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Emeryville Mayor John Bauters emceed a combination Halloween festival and ribbon cutting Saturday for Huchiun Park, at 4311 Hubbard Street. It's the city's newest addition to its 500-unit Emery Apartments complex across the train tracks from the Bay Street mall.
"This is what you can get when you focus on people and community and not parking," Bauters told Streetsblog.
The new housing--really, an entire community nestled against the railroad yard connected by a new bike-and-ped bridge to the shopping center--is accessed via bike paths and narrow streets. And the traffic calming is real (not paint and plastic) and traffic is actually calm.
The "main," automobile-accessible street that goes past the park is slowed by a huge sidewalk-level crosswalk (see photo below) making it clear to motorists that pedestrians have the right-of-way.
There are also completely separated bike and pedestrian paths making it easy and safe to get to the park without a car. There's even one bike route that goes through one of the buildings.
"There are very low traffic levels," said Emeryville Vice Mayor Courtney Welch, who added that it's important for children to grow up in communities where they can have some independence. She said she feels safe letting her kids navigate this community on their own thanks to the low traffic volumes. "It builds confidence."
She said that's especially important for Black children, who suffer a higher rate of injuries and deaths thanks to traffic violence. "We look for spaces where we can feel comfortable. This is a space where that can happen."
The park is in view from the windows of the apartments, so parents can keep an eye on their kids. And it was clear Saturday that kids are what it's all about, with potato sack races, pick-up soccer, and a pie-eating contest that was part of the dedication ceremony.
Emeryville is definitely showing how a former warehouse district can be transformed into a family-friendly community, where car ownership might be nice, but it's not necessary for everyday existence.
So how is Emeryville achieving what most Bay Area cities just talk about? Bauters told Streetsblog it's important to have a mayor and a staff that bike (and not just for photo ops). "It's about creating a culture. It's about the lived experience," he said. "You have to believe your city can be a better place."
For more on the history of the area, check out coverage in the East Bay Times.
More pictures of the park and the festival below:
