Communications – November 29, 2022
Council rules limit action on Communications to referral to the City Manager and/or Boards and Commissions for investigation and/or recommendations. All communications submitted to Council are public record.
Item #15: Adeline Street at Ashby BART Conceptual Design
1. Ryan Lau, on behalf of the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District No Right Turn on Red
2. Riti Dhesi
3. Ned Himmel
4. Laralynn and Joe Rapoza
Harr
iet Tubman Terrace Apartments
5. Darinxoso Oyamasela
Homel
essness and Encampments
6. Friends of Five Creeks (3)
7. Craig Nagasaw
8. John Caner, Downtown Berkeley Associations
9. Susana Garcia
PCI
Street Conditions
10. David Lerman (2)
11. Marna Braunstein Clark
Hopkins
Street Corridor
12. Nancy Lewis
26-Stor
y Building in Central Berkeley
13. Dorothea Dorenz
EV Micr
o-Mobility Vehicles
14. Bernard Marszalek
Traff
ic Safety at Cedar and California
15. David Lerman
Brin
g Back Transit Bus 80
16. Jovanka Beckles
Berkele
y Waterfront and Marina Area
17. Camille Antinori, David Fielder and Gordon Stout
Recr
uitment of Commissioners for the Commission on Aging
18. George Porter, Chair, Commission on Aging
Support for Repairs to La Pena Cultural Center
19. Natalia Neira and Tara Dalbo, Executive & Deputy Executive Director
Illegal Dumping
20. Alice Rosenthal
Implement Ceasefire in Berkeley
21. Diana Bohn
People’s Park
22. Susana Lamaina
23. Joshua Hart
24. Susan Stevens
25. Sandra Morey
26. Norma Harrison
Cannabis Policy
27. Getting It Right From The Start
North Berkeley BART Developer Selection
28. John Parman
29. Peggy Radel
Berkeley Half Marathon Impacts
30. Alexander Merenkow
Climate Change
31. Vivian Warkentin
Proposed Proclamation, in Honor of Barbara Ann White
32. Moni Law (2)
End the Eviction Moratorium
33. Jeannie Llewellyn
34. May Fong
35. Daniel Gonzalez
PRA Request
36. Nathan Mizell
37. Dee Williams-Ridley
Berkeley City Council Meeting Comment
38. Peter Goldman
Berkeley Police Department Superior Customer Service
39. Pauline Russo Cutter, Mayor of San Leandro
Golden Gate Fields Stable Code Violations
40. T. Conrad
Measure L
41. Jeffrey Heller
Housing Element
42. 9 similarly-worded from letters
Service Development
1600 Franklin Street, Oakland CA 94612
Nove
mber 14, 2022
Berkel
ey City Council
2180 Milvia Street, 5th Floor
Berkeley, CA 94704
Re: Re
designing Adeline Street at Ashby BART on November 29, 2022 Berkeley City Council Meeting Agenda
We are w
riting you to provide feedback on the City of Berkeley’s Redesigning Adeline Street at Ashby BART planning process. This represents a tremendous opportunity to think boldly and create a project that will yield be nefits for generations to co me. The mix o f project elements is unique in Berkeley: a significant transit -oriented development (TOD), a plaza to accommodate the Berkeley Flea Market, a redesign of the Adeline streetscape, and other community benefits. The redesign of the Adeline corridor should therefore be conceived for a future vision, not simply what exists today. The Adeline Corridor Specific Plan lays out a bold vision for reshaping the Ashby BART area.
There are many tradeoffs to consider with large-scale urban projects like this. Berkeley has made a strong, long-term commitment to combatting climate change. The project as conceived will be a major trip generator; the maximum feasible number of these trips should be made by climate friendly modes .
Combatting climate change can only occur with a major effort to increase transit use , while reducing single occupant vehicle use and vehicle miles traveled.
Transit improvements at Ashby BART must include not only BART, but vital bus service improvements to and around Berkeley. Buses will be a key mode that takes people to local commercial activity (benefitting the city’s tax base), public facilities, and other destinations. Bus facilities at Ashby BART must support these goals. A dedicated transit lane would support fast and reliable transit service, a prerequisite for attracting people to trans it. Enhancing bus transit at and around Ashby BART does not have to come at the cost of the city’s other priorities. Public discussion about the site has focused on the importance of accommodating the Berkeley Flea Market. There is also widespread interes t in implementing a road diet that would improve safety and amenity for pedestrians and cyclists. We believe that with “out-of-the-box” thinking, both of these goals can be achieved with a transit lane.
This transit lane would be at the same elevation o f the plaza to be utilized by buses during weekdays , but could easily flex on the weekends to be used as part of the plaza for the Berkeley Flea Market. A transit lane at grade with the plaza could also provide a hard edge which would function as a road diet, reducing the space for the general purpose lanes, therefore slowing traffic speeds. Bike and pedestrian safety would be enhanced by the reduced speeds while still providing for a dedicate d transit lane .
Reducing auto traffic in the area with better transit would also improve pedestrian and bicycle safety.
Less cars, safer roads.
Another reason a dedicated transit lane is the best option along Adeline Street is that it keeps local dollars local. The average trip on an AC Transit bus is 3 miles. This means that a bus rider is much more likely to spend their money in Berkeley or surrounding communities versus someone in a car, and the impact of this investment in public transit is not just a mere one -to-one. C40, a network of mayors of nearly 100 world -leading cities collaborating to confront the climate crisis , recently released a study 1
2 citing that every dollar invested in public transit generates $5 in economic returns. This means that delivering a bus only transit lane would allow for faster and more reliable bus serv ice, making it more attractive and thereby improving ridership and as stated above, keeping more of those local dollars within our community.
In conclusion, we believe that enhancing bus transit for this project is the most productive and truly multimodal option. A dedicated bus lane would serve the primary purpose of this TOD project, providing housing for our community while ensuring that residents can make trips within an d beyond Berkeley without reliance on a private auto . It also supports several important city goals , such as ensuring that the Berkeley Flea Market as space to thrive , i mproving pedestrian/bike safety, and stimulating our local economy.
Sincerely,
Robert del Rosario
Director of Service Development and Planning
AC Transit
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secured the permits to break ground this year. La Pena's most recent bid came in this month at over 45% higher than the estimated amount just months ago, bringing the project cost to $635,000. La Pena is working with a highly recommended general contractor in the area, Cookline, which specializes in building and renovating restaurants. Because La Pena is a nonprofit with limited resources, Cookline has compared the bids from multiple subcontractors and asked for discount rates or donated time when possible. Additionally, La Pena's project manager, Bright Street, has reviewed and approved all bids, confirming that the rising costs align with the cost increases experienced throughout the construction industry. This $635,000 bid is thus La Pena's best offer and covers only the necessary work.
Having already raised $435,000, La Pena has exhausted its fundraising sources for this project from its network of funders and donors, and is thus asking the City of Berkeley to contribute the remaining $200,000. With the City's aid, La Pena can begin the necessary repairs and thrive again in this post-pandemic environment.
La Pena's restaurant space is a critical revenue stream for the organization's financial security.
These renovations will ensure that La Pena can continue to fulfill its mission: operating a thriving restaurant space that employs Berkeley community members, primarily people of color and immigrants.
La Pena is a family business that serves as a pipeline for young people to gain experience in the hospitality industry and grow their careers. Over the years, La Pena's restaurant partners have worked in tandem with La Pena's diverse multicultural programming to support the community and unite people in art, activism, and movement building. La Pena is a historic multicultural hub rooted in the Latinx diaspora and serves as a bridge-building and advocacy center. La Pena relies on its restaurant space to create a table where people can gather and break bread while attending events, dancing, enjoying live music, or learning at a lecture series.
In conclusion, these renovations must happen as soon as possible if La Pena is to operate at its full capacity and preserve a vital portion of its income. These renovations are necessary to maintain safety, comply with health codes, and ensure efficiency. They are not merely for beautification. These upgrades must be undergone to keep the restaurant operating and keep La Pena afloat. La Pena serves underrepresented communities in the Bay Area. By supporting this project, the City of Berkeley would be directly supporting those communities.
Thank you, once again, for your time and consideration on this pressing matter.
Sincerely,
Natalia Neira and Tara Dalbo
Executive Director & Deputy Executive Director
La Pena Cultural Center
[email protected]
[email protected]
La Per1a Cultur31 Center I 3105 Shattuci< /'we. i3erkelej. CA C:)4705 I www.lapena QITJ I 3!,J.,3.49-256i3
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