It’s Time To Make Our Streets Safer for Bicyclists and Pedestrians
Berkeley likes to talk the talk when it comes to improving bicyclist and pedestrian conditions. After all, Berkeley has some of the nation’s highest percentages of people who commute by walking or biking, with approximately 10% choosing to bike to work and 15% who walk. Yet over the past year, there have been numerous collisions of motorists, bikers and pedestrians, some resulting in serious or fatal injuries. Clearly there is more we need to do to improve the safety of our streets through design, visibility and enforcement.
On October 29th, I joined Councilmembers Rigel Robinson, Lori Droste, and Kate Harrison on moving forward with a referral to develop a comprehensive ordinance governing a Bicycle Lane and Pedestrian Street Improvements Policy. The Council agreed, and voted to approve it in a 7-1-1 vote. Specifically, the plan will:
Require simultaneous implementation of recommendations in the City’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans when City streets are repaved.
Develop a pilot program between 2022-2025 that prioritizes bikeways and Vision Zero high-fatality, high-collision streets under the five-year Paving Plan by requiring that 50 percent of the repaving budget go towards such streets, prioritizing projects outlined in the Bicycle Plan and Pedestrian Plan.
Encourage the use of quick-builds (a project that requires non-permanent features such as bollards/paint/bus boarding islands, makes up less than 25 percent of the total repaving cost for that street segment, and can be a component of a Complete Street Corridor Study that includes evaluation after installation) by expediting quick-build projects under $1 million.
City Staff would be required to provide progress reports every two years.
Safety has consistently been brought up as a reason to move forward with implementing programs and policies to improve bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. In 2018, there were 133 bicycle collisions in Berkeley. This has created a deterrent for people who would like to bike more but are concerned about inadequate conditions. With the City currently developing a Vision Zero plan, this proposal will complement that, ensuring that we prioritize our most dangerous streets. It is absolutely necessary that we develop the conditions needed for people to feel safe while walking and biking throughout our city.
This is not just a safety issue, but also an environmental one. 60% of greenhouse gas emissions in Berkeley come from transportation. While the City has made great strides in reducing GHG emissions between 2000-2016 from other sources such as electricity (-60%) and natural gas (-18%), transportation emissions have increased by 8% during that time frame. Residents have expressed support for switching from cars to bikes, with 90 percent of Berkeley residents saying they either already bike or would consider bicycling if the right bikeway facility or roadway conditions were available, according to a survey conducted as part of the Bicycle Plan. Addressing climate change involves rethinking the way we travel, so investment in new infrastructure upgrades that promotes more walking and biking is essential.
On a personal note, as with many Millenials living in an urban environment, I do not drive. The way people travel is changing, and we must make sure that our infrastructure and roads are able to accommodate alternative forms of transportation.
I am thankful for my colleagues who voted in support of the proposal. While the entire Council is supportive of improving safety, our ideas on how to get there may differ, and I will continue to work with those who did not support this item. I am also thankful for the community support and for those who advocated tirelessly to move this forward.
It’s time to make our roads accessible for everyone, no matter how you commute. Improving street safety and fighting climate change is something everyone can agree upon; let’s make that happen.