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.

Our Work

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

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

Calm Fruitvale Streets

This project is still in its early planning stages, with the outcome of improving traffic safety on multiple residential streets near Fruitvale Ave in East Oakland. 

In 2025, the City determined the project route after outreach with the community. 

The project goals include: 

  1. provide a slow and calm connection for people walking and biking through their neighborhood and between the San Antonio, Fruitvale, and Melrose neighborhoods. 
  2. connect families to schools, parks, and open space 
  3. reduce speeding 
  4. improve quality of life for the surrounding community 
The project is still in the planning and data collection phase, with outreach to begin in Fall 2026. For more information, check out the City of Oakland project page.
The project aims to provide calm, practical connections between destinations like schools and parks in East Oakland.

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.