Increasing opportunities for bicycling is critical to Oakland’s economic development and sustainability goals. Oakland’s climate, culture, topography, and urban setting all suggest an ideal city for bicycling. Yet, Oakland’s existing bicycle network has gaps and does not take advantage of many emerging design innovations. Moreover, at current funding and staffing it will take 10 years before Oakland will have the capacity to proactively tackle these issues given the resource requirements for already-programmed projects.
NACTO’s Cities for Cycling Road Show provides a unique opportunity to convene staff, advocates, and decision-makers to discuss opportunities and challenges to making a city more bicycle friendly. Over the course of two days, peer experts from Boston, New York, and Chicago shared their recipes for success with City of Oakland leaders, kickstarting Oakland’s transformation into the most bicycle-friendly city in the Bay Area. The Road Show included on-the-ground design charrettes for high-priority projects, bikeway design training to Oakland city staff, and a series of one-on-one discussions with key elected officials.