The proposed safety and community-driven aesthetic improvements of the 14th Street Safety Project in Oakland, Calif., include protected bike lanes (roadway level), sidewalk-level bike lanes and wider sidewalks on core commercial blocks, pedestrian, sidewalk, bus stop lighting, slower, calmer 2-lane roadway, shorter pedestrian crossings, expanded sidewalk space, upgraded bus boarding areas, improved wheelchair access, new landscaping, 'rain gardens' and additional street parking on parallel streets. (City of Oakland via Bay City News)

Black-owned businesses on 14th Street in downtown Oakland have struggled to stay open through years of construction projects and the pandemic. Now, they’re worried the newly approved 14th Street Safety Project will push them out for good.

The Oakland City Council unanimously approved plans for the project on June 21, five years after a state grant of $11 million was first secured for the safety and improvement of 14th Street from Brush Street to Lakeside Drive/Oak Street.

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