Public Comment

We are cyclists who are residents in the Hopkins Street area who will be affected by the changes proposed by the Hopkins Corridor study. While we applaud efforts to make Berkeley streets in general and our neighborhood in particular safer for pedestrians and cyclists, there are several parts of this proposal that we think will decrease our safety. 

Firstly, we approve of and appreciate all efforts to increase safety for pedestrians. This includes the proposed bulb-outs, raised crosswalks, added stop signs and striping. 

However, the protected two-way bike lane seems to raise more problems than it solves. It places west-bound cyclists into an unexpected location. When turning right, most drivers look first for any near pedestrians, then look left to see approaching cars or bikes. Drivers do not expect fast-moving cyclists to be coming at them from the right. Most of us have experienced the sudden appearance of a biker riding on the ‘wrong’ side of the street, and thought ‘Is that person crazy?’ Well, now that crazy is being proposed in this plan. Placing the bike lanes in this location is a behavior-change that will occur only here and only for a few blocks. It is unsettling to both cyclists and drivers who are used to having cyclists riding with the traffic. In addition, it requires cyclists to cross back and forth across the car lanes to enter and exit the bikeway. 

Having all cyclists use the south side of the street creates a hazard for any cyclist who wants to turn north at any of the intersections here. The west-bound cyclist will have to cross both traffic lanes. East-bound cyclists will have to cross the on-coming bike lane and both traffic lanes, rather than being able to turn left from the left edge of the east-bound car lane. This will be especially hazardous at Albina and Hopkins Court where there are no traffic controls. 

Due to the proposed medians between Gilman and California, cars backing out of driveways or those trying to exit the Monterey Market parking lot will have to pull across the bike lanes while waiting to enter the flow of traffic instead of being able to wait on the edge of the paving. This is especially problematic with the cyclists coming from the right, going west, where, again, drivers do not expect them. 

Both Ryan Murray and Farid Javandel have stated that they are regular cyclists and that they would not use the protected bike lane but would instead ride in the travel lane where they could go faster and with the flow of traffic. This is what most regular cyclists would do, including us. 

The design team does not appear to have adequate data about bike usage along this corridor. Is it possible that the protected bike lane is a hugely expensive answer to a problem that will not help the majority of the people who use (or would use) this area? Just because 70% of the Berkeley residents polled said they would be more likely to use a bike for errands or recreation if there were safer routes, doesn’t mean they will use bikes, or that they will use this type of bike lane. Is there data about how many people polled actually come to this area? How many come to use the businesses, and how many are commuters passing through? If the idea is to tempt more people to arrive by bike, then where is all the safe bike parking? 

Finally, as cyclists, we believe that it is unlikely that we will use the dual bikeway. We believe that riding on the wrong side of the road and having to cross back and forth across the traffic lanes places us in greater danger than sharing the road with the cars. Our suggestions for increasing bicycle and pedestrian safety in the Corridor include the following: 

1.The number one thing that would make the area safer for cyclists is to repave the streets. The roads are so full of cracks and holes and broken glass that we are required to swerve out into the lanes of traffic to avoid obstacles. Keep the road clean. 

2.Along with the above, add sharrow striping and signage. Make drivers aware that cyclists have the right to use the road, including the whole lane if necessary for (the cyclist’s) safety. 

3.In the project area, change the color and/or material of the paving. This is another indication to drivers that there exist special conditions that require their extra attention. This change of paving occurs mid-block on 4^th St. in the shopping area, and it makes the area safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and cars. The blocks between Sacramento and McGee would be a minimum. Farther would be better. 

4.Do something, such as adding a raised crosswalk, to mitigate the issue of people rolling through the stop sign at Hopkins and Gilman, particularly when turning right onto Gilman. We have seen several people, including two school children, almost get struck by drivers not coming to a full stop before turning. 

In summary, we believe there are too many unanswered questions in this proposal for the Council to make an informed vote on this plan that will cost the City of Berkeley millions of dollars and may be found to be unwise and/or ineffective.  

Please implement the pedestrian safety features of raised crosswalks, bulb-outs and striping during the repaving period, but leave the other changes, such as the two-way bike lane, medians and bus bulb-out between California and Gilman, for a later date after they have been given more study. 

Thank you for your consideration of our views. 

Sincerely, 

Lisa Friedlander 1329 Albina Ave. Lori Copan 1329 Albina Ave. 

Carine Elkhoraibi 1308 Albina Ave. Bill Marthinsen 1334 Albina Ave 

Eliot Jordan 1338 Albina Ave. Diane Garcia 31 Hopkins Ct. 

Emily Marthinsen 1334 Albina Ave. Ben Hartshorne 35 Hopkins Ct. 

Christy Hartshorne 35 Hopkins Ct. Riah Gouvea 28 Hopkins Ct. 

Shasta Phillips 28 Hopkins Ct. Celia Shryne 1259 Monterey 

Linda Russo 985 Euclid Carlos Castellanos 985 Euclid 

Shawn Duyette 2311 Jefferson