Commentary: Not Surprised Oakland’s Prop E Failed

“I’m not familiar with that” was OakDOT Director Josh Rowan’s answer to a question about the homeless encampments and fences blocking the Lake Merritt Channel bike and pedestrian paths, at a SPUR talk last year. District 2 Councilmember Charlene Wang said the same thing when I asked about it at a ribbon cutting for a protected intersection in Chinatown.

Measure E has officially failed. From the San Francisco Chronicle‘s reporting:

Oakland voters rejected a parcel tax meant to raise $34 million a year to plug a hole in the city’s budget, marking the first time in 15 years that voters have declined to raise their own taxes when the city asks.

The Chronicle editorial board, by the way, endorsed a “no” vote. “E” lost by 8,621 votes. It was supposed to raise money for, among other things, cleaning up trash and helping the homeless.

Of course, Josh and Charlene knew exactly what I was asking about; they just didn’t want to answer. And I don’t blame them: the situation on the paths is truly embarrassing. The Lake Merritt Channel paths were once a significant, car-free route for cyclists to get between Jack London Square, Laney College, and Lake Merritt. But it was neglected by the city and became blocked with trash and encampments. For a while, back when Libby Schaff was mayor, a semi-successful effort was made to clear the path and provide Tuff-Shed shelters for the homeless.

But all that went away a couple of years ago, concurrent with a project to revamp the Oakland Convention Center, which it runs past. The city spent nearly $300,000 putting up giant iron fences around the path and closing it off. They also built a chain-link fence around the convention center, leaving only a car entrance on East 10th Street. Cyclists are now forced to detour around the Center’s giant parking lot and across treacherous, multi-lane surface-level freeways and the ramps of 880 to travel north-south.

Ostensibly, the channel fences are meant to protect the watershed. But of course, cyclists and joggers going down a path along the water don’t damage anything. Nevertheless, the city was supposed to open the gates, seen in the lead image, during the day so the path can still be used for transportation—they just don’t do it. The job of opening the gates falls under the Oakland Parks Department, now led by Rowan’s predecessor at DOT, Fred Kelley.

As Streetsblog’s editor, I’m happy to see protected intersections and lanes going in on a few select streets in Oakland. I enjoy writing articles about marquee projects such as the protected lanes on 14th Street or Lakeside or the Greenway, even if many of these projects took 20 years to get built.

But what good is safety infrastructure if one city department builds it while another fences it off?

I’m glad the Convention Center is open again. It certainly has ample parking. How tragic will it be though if a child is killed, thanks to all the fences and gates, trying to ride a bike to the new dinosaur exhibit? Of course, Josh, Charlene, and Mayor Barbara Lee didn’t create this situation. But how hard would it be for them to meet with the city administrator and tell the parks department to do their jobs and open the freakin’ gates?

People want to pay taxes if it results in a safe, livable city with great services and nice things. But in this case, Oakland spent money to intentionally break the city. When city officials behave that cynically, don’t be surprised if the voters respond in kind. That’s why I didn’t endorse or vote for Measure E. I’m not going to support a city that builds infrastructure and prevents us from using it.