The fate of a controversial bike lane was decided at the Oakland City Council meeting Tuesday night.
In a move that put a wrinkle in next month's First Fridays Festival, the council voted unanimously to make a barrier dividing cyclists from drivers on busy Telegraph Ave. permanent.
Dave Campbell, advocacy director for Bike East Bay, says the council made the right decision.
“We support the protected bike lane because it’s the safer option,” he said. “Safety is the most important conservation.”
However, Shari Godinez, Executive Director for the Koreatown Northgate Community Benefit District, disagrees. She believes that the curb will impede the popular First Fridays Street Festival expected to return next month and put bikers in danger.
"The trucks can’t pull over the tops of the curbs, so they’re going to have to be pushed out ten feet away from the current curb," Godinez explained. With this development, emergency vehicles may not have enough room to access the road.
The curb is more dangerous, she added, because cyclists aren’t visible behind parked cars.
A local cyclist seconded Godinez’s account.
"I’ve never had an issue riding Telegraph Ave. until the separate cycle-way went in," the biker said to KCBS Radio. "Due to the poor sidelines [the curb] has created, I’ve had several near-miss incidents."
Despite pushback, the Council stuck to their decision, maintaining that the permanent curb will improve cyclists' safety.
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