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City of Oakland rolls out parking bans in the Oakland Hills, aims to improve emergency response time

By Tom Vacar, KTVU
Published  August 28, 2019 7:00pm PDT
News
KTVU FOX 2

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU) - Following complaints from residents about the Oakland Fire Department's slow response time to emergencies, the City of Oakland is looking for solutions to address a serious public safety issue regarding emergency vehicle access through narrow streets.

They're prohibiting vehicles from parking on the side of the road.

The fire department has had issues with responding quickly to the narrow streets of the Oakland Hills.

Now, following new signs and enforcement efforts which began in 2017, the city is using data collected by street paving projects to measure which streets aren't wide enough for emergency vehicles to safely pass through with vehicles parked along the curb.

However, residents without driveways or garages have found that the nearest parking can be up or down a steep hill. That's a problem for disabled residents.

The City of Oakland is relying on input from the Oakland Fire Department, Oakland Public Works, the Oakland Department of Transportation and the City Administrator’s Office.

The objective of the program is to create safe conditions in the Oakland Hills and ensure travel for emergency vehicles and residents in times of emergency. The city hopes to also raise community awareness about parking choices and how they effect residents living and visiting the Oakland Hills.

Neighborhoods north of Highway 13 between the Contra Costa/Berkeley border (to the west) and Castro Valley border (to the east) are the areas impacted.

The Fire Department provided the city with a list of areas where it has been difficult for emergency vehicles to pass.

Council offices conducted an online survey of Oakland Hills residents to find out which areas they were most concerned about.

“No Parking Any Time” signs were installed in the following locations:

  • Charing Cross Rd. between Sherwick Dr. and Tunnel Rd.
  • Grand View Dr. between Dorothy Pl. and Vicente Pl.
  • Vicente Pl. between Vicente Rd. and Westview Dr.
  • Buckingham Blvd. between Bristol Dr. and Norfolk Rd.
  • Marlborough Terr. between Norfolk Rd. and Grizzly Peak East Bay Regional Park
  • Norfolk Rd. between Strathmoor Dr. and North End
  • Sherwick Dr. between Charing Cross and Bristol Dr.
  • Charing Cross Rd. between Sherwick Dr. and Tunnel Rd.
  • Capricorn Ave. between Florence Terr. and Broadway Terr.
  • Butters Dr. between Crestmont Dr. and Joaquin Miller Rd.
  • Merriewood Cir. between Merriewood Dr. and Nottingham Dr.
  • Westover Dr. between Thackeray Dr. and Shelterwood Dr.

Parking enforcement officers routinely visit the pilot areas to cite vehicles parked illegally. Enforcement will also respond to resident calls Monday through Friday, 8:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Residents can report a violation by calling (510) 238-3099.

The City Council is continuing to studying what next steps can be taken to ensure the project is successful. For more information, click here.