Oakland begins removing damaged bus shelters, just as rains arrive

A yr after Oakland declared that the poor situation of its bus shelters posed a hazard to transit customers, a plan has lastly been put in place to take away half of them and higher keep the remaining.

Sean Maher, the town’s public data officer, stated in an e-mail to The Oaklandside that the town is within the remaining levels of evaluating and executing a contract with a brand new vendor, District Works, to take over upkeep from the town’s earlier contractor, Clear Channel Out of doors. District Works is an Oakland-based firm led by Oakland native Andrew Jones, and Clear Channel Out of doors, greatest generally known as a billboard firm, is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.

At a gathering between Oakland and AC Transit final yr, Oakland’s transportation director, Josh Rowan, and parking director, Michael Ford, stated they had been contemplating eradicating the shelters within the worst situation and changing them with benches. Nonetheless, native transport advocates have pushed again, arguing that it was fallacious to take away shelters earlier than the wet season, and that call was postponed.

The brand new contract with District Works will enable the town to correctly keep half of the shelters, starting “inside the subsequent month.” The Oaklandside requested the town to assessment the settlement between the town and the vendor; we’ll replace this story if we receive it.

Town has supplied us with District Works’ proposal from earlier this yr. In it, the corporate states that the bus shelter providers would come with bi-weekly upkeep as a part of a three-year, $500,000 contract.

Town has not indicated which shelters can be eliminated. Maher famous that no formal evaluation has been performed on what number of of them are in pressing want of restore – or past restore. The bus shelters that District Works maintains will stay in place “so long as they don’t pose a hazard.”

One of many important causes the previous shelters couldn’t be simply repaired, OakDOT famous final yr, was that the big glass panels used for promoting had been an integral a part of their bodily construction; when the panels are damaged, the shelters themselves can start to break down. The company additionally stated the shelters weren’t producing sufficient income to cowl their bills because of a decline in promoting.

In recent times, Oakland residents have repeatedly referred to as on the town to enhance bus shelter circumstances, particularly in busy service areas like Lake Merritt.

One metropolis resident, Tobias Barton, informed The Oaklandside that he contacted Ford two months in the past and begged the Oakland Division of Transportation to expedite the restore work. He informed Ford he noticed graffiti-covered shelters with lacking glass panels throughout Oakland, a few of which regarded to him like units from an apocalyptic Hollywood film.

“It’s clear that no upkeep has taken place in any respect,” he stated. “Our transit passengers deserve higher.”

Based mostly on early studies from different residents, OakDOT has already begun eradicating a few of the worst bus shelters.

Allison Marten contacted The Oaklandside to alert us that the shelter on the bus cease at Broadway and ninth Road was eliminated final week, leaving solely a bench within the metropolis. It’s not clear whether or not the town will add benches on the areas the place the shelters, which embrace seating as a part of their buildings, can be eliminated.

Marten, who stated she takes the bus to and from work day by day, informed us she was “annoyed” by the anticipated heavy rain en route.

Robert Prinz, Bike East Bay’s advocacy director, informed The Oaklandside that he was additionally sad that bus shelters could be eliminated “whereas the atmospheric river would hit us” and with out public communication from the town about it.

Prinz really useful that the town publicly launch a map exhibiting all shelters being eliminated, the dates of removing, “and any estimates as to when and the place alternative shelters can be put in.”

“Notifications at any shelter removals must also be posted upfront at these areas, simply as AC Transit already does for any shutdowns or relocations,” Prinz stated.

Abibat Rahman-Davies, a transportation advocate with the nonprofit Rework, additionally informed us that eradicating shelters with out a alternative prepared is “unjust.”

OakDOT famous final yr that the company was engaged on a pilot program for brand spanking new bus shelter cover designs. Maher stated final week that the town continues to be working with AC Transit on the most recent transit cover designs for main streetscape tasks underway, reminiscent of these on Higher Telegraph Avenue and Grand Avenue.

“We’re actively exploring our choices to buy the perfect shelters for the streets of Oakland,” Maher stated. “We do not have a proper report, however we’re reviewing numerous shelter designs and searching intently on the prices, upkeep wants and accessibility options of every.”