Latham Square Needs Your Help
In August, the city of Oakland commenced a pilot program to open Latham Square-the first block of Telegraph where it meets Broadway -to pedestrians and bicyclists instead of cars. While all indications are that the pilot went well and traffic was not negatively impacted, some folks at the city objected to the idea of making any public space car-free and will likely recommend that the City Council reject this experiment in putting people first. In the meantime, the City has opened one lane to cars, diminishing pedestrian safety and bicycle access.
Many local businesses, residents and workers are strongly in favor of connecting Uptown and Downtown with a pedestrian plaza. Youth Radio, Awaken Cafe, and the PopUpHood are sponsoring events at the temporary plaza. If you'd like to see this space designed for people rather than cars, take a minute to enjoy the plaza, like it on Facebook, and please sign the petition at WOBO.org.
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