City of Oakland Wins $30 Million in RM3 Funds for Martin Luther King, Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements
September 26, 2025
News from: City of Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT)
NEWS RELEASE
City of Oakland Wins $30 Million in RM3 Funds for Martin Luther King, Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements
OAKLAND, CA – Oakland has been awarded a $30 million grant by the Regional Measure 3 (RM3) funding program from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) for construction of the Martin Luther King Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements project. RM3 finances highway and transit improvements throughout the Bay Area through an increase on tolls on the seven bridges in the nine counties that make up the Bay Area. The MLK Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements project was awarded this funding through the Goods Movement and Mitigation programmatic category of the RM3 funding program. The City will use the funds to construct pedestrian improvements, add a new two-way cycle track, plant trees, and install fiber cable connectivity to the stretch of MLK Jr. Way between 2nd Street and 14th Street.
“I’m proud to bring this $30 million investment home to Oakland through my service on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission,” said Mayor Barbara Lee. “The Martin Luther King Jr. Way Streetscape Improvement Project will improve daily life for Oaklanders with safer streets, greener spaces, and better connections between our neighborhoods, the Port, and regional transit. Centering this investment along Martin Luther King Jr. Way also reflects our commitment to racial equity and to building infrastructure that prioritizes fairness and opportunity.”
This corridor is a truck route that connects the Port of Oakland to I-880 and I-980, while also connecting residents to transit including BART and the ferry terminal at Jack London Square. The project will support the movement of goods as well as safer and increased access for active transportation for all road users. After multiple rounds of public outreach and engagement, the final project plans include a road diet, separated bikeways, street trees and landscaping, safer and shorter street crossings, upgraded traffic signals, underpass improvements, increased lighting, and placemaking. The main source of funding for the planning and design phases was from the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) and received regional support from the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) and the Port of Oakland. The project plans are complete, and the project is ready to advance to construction.
“We are proud to bring this historic investment to such an important corridor of Oakland,” said OakDOT Director Josh Rowan, “and we thank Mayor Lee for representing our city on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Coordinating our city’s priorities with the regional planning and funding horizon is vital for Oakland to continue to thrive.”
About the Regional Measure 3 (RM3) Funding Program:
The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) was created by the California Legislature in 1970 to plan, finance and coordinate the transportation system for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. Regional Measure 3 (RM3) was approved by voters in June of 2018 to finance $4.45 billion worth of highway and transit improvements through and increase in bridge tolls. Among the voter-approved list of 35 RM3 capital projects is the Goods Movement and Mitigation program. MTC and the Alameda County Transportation Commission are listed as the project sponsors for the Goods Movement and Mitigation program, which includes $160 million in toll funds to reduce truck traffic congestion and mitigate its environmental effects. Eligible projects include, but are not limited to, improvements in Alameda County to enable more goods to be shipped by rail; access improvements on Interstate 580, Interstate 80 and Interstate 880; and improved access to the Port of Oakland. The City of Oakland is programmed to receive a total of $55 million for neighborhood and railroad safety improvements near the Port of Oakland which contribute to community impact reduction and more efficient truck operations. The $30 million grant for the MLK Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements project is the first allocation request approved from the $55 million programmed to Oakland.
About Oakland’s Department of Transportation (OakDOT)
OakDOT is responsible for envisioning, planning, building, operating and maintaining a transportation system for the City of Oakland and assure safe, equitable, and sustainable access and mobility for residents, businesses and visitors. OakDOT’s Strategic Plan guides the department’s work, and is structured around 4 pillars: Equity, Safety, Sustainable Infrastructure, and Responsible Governance. The MLK Jr. Way Streetscape Improvements project enhances safety while improving infrastructure on a crucial corridor of Oakland’s High Injury Network in a historically underserved neighborhood. This project was developed via in-depth community engagement and with a racial equity impact analysis.
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