Two-Item Tuesday: Construction Starts on 20th Street in Oakand

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Here are two new stories of interest to the safe and livable streets community.

Construction starts on another concrete-protected bike lane in Oakland

There isn't really a good bike route from 19th Street BART to the lake. However, that's going to change in less than a year thanks to the 20th Street urban greenway project, now under construction, as seen above. From Oakland DOT's project page:

The 19th Street BART to Lake Merritt Urban Greenway Project is a grant funded streetscape project awarded in 2016 by the Active Transportation Program (ATP). The project proposes to implement infrastructure improvements for the pedestrian and bicycle environment. Pedestrian features include sidewalk reconstruction and widening, curb extensions, ADA compliant curb ramps, pedestrian median refuges, and crosswalk enhancements. Bicycle features include new lanes with a combination of Class IV protected, parking protected, and sidewalk level separated bicycle lanes. Additional design features in this project include lane reductions and geometric realignment, traffic signal modifications, street lighting, and signing and striping. 

"Ecstatic to see another separated bike lane project starting up in Downtown Oakland on 20th St from Broadway to Harrison," wrote Oakland DOT's Charlie Ream, in a post on social media. "A long time coming on this one." Or, as another cyclist put it on a thread about the lane "one step closer to being able to bike to Whole Foods without dying. Hurray for that!"

The 20th Street lane will meet with the Lakeside protected cycletrack, installed in 2018. Top-notch protected infrastructure is also under construction on 14th. Construction on 20th is expected to be complete in April 2025.

Update on fight to save the bike and ped path between Marin and the East Bay

As previously reported, the Bay Area Council has been telling some big whoppers, about the bike and ped path causing pollution, in its efforts to replace it with a sixth car lane. The path remains open to cyclists for now, but the battle continues at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. The latest from Warren Wells at the Marin County Bicycle Coalition:

Back in May, the MTC Board voted to move forward with the staff's recommendations to close the multiuse path Monday through Thursday and stay open Friday through Sunday. However, they still need permission from the Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), the agency that has jurisdiction over the project along (or over) the Bay. BCDC's board, which has 27 members, will make the final decision about whether to approve MTC's request, deny it, or modify it. 

We do not know when exactly this meeting will happen, but it will likely be Thursday, October 3rd, at 1:00 pm. As soon as we confirm the date, we will let you know. You will be able to give comment via email, on Zoom (though they may cut off online comments at some point), or in person at the following address: 375 Beale Street (1st Floor Board Room), San Francisco 

In the meantime, thanks to the hard work of Bike East Bay, the cities of Richmond and Albany, the SF Bay Trail Board of Directors, and the West Contra Costa Transportation Commission, have all signed letters supporting the continuation of a 24/7 path.

Wells suggests East Bay and Marin people contact their council reps to urge them to also write letters of support.

And if you haven't done so already, be sure to sign Bike East Bay's petition to show your support for the multi-use path. If you speak for an organization or business and want to join the coalition letter signed by over 70 organizations, email Bike East Bay's Robert Prinz. You can also watch this recording to learn more about the politics and process.