Local advocates and BART officials successfully defeated a proposal by Berkeley staff on December 8, 2008 that would have caused a setback in the Bike Station expansion plans and resulted in the loss of over $1 million in funding committed to the project.
Jubilant supporters assembled in the Berkeley City Hall lobby following unanimous council action to prioritize the Bike Station Expansion.
A street-level Bike Station will open in 2009.
The location now known as “The Spot” on Shattuck Ave adjacent to the entrance to the Downtown Berkeley BART Station will provide guarded parking for up to 300 bicycles.
Mayor Tom Bates reminded the council members and public in the packed Council Chamber that the highly visible, street-level Bike Station will provide encouragement for many commuters and shoppers to use a bicycle. “The City of Berkeley is taking action toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.
District 3 BART Director Bob Franklin urged the council to take action to commit up to $300,000 over the next five years toward the operation of the Bike Station, or risk the loss of $497,000 in Safe Routes to Transit (SR2T) funding and $505,000 in BART commitments to the project. He was followed by Robert Raburn, Executive Director of the East Bay Bicycle Coalition, who invited the council to join the bicycling community in prioritizing the Bike Station Expansion. Raburn provided a history of how the Bike Station Expansion was carefully vetted by an independent body of SR2T reviewers in 2005. He also noted the Sierra Club support for the project.
A long line of speakers, including Bike Station operator Gene Oh, pointed out the many merits of the project (many speakers are not included in the photo). The new facility will replace a cramped cage with only a 77-bicycle capacity. The cage lacks even a counter for patrons to sign-in and receive a claim check. As well, Gene emphasized that the expansion will enable the Bike Station to offer repairs and sell accessories, and thereby become financially sustainable.
Council Member Max Anderson acknowledged appreciation for the speakers and their compelling comments. Bicycle advocacy in Berkeley is influential and the City can look forward to serving as an example for the West Coast when the new Bike Station opens!