At yesterday’s Unincorporated Alameda County meeting about their proposed bike/walk commission formation (which has now been shelved), one of the supervisors made a comment along the lines of “we are all drivers”, as a justification for why bike/walk issues don't need a dedicated focus.

Also, AVs are so far the most prevalent & utilized in denser areas that already have greater levels of transit service, b/c that's where they're most profitable. Converting transit trips to AV trips is a net loss wrt safety & other factors, in addition to also weakening transit for non AV-users.

The daily presentation of precipitation that the state Department of Water Resources provides doesn't tell the reader much about how exceptional the current rain year has been. Luckily, it's easy to just grab their data into a notebook. Verdict: almost exceptional.

Not noted in the KTVU piece, but fatal traffic crashes in Oakland have also dropped year over year since 2022, not correlated with any increase in police enforcement activity. Oakland finished 2025 w the lowest fatal crashes since pre-pandemic (though still far too many).

Berkeley has a lot of exciting projects in the works for 2026-28, including quite a few overdue bike boulevard upgrades to add traffic calming, diverters, & major intersection crossings. Check out my map w clickable details & links here, & let me know if I missed anything! felt.com/map/Berkeley...

This KTVU piece about Oakland's 2 years of plunging crime rates has interviewees grasping at straws. The police union president acknowledges the safety gains despite very low OPD staffing levels, but then tries to take credit for the improvements anyway. youtu.be/1AFjANKJEos?...

The California DMV is in deep need of reform. Enraging stuff, uncovered by a team of reporters at @calmatters.org calmatters.org/investigatio...

Bay Wheels last month in the East Bay: up 35%, record November ridership.

Today was my annual “Bike My Age” ride, a 3 bridges loop from SF to Emeryville this morning (Golden Gate, Richmond-San Rafael, Bay Bridge). What a gorgeous day to be outside! Hopefully someday a west span Bay Bridge path will enable the full circuit.

Chastising bike riders for not stopping at red lights along the Embarcadero cycletrack when there is no cross traffic is especially silly, because one could alternately just hop onto the legally bikeable sidewalk & ride past the red lights 100% legally.

The VeloRaptors Cycling Club is matching every gift made to Bike East Bay by December 31, up to $18,710! We appreciate their generosity of their crew, and all of you helping us to end our year strong. Thank you! Donate at BikeEastBay.org/YearEnd

An important tool for making roadways around BART stations safer for riders has just been published. We conducted research and data analysis as well as stakeholder and public outreach to develop Safe Trips to BART: An Action Plan for Safer Roadways. Read it: www.bart.gov/safetrips

If you haven’t yet, check out my interactive map of new 2025 East Bay separated bikeways, with photos & info for all 35 locations! How many of these have you biked yet? Any favorites? bikeeastbay.org/2025protecte...

Last year we saw a record-breaking amount of separated bikeways built......and this year there were even MORE! Check out photos, project details, observations and our 3 favorite projects at the link below. Thanks @prinzrob.bsky.social for putting it all together!

To feign concern about bike/walk safety on Claremont Ave, but only in the context of opposing senior housing, is truly grotesque. There’s a reason why we never see actual bike/walk safety orgs sign on to these efforts. They actually care about traffic safety, and see it as a goal unto itself.

A new bus-only lane was criticized for years for a design that encouraged illegal speeding. But simple interventions, including bollards, have drastically reduced fatalities.

My annual roundup of new East Bay separated bikeways via @bikeeastbay.bsky.social is live, w photos & details for a record 35 facilities across 10 cities. BikeEastBay.org/2025protectedbikeways/

Recusing oneself on a vote for a contract award to the org one works for makes sense (I’ve done this as a commissioner). But recusals on an entire topic related to one’s primary role as an elected official is absurd overreach by the FPPC.

Lots of rain this week means potholes are opening back up. Learn how to make reports via a free @bikeeastbay.bsky.social webinar Jan 13, then join me on my 12th annual Oakland pothole reporting blitz on Jan 19 for MLK Jr Day: bikeeastbay.org/event/take-a...

Rest In Power to Betty Reid Soskin www.grandviewindependent.com/betty-reid-s...

I've complained about the disappearing artifacts of the AC Transit BRT design process so many times over the years, I guess I should just start gathering them up. Here, at least, is the almost impossible to find draft EIR as a single PDF. drive.google.com/drive/folder...

Study: International Blvd is Now Much Safer - sf.streetsblog.org/2025/12/19/s...

Join us for the #PotholeChallenge, January 12-19! We want to see how many potholes we can collectively track down and get fixed in the East Bay. It's a fun, self-paced and practical way to make a difference in our communities. RSVP for the free training at BikeEastBay.org/Pothole-Challenge

In 2017 Robert Bennett was killed by a driver, while crossing 23rd St at Harrison in Oakland. Following appeals by @walkoakbikeoak.bsky.social & @bikeeastbay.bsky.social the recently formed Oakland DOT installed their very first Rapid Response safety project w/in months: wobo.org/2017/06/wobo...

My take is that regardless of individual behavior or infrastructure, the rate of traffic fatalities is most closely associated with how much people are driving. Increased driving miles = increased deaths.

Every season is bike season :-) If you're looking for something to do this week, here are a few options in the East Bay. More info at BikeEastBay.org/Events

Emeryville is getting ready to paint red curbs at every intersection & crosswalk around town where they don’t exist already, to highlight AB413 “daylighting” parking prohibitions in effect since 2024. I’m sure some will still complain but I appreciate the good faith comms ahead of any ticketing.

My heart is heavy to have learned of a fatality involving a scooter rider on California near Addison. My office is in communication with BPD, and we will share more details as we receive them. My thoughts are with the loved ones of the victim. Thank you to our first responders who rendered aid. 💔

275 kids and parents just went on a perfect family bike ride through Berkeley, and never once worried about their safety. Why? Their neighbors organized, and put on a safe, cheerful Kidical Mass. This is the most rewarding stuff I’ll ever do. I think we have more fun than the kids.

Wanna do something really satisfying, measurable, and practical in building a more complete bike ecosystem in the East Bay? --> Join us Sunday in Hayward for a bike rack scavenger hunt! bikeeastbay.org/event/haywar...

I also watched Blair Witch project in the theater, by myself on my night off while working at a fine arts summer camp in W Michigan. I parked back at camp & walked a 1/2 mile through the pitch dark woods back to my cabin. I was absolutely terrified.

Got the CHP Flock contract, no thanks to OPD. CHP's contract was 1 yr, with two 1 yr extensions. 1 year ended in March '25, so it's obviously been on 1 year extension. The contract allows for another year, to 3/27. OPD misled Rules, which granted urgency under false pretenses.

Update that NTSB is investigating the explosion. Amazingly there were no fatalities & all 6 injured parties are recovering. Also confirmed was the 2-hour delay between when the gas leak was reported and when PG&E was able to shut it off, shortly before the explosion. www.sfgate.com/bayarea/arti...

Increasing housing opportunities & density around San Pablo Avenue is a great thing. But doing so w/o simultaneously providing better access, safety, & service for public transit, biking, & walking is dangerous. New residents make transportation decisions based on what's available when they move in.

OMG this was related to the Lewelling raised protected bikeway project. I was thinking about heading over there this week to check out the construction progress, but didn’t make it. What a disaster, it’s hard to imagine that nobody was seriously injured or killed, but I hope that’s the case.

My former colleague Binky Brown is in need of community support. Among many accomplishments, Binky was instrumental in getting free @bikeleague.org instructor certifications prioritizing women & people of color going in the East Bay. Please give back generously: www.gofundme.com/f/support-bi...

Reduction after TEMPO/International quickbuilds, as of 5/2025. Non-transit traffic in bus lane reduced by 83%, to 35 vehicles/day, from 1500. Fastest speeds reduced from 40 to 28MPH. Big reduction in fatalities on Intl, & thus, city wide. First 0 ped fatalities on Intl since BRT

Ahead of Oakland’s speed camera system launch, advocates called for an oversight committee to help ensure increased plate enforcement isn’t used as a justification for continued pretextual & biased police stops. There has been no action on this from the city yet.

Your @bikeeastbay.bsky.social donation dollars work: Per their monthly “top ten” priority potholes report to Oakland DOT, dozens of holes were filled recently by city crews on 23rd St btwn Valdez & Broadway! Full repaving is in the works, but these fills can help prevent a crash before then.

Something similar happened in Oakland year ago, when the city opted to not pave OR update curb ramps at some intersections in W Oakland, because they could’ve afford to remove abandoned train tracks but they couldn’t make the crossings ADA compliant w the tracks in place.

To everyone who still campaigned hard for Oakland's 75% support Measure U campaign win in 2022, despite the marginal polling just below the 2/3rds threshold: Thank you!

All of Oakland’s Measure U bonds sold in a week, & they even got a preferable interest rate due to the demand. This all could have happened a YEAR ago if not for the finance department’s interference. This setback had real world safety implications. oaklandside.org/2025/12/09/o...

There is a 17-unit live/work warehouse development near me, fronting a multi-use trail. I’m really hopeful that at least some of those future residents will be able to operate shops out of their units!

Alameda’s bike network success story is seriously under-reported. They had the East Bay’s 1st protected bikeway back in 2008 on Fernside & the 2nd in 2015 on Shoreline. They (10.5 mi, pop 79k) are now tied w Fremont (78 mi, pop 232k) for the most protected bikeways at 18 each, w more in the works.

Stargell getting roundabouts and Cross Alameda Trail level upgrades, 5th Street getting protected bike lanes and road diet, Third St-Mosley Ave getting neighborhood Greenway treatments (traffic circles, speed humps, bulb outs, etc.) Seaplane Lagoon ferry float becoming battery bank & SUPER charger.

Oakland & Alameda are both being recommended for AHSC affordable housing awards this cycle, w protected bikeway funding included. Applications in El Cerrito, San Leandro, Dublin, Hayward, Berkeley, & Bay Point were not awarded funding, despite scoring highly. sgc.ca.gov/wp-content/u...

Great thread, thx @warrenjwells.bsky.social for putting it together. Concerns about ebikes must be addressed w very supportive & encouraging actions, otherwise teens will end up back in cars for a net safety negative. I wrote about some of these actions this summer: bikeeastbay.org/active-trans...

If you see this, post a Comics cover you love. This one was such a great find at the comics shop for me as a kid in 1988. Equal parts sweet & subversive.

Thanks @oaklandside.org for covering the ballooning cost & timeline for the Oakland-S Berkeley San Pablo Ave bike/bus project. @bikeeastbay.bsky.social will be posting about ways to get involved soon, so register for updates here to learn more: BikeEastBay.org/SPA

The drop in Oakland homicides is similar to the drop in traffic fatalities 2023-2025, now back to around pre-pandemic levels, w/o any significant increase in OPD enforcement. I wish our public discourse was nuanced enough to acknowledge that police react to but aren't responsible for these trends.