Bates is trying to hide behind the Transportation Commission whose members and staff throttle off discussion of whether the BRT comes up at planning meetings.
BRT will take two lanes out of the middle of Telegraph Ave in Oakland, eliminate much of the parking in front of all the new little businesses that have grown up from 15th St. in Oakland, and Dwight Way in Berkeley, and lay waste the economic structure of what has rather surprisingly become a beautiful tree lined Boulevard in recent years.
Huge Van Hool diesel buses lumber up and down the Ave quickly now. It is hard to see value in tearing up the streets. It is easy to see the terrible congestion and destruction of businesses that will result. San Leandro told AC Transit no. So should Berkeley. In the non peak hours a bus will come by occasionally. In the mean time all 4 lanes of the street are busy with normal traffic. In peak hours droves of buses roam the streets, but the traffic flows for all. BRT would cause extreme jams.
Just last Friday night one N bound lane of Telegraph was blocked at 51st, completely j
amming traffic. We were headed to Kentucky fried chicken on Telegraph for dinner and ended up at a Thai restaurant on College Ave, trying to get out of the traffic jam.
Tom is not on the AC Board of Directors but he meets with members every week to push his agenda and is pushing with this program without much community support. Neighbors do not support this. The only supporters in meetings seem to be non Berkeley people who make their living working in traffic planning and have sort a religious belief in BRT.
BRT will take two lanes out of the middle of Telegraph Ave in Oakland, eliminate much of the parking in front of all the new little businesses that have grown up from 15th St. in Oakland, and Dwight Way in Berkeley, and lay waste the economic structure of what has rather surprisingly become a beautiful tree lined Boulevard in recent years.
Huge Van Hool diesel buses lumber up and down the Ave quickly now. It is hard to see value in tearing up the streets. It is easy to see the terrible congestion and destruction of businesses that will result. San Leandro told AC Transit no. So should Berkeley. In the non peak hours a bus will come by occasionally. In the mean time all 4 lanes of the street are busy with normal traffic. In peak hours droves of buses roam the streets, but the traffic flows for all. BRT would cause extreme jams.
Just last Friday night one N bound lane of Telegraph was blocked at 51st, completely j
amming traffic. We were headed to Kentucky fried chicken on Telegraph for dinner and ended up at a Thai restaurant on College Ave, trying to get out of the traffic jam.Tom is not on the AC Board of Directors but he meets with members every week to push his agenda and is pushing with this program without much community support. Neighbors do not support this. The only supporters in meetings seem to be non Berkeley people who make their living working in traffic planning and have sort a religious belief in BRT.
