Oakland’s Slow Streets, a program to designate city streets for pedestrians and bicyclists, got underway on April 11 with four stretches of roadway and added a second round on April 17.
The map above shows the eight segments, which total about 9½ miles. (Click here if you can’t see the map on your mobile device.)
The city put forward possible segments for two subsequent rounds of “soft closures” and asked residents to weigh in on which they prefer.
The city of Alameda announced it will institute similar closures on two stretches of road starting April 30. Those streets are also shown on the map.
Drivers are advised to avoid these streets unless it’s necessary to use them to get to a home, or in emergency situations.
The initiative is intended to give residents venues with adequate social distancing for outdoor exercise during the shelter-in-place order. They are intended for walking, jogging, bicycling and wheelchair travel, solo or in family groups, while maintaining 6 feet distance from anyone not in the same household.
Barriers and signs will be placed at some intersections to notify drivers of the no-through-traffic rule, but there is no plan to issue tickets for violators.
The plan announced by Oakland on April 10 included a map indicating 74 miles of possible routes. The map above will be updated as Oakland blocks off more streets.
San Francisco on April 21 announced its own Slow Streets program. Click here for an interactive map of those streets.
