At Berkeley’s Bicycle Subcommittee Meeting on October 27, city staff provided a robust update on bike projects moving forward.
- Problems with Tunnel Road bike lanes: plans for new bike lanes on Tunnel Road have been significantly altered, for the worse, due to feedback from Caltrans. Members of the Bicycle Subcommittee made it clear to staff that better designs are expect, and in fact were agreed upon at the Transportation Commission Fall 2013. Stay tuned as we may need your help.
- 6 on-street bike parking corrals are coming soon, with 12 additional corrals authorized. The City is finalizing an application for businesses to apply for a bike corral, much like Oakland’s application. When complete, we’ll need volunteers to reach out to local businesses to encourage them to apply, and increase their business.
- Berkeley will soon announce a public meeting for the final designs of Hearst Avenue bikeway. While the designs are expected to be quite good, Bike East Bay has requested that the city consider improving the designs with protected bike lanes on Hearst Ave between Shattuck Ave and Oxford Ave.
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Caltrans has signed off on the Gilman St interchange project study report. This means all Berkeley needs is funding for this gap closure project–and that means Measure BB. On the November 4 ballot, voters will hopefully approve a new transportation plan for Alameda County, which specifically includes funding for new roundabout designs at Gilman St. These designs will make walking and bicycling to the Bay Trail much safer. - Bike share is coming to Berkeley, and Oakland too, we hope by the end of 2016. A new staff person will be hired soon to plan the system and get permits, working closely with Oakland’s new planner for bike share.
- Finally! Berkeley begins work updating its bicycle plan with a big kickoff meeting in January 2014. This is welcome news, and as a reminder, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates has declared that Berkeley Bicycle Plan, when adopted, will be “the best bicycle plan in America.”
