Photo: Emilie Raguso
[Update September 30, 2019] The city council vote to approve the Bicycle Lane and Pedestrian Street Improvements Policy has changed to October 15, 2019. RSVP to attend.
September 17, 2019
This past weekend, three people were seriously injured or died while biking or walking known high injury corridors in Berkeley, raising new urgency to the need to move quickly when it comes to improving your streets.
Saturday morning, on his regular ride down Gilman Street to Monterey Market, 69-year old Dezhi Luo was struck by a driver who fled the scene. Dezhi was just two blocks from his destination. Outside Ashby BART station, a pedestrian was struck and killed in a suspected hit-and-run. And on Ashby Ave. near I-80, a cyclist died in a solo crash when their wheel was caught on a road grate.
Three incidents in the course of less than twelve hours. We refuse to let this be the norm – not for life in Berkeley, and not for streets anywhere in the East Bay. It is especially egregious when life-changing tragedies happen on already known high-injury corridors like Gilman Street, or outside of public transit stations and disability resource centers like the Ed Roberts Campus at Ashby BART.
Take action:
- Join our campaign for action alerts in support of quick-build improvements to Berkeley streets, including the Bicycle Lane and Pedestrian Street Improvements Policy described below.
- Attend the Berkeley City Council meeting September 24 to speak in favor of this policy.
Berkeley has a bike plan that calls for building out the low-stress network by 2024. But this is about more than just bikes. It is about protecting everyone on your streets, especially the most vulnerable road users. What we need is the political will to make the bike plan a reality.
Bicycle Lane and Pedestrian Street Improvements Policy
We are working with Berkeley Councilmembers Rigel Robinson and Lori Droste on the Bicycle Lane and Pedestrian Street Improvements Policy that would help fast-track bicycle and pedestrian improvements, including building in improvements when streets are repaved, and prioritizing bikeways and high-collision streets for repaving. This policy is expected to be on the Berkeley City Council meeting agenda for September 24.
We know how to make our streets safer. The City of Berkeley has a bike plan to put those measures in place. What we need is your voice, and the political will to make it happen.
Join our campaign for the latest updates on Berkeley streets, and come to the September 24 city council meeting to voice your support.