The creation of the Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) was a deliberate and thoughtful response to pressing challenges in our city: inadequate paving, deteriorating streets and sidewalks, inadequate attention to traffic safety, and the need for a transportation system that serves residents equitably. OakDOT has become one of Oakland’s most effective departments, delivering critical improvements that benefit businesses, residents, and visitors alike. Businesses thrive when streets are clean, safe, and accessible. Residents deserve spaces where they can walk, bike, and commute safely. The proposed merger of OakDOT and the Department of Public Works risks diluting this focus, compromising the gains made, and reverting to a structure that historically fell short of delivering these outcomes.

Since OakDOT was first separated from DPW, the department's dedicated focus led to meaningful progress including:

• Rapid Response installations after severe injuries and fatalities

• International Blvd quick builds in response to over a dozen deaths on International Blvd and many more injuries

• A record 40 miles of streets have been paved this year, with a focus on equity in long-neglected neighborhoods

• Sidewalks repaired and curb cuts added

• Engineers teams solely focused on safe streets and funding dedicated to improving street safety

• Hundreds of millions in grant money won in competitive applications