Two years after the city asked residents to chime in on possible redesigns of 73rd Avenue, Oakland Department of Transportation staff have provided an update on the project, telling a local advisory committee that the design is nearly complete and that the department is requesting $40 million in state funds to complete it.
Data shows that 73rd Avenue is one of the most dangerous roads in Oakland.
At a May 21 meeting of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, OakDOT planner Manuel Corona said the city landed on a plan featuring a 40-foot-wide median with a bicycle and pedestrian pathway that will run on 73rd Avenue from MacArthur Boulevard to International Avenue. Corona said that consultants are finishing the 95% project design plans — one of the final design phases — which include such roadway elements as accessible parking and shorter pedestrian crossings at busy locations like the Eastmont Center, home to a police station and many community services…