West Oakland Link

• Improving safety: The West Oakland Link will increase safety for people as they bike and walk to the waterfront, by providing a dedicated pathway separated from trucks and rail traffic.
• Increased access: The West Oakland Link will provide a safe, direct connection to the shoreline and future Bay Skyway, benefiting a community where 26% of households do not have access to a vehicle. Today, reaching the shoreline by this route is not possible.
• Reduced congestion: The West Oakland Link, as part of the Bay Skyway, is expected to shift trips away from vehicles to bicycles, e-bikes and other micromobility devices, including trips to the Port of Oakland, the shoreline, Treasure Island and downtown San Francisco, thus reducing traffic congestion.
• Environmental impacts: Shifting trips between West Oakland, the San Francisco Bay Trail, and transbay destinations from motor vehicles to active transportation modes will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in one of the Bay Area’s most congested corridors.
• Regional connections: The project will connect Mandela Parkway in West Oakland with the San Francisco Bay Trail leading north to Richmond, in addition to the Bay Bridge East Span path, which provides access to Judge John Sutter Regional Shoreline Park, Treasure Island and downtown San Francisco via a frequent electric ferry.

In this map, the West Oakland Link is shown within the context of the full Bay Skyway. 

The Bay Area Toll Authority, Alameda County Transportation Commission, the City of Oakland and Caltrans support the projected $100+ million project, which will be constructed in phases based on the availability of additional funds. See below for details. 

The Interim (Phase 1) West Oakland Link will build a 15-foot wide separated path west of Frontage Road, providing a safer and convenient connection. This path will allow people to avoid truck-heavy Maritime Street and Burma Road's truck-serving driveways. Even before the full West Oakland Link is built, the Interim West Oakland Link significantly will improve access for people walking and biking between West Oakland, the Bay Bridge East Span path and the Bay Trail.

To deliver this connection, the Interim West Oakland Link includes the construction of a key part along West Grand Avenue led by the Bay Bridge Forward West Grant Avenue Bus and High-Occupancy Vehicle Lane Phase 2 project.

The Bay Bridge Forward (BBF) is a set of projects that aims to improve travel efficiency and reduce emissions in the corridor. As part of the Interim West Oakland Link, the BBF project will construct an eight-foot-wide multi-use path on the south side of West Grand Avenue, between Mandela Parkway and Maritime Street. The BBF path is scheduled to start construction and open in 2027. It will remain in place during construction of the remaining portion of the Interim West Oakland Link, which is expected to be completed in 2029. By opening earlier, the BBF path provides continuous and safer access for people before the interim West Oakland Link is in place.

The full West Oakland Link will replace the Bay Bridge Forward (BBF) multi-use path with a wider, separate path structure and an ADA-compliant loop ramp that will allow path users to avoid the truck-heavy Frontage Road intersection and will connect directly to the neighborhoods north of West Grand Avenue. The full West Oakland Link will also include pedestrianizing a nearby alleyway and adding pocket parks.

The West Oakland Link has completed the environmental review process and is currently in the final design phase. Construction of the Interim West Oakland Link is expected to begin in 2027, with opening planned for 2029. The full build-out of the West Oakland Link is anticipated to be completed by 2031, funding permitting.

Paying for the full West Oakland Link is the project’s biggest challenge. Funding has been fully secured for both the $63 million Interim West Oakland Link project and the Bay Bridge Forward Grand Avenue path. No source of funding has been identified for the full project, which will be constructed when funding becomes available.