Dozens of neighbors call for a safe Grand Avenue
A commemorative protest for Michael Burawoy gives voice to many people's loss, frustration, fear and insistence for change.
Over 60 Oaklanders gathered on Sunday, April 13th on Grand Avenue to commemorate the loss of 78-year-old neighbor Michael Burawoy, who died while walking across Grand Avenue. Friends and colleagues spoke about his outsized impact on them and the field of sociology, and his dedication to applying his knowledge to build a better world. Neighbors spoke about their sense of loss for their neighbor, and of their own fears and anger about how dangerous Grand Avenue is. And everyone made clear that this has to stop, and can stop.
Then, dozens of folks poured into the street to occupy the crosswalk where our neighbor died, forming a silent call for change.
Afterwards, people got a chance for an educational session on the upcoming OakDOT redesign process, we refreshed the memorial that was spontaneously created right after the deadly collision, and we agreed on a few key calls to action. Please join your fellow Oaklanders in these important steps to call for a better future for Grand, and for Oakland:
Specific Actions to Make Grand both Safer and truly Grand!
The Oakland DOT is already working on a redesign of Grand Avenue from Broadway, past the Lake, to Mandana. Given strong interest in the project, the planners have developed two options to share with the public for input. The whole presentation is HERE.
The topline is that Traffic Violence Rapid Response supports Option 2, which will bring calmer traffic, safer crossings, and greater vibrancy to Grand. Lake Merritt and Fairyland bring people from all over Oakland for recreation, and people deserve to access our “central park” safely and comfortably, on foot, on bikes, and on transit.
There are lots of opportunities right now to provide feedback on the project. Join and be loud!
- April 26, 2025: Grand Lake Farmer's Market tabling event
- May 12, 2025: Presentation to Adams Point Neighborhood Group
- May 21, 2025: Presentation to Grand Lake Neighbors
Email OakDOT Director Josh Rowan (jrowan@oaklandca.gov) and project planner Charlie Ream directly (CReam@oaklandca.gov) to share your enthusiastic support for a safer Grand with Option 2, with a “5 lane to 3 lane road diet”. Sample text below!
Email your councilperson and tell them to support Option 2, the most pedestrian and kid/senior-friendly version of this project. See table below for contact info. Sample text below that.
Sign the petition by Walk Oakland Bike Oakland (WOBO) if you have not done so already. We have over 1500 signers!
Visit the Lake Merritt Loop page at the Bike East Bay site to see a positive vision for the Lake’s future.
Sign up HERE to get project updates from the City.
Read and share (with your council person and friends) the Splashpad news articles written by neighbor and TVRR member Arielle Fleisher, trying to help make the case for why we need these improvements!
Follow TVRR on BLUESKY and on INSTAGRAM and share our posts We’ll be posting much more about Grand in the coming weeks.
Forward this email to a friend or neighbor!
The most important thing is to be loud - to OakDOT and your council person - with your support for this project.
Your City Government
- Noel Gallo, Council President, District 5: ngallo@oaklandca.gov (510) 238-7005
- Zac Unger, District 1: zunger@oaklandca.gov (510) 238-7001
- Rebecca Kaplan, interim D2: district2@oaklandca.gov (510) 238-7002
- Carroll Fife, District 3: cfife@oaklandca.gov (510) 238-7003
- Janani Ramachandran, District 4: jramachandran@oaklandca.gov (510) 238-7004
- Ken Houston, District 7: khouston@oaklandca.gov (510) 238-7007
- Rowena Brown, at-large: atlarge@oaklandca.gov (510) 238-7008
- Kevin Jenkins, interim Mayor: kjenkins@oaklandca.gov (510) 238-7006, officeofthemaytor@oaklandca.gov, also District 6 Council Member
Sample Email text
Dear __________,
(first, introduce yourself and why you are interested in Grand Ave.)
I am writing to you today to urge you to support the safest option for the pending re-design of Grand Avenue. I have seen both options presented by our Department of Transportation, and I believe that Option 2, which reduces traffic speeds by reducing the number of lanes to one in each direction, is the better plan.
Grand Avenue is a dangerous multi-lane surface highway cutting through the middle of what should be a thriving combination of city park, commercial district and dense neighborhood. But often people are afraid to cross the street, and for good reason. OakDOT’s own presentation makes this case with crash, injury and fatality statistics.
Option 2 of the two options offered by the DOT reduces the street to one lane each way, with a center turn lane. The OakDOT traffic studies demonstrate that this will not appreciably increase congestion. This will not only work for cars, making drivers safer without inconvenience, but it will work for everyone else outside of cars (of which there are many here!) by making the area much, much safer. It’s the multiple lanes each way that make Grand dangerous, and the extra lanes are just not needed!
Please, for the benefit of our kids, their parents, and our elders, make Grand Avenue safer. It will benefit local businesses (as it has on Telegraph), it will benefit everyone who visits Lake Merritt, and it will help transit riders, who are after all also pedestrians. Thank you!