The Alameda County Transportation Commission and Oakland port and city officials held the ribbon-cutting of the Freight Intelligent Transportation Systems (FITS) Project and the groundbreaking of the 7th Street Grade Separation East Segment (7SGSE) Project, it was announced July 24.
The FITS project, which is expected to go live this fall, calls for installing new technology to help manage the arrival of trucks and flow of goods more efficiently, curb vehicle wait times and air pollution and bolster safety and incident response.
About 15 advanced and innovative demonstration technologies are expected to be deployed, such as giving truckers and other logistics providers real-time traveler data via mobile devices so drivers could better plan port visits, the port said.
Meanwhile, the 7SGSE project seeks to improve the main gateway to the port by reconfiguring and rebuilding roadways, specifically reconfiguring the more than 90-year old underpass that is the main gateway for 40% of trucks coming to the port and that Union Pacific Railroad trains use to pass over Seventh Street, the port said.
The project also involves updating the ADA and design standards of the current bike and pedestrian pathway and improving its waterfront connection and adding live plants on the pathway wall. Alameda CTC plans to oversee construction, which is expected to begin before this fall, with engineering support from the port.
“The FITS and 7SGSE projects are bringing critical improvements to the local community as well as to the larger region,” Alameda CTC Chair John J. Bauters said. “These efforts will increase the safety and efficiency of truck and rail access at the busiest port in Northern California.”
