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In light of a continuing string of wheelchair pedestrian accidents, including Fred Lupke’s recent death, the Berkeley Commission on Disability’s subcommittee for transportation met Wednesday to draw up requests asking the city to revisit what they say are important safety measures proposed for the city’s general plan. 

Commission Chair Emily Wilcox said that the meeting did not produce a definitive proposal for City Council but instead was a preliminary way to address several of the most important issues commissioners said have been continually brought up before the city but never incorporated into the general plan.  

Wilcox said the subcommittee discussed a litany of issues, including a request for the police department to develop a code that would track pedestrian accidents involving people who use mobility devices or are self-identified as disabled. 

“Currently we have no numbers to support our impression that significant numbers of people involved in pedestrian accidents are disabled,” said Wilcox. “And I believe we’ve made this request several times.” 

Other issues included a request for the city to develop a policy that would set the maximum allowable slope and cross-slope for sidewalks and the development of minimum amount of vertical and horizontal vegetation clearance.  

Wilcox said that if, for example, a sidewalk’s slope is too steep, a person using a wheelchair or walker could tip over or be thrown off balance and that often trees and bushes on sidewalks are overgrown, presenting numerous problems for disabled pedestrians. 

There is no set date for when the commission will present the issues discussed to City Council because Wilcox says there is still more work to be done. She said other city commissions including Public Works and the Commission on Aging have taken an interest, expanding the scope and helping push the issue forward. 

The commission is set to make a presentation to City Council during the Oct. 14 meeting about the city-issued taxi permits for wheelchair users, but Wilcox said the city manager is expected to request that the agenda item be held back until the November meeting.