OAKLAND, CA: Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf announced on Wednesday the launch of the city's first Department of Transportation.

About 300 employees will work in the department, most of which will move over from the city's Public Works Department, said Matt Nichols, the mayor's policy director for infrastructure and transportation. Jeff Tumlin, transportation consultant and principal and director of strategy for the planning firm Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates, will be interim director until a national search can be completed.

The announcement followed a presentation to Oakland's City Council on Tuesday outlining the new department structure and its responsibilities, including road design, resurfacing and maintenance. So far, $1.5 million has been allocated to pay the department's staff. Other money for the department will come from current city departments that have become part of the new department, according to Nichols.

Other money will come from state and federal sources, such as grants and the state gas tax.Dozens of projects are already underway, such as a protected bicycle lane on Telegraph Avenue. Nichols said the department will adopt a "complete streets" approach, which means projects will take into account all users of the streets.

Schaaf has three goals for department staff. She wants staff to attract more money for transportation projects, accelerate street maintenance, reduce congestion and provide people with new ways to get around such as scooters, bike sharing and one-way car sharing, according to the mayor's office.

Staff in the new department also will aim at using socioeconomic data, along with conventional transportation data, to improve the decisions made to change the city's transportation network.

"A better Oakland starts with better streets today, in every part of our city," Schaaf said in a statement. "We need a world-class transportation department to take a fresh look at our streets, and provide Oakland residents with safer, healthier and more accessible ways to get around." By Bay City News