Oaklanders Deserve Calm Fruitvale Streets

Fruitvale Avenue is one of Oakland’s most popular corridors serving many local markets, churches, health providers and community centers. Bicycle and pedestrian use is also growing rapidly but the street has a high rate of crashes, many involving neighborhood residents. (Image courtesy of Visit Oakland)

Our Work

WOBO has advocated for multiple street safety projects that improve pedestrian and bike access to destinations along Fruitvale Ave. These include: 

  • Calm Fruitvale Streets
  • E 12th St Bikeway Project
  • Fruitvale Alive!

Calm Fruitvale Streets

This project aims to provide slow and calm connections for people walking and biking through their neighborhood and between the San Antonio, Fruitvale, and Melrose neighborhoods. 

In 2025, the City determined the project route after outreach with the community. It is now in the outreach and early design phase.

The project goals include: 

  1. connect families to schools, parks, and open space 
  2. reduce speeding 
  3. improve quality of life for the surrounding community 
The project aims to provide calm, practical connections between destinations like schools and parks in East Oakland.

Project elements will include:

  • Adding traffic calming, like traffic circles, speed cushions, or raised intersections, to slow drivers
  • Adding crossing improvements at major intersections
  • Repairing and building new curb ramps 

OakDOT is now doing community outreach to incorporate feedback, and understand how which safety improvements are most needed. Share your feedback at one of these events, or take the project survey. 

  • 9/24/26 – Presentation at 27Y Rainbow Community Neighborhood Council Meeting, 6:30pm, Eastmont Police Station
  • 10/1/26 – Presentation at Bella Vista / San Antonio Neighborhood Group Meeting, 6pm, San Antonio Park Courts
  • 10/11/26 – Bike tour, 1pm-3pm (stay tuned for sign-up info)
  • 11/1/26 – Dia de los Muertos Celebration, 10am-5pm, Fruitvale Village
  • TBD – Pop-ups at community parks
The project survey is now live in English, Spanish, and Chinese! To take the survey, click here and share your feedback.
For more information, check out the City of Oakland project page.

More Safety Improvements are Coming to Fruitvale

East 12th St Bikeway Project

  1. This project will close a gap needed for a continuous bikeway  between 54th Ave and the Fruitvale BART station. 
  2. Other goals include upgrading the pavement quality for all roadway users, and upgrading curb ramps and filling in sideway gaps to make the pedestrian experience better and meet ADA standards. 

This project is sorely needed! There are no bikeways on 54th Avenue, E. 12th Street east of 40th Avenue, or on 35th Avenue. E. 12th Street lacks curb ramps at many locations, and many of the existing ramps lack detectable domes. There are missing sidewalks at the abandoned railroad track, and the paving quality on much of E. 12th Street is relatively poor. Construction is expected to begin in early 2027, with project completion is slated for mid 2028. For more information please see the City Of Oakland project page.

Project location in East Oakland, between 54th Ave and Fruitvale BART

Fruitvale Alive! 

Fruitvale Avenue between E12th Street and Alameda Ave is a critical gap in the City of Oakland’s bikeway network. This stretch of roadway connects commuters and residents of Jingletown and the City of Alameda with amenities and transit available around the Fruitvale BART Station. This area also includes multiple railroad crossings, the I-880 underpass, and wide vehicle lanes that allow drivers to speed. From 2014-2016, the City held multiple public meetings to understand what changes were needed. The City then applied for–and received–a California ATP grant for construction funding. 

This project will include:

  1. widened, 7-foot sidewalks on each side of Fruitvale Ave
  2. a new sidewalk-level protected bike lane connecting the Fruitvale Ave Bridge to the BART station
  3. close two slip lanes and convert them into pedestrian and bike space
  4. new pedestrian bulb-outs (to reduce crossing distances), landscaping, greenery, and sidewalk lighting

Update June 2026: 

Construction is now largely complete! A few areas are still in construction due to difficulties in obtaining permits from Union Pacific Railroad, and completion is expected in early 2027.