Amplification: Advocates Demand Action on Lakeside After Driver Kills Pedestrian in Crosswalk
The following post is from the advocates at Traffic Violence Rapid Response (TVRR)
On Saturday, October 3rd at 6am a driver hit and killed a community member walking across Lakeside Drive at 17th Street right across from Lake Merritt. As he was crossing in the crosswalk a white Nissan sped down the wide straight Lakeside Drive towards him. The man attempted to run out of the way of the car, but the driver hit him at speed and then drove away without stopping.
Our hearts go out to the person whose life was cut short as he was walking around his neighborhood, and we extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.
We are saddened and outraged that yet another life has been tragically taken due to traffic violence. 19 people have been needlessly killed on the streets of Oakland just this year, 13 of them while walking or biking. Untold numbers of others sustained serious injuries due to traffic violence.
These injuries and deaths from traffic violence are preventable.
Map of traffic fatalities in Oakland since 2019
Lakeside Drive is a long straight road lacking speed cushions, traffic lights, stop signs or any traffic calming to force careful driving. Neighbors have added their own “Please Stop For Pedestrian” cones in the center of the crosswalks, but those are often run over and smashed. Some drivers will exit the highway onto Oak Street and continue to Lakeside still driving like they are on the highway.
There is very little car traffic on Lakeside so drivers are not slowed down to safe speeds by other vehicles. However there are a lot of pedestrians crossing Lakeside to get to the lake and a lot of cyclists using Lakeside in both directions to bike around the lake.
Most pedestrians are killed while crossing un-signaled crosswalks on multi-lane roads like Lakeside. Not only does the extra wide distance create additional risk, but drivers use the width of the extra lanes to speed. More of our neighbors will be killed here as long as Lakeside continues to have multiple lanes.
Traffic safety is public safety. We call on elected leaders, Oakland Police Department, Oakland Fire Department, and the Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) to treat the traffic safety crisis like the public safety crisis it is and to accelerate efforts to make Oakland’s streets safe for everyone, whether they are traveling by car, bike, on foot, or in a mobility device.
OakDOT had a design for this intersection ready for construction last year that matched the design further north on the road, but the Oakland Fire Department forced a redesign to keep this intersection extra wide. This redesign delayed the project by two years and assures Lakeside will remain an extra wide, dangerous road.
Original design for Lakeside Dr matching the design from further north
- We call on OakDOT to prioritize street safety upgrades here and across the city. Reduce the crossing distance with concrete bulb-outs and islands, reduce Lakeside Dr to one travel lane, and reduce contracting delays to get safety in the ground sooner.
- We call on the Oakland Police Department to treat these wrongful traffic deaths with the same gravity as other deaths.
- We call on the Oakland Fire Department to work collaboratively with OakDOT to convert Lakeside to a one-lane road without sacrificing fire safety by being flexible with the 26ft clear-width guideline.
- We call on Oakland’s elected leadership to prioritize and fully fund street safety work and remove contracting, staffing and other barriers to achieving safe streets for all residents. If the safety project here had not been redesigned and delayed then it is possible our neighbor would be alive today.
About Traffic Violence Rapid Response
We are a group of caring Oaklanders organizing together to put an end to traffic violence throughout Oakland.
We believe traffic violence is a systemic solvable problem. We believe we can build safe streets for everyone using internationally recognized street designs that prioritize the safety and comfort of all residents, especially our most vulnerable neighbors.
We respond to incidents of traffic violence by raising awareness about the incident, lifting the voices of the victims and the community, and demanding concrete action from those with the power to help.
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