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City Council Nixes Traffic Calming, Abandons Latham Square
At its meeting last Tuesday, the City Council decided that Latham Square would not remain in the final design of the Telegraph/Broadway/15th St intersection, instead voting for a permanent plan that would include two-way traffic on the block of Telegraph. City staff had been organizing against Latham Square since before the pilot began, and the objections of a potential developer of the Sears building was cited by local Council Member Lynette McElhaney in opposing making the square permanent or supporting a compromise.
Council Member Dan Kalb introduced a compromise measure that was unsuccessful, and we thank him as well as Council Members Rebecca Kaplan and Libby Shaaf for supporting it. Two dozen pedestrian advocates spoke at the Council meeting and about one hundred emails were received by City Council members in favor of the plaza, so we showed the Council the depth of support for livability downtown and the strength of our organization.
While the outcome was disappointing, and yet another reminder that Oakland lags far behind other cities on these issues, there were important victories as well. The City Council majority committed to exploring other plaza locations, and expressed support for reconsidering the one-way streets that speed traffic downtown. We will build on these statements to push for pedestrian-friendly design throughout the city.
Thanks for your support, and stay tuned to our Facebook page for further developments
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Time for Telegraph Talks
Join WOBO and EBBC volunteers for 'Telegraph Talks' starting in February: In order to talk businesses and neighborhood groups into supporting our goal of converting a lane of traffic on Telegraph Ave into your bikeway, we need lots of volunteers talking with businesses and neighborhood groups on either side of this key bike route.
You can start today by 'adopting' a local business and get to know them-start talking up bikes! Find out who is the manager, ask if many customers come by bike, and ask if they would like a free bike rack installed on the sidewalk in front of their door. Contact Dave Campbell for suggestions or to let him know which businesses you want to adopt. Here are some Telegraph talking points to get you comfortable. And join us for an upcoming Telegraph Talks to meet other volunteers:
- Friday, February 7th 8:00-9:00 AM, Barkada Bakery
- Saturday, February 15th, 10:00 AM to 12 noon, Oasis Food Market
- Wednesday February 26th, 5:00-7:00 PM, Lost & found Beer Garden
- Saturday March 1st, 10:00 am-12 noon, Temescal Produce Market
- Friday, March 14th, 5:00-7:00 PM, Commonwealth Club
And if you haven't already, take the City of Oakland's online survey for bike/ped improvements for Telegraph Ave.
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WOBO Hosts Winning Campaign Training in Oakland
Be a part of our Winning Campaigns Training March 21-23 in Jack London square, and along with other leaders create a winning strategy for new bike and pedestrian improvements in Oakland. There is a lot of work to do to make all of Oakland's neighborhoods safer and we can only do it with your help.
Workshop participants will brainstorm needed bike and pedestrian improvements, develop a plan to win the important ones, and strategize how to do it in a way that creates the capacity to win even bigger victories in the future. Your team at Walk Oakland Bike Oakland will be right there with you, working on these campaigns at the workshop, and supporting your continuing work to achieve victory.
More and more people in neighborhoods across the East Bay are able to bike and walk safely every day, thanks to campaigns planned and won by advocates just like you. At the Winning Campaigns Training, you will be joined by advocates from around California and national bike and pedestrian advocacy experts from the Alliance for Bicycling and Walking. The cost is $75 if you register by February 14 and includes all meals (A limited number of scholarships will be available as well)
Sign up today for our Winning Campaigns Training
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A Huge Thank You for All the Support
We here at WOBO wanted to give a big shout out to all the folks who donated, became members, or renewed their memberships in the past month.
As part of our Year End Appeal, we were able to raise close to $5,000. This will be a tremendous help as work to implement our vision for 2014. Our work could not be possible without the tireless efforts of our network of supporters.
For those who are interested in donating your time to WOBO's advocacy work in the coming year, consider attending our first Membership + Outreach Committee Meeting of 2014. We'll be talking strategy for the New Year and this is a great opportunity to further engage with our endeavors.
Our meeting will take place on February 5th, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at 436 14th Street in the 2nd Floor Conference Room. Email megan@wobo.com to RSVP.
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