencies expected from the projects will help to reduce emissions in West Oakland. The project also includes improved bike and pedestrian safety with a modernized trail that will connect to Middle Harbor Shoreline Park and the Bay Trail.
“These projects will improve reliability of travel time and access throughout the Port of Oakland, increasing efficiency, while reducing congestion and air quality impacts on the local community and eliminating truck back-ups onto local streets,” says Alameda CTC Chair Supervisor Richard Valle. “They also support increased use of rail, which is a key part of the region’s and county’s goods movement strategy.”
GoPort was identified as a priority in both the Alameda County and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Goods Movement Plans (adopted in 2017), and was included in the region’s Plan Bay Area 2040.
“Collectively the GoPort projects will significantly improve Port efficiencies, thereby increasing the competitiveness of the Port in the global market while also significantly reducing impacts to the local community,” says J. Christopher Lytle, Executive Director of the Port of Oakland.
