February 7, 2019
Dear friend,

I’ve heard from many of you—particularly those who live and/or work in West Berkeley—about your concerns related to RVs in your neighborhood, homeless encampments, and the trash and debris that litter our streets. I'm deeply concerned about members of our community who are unsheltered, and my office works to connect people experiencing homelessness with City resources. I will continue to work on innovative solutions to help those in need.  

At the same time, we must ensure that our streets and public spaces are clean , safe , and accessible for everyone . I'm working closely with Mayor Arreguín and our City Manager to address the state of our streets. On Thurs., Feb. 28 th , we will be holding a special Council meeting to consider a new RV parking policy and additional resources to keep our streets clean . Please follow my Twitter feed  or Facebook page  for additional updates about the meeting time and agenda. 

Let's also talk in person. Please save the date for my February Office Hours :

Saturday, February 9th
4-5:45 p.m.
West Branch Library Meeting Room
1125 University Ave.

Please join me to share your concerns and ideas.
N. Berkeley BART Development Update
The City Council held a work session on January 15th to consider zoning of the N. Berkeley BART parking lot.
Zoning is needed to enable the future creation of homes at the site. I want to ensure that any future development includes a high percentage of units that are  affordable for low-income individuals and families .

As your Councilmember, I put forward five key considerations during this work session:
N. Berkeley BART station. Photo: Pi.1415926535 ( License ).
1)       Stepping down development around the perimeter of the station in order to blend in with neighboring single-family homes on Delaware, Acton, and Virginia streets. (This was a common theme of many of the proposals submitted as part of the October visioning event, which can be viewed HERE .)

2)       Exploring the possibility of neighborhood-serving space , such as a small-scale grocery store, coffee shop, or daycare center to enhance convenience and reduce traffic.

3)        Incorporating green open space , particularly as a means of connecting Ohlone Park to the greenway.

4)        Designing for bicycle and pedestrian safety .

5)       Conducting a parking and traffic study to better understand and plan for future parking needs.

The next step in our community input process will be a public hearing in April to consider specific zoning options developed by the City’s Planning Department.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to share their feedback with me via e-mail. I have read and considered all of your messages, and I invite you to continue to share your feedback by contacting my office at 510-981-7110 or rkesarwani@cityofberkeley.info .
Making Our Streets Safer for Bicyclists and Pedestrians
Our community has been reeling from the news of multiple pedestrians suffering serious injuries on our streets. Every week in Berkeley, about four injury crashes take place.

We need to do better, and I'm pleased to share with you that the City Council approved an item on January 29th to advance our Vision Zero goal of zero fatalities and serious injuries on our roads.      
Crosswalk at N. Berkeley BART.
The Council item, which I was proud to co-sponsor with Mayor Arreguín and Councilmembers Droste and Wengraf, authorizes the creation of an interdisciplinary task force comprised of representatives from various City departments , including Police, Public Works (both the Transportation and Engineering Divisions), Fire, and Public Health. The task force will develop an action plan to achieve the systemic changes needed to prioritize safety on our streets .

I’m also pleased to share with you that plans are underway to make safety improvements to the heavily-used crosswalks at Virginia and Delaware on Sacramento near the N. Berkeley BART station. These upgrades will include the installation of a HAWK ( High-Intensity Activated crossWalK) signal at Virginia and Sacramento that will direct pedestrians and bicyclists to wait for the  signal to change and traffic to stop so that they can cross safely. These crosswalk improvements are scheduled to be completed by spring 2020 .
Gilman Interchange Update
The Alameda County Transportation Commission held a meeting on January 15th to update the community about much-needed improvements to the Gilman Interchange. The upgrades will add two roundabouts so traffic can move safely and efficiently.

You can watch a video simulation of the planned improvements by clicking HERE . 

Construction is scheduled to begin in late 2020 and conclude by summer 2023. 
Eastshore Freeway prior to the Gilman exit. Photo: Minesweeper, CC BY-SA 3.0 ( License .)
For more information and to submit your comments, please click HERE . 
AC Transit Fare Increase
The AC Transit Board of Directors will be considering proposals for an upcoming fare increase .

You can learn more about the proposed fare change by clicking HERE and y ou can send your comments to: planning@actransit.org.

The next opportunity to provide input in person will be at public hearings next Wednesday, February 13th :
AC Transit Bus Stop. Photo: AC ServiceInfo ( License. )
AC Transit General Offices, 2nd Floor Board Room
2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
1600 Franklin Street
Oakland, CA 94612
Resiliency Fair and Transition Berkeley Repair Cafe
Transition Berkeley is hosting a Resiliency Fair, covering emergency preparedness, personal health and well-being, how to fix things and reduce waste, as well as growing and sharing food. 

To register your broken item for the repair cafe, please click HERE.
Saturday, February 23rd
11 a.m.-3 p.m.
1701 San Pablo Ave.
Seeking Assistance from the City
Here are key City of Berkeley resources to keep handy:

For illegal dumping, potholes, missed garbage pickups, or graffiti...
Call 311 or (510) 981-2489

For a public works emergency, such as a sewer overflow, traffic signal outage, fallen tree, or toxic spill...
Call (510) 981-6620

For a homeless person who appears vulnerable and in need of services or is demonstrating disruptive or concerning behavior...
Call the Homeless Outreach and Treatment Team (HOTT) (510) 981-5273

For non-urgent criminal activity with no suspect present...
Call the Berkeley Police Non-Emergency line (510) 981-5900

You can also download the SeeClickFix app to report an issue to the City.
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