Dive Brief:
- The Port of Oakland and the City of Oakland are circulating a draft of the proposed West Oakland Truck Management Plan to stakeholders for review before public comments close on Jan. 4, 2019.
- The five-year plan would seek to make truck transit, parking and traffic more efficient in the West Oakland region by 2023. It would designate new streets as truck routes, improve parking enforcement and add guidance for non-port related truck deliveries to safely transit the area.
- The parties hope to begin implementation of the plan as soon as the document is approved by stakeholders (target: 2019).
Dive Insight:
The Port of Oakland has more than 6,000 trucks registered. "They don’t all show up every day. But there are enough of them to slow traffic if we’re not operating efficiently," Chris Lytle, executive director at the Port of Oakland, wrote in the port's strategic plan.
The Truck Management Plan is a way to make sure the city keeps trucks moving in a way that is both palatable for residents and clear for businesses. It ensures the city and port work together to zone more clearly, improve street signage and train law enforcement and truck drivers on the rules of transit.
It is also a step the port is taking to prepare for what it expects will be increased traffic as it develops the Former Oakland Army Base into space for logistics. The port will build four new warehouses, a recycling facility, a bulk shipping terminal and space for container storage with the new real estate.
In the strategic plan, Lytle said the port is also planning to add parking and fueling stations for drivers, "so they don't have to drive through the city." He added the port would "refine" terminal operations to prevent crowding at gates.
"Our objective: keep everyone — and everything — moving efficiently," Lytle said.
