Berkeley

The paths through Aquatic Park in Berkeley are incredibly convenient and popular with cyclists. The approach from the south on Bay Street is quite hazardous. After crossing the bridge over Ashby Avenue, the road narrows and has a broken edge full of cracks and potholes. In the afternoon, cars are frequently lined up for the I-80 on-ramp, and bicycles are forced to ride in the rough dirt shoulder, with dust and gravel deep enough to make it difficult to stay upright. The edge of the pavement is even more hazardous. I recently broke a mountain bike rim and had to replace it. There is also no centerline, leading some car drivers think the road is one-way. It is definitely two-way, but 99% of the traffic is heading north. When I ride south on that stretch, some cars are using the entire road and leave no space for me. This stretch of Bay Street badly needs to be repaved, with striping to define the center line and safe shoulders for bicycles. The one block of Bolivar Drive that it connects to is also in terrible shape, rough and potholed with a permanent, algae filled puddle that covers the entire roadway even though the driest part of summer. UPDATE 8-27-15: Submitted to Berkeley PW; Received service request number 260919. Past efforts to get Berkeley to pay attention to these roads have proved unsuccessful; they even suggested another jurisdiction (CalTrans, Bay Trail etc) should take it over as they "don't want it." Maybe Berkeley government will take a more proactive view these days. BORP and Street Level Cycles all use this stretch now, so that might influence Berkeley.