Oakland Streetcars
Proposal for a modern streetcar system connecting the disconnected and underdeveloped districts of
Downtown Oakland, and connecting downtown to the redevelopment zones of
Broadway Auto Row and
Oak to 9th. An existing
official proposal (scroll down to "Jack London Feasibility Study") has failed to gain traction; in the past, we've proposed a more modest circulator shuttle. But the urban core of the East Bay deserves better. Fortunately, cities across America have found ways to fund similar systems from a mix of public and private sources, including tax-increment financing (over the long term, redevelopment will add to the tax rolls). This network could be rolled out in phases, starting with the City Center-to-Jack London segment proposed in the BART study. It would require only a few blocks of dedicated right-of-way, in a contraflow lane along Madison Street. While streetcar lines could generate development, they would also generate tax revenue by supporting existing businesses, and would help make Central Oakland a more livable place for current as well as future residents and workers.
