Oakland, CA (release) – The City Of Oakland’s Oakland Public Works Department completed the last major piece of the Lake Merritt Master Plan, the Lakeside Green Streets project and Snow Park reconstruction, bordered by Harrison St. and Lakeside Dr. between 19th Street and Grand Avenue.
The project is a 14-acre “complete street” and park expansion project that increases park lands around Lake Merritt and at Snow Park, improves water quality, calms traffic, and dramatically improves pedestrian and bicycle comfort and safety.
Grand Opening: The public is invited to celebrate the City Of Oakland’s grand opening of the Lakeside Green Streets Project:
When: Monday, June 10 at 10:30 a.m
Where: The new City Of Oakland Snow Park Pedestrian Promenade (nearest the intersection of Harrison and 20th streets)
Who: Speakers include Mayor Libby Schaaf, department leaders from Oakland Public Works (OPW), the Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT), Economic & Workforce Development Department, and the Measure DD Coalition
Features of the Project: The additional open space at Snow Park and around Lake Merritt adds recreation opportunities and beauty to the area while providing space for rain gardens that treat stormwater run-off from surrounding roads before it enters Lake Merritt. Park and recreational elements include:
Expanded Snow Park and park area around Lake Merritt
A new tree-lined pedestrian promenade
New play structures and putting green
New public art
Renovated bathrooms
Formalized pathways with benches
New section of running trail along Lake Merritt
Improved lakeside pedestrian trail
This is a visionary effort: both a great park project and a great transportation project. The project improves pedestrian and bicycle connections in a heavily traveled corridor between Adams Point, Oakland Avenue, and the Grand Lake Neighborhoods and destinations such as Lake Merritt, the Uptown and Downtown business districts and the 19th/20th Streets BART stations. The new bicycle and pedestrian facilities include:
Innovative new protected cycletrack, 2,200 feet of beautified, protected space for people of all ages and abilities to bike and ride scooters along Lake Merritt
Traffic calming on Harrison Street and Lakeside Drive
Improved intersection safety and buffered bike lanes
New and shortened crosswalks
New sidewalks and improved pedestrian entries to Lake Merritt at all cross-street locations with new accessible access nodes and pathways that lead to the lakeside trail.
Public art — Makkeweks:
The Bay Area artist team of Wowhaus (Scott Constable & Ene Osteraas-Constable) created a monumental bronze sculpture for the Measure DD-funded Lakeside Green Streets project, located adjacent to the new Snow Park Promenade at 20th & Harrison Streets. Sited in a sunken ‘rain garden’ that reclaims and treats storm water runoff, the 16’ long sculpture depicts a fantastical sea monster inspired by an Ohlone folktale. Sculpted by Scott Constable, Makkeweks combines elements of the leopard shark, bat ray and other species common to the Bay, in celebration of Lake Merritt’s restoration and the subsequent return of native animal life. A second component of the artwork is a series of circular photo-etched granite ‘portals’ integrated into the hardscape near the lake. Ene Osteraas-Constable worked with Damon Tighe, who photographed microscopic creatures that live in the lake, to create the portals. Resembling mythical monsters, the images offer insight into the lake ecosystem.
Funding sources:
Measure DD: Oakland Trust for Clean Water and Safe Parks
U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration
Metropolitan Transportation Commission grants
Alameda County Transportation Commission and Measure B/BB Local Streets and Roads sales tax funds – Direct Local Distributions
Measure F – Vehicle Registration Fund