The city is gathering input on street changes to Telegraph Avenue between 20th-29th Streets in the Koreatown-Northgate District, and it’s time for your input! We support the city of Oakland in seeking additional community input, and we continue to work with the KONO business district to improve this important network connection. Upgrades to Telegraph Avenue are coming on the ground now, and even more improvements are slated for 2021. Give your feedback on the current street setup now through December 22.
The online survey is part of a follow-up to Oakland City Council’s decision last summer to conduct an equity review of street changes on Telegraph Avenue in the Koreatown-Northgate (KONO) District and provide more opportunity for community input. Among other things, Oakland wants to know specifically if you would prefer that the protected bike lanes be upgraded with curbs as planned, or be replaced with buffered bike lanes.
When Telegraph’s street changes were planned back in 2014 and again when new bike lanes were considered in Temescal in 2019, Oakland heard loud and clear that people preferred protected bike lanes over buffered bike lanes by a margin of over 2 to 1. And, thanks to a $4.5 million grant won by the City of Oakland for this and other bikeway projects, more permanent upgrades for pedestrians, bike riders, transit riders and shoppers are slated for 2021. Upgrades coming next year include raised concrete islands and curbs for more permanent protected bike lanes, redesigned bus boarding islands, and traffic signal improvements for faster bus service. The plans, funding, and support are all in place for an even better Telegraph Avenue next year. Our top priority is a high quality project that continues to increase safety on Telegraph Avenue and meets the needs of the surrounding community.
Since protected bike lanes first appeared on Telegraph Avenue in 2016, crashes and speeding have been down. Particularly as businesses adapt to life during COVID-19, we continue to listen to the concerns from the KONO business district, and look forward to seeing improved access for everyone traveling Telegraph Avenue delivered in 2021. Give your feedback today.
