Pedestrians represent one of the largest user groups on Oxford Street, many travelling to UC Berkeley from the downtown Berkeley BART station via Center Street. New planned residential, commercial, and academic developments will continue to drive additional pedestrian traffic to the corridor in the coming years.
Currently, the street has narrow sidewalks with minimal landscaping, and crossings are made difficult by high-speed traffic and wide streets. Oxford Street already struggles to provide a comfortable and safe walking experience for pedestrians, and the corridor will need to be redesigned to better accomodate the anticipated increase in travel demand in the coming years.
Currently, cyclists and scooterists use a simple bike lane that is not protected from moving traffic.
Many cyclists and scooterists were observed to travel along sidewalks throughout the entire corridor, to avoid high speed traffic on the road, causing conflicts with sidewalk users. Others were observed to travel in the opposite direction of moving traffic when attempting to make turns or reach connecting streets.
On Oxford Street, several public transportation services operate: BearTransit, paratransit, and AC Transit.
Berkeley has many transit-dependent populations, including young people, older adults, and people with disabilities. Transit must be accessible and reliable on Oxford Street, since many people are not able to or cannot afford to drive. If a trip by bus takes longer than other modes or if trip times are unreliable, people may choose another way to get around, and the benefits of public transportation are lost.
Oxford for All includes people who use private and shared vehicles. This includes rideshare, carpool, and vanpool. Many people rely on driving, whether they commute from far distances or do not feel comfortable on public transportation.
Currently, Oxford Street has four through lanes for drivers. The speed limit is 25 mph, but drivers anecdotally speed around the curves near Kittredge Street. This area does not have signalized crossings, which creates a hazardous situation for pedestrians crossing the street.
Given existing roadway volumes, reallocating some road space can still allow movement for vehicles, while creating a safer and more equitable Oxford Street.