Description

My street, the northernmost block of Colby St., has been a slow street during the ongoing pandemic. It has made traveling, recreating and living here safer and more conducive to good neighbor-ing.

Our street used to be used as a pass-through for cars avoiding the intersection of Alcatraz and Telegraph. They sped through, hundreds of cars per day. They created an unsafe space and kept people from using our street for bikes, pedestrians, children and open space during the ongoing pandemic.

Please do not make our street dangerous again. Please do not let cars determine the nature of our neighborhoods. Please do not destroy the neighborly-ness we have seen grow on our street. Please continue to provide safe space for everyone during the ongoing pandemic.

There is no reason for our streets to defer to cars. Let's keep them safe and good for everyone.

Our street is used by folks from all over Oakland. We know this because we often strike up conversations with people that are walking past our houses, and have truly pleasant interchanges with them.

We know this because we had the largest number of trick-or-treaters in 2020 than we have had since 1994 when I moved here. When we spoke to the parents of the trick-or-treaters they told us they came from all over Oakland because of the the safety of our street with far fewer cars.

Our neighborhood loves the increased numbers of bicyclists, walkers, trick-or-treaters, etc. that the slow street has brought to us.

Keep Oakland beautiful by keeping our neighborhoods safe. Do not destroy one of the best things Oakland has done for us residents.