US$187.4m has been awarded to two Port of Oakland projects to modernise truck logistics with the aim of improving traffic flow, safety and freight efficiency as well as reduce environmental and neighbourhood impacts.
US$175m will support the 7th Street Grade Separation Project (East), which will replace an existing railroad underpass to increase clearance for trucks, alleviating a major chokepoint for intercontinental rail and drayage trucks. A second grant of US$12.4m will fund the Freight Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) to implement technology to manage truck arrivals, improve incident response and connect to regional smart corridor systems.
Multiple benefits
Speaking of the projects, which are part of the Global Opportunities at the Port of Oakland (GoPort) Program and will receive the cash from the Senate-funded 2018 Trade Corridor Enhancement Program Grants, Alameda California Transportation Commission (CTC) chair supervisor Richard Valle, stated: "These projects will improve reliability of travel time and access throughout the Port of Oakland, increasing efficiency, while reducing congestion and air quality impacts on the local community and eliminating truck back-ups onto local streets.
"They also support increased use of rail, which is a key part of the region's and county's goods movement strategy."
The GoPort projects aim to improve the efficiency, safety and reliability of truck and rail access and circulation within and near the port. These improvements are expected to reduce impacts on local communities by accommodating anticipated truck and rail on port property rather than as spillover on local streets. The overall port circulation efficiencies anticipated from the projects will help to reduce emissions in West Oakland.
