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Object.assign.bind() : function (target) { for (var i = 1; i < arguments.length; i++) { var source = arguments[i]; for (var key in source) { if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(source, key)) { target[key] = source[key]; } } } return target; }; return _extends.apply(this, arguments); }\nfunction _objectWithoutProperties(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded); var key, i; if (Object.getOwnPropertySymbols) { var sourceSymbolKeys = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(source); for (i = 0; i < sourceSymbolKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceSymbolKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; if (!Object.prototype.propertyIsEnumerable.call(source, key)) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } } return target; }\nfunction _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = {}; var sourceKeys = Object.keys(source); var key, i; for (i = 0; i < sourceKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } return target; }\n/* @jsxRuntime classic */\n/* @jsx mdx */\n\nvar _frontmatter = {\n  \"date\": \"2023-03-10\",\n  \"title\": \"Students revive decades-old fight for a car-free Telegraph\",\n  \"bylineName\": [\"Arfa Momin\", \"Tyler Wu\"],\n  \"bylineUrl\": [\"https://www.dailycal.org/author/amomin\", \"https://www.dailycal.org/author/tylerwu\"],\n  \"subhead\": \"Is a pedestrianized Telegraph Ave. the key to a better Berkeley?\",\n  \"featuredImage\": \"../images/telegraph-pedestrianized.png\",\n  \"imageAttribution\": \"Tyler Wu | Staff\",\n  \"aboutStory\": \"Information for this project come from the Berkeley Southside Complete Streets Project.\"\n};\nvar makeShortcode = function makeShortcode(name) {\n  return function MDXDefaultShortcode(props) {\n    console.warn(\"Component \" + name + \" was not imported, exported, or provided by MDXProvider as global scope\");\n    return mdx(\"div\", props);\n  };\n};\nvar OptionWidthBarChart = makeShortcode(\"OptionWidthBarChart\");\nvar OptionWidthViz2 = makeShortcode(\"OptionWidthViz2\");\nvar layoutProps = {\n  _frontmatter: _frontmatter\n};\nvar MDXLayout = \"wrapper\";\nreturn function MDXContent(_ref) {\n  var components = _ref.components,\n    props = _objectWithoutProperties(_ref, _excluded);\n  return mdx(MDXLayout, _extends({}, layoutProps, props, {\n    components: components,\n    mdxType: \"MDXLayout\"\n  }), mdx(\"p\", null, \"For decades, activists and community members in Berkeley have dreamt of turning Telegraph Avenue into a car-free street. Many prior campaigns have fallen through, but the fight still continues today. Some even say it\\u2019s different this time around \\u2014 revived with new promise and support.\"), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"The old fight for a car-free Telegraph Avenue\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"In Berkeley\\u2019s storied 1960s, the Berkeley Liberation Program sought to transform Telegraph Avenue and Southside into a \\u201Cstrategic, free territory for revolution\\u201D with efforts to \\u201Cclose areas of downtown and South Campus to automotive traffic.\\u201D\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Later, in 1984, the Center for Independent Living, or CIL, reported that \\u201Cauto traffic, bicyclists, moped riders, wheelchair users, dogs, and people walking are often competing for the same paths of travel\\u201D on Telegraph Avenue in an accessibility survey. The CIL described a \\u201Cbustling\\u201D streetscape, but a \\u201Cfrustrating experience for the auto worshiper invading pedestrian turf.\\u201D\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The movement continued into the 1990s, when Berkeley mayor Loni Hancock proposed transforming Telegraph Avenue into a \\u201Cpedestrian promenade.\\u201D\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"In 1998, demonstrators ousted cars from the avenue. They biked through Southside streets, occupied Telegraph Avenue and held signs reading \\u201CCars kill. Roads kill. Ride bikes.\\u201D and \\u201CCars don\\u2019t rule the streets. People do!\\u201D While the protest resulted in property damage, then-councilmember Kriss Worthington maintained that it allowed community members to \\u201Cexpress themselves.\\u201D\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"In 2016, the unsteady relationship between cars and pedestrians on Telegraph Avenue once again became a topic of discussion. The city council and Telegraph Business Improvement District, or TBID, endorsed the Telegraph Public Realm Plan, which recommended a curbless pedestrian-oriented street with \\u201Cplaza-like paving \\u2026 across the street\\u201D where cars could still drive.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"In addition to the storied history on this avenue, Telegraph Avenue is full of student life. Thus, it might be the most natural location to serve as a center for music and culture. Yet, according to the Telegraph Public Realm Plan, it\\u2019s also an avenue that \\u201Chas not been improved comprehensively since the 1970s.\\u201D\"), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Telegraph Avenue, today\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"In February of 2021, the City Council approved the Berkeley Southside Complete Streets project. Southside\\u2019s stretch of Telegraph Avenue has the second highest pedestrian volumes in the East Bay with an estimated 18,000 pedestrians per hour during peak hours. It hosts equally high amounts of car traffic to match, according to documents in the project proposal.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"With cars, cyclists and pedestrians all operating in the same tight quarters, safety on Telegraph Avenue remains a major concern, as street conditions create a \\u201Cchallenging walking environment,\\u201D according to the Berkeley Southside Complete Streets project.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"\\u201CEvery year, an average of three people die and at least 32 people are severely injured in Berkeley due to traffic violence,\\u201D according to the city of Berkeley. In October 2022, two pedestrians were hit in \", mdx(\"a\", {\n    href: \"https://dailycal.org/2022/10/14/2-pedestrians-hit-hospitalized-after-car-collision-at-telegraph-ave-parker-st\",\n    target: \"_blank\"\n  }, \"a car collision on Telegraph Avenue\"), \", adding to a growing list of pedestrian deaths and injuries in Berkeley. From 2011 to 2021, there were at least 2,259 accidents involving a motor vehicle and a pedestrian or cyclist in the city of Berkeley, as estimated by SafeTREC mapping.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"As evidenced by the recent safety concerns on Telegraph Avenue, the competition between cars and pedestrians is still a reality. Today, however, Berkeley residents continue to push for change.\"), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"An old idea made new\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Today, the movement is again seeing a renaissance, and it\\u2019s different this time around, supporters say.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Telegraph for People is a student-led organization working to improve streets in Berkeley, including a push to ban cars. Meeting at Bauer Wurster Hall, members frequent city council meetings, work to reduce pedestrian and bicyclist deaths in Berkeley and host watch parties for city meetings. They do it all with a uniquely youthful spirit; at their Oct. 10 meeting, 2010 pop hits played as members wrote public comments for the upcoming city council meeting.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Like its predecessors, Telegraph for People has also occupied Telegraph Avenue. Last March, it \", mdx(\"a\", {\n    href: \"https://dailycal.org/2022/03/14/telegraph-for-people-holds-rally-in-support-of-car-free-telegraph-avenue\",\n    target: \"_blank\"\n  }, \"held\"), \" a rally and occupied the avenue, demonstrating what the avenue could look like car-free. These efforts resulted in features in the San Francisco Chronicle and the New York Times last year.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"\\u201CI don't know if I can name a better candidate for pedestrianization in any college town in the country,\\u201D said co-founder and former president of Telegraph for People Sam Greenberg in an interview. For many students, living in Berkeley is the first time they\\u2019ll experience living in a dense urban area.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Greenberg and Cecilia Lunaparra, a member of Telegraph for People, both find it concerning that there is no place for outdoor dining on the many blocks of Telegraph Avenue.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"\\u201CThere are so many street vendors that bring such an important culture to Telegraph, and they're crowded onto the sidewalk and not given priority,\\u201D Lunaparra said in an interview.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Greenberg described Telegraph Avenue as an artery for the campus and the city. \\u201CRight now it just feels like a place to pass through. There are so many things that we give up just so we can shove cars down the street, from accessibility to aesthetics to business volume,\\u201D Greenberg said.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"The Southside Complete Streets project will improve transportation conditions for Berkeley's Southside neighborhood along Telegraph Avenue, Bancroft Way, Fulton Street and Dana Street. For Telegraph Avenue, the original proposal contained four design options, spanning the section of Dwight Way to Bancroft Way.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"However, despite historical and current disapproval of cars on the avenue, none of the project\\u2019s initial options were car-free.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"\\u201CWe thought (Telegraph Avenue) deserved a fifth option that actually completely deprioritized automobiles and really focused on giving the street back to the people as it (Telegraph Avenue) was originally intended,\\u201D Lunaparra said.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"So Telegraph for People made one.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"After conversations with stakeholders, including AC Transit, TBID and city staff, as Greenberg explained in his interview, Telegraph for People released option 5 in January 2022. On three blocks from Bancroft to Haste, the street would be remade to be at the same level with a bus lane running through the middle of the street, a redesign aimed at prioritizing public transit and pedestrian safety.\"), mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(OptionWidthBarChart, {\n    mdxType: \"OptionWidthBarChart\"\n  }), mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"Option 1 is the only option with a dedicated bike lane, while option 2 is the only option that converts Telegraph into a two-way street. Option 3, the closest to the current Telegraph Avenue design, provides a one-way version of option 2. Option 4 is perhaps the most pedestrian-friendly, behind option 5, with a total of 32 feet of sidewalk width.\")), mdx(\"p\", null, \"\\u201CThe level of enthusiasm and care that student leadership has shown on this whole topic is a really positive thing,\\u201D Knox, executive director of Telegraph Business Improvement District, said in an interview when asked about his thoughts on option 5. \\u201CThere's a lot to appreciate about option 5,\\u201D he added.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"As Telegraph For People rises from the city\\u2019s history of failed plans, Rigel Robinson, Berkeley\\u2019s city councilmember for District 7, says that this movement stands apart from the unsuccessful attempts of Telegraph Avenue\\u2019s past.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"\\u201CTelegraph for People has completely transformed the discourse around the future of Telegraph and Southside,\\u201D Robinson said over email. \\u201CThey\\u2019ve generated an amount of excitement and energy that is unprecedented, and it has absolutely moved the needle.\\u201D\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"In February 2022, the council recommended the Southside Complete Streets Project for approval, specifically choosing option 4 \\u2014 budget permitting \\u2014 with a curbed version as a lower-cost fallback. Updated designs include four versions of option 4. For the city, this option would allow streets to be operated differently with vehicle restriction, according to the updated project design documents.\"), mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(OptionWidthViz2, {\n    mdxType: \"OptionWidthViz2\"\n  }), mdx(\"br\", null), mdx(\"p\", null, \"While this design might not immediately be the car-free scenario that Telegraph for People is advocating for, it paves the way for a potential car-free Telegraph Avenue in the future. Telegraph for People\\u2019s plan moving forward is to \\u201Cmake sure (the Telegraph Avenue) section of the project is fully funded and to continue advocating for car-free Telegraph,\\u201D Greenberg said.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"While construction is set to take place in 2023, Knox believes that vision is a long way off. In an interview, he has stated there aren\\u2019t enough funds to move forward with the project.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"\\u201CThe reality is that the timeline is going to be dependent on outside funding and the internal staff capacity we have to apply for grants and do the planning work,\\u201D Robinson explained.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Recent developments have also reinforced this viewpoint. Although the city council approved Robinson\\u2019s request for an additional $1 million in funding for the Southside Complete Streets Project, increased construction costs mean that the $1 million will only be used for Dana, Bancroft and Durant. Telegraph will be treated as a separate project, according to current Telegraph for People president, Rebecca Mirvish.\"), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"People of Telegraph\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Another group to consider is the business owners on Telegraph Avenue. Some have previously voiced their hesitancy when it came to the topic of reshaping Telegraph Avenue.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"\\u201CIt's totally reasonable, I think, for anybody who's been doing business on the avenue to be reticent about it, because it can seem like the city's just going to do this, but what about all these unanswered questions?\\u201D Knox said in an interview.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Greenberg, however, does not see eye-to-eye with Knox on this issue. \\u201CBusinesses are just opposed to change\\u2026 Businesses really perceive potential losses way more than they will perceive potential gains,\\u201D Greenberg said.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"\\u201CWe're going to be doing some canvassing in the spring and talking to businesses directly,\\u201D Greenberg said in response to addressing business reluctance. \\u201CSome of (the businesses) are receptive in that they are just interested in having heard all the arguments, which is really encouraging.\\u201D\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Despite project setbacks and reluctance, Telegraph for People remains committed to ensuring that the approved project does not become a bureaucratic dead end.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Members of the organization stay motivated in their fight for a car-free Telegraph Avenue because they believe students deserve to have resources spent on them in the city, as relayed by Greenberg.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"\\u201CWe are regarded as temporary residents. Our voices are consistently diminished,\\u201D Lunaparra alleged. \\u201CBut the truth is, I might be a temporary resident but students are not temporary residents, and I feel that it is my responsibility \\u2014 along with the city \\u2014 to take student opinions into consideration,\\u201D she continued.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Despite setbacks and bureaucratic mazes, one thing is for sure: the fight to transform Telegraph Avenue doesn\\u2019t seem to be ending anytime soon.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"Arfa Momin is a projects developer. Contact her at \", mdx(\"a\", {\n    parentName: \"em\",\n    \"href\": \"mailto:amomin@dailycal.org\"\n  }, \"amomin@dailycal.org\"), \", and follow her on Twitter at \", mdx(\"a\", {\n    href: \"https://twitter.com/arfamomin\",\n    target: \"_blank\"\n  }, \"@arfamomin\"), \".\")), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"em\", {\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, \"Tyler Wu is a projects developer. 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