Berkeley

Persistent Residents Keep Fighting for a Bus Stop

Published

9 years ago

March 17, 2016

By Pamela Drake

It is one of the features of life today in Oakland that bus stops the community needs disappear without explanation, and residents find themselves having to join forces and complain for months for anyone to hear them.

Ignored by the mayor and city staff, it seems their concerns may have finally found a champion in Councilmember at Large Rebecca Kaplan.

At the Oakland City Council Rules and Legislation Committee on March 10, community activists asked to schedule a report on the restoration of the 30th Street and Broadway bus stop, which was removed last July at the request of the city administration.

The bus stop originally was removed due to construction of the now-opened Sprouts Farmers Market Grocery Store.

AC Transit had expected the removal would only be temporary and a new stop would be placed in front of Summit Bank’s small Oakland office. The bus stop is regularly used by riders to get to nearby medical appointments and is an important connection for them, many of whom are seniors or disabled.

When the bank demanded that the city remove the stop, which they claimed made their customers feel unsafe, the city complied against the wishes of AC Transit, which runs the 51A line on Broadway to downtown Oakland and Alameda.

Since that time, Riders for Transit Justice, a member group of the Alliance for Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), has been pleading with the bank to relent and requesting that the mayor’s office intervene to restore the stop.

The activists have organized demonstrations including Christmas cards and caroling at the bank in December and Valentine cards in February with the theme: “We Luv Our Bus Stop.

These mostly elderly peaceful protesters have been met with police vans, but there have been no arrests or citations.

The activists include members of the Block by Block Organizing Network, the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club, the Sierra Club and AC Transit Board President Christian Peeples, himself a disabled rider.

The transit justice group has attended meetings of the Planning Commission and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. They sent letters to Mayor Libby Schaaf outlining the problem.

However, they received no response until they spoke at Open Forum of a City Council meeting.

According to the group’s leader, community volunteer Kit Vaq, the removal of this stop has created a real hardship for seniors, disabled and others who depend on the bus to get to their doctors’ appointments or shop at the new grocery store.

“The removal of our bus stop is another example of gentrification in the Uptown Oakland neighborhood,” she said.

The Riders for Transit Justice never received a response from the mayor’s office, but the City Council expressed shock after speakers talked at Open Forum, pointing out that there had been no public process when this stop was abruptly removed.

Council Member at Large Rebecca Kaplan, a former AC Transit director, promised to see the bus stop returned.

She is working with AC Transit, and says the city’s Public Works Committee, which she chairs, will discuss the issue on April 12.

”Broadway and the Broadway/Valdez District Specific District Plan are designated as transit corridors,” said Kaplan. “We are supposed to be adding transit there, not removing it.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Bay Area

Progressive Missionary Baptist Church of Berkeley Celebrates 90th Anniversary

Dr. Earl C. Stuckey, Sr., who has served as Progressive Missionary’s pastor since September 1977, said the church also delights in the fact that it has hosted only five pastors in its 90-year history, including Pastors James E. Moore, H. A. Green, F. Douglas Farrell, and Edward Stovall, who served for 37 years.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 16, 2025

Oakland Post

Progressive Missionary Baptist Poster. Dr. Earl C. Stuckey, Sr., Pastor of Progressive Missionary Baptist Church in Berkeley with his wife, Kay Frances Stuckey.

By Oakland Post Staff

The Progressive Missionary Baptist Church of Berkeley is celebrating its 90th church anniversary on Sunday, May 18 at 10 a.m. at 3301 King Street in Berkeley.

The celebration will feature Pastor Darnell Manuel of the Union Baptist Church in Vallejo as guest speaker, along with many other special presentations.

Those who wish to share in Progressive’s history can purchase a 100-page full-colored souvenir book for $25.

The church boasts a number of notable people who either regularly attended or became members of the church since its inception, including former Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, and one of the organizers of the Gospel Music Workshop of America, Helen J. H. Stephens.

Pastor Stuckey often remarks how longevity flourishes at the church — it boasts 13 centenarians (people who have reached 100 years or more). Currently, it has one centenarian who is still surviving, Mrs. Dorothy Chambers, and 14 members who have reached 90 years or more.

Recently, on Feb.17, the pastor and his wife Kay Frances, celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Faces Around the Bay: Author Karen Lewis Took the ‘Detour to Straight Street’

“My life has been a roller-coaster with an unlimited ride wristband! I was raised in Berkeley during the time of Ron Dellums, the Black Panthers, and People’s Park. I was a Hippie kid, my Auntie cut off all our hair so we could wear the natural styles like her and Angela Davis.

Published

1 month ago

April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

Karen Lewis. Courtesy photo.

By Barbara Fluhrer

I met Karen Lewis on a park bench in Berkeley. She wrote her story on the spot.

I got married young, then ended up getting divorced, raising two boys into men. After my divorce, I had a stroke that left me blind and paralyzed. I was homeless, lost in a fog with blurred vision.

Jesus healed me! I now have two beautiful grandkids. At 61, this age and this stage, I am finally free indeed. Our Lord Jesus Christ saved my soul. I now know how to be still. I lay at his feet. I surrender and just rest. My life and every step on my path have already been ordered. So, I have learned in this life…it’s nice to be nice. No stressing, just blessings. Pray for the best and deal with the rest.

Nobody is perfect, so forgive quickly and love easily!”

Lewis’ book “Detour to Straight Street” is available on Amazon.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Golden State Warriors Program Is Inspiring Next Generation of Female Engineers

Breaking down barriers and biases that deter young girls from pursuing STEAM subjects is essential for creating a level playing field and ensuring equal opportunities for all. By challenging stereotypes and promoting a culture of inclusivity and diversity in STEAM fields, experts believe young girls can be empowered to pursue their interests and aspirations without limitations confidently. Encouraging mentorship, providing access to resources, and celebrating girls’ achievements in STEAM are all crucial steps in creating a supportive environment that fosters success.

Published

2 months ago

March 23, 2025

Oakland Post

Front Row: UC Berkeley Steel Bridge Team Back Row: Girls, Inc. Participants. Photo courtesy of the Golden State Warriors.

By Y’Anad Burrell

The Golden State Warriors and e-commerce giant Rakuten are joining forces to inspire the next generation of female engineers through Building STEAM Futures, part of The City Calls campaign.

Organizers say the initiative is founded on the idea that science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) are crucial fields for innovation and progress, and empowering young girls to pursue careers in these areas is more important than ever. Studies consistently show that girls are underrepresented in STEAM fields, resulting in a gender disparity that limits potential and hinders diversity.

On Saturday, March 8, International Women’s Day, the Warriors and Rakuten hosted 20 middle school girls from Girls Inc. of Alameda County at Chase Center’s Above the Rim for a hands-on bridge-building experience. The young girls from Girls, Inc. of Alameda County had an opportunity to design, build and test their own bridge prototypes and learn the fundamentals of bridge construction from the Engineering Alliance and the UC Berkeley Steel Bridge Team.

This STEAM experience for the girls followed the first session in January, where they took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Golden Gate Bridge, learning about its design and construction from industry experts. The City Calls campaign, tipped off with the unveiling the Warriors’ new bridge-themed City Edition jerseys and court design earlier this year.