To the BART Board of Directors:
The Bicycle-Friendly Berkeley Coalition (BFBC), a community-based, nonprofit organization founded in 1995, enthusiastically supports your authorization of the Downtown Berkeley BikeStation five-year commercial lease at the April 23rd BART Board Meeting.
The existing BikeStation, which our organization managed until the recent management change-over, has been a highly successful project. However, it is over capacity and cannot satisfy the demand for secure bicycle parking in Downtown Berkeley near the BART station. The new space will provide more than 250 bike parking spaces and complementary bicycle services such as retail, repair, rentals, extended access hours, and bike safety education classes.
The BikeStation is consistent with Berkeley’s Climate Action Plan and Bicycle Plan, both of which place a major emphasis on a diminished role in Berkeley for private automobiles and expanded use of bicycling, walking, and public transportation.
BART’s contribution to the BikeStation expansion will leverage nearly $800,000 from partners, including a $496,784 Regional Measure 2 capital grant and a $300,000 contribution from the City of Berkeley. The Measure 2 grant will be lost if BART does not sign a lease agreement by May 31, 2009.
We in BFBC are grateful to BART for supporting this important project.
Sincerely yours,
Phil Morton
Chairman of the Board of Directors