Slow Streets Program, Oakland, CA, 2020

In order to “make neighborhood streets safer to walk and bicycle during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order,” Oakland, CA launched a  Slow Streets program in April 2020 that aims to include up to 10% of the city’s streets. This is just one example of several cities exploring ways to facilitate pedestrian and cyclist traffic during the spring 2020 Coronavirus pandemic; other cities with similar programs include San Francisco, CA and Burlington, VT.

The streets selected for participation in the Oakland program are closed to through traffic, with signage, traffic cones and barricades being used to denote the designated corridors. As of May 8th, the City will have installed 20 miles of slow streets along 18 corridors throughout the City. The city has published an interactive map for residents to see which streets are included in the program, as well as a survey to gain greater feedback on preferences for existing and proposed changes.