Oakland Chinatown business leaders are hoping a new $2 parking program will encourage more people to shop and dine in the historic commercial district, where many merchants say foot traffic drops sharply after the workday ends.
For longtime Oakland residents, the change is striking. They said in the 1990’s and even early 2000’s, Chinatown was a buzzing hub with a lot of people and shoppers in the evening hours. Now, it’s very quiet after 4 p.m.
A comparison of foot traffic on Webster Street near 10th Street illustrates the challenge. Video taken around noon showed a bustling commercial corridor. By 5 p.m., the same block was largely empty.
Business owners said the evening decline worsened after the COVID-19 pandemic, leading many merchants to shorten their operating hours.
“It’s like a ghost town,” said Maggie Fang, owner of From the Heart Florists. “Definitely, like the grocery…
