Port of Oakland, City Working With Residents to Adopt New Truck Policies
The Port of Oakland will embark on developing a truck management plan over the next 12 months to address complaints from citizens about big rigs on the streets of West Oakland.
It’s a difficult balancing act for the city and port authority officials, who must weigh the public’s wishes to reduce the noise and pollution against the benefits the ports and the trucks serving them provide to the economy.
“This will be a plan that relies on community input to address truck circulation and parking,” said Patricia McGowan, senior planner for the City of Oakland Planning and Building Department. “We want trucks to be less disruptive by controlling where they drive and park.”
Officials spoke last month at the first of five community workshops conducted by the city and port in West Oakland.
The new plan will specify where trucks can drive and park. It will also strengthen enforcement of truck restrictions.
The city plans to build service centers at the Port of Oakland and an adjacent property so that drivers won’t venture into West Oakland to find fuel, food and other services. Overnight truck parking spaces are also being added near the port.
