Oakland Public Works and Transportation Committee Meeting - November 18, 2025
Oakland Public Works and Transportation Committee Meeting - November 18, 2025
The Oakland Public Works and Transportation Committee met on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at 11:30 AM. The meeting was chaired by Councilmember Unger and included Councilmembers Gallo, Wong, Houston (via teleconference after an AB 2449 motion), and others. The committee considered four agenda items: determination of schedule, a construction contract for Lakeside Drive/Lake Merritt Boulevard complete streets, cooperative purchase agreements for vehicle maintenance, and an ordinance to amend speed limits. Public comments were heard on several items. The meeting adjourned after Open Forum.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Kevin Dowley (or Daly): Speaking on item #2, suggested that two parts of the fire code (section 503 of chapter 5 and appendix D) come to the committee, noting the fire marshal’s desire for completion by year end; also spoke on item #3, expressing excitement for street safety improvements and bond sales; on item #5, noted a new OakDOT speed limit map and advocated for traffic calming, especially on International Boulevard; also spoke in Open Forum.
- Blair Beekman: Signed up for item #3 but did not speak when called.
- David Boltwright: Asked about the timing of the bond offering (noted it was expected in November but mid-month had passed).
Discussion Items
- Item #2 – Determination of Schedule & Standing Committee Items: Approved as presented. Motion by Councilmember Gallo, seconded by Wong, passed 3-0 (Houston absent at time).
- Item #3 – Construction Contract for Lakeside Drive/Lake Merritt Boulevard Complete Streets: Staff presented a contract award to Gallagher & Burke Inc. for $8,810,715 (lowest bid) for pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and vehicular safety improvements. The project includes measures on Lakeside Drive (13th–19th), Lake Merritt Boulevard, First Avenue, and 17th Street, with an alternate for pedestrian lighting. Councilmember Gallo commented on the need to maintain the Lake Merritt walking trail. Councilmember Wong questioned the 18% difference between the engineer’s estimate and the bid (attributed to market volatility) and a minor discrepancy in the bid alternative ($8.65M vs $8.8M). Staff deferred explanation to the Department of Workforce Employment Standards. Wong seconded the motion. Councilmember Houston stated he felt uncomfortable due to “situations that happened” and remained silent, recorded as abstention. Motion passed 3-0-1 (Houston abstaining). Item will go to the December 2, 2025, City Council agenda on non-consent due to the abstention.
- Item #4 – Cooperative Purchase Agreements for Vehicle Maintenance: Staff presented 15 cooperative agreements totaling up to $6,310,000 for parts and services for city vehicles, including fire apparatus, Ford vehicles, and heavy equipment. Councilmember Gallo inquired about fleet replacement plans, staffing vacancies (10 vacancies in equipment services), and the impact of aging vehicles. Assistant Director Richard Battersby noted only $5M allocated for replacement, insufficient for needs. Councilmember Wong asked for performance measures and accountability. Councilmember Houston agreed with colleagues and moved approval. Motion passed 4-0.
- Item #5 – Ordinance Amending Speed Limits (OMC Chapter 10.20): Staff proposed administrative edits to align street names and reduce speed limits: Broadway (segment between 27th St and Piedmont Ave) to 20 mph, and International Boulevard uniformly to 25 mph. Councilmember Gallo raised enforcement concerns, noting police shortages and the potential of speed safety cameras (18 cameras authorized under state pilot). Assistant Director Megan Weir discussed interagency initiatives and speed governors as a future tool. Councilmember Wong asked about red light cameras under new SB 720; staff estimated a report next year. Councilmember Houston requested clarification on a discrepancy showing 30 mph on International (staff confirmed the ordinance changes it to 25 mph). Motion by Wong, seconded by Gallo, passed 4-0. Item will go to the December 2, 2025, City Council consent calendar.
Key Outcomes
- Item #2: Approved determination of schedule (3-0).
- Item #3: Construction contract awarded to Gallagher & Burke Inc. for $8,810,715 (3-0-1, Houston abstained). Forwarded to City Council on non-consent.
- Item #4: Cooperative purchase agreements approved totaling up to $6,310,000 (4-0). Forwarded to City Council consent.
- Item #5: Speed limit ordinance amended (4-0). Forwarded to City Council consent.
- Councilmember Houston’s remote participation under AB 2449 was approved (3-0).
- No minutes were approved (item #1 was skipped).
- Open Forum concluded with no additional public comment.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning and welcome to the Public Works and Transportation Committee meeting of Tuesday, November 18th. The time is now eleven thirty a.m. and this meeting may come to order. Before taking roll, I will provide instructions on how to submit speaker cards for items on this agenda. If you're here with us in chamber and would like to submit a speaker card, please fill one out and turn one in to myself or a clerk representative no later than ten minutes after the start of this meeting or before the item is read into record. Registering to speak via Zoom is now due 24 hours prior to the start of this meeting time. This meeting came to order at eleven thirty AM, and speaker cards will no longer be accepted ten minutes after, making that time eleven forty a.m. We'll now proceed with taking roll. Councilmember Guillaume. Present. Thank you. Council Member Houston. Absent for now. Absent for now. Councilmember Wong. At present. Thank you. And Chair Unger. Present. Uh please let us know if Councilmember Houston shows up. We need to do a vote to make it appropriate. Okay, thank you. Noting three members present and one absent Houston. And before we begin, Chair, do you have any announcements at this time? No, I don't know. Nothing. No announcements, nice to see everyone. All right, starting off with item number one. There are no minutes to be approved. Item number two, determination of schedule about standing committee items, and we do have one speaker that's signed up. All right, let's hear from our speaker, please. Calling in the names that signed up for item number two, Kevin Dowley. One to formally, sorry, Kevin Daly from uh co-chair of the policy and legislative committee of the bicyclist and pedestrian advisory commission. I want to formally suggest to this committee that I'd like to see two parts of the fire code come to the public works and transportation committee, and that's section five oh three of chapter five, as well as appendix D. If the fire marshal chooses to add those two to the state fire code. And I know the fire marshal wants this done by the end of the year, so we're coming up on timelines. We'll be talking about it at the BPAC Thursday, by the way. Thank you. Thank you, Chair. That concludes our speakers on this item. So moved. I think we got a motion from Councilmember Gaio and a second from Council Member Wong. Thank you. Sorry, I still have line. Thank you. That was a motion made by Councilmember Guillo. Seconded by Council Member Wong to approve the. Oh, sorry, to accept the determination of schedule of the outstanding committee items as is on roll. Councilmember Gu? Aye.
openpublica.com