Updated Monday, December 17, 2018
On Friday, Oakland City Council unanimously approved protected bike lanes on Telegraph Avenue in the Temescal District. Not only that: the council directed staff to implement additional improvements to Telegraph Avenue through the Koreatown Northgate (KONO) District, and to create a plan to close the gap down to 20th Street—all put on the roster for 2019. This big step towards closing gaps and building connected, protected lanes wouldn’t have happened without the support of Bike East Bay members.
You gave your input and spoke up for a network to connect our city. You emailed your City Councilmember, told a friend, or maybe even stood with our team at City Hall until 1:30am awaiting the agenda item. When the item was postponed to Friday, your voice carried through to compel a vote in favor. Councilmember Dan Kalb, who represents Temescal District, noted that 90%+ of emails to his office were supportive of protected bike lanes. Because of your voice, better bike lanes will be on the ground in 2019.
The Council also approved implementing upgrades to the protected bike lanes in the KONO District with new details from the Temescal design, including green bike lanes, purple pedestrian safety zones with corner speed bumps, and sturdier bollards.
And as a holiday bonus, Council directed staff to come up with a plan to close the resulting bike gap on Telegraph Avenue between 29th St and 42nd St. Councilmember Lynette Gibson-McElhaney asked that these additional improvements be extended all along Telegraph Avenue in her District. Soon enough, you will be enjoying a continuous protected bike lane on Telegraph Avenue from 20th Street to 52nd Street.
Special thanks to our partners at Walk Oakland Bike Oakland, the Temescal Telegraph Business Improvement District, and the many Bike East Bay members who got involved during this campaign. Thank the businesses on Telegraph Avenue for their support by shopping the Temescal and KONO Districts this holiday season.
Help us build a network of connected bike lanes across the East Bay. Become a Bike East Bay member today.
