Oakland Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan this week asked the city to return a bus stop at Broadway and 30th Street, which was taken away last year.

Kaplan brought the issue to the City Council's Rules and Legislation Committee this week and said in a letter to residents the removal of the bus stop "is a huge disappointment to the community it serves and had not been approved by or reported to the Oakland City Council." Kaplan said its removal goes against a 1996 city policy to place importance on transit.

The stop was along the 51A Line, a major bus route connecting North Oakland and Rockridge BART to downtown and Alameda by way of Webster Street. It was also near Alta Bates Summit Medical Center and located at the intersection of the new Sprouts Farmers Market and new developments planned for Auto Row.

"This bus stop has been here for 100 years," Dave Lyons, a retired bus driver and member of ACCE Rider for Transit Justice said in Kaplan's letter. "It's an injustice to seniors and disabled bus riders who don't have a choice in how they get around."

The East Bay Express reported in September that the stop was taken away after complaints from Summit Bank.

The issue is scheduled to be discussed at the Public Works Committee on April 12, according to Kaplan.

Oakland Running Festival is back

The seventh annual Oakland Running Festival is scheduled for March 20.

The race includes a marathon, Kaiser Permanente Half Marathon, Hawaiian Airlines 4-Person Team Relay, Bank of the West 5K and a kids fun run, according to organizers.


The races start and finish at Lake Merritt's Snow Park near the intersection of 19th and Harrison streets. Routes vary per race but include Lake Merritt, Chinatown, downtown and parts of West Oakland, East Oakland and the Oakland Hills. Organizers expect 10,000 runners from more than 30 states and 10 foreign countries to participate. The running festival is expected to bring in millions of dollars to the city's economy. Since its inception the festival has raised about $1.7 million for local charities, according to Dave Gell of Corrigan Sports Enterprises.

People can register online at www.oaklandmarathon.com or at the Oakland Marriott City Center on March 18 from 5-7 p.m. or March 19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

NPR's 'Morning Edition' broadcasting from Youth Radio

NPR will broadcast live from Youth Radio in downtown Oakland later this month.

The public radio station's "Morning Edition" and host David Greene will be in the Broadway studio from March 21-25, where NPR's estimated 26 million listeners will hear stories from Youth Radio's reporters, said Youth Radio Communications Manager Bridget Botelho.

The young reporters' stories on gentrification, the area's housing crisis, the 2016 Presidential Election and Oakland's arts scene will be among "Morning Edition's" daily lineup of stories.

Award-winning Youth Radio serves youth ages 14 to 24 who collaborate with professionals and produce stories told from their perspective.

"Youth Radio's journalism and storytelling has always been exceptional, which is why we, as a show, are excited to collaborate and connect with these young reporters," Greene said in a news release.

David DeBolt covers Oakland. Contact him at 510-208-6453. Follow him at Twitter.com/daviddebolt.