A HISTORY OF DISCONNECTION
I-980, or the John B. Williams Freeway, is the portion of the Grove-Shafter Freeway that connects I-880 to I-580 and CA-24. It was initially planned as the eastern approach to the San Francisco Bay Southern Crossing – a second Bay Bridge that was never constructed. The construction of the Grove-Shafter Freeway resulted in significant dislocation and relocation of Oakland residents and businesses that were located in its designated right-of-way. The portion of the freeway currently known as CA-24 (between I-580 and the Caldecott Tunnel) was completed in the late 1960s, however due to a lawsuit, I-980 was not completed until 1985.
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We can do better!
Building Community
Imagine if West Oakland and Downtown were seamlessly connected. Instead of a 560 foot wide canyon bisecting both neighborhoods, an area with twelve new vibrant pedestrian and vehicle streets will re-connect the heart of Downtown to Market Street and beyond. Instead of the current status quo of chronic disinvestment, air pollution, and isolation from job opportunities, redevelopment should focus on integration and investment with the surrounding community and should not lead to displacement of existing residents.
Increasing Connectivity
Transportation is the lifeblood of the city, so the removal of a highway is not an easy decision. However, I-980 is one of the least used freeways in the Bay Area. The I-980 corridor is both underutilized and perfectly positioned to allow Oakland to connect to the Pennisula through a new transbay tube. If the highway is replaced by a combination of a boulevard and more efficient transit infrastructure, then the I-980 corridor could directly benefit four times as many daily users. Contrary to opinion, removing a highway can actually avoid future gridlock!
Social Justice
I-980 is a formidable physical, social, and psychological barrier between Downtown and West Oakland. Its presence severed the West Oakland community from the rest of the City, and its existence continues to be a barrier to the establishment of “one” Oakland. The transformation of I-980 into an at-grade, multi-modal boulevard would re-establish the connection of West Oakland to the Downtown, and create new, publicly-owned land parcels in a key area of Oakland. We seek to start a discussion on how to ameliorate a long-standing blemish of the past with a new patch of urban fabric.
Economic Development
The redesign of the I-980 corridor has market forces in its favor. The land under I-980 has virtually no direct present value and has been depressing surrounding property for decades. The potential value of this land as a mixed-use development can be captured through increased tax revenue, and both an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District and air rights transfers could fund infrastructure and development above underground transit facilities. These tools will result in more public infrastructure being built sooner than otherwise would be possible.THE VISION
EXISTING CONDITIONS:
PROPOSED CONNECTIONS:
Latest News
ConnectOakland: Bringing the Region Together
February 6, 2017
1
CNU Advocates for Oakland Highway Removal
January 31, 2017
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I-980 and Plan Downtown Oakland
September 19, 2016
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Don’t Put A Lid On It: The Problems of Decking I-980
December 17, 2015
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Oakland public charrette embraces a new vision for I-980
October 30, 2015
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