((PKG))  OAKLAND EMPTY STREETS   
((Banner:  Reclaiming the Streets))  
((Reporter/Camera:  Matt Dibble)) 
((Adapted by:  Zdenko Novacki)) 
((Map:  Oakland, California))    
((Main characters:  2 males))  
((Sub characters:  2 females; 1 male)) 
((NATS)) 
((Ryan Russo, Director, Oakland Department of 
Transportation))
We're in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland.  It's very 
diverse, a large Latinx population, working class folk.  This is 
one of our very first Oakland Slow Streets, which is a 
response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  East 16th street here 
was designated a neighborhood bike route by our 2019- 
adopted bike plan.   
((NATS)) 
((Warren Logan, Mayor’s Policy Director of Mobility and 
Interagency Relations))  
We're really excited to see how it goes, which is why we're 
starting really small and just hearing back from people how 
they feel about it.  We're trying to take advantage of the time 
when most people shouldn't be driving hardly at all.  We've 
noticed that traffic is down 60 percent.  This might be a really 
great way to jumpstart people using their streets in different 
ways.   
((NATS)) 
((Luke Zulauf)) 
It's nice to have a safe space for kids to get outside that's not 
focused on cars streaming through.   
((NATS)) 
((Ryan Russo, Director, Oakland Department of 
Transportation))  
We've done soft closures of the street to warn motorists that 
pedestrians and children on bikes might be in the streets, 
something they're not used to seeing.   
((NATS)) 
((Adriana))  
I’ve almost learned it today.  I only have to get my steering right.  
((NATS)) 
((Ryan Russo, Director, Oakland Department of 
Transportation))  
That plan studied streets all over the city and neighborhood bike 
routes are streets that are primarily residential in nature.  People 
don't have enough space to move in their neighborhood to access 
essential services or do what they want to do to stay healthy and 
sane like go for a neighborhood bike ride or run.   
((NATS)) 
((Ryan Russo, Director, Oakland Department of 
Transportation))  
This is completely focused on safety and getting through this 
pandemic and we're not setting up streets for block parties or 
congregating or playing sports.  And we want people to just stay 
healthy, safe and sane during the shelter in place and really ask 
drivers to recognize that they should always drive like a two-year 
old might chase a ball into the street but at this time and on these 
streets, they especially should drive that way.   
((NATS))