In a stunning reversal of an earlier 8-1 council vote, the Berkeley City Council is considering moving forward on Hopkins Street repaving without any bike or transit infrastructure improvements.

There are no mincing words about this. Despite an election cycle since the 8-1 approval that further affirmed Berkeley citizens’ support for all-of-the-above street safety measures, this measure makes a baffling reversal on street safety.

Through their actions, the item authors are retreating from the city’s Vision Zero plan, ignoring the city’s bike plan, and surrendering on its climate goals. The measure is also, at worst, a bad-faith reading of measure FF, and a potential broken promise to the street safety advocates who championed it.

This measure must not move with so little notice to the Berkeley Council's next consent calendar. Rather, it should be referred to Berkeley’s Facilities, Infrastructure, Transportation, Environment & Sustainability (FITES) committee so that it can be modified to align with the city’s bike plan, climate plan, transit first implementation plan, and comply with measure FF and the City’s complete streets policy. Send an email now to let the council know that street safety remains an uncompromisable top issue for Berkeley.