Thanks for reporting this. I just recently got a crosswalk installed a couple blocks away at 55th and Genoa after a year of back and forth emails and phone calls with the city. My observations since the installation have been that auto traffic has indeed slowed a bit at the intersection, and drivers are much more likely to stop and allow pedestrians to cross. I was going to put some signs up at Dover/55th to alert the residents and get someone there to request one at that location as well but it looks like you beat me to it.

Dover/55th is almost the exact same situation as Genoa/55th, meaning an "uncontrolled" intersection with traffic signals a long block away on both sides. The city of Oakland has something called a "crosswalk decision matrix" (available at http://www.scribd.com/doc/47630200/Crosswalk-Location-Decision-Matrix-01-20-11) which is supposed to be used to determine if an intersection is appropriate for a crosswalk. Starting at the top left box you can answer "yes" for this location all the way to the bottom of the chart, meaning a crosswalk is recommended.

If you would like more details regarding who to contact and for what I would be glad to share the info I've accumulated over the past year. If your request is denied please make sure to follow up with specifics about the location, and reference the crosswalk decision matrix. Hopefully you won't have to wait a year and two months like I did.

crosswalk is desperately needed at this intersection, 55th st and Dover
sparker

The various crosswalk treatment options can also be found online here, via different flow chart: http://www2.oaklandnet.com/oakca/groups/pwa/documents/report/oak025058.pdf

For 55th/Dover it looks like a white crosswalk with cross-hatched lines is recommended, but possibly without signage or flashing lights.

Thanks Robert. Fourteen months would be lightening speed. We have been waiting 11 years. We've worked with the City and Jane Brunner's office to have traffic studies performed, speed monitors put it, but each time we were denied. The last time (in 2010) the City reasoned that they only installed crosswalks at intersections with stoplights - a blatant (and interestingly irrational) lie. If more reasonable and rational City departments have now taken over the process, we'd welcome receiving the contact information!

I live on the corner of Dover and 55th - this intersection needs a crosswalk ASAP. With two small children - crossing this street to catch the bus to frightening.

Yeah Kat, I have also dealt with city employees giving me frustratingly bad information to justify inaction. Sometimes I have been able to counter them using details from the city's own guidelines and design standards, but as an average citizen why should I have to even know more than them about this stuff?

If anyone is interested in pursuing this further I'd recommend coming to the Oakland Bike/Pedestrian Advisory Committee at City Hall (upstairs conference room) on Thursday, June 20th, 5:30-7:30pm. Meetings are held every third Thursday if you can't make this one. The city bike/ped planners will be there who are very intelligent and responsive to concerns, and although they are not responsible for individual crosswalk implementation they can at least inform you about how to best proceed if you run into any trouble and connect you with the individuals responsible.

To boost your request, it appears that the nearest painted crosswalks on 55th (MLK and Shattuck) are over 1400 ft apart and the individual blocks are about 650 ft across (MLK to Dover) and 750 ft (Dover to Shattuck). Therefore a crosswalk is warranted here via the "decision matrix" both in terms of its proximity to two bus stops as well as in terms of the distance to the nearest alternate painted crosswalks.

Could we ask Children's Hospital to help with the crosswalk? There employees park in front of
my house everyday. Also lots of families park on my block of Dover too. Then they
have to cross 55th street to get to the hospital.

They might be able to get it to happen.

Lynn
56 + Dover

55th and Dover Streets are in bad need of a serious crosswalk. Parents with toddlers and babies in strollers risk life and limb to cross here, as do people getting off the No. 18 bus. This is a bad accident waiting to happen because cars drive at least 40 mph up and down 55th street due to no traffic calming between Shattuck and MLK

Yes Lynne! A couple of years ago we explained the situation to CHO and they agreed that they had a stake in this and that they would assist. Then their community rep was laid off before we got the collaboration going. So we are also approaching CHO anew.

I thought one of the reasons that perhaps they approved the crosswalk at Genoa is because that is a bike boulevard. Perhaps the City doesn't realize that Dover too is a de facto bike boulevard, mainly for folks going up towards campus.

Also, almost everyday there is a regular parade of folks going from the Hospital up to the Chiori research campus, along with families going up to the park etc...And as others have noted 55th is a regular speedway for folks going up to Highway 24. This all makes for a very dangerous situation!!

The pedestrian/bicycle usage of Dover has most definitely changed in the last couple of years, as the neighborhood itself has improved. So, maybe it's time for a new traffic survey, City of Oakland!

I realize that a good cross walk probably costs $5K-$10K and that COO is strapped for funds, but must someone really be injured (or worse), before any action is taken???

Andrea
56+Dover

Hi Andrea. Crosswalks can not legally be used by bicyclists unless they are connecting to parts of an off-street bike path, so for both 55th/Genoa and 55th/Dover bike access shouldn't even be a consideration. Bike lanes will be striped on Shattuck within the next few months so if anything the number of cyclists using Dover will be going down.

With the number of pedestrians and the proximity to multiple bus stops there is plenty of justification for a crosswalk at 55th/Dover anyway.

I fully support a crosswalk at 55th and Dover Sts. With more pedestrians, bike riders in our neighborhood, we need traffic calming at that intersection more than ever. Cars race from Shattuck to MLK and it would be great to be proactive by adding a crosswalk there NOW instead of AFTER someone gets hurt there.

PLease please please paint a crosswalk. A stop sign would be even better. Lived here ten years and have three kids. Ive seen so many traffic accidents at the corner of Dover / 55th.

I don't live in your neighborhood, but I understand and support your efforts.I live on a busy thoroughfare (Park Blvd) ad we have the same issues. Vehicular traffic is becoming more dangerous than ever. I hope you succeed in getting your deserved crosswalks!

Thank you for your efforts on this. I believe this is one issue in host of traffic and speed issues that should be addressed in our neighborhood. For one, I don't know why after all the construction, the City didn't take an opportunity to minimize speeding traffic on MLK. Why open the inner lane up again? Why not a bike path? So, many bikes bike on that street despite other bike lanes on neighboring streets. And the crosswalks, although, installed are definitely treacherous. I hope Mr. Kalb is more interested than Ms. Brunner in making improvements in other areas in his district besides Rockridge.

I agree we need a crosswalk here (though not a Stop sign since I suspect this would cause more congestion and that's already a problem near here on MLK). I also agree we should get CHO to at least kick in for it since their employees park around here and if there's an accident with one of them, they might just try and claim it as a worker's comp thing.

I am impressed by the involvement and activity of my neighbors as evident in the comments above. Thank you to everyone for this!

Update: This crosswalk/signage request has been sent to John Chin at Traffic Engineering and is still open. Anyone interested in following up on it can email him at jchin@oaklandnet.com or call (510) 238-3467 or (510) 238-3684.

Signage went up last week. Crosswalk painted on Sunday! I have watched cars slow for pedestrians since then, and it's wonderful to see. Thanks and congratulations everyone!!

Yeah! Our neighborhood is so grateful and feels safer! Thanks so much City of Oakland!!!!

Lynn

Dear Neighbors:

I agree - and support - a crosswalk between Shattuck and MLK at 55th St. However, the process of getting it implemented is laborious and requires analysis of the traffic in the area, plus input from the Fire Dept, police, etc. regarding the impact on first response in case of an emergency. I remember how long, and how many meetings it took to get the traffic calming aspects of the front of Bushrod Park. Unfortunately, we have to engage face to face, and not just rely on email to make change happen in our neighborhood. I am willing to help because I think we need to prevent accidents and trade gives with the increase in cars, and foot traffic, bikes in our community.

Best,
Cynthia
58th St/ 11x

This issue was addressed over a year ago (thanks!). Please mark it as closed.

Yes, this seems to have been addressed. Please close.

Shattuck is for car use. There are multiple streets adjacent to Shattuck that are used by cyclists. Why add bike lanes to a heavily car traveled streets unless one is out to cause traffic jams and create lots of pollution from stalled traffice.