A protected bike lane around Lake Merritt in Oakland should get the highest quality protection, says Oakland’s Department of Transportation (OakDOT). While construction continues on the Harrison St./Lakeside Dr. bikeways and pedestrian improvements, OakDOT wants to upgrade the project with concrete curbs and planters that fully separate bicyclists from traffic on one side and from pedestrians on the other.

This is great news and Bike East Bay needs your support to get a construction change-order approved by City Council. Will you email your councilmembers in support of a world-class protected bike lane next to Lake Merritt?

Lake Merritt is a spectacular urban jewel and a popular destination for walking, jogging, and biking. However, narrow paths around the lake make it difficult to accommodate everybody. Families with kids and people new to biking stick to the paths to avoid riding on busy streets. New protected bike lanes will reduce bike and pedestrian conflicts and attract more riders overall.

Bike East Bay and Walk Oakland Bike Oakland already upgraded the project from paint-only bike lanes to protected bike lanes in 2016. The change-order by OakDOT will add better protection for cyclists and extend the project from Grand Avenue all the way to Madison Street. Oakland Public Works Committee supported this project and its on to the full Council. If approved by City Council on March 6, the upgraded protected bike lanes could be open and ready to ride later this year.

The protected bike lane on Harrison St. and Lakeside Dr. will be the first completed section of a mini-biking network centered on the intersection of Grand Ave. and Harrison St. By 2020, the city plans to add a protected intersection and extend the protected bike lanes north to 27th St., east to Bay Place near the entrance to Children’s Fairyland, and west on 20th St. all the way to Broadway next to the 19th St. BART station.

Take Action

If you bike or walk here regularly or want to help friends and family ride comfortably around the lake, write your councilmember today to support upgrading the Lake Merritt cycle track. Please cc’ Advocacy Director Dave Campbell, Dave@BikeEastBay.org.

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