Description
A child was just killed by a moving vehicle on 98th in front of Elmhurst middle school. This section of 98th Ave is an on going death zone between International and Bancroft Avenue. It serves as a drag strip for constantly speeding vehicles, constant screeching brakes from trying to avoid accidents, chronic sound of ear busting decibel Ievels from modified mufflers. Please make this stop it's been years and now a tragedy. I'm considering strongly to die the city for it's negligence and non action. I'm stressed out from this and am sure others living in this area are too
Get your data together and see the problem
Again this segment of 98th Ave is out of control dangerous.
also asked...
Q. Which calming/safety device are you requesting?
A. Other
A. Other
29 Comments
Acknowledged City of Oakland (Verified Official)
Anna Ornellas (Registered User)
Anna Ornellas (Registered User)
everyday folkss with PDST. I can't even have a conversation in my own home without interruption due to the traffic outside. Come on now. Citizens in my community are constantly on heightened alert as the norm. A gross amount of weaponized vehicles on the street putting the community in chronic imminent danger and fear.
Anna Ornellas (Registered User)
MERC (Registered User)
Anna Ornellas (Registered User)
Anna Ornellas (Registered User)
Anna Ornellas (Registered User)
MERC (Registered User)
Anna Ornellas (Registered User)
So how is the new community up at Oak Knoll going to be managed and properly served with public health and safety matters? The city has and continues to fail it's current citizens from living in peace and cleanliness. Not a new issue, there's a blueprint for noisy modified exhaust systems (remember the screeching high pitched muffler fad in the 80's) Tell me why city can't follow that blue print for correcting decibel levels today?
A lot of we citizens have been here over 6 generations, we know better seen better. We know available solutions not utilized. this we know. We seen what worked and what failed.
SINCE WE CITIZENS ARE NOT RECEIVING SOLUTIONS TO THESE SERIOUS MATTERS, THEN TELL US WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS ARE. IM THINKING CONGRESSWOMAM BARBARA LEE AND SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS. HOW DO WE GET TO CITY COUNCIL EARS.OR DO THEY KNOW
Mary Forte (Registered User)
What is so sad is that the community and Elmhurst parents met with the Department of Transportation and Councilmember Reid's office before work began on the road diet and we told them loud and clear that the road diet was a bad idea for 98th Avenue, that people drive like it is a freeway and that all that it would cause is people to go around and drive down the middle lane passing traffic. I have seen it every time when I have driven down 98th Avenue and I really try not to drive on 98th Avenue. Why have a community meeting when the community concerns and comments are ignored because someone else supposedly knows better although they do not live nor drive on 98th Avenue. Because a road diet worked somewhere else or in theory it is suppose to work a certain way it is not one size fits all especially in East Oakland. Bancroft Avenue used to be two lanes in both directions and when it was changed to one lane in both directions with some bike lanes cars just sped around and continue to do so everyday. This was also brought up at the community meeting but it was just ignored. COME ON CITY OF OAKLAND, THIS ROAD DIET IS A DEATH TRAP AS YOU CAN SEE, DO SOMETHING!
Another question, where was the crossing guard at the time of this accident?
MERC (Registered User)
@Anna Ornellas and Mary Forte: You clearly have a perspective that those in city govt. don't appreciate or give you credit for. Send an email or write a letter to the Mayor. If you don't get (satisfactory) answers, put your concerns in writing to Barbara Lee and Kamala Harris.
Tell the Mayor
officeofthemayor@oaklandnet.com
Or use this form
http://www.oaklandnet.com/contactmayor.asp
Anna Ornellas (Registered User)
Anna Ornellas (Registered User)
Mary Forte (Registered User)
Anna Ornellas (Registered User)
Thank you for taking quick action on this matter. For the city officials and public works folks who met with the parents who expressed there fears for the foreseen additional danger and pleaded to not reduce the lanes to one each direction prior to this "traffic diet'
THE PARENTS AND OTHER RESIDENCE IN THE COMMUNITY HAD COMMON SENSE FORESIGHT AND NOW WILL SUFFER FOREVER THE ANGST THE RECENT DEATH BRINGS.
MERC (Registered User)
@Anna Ornellas: Keep up the outcry. Will crossings guards be obeyed? Any sign of continued traffic enforcement? It's my opinion that traffic cops on a regular basis MIGHT make things better.
Anna Ornellas (Registered User)
Thank you for your feedback and encouragement. I don't always have enough confidence to speak out. There was a pastor at the vigil offering his support to the family and he has connected with another pastor from another church to step in for the family.
I'm feeling anxious like something big requiring me to take a lead. I don't know what but might netwoking various pockets of people and groups who share this issue in common. Basically organizing/networking folks to be one large unified group. There's so much more all concerned citizens need hear and know. People have factual information here and there and it all needs to get gathered up and shared with all. People know what they want but I haven't yet heard anyone say let's all meet at...and start organizing a plan of action. I have a lot of ideas to bounce around. One though I have is to do this in the name of the deceased, Myisha.
MERC (Registered User)
Make a sign, march out front of the school when school lets out. Maybe a call to a local TV station would get them interested in doing an in-depth story. Call the East Bay Times or send a Letter to the Editor. https://www.eastbaytimes.com/letters-to-the-editor/
Anna Ornellas (Registered User)
Mary Forte (Registered User)
MERC (Registered User)
Anna Ornellas (Registered User)
Thank you for being involved, Mary. A couple of things,
1. What should I expect to happen next from the emails you sent and MERRC? I don't know what their process and procedures are or what protocal they follow or what criteria gets them to respond quickly. I want to be prepared and have all my synthesized
You mentioned others in the community need to write folks you just wrote too. I was thinking about a writing campaign too. If you have suggestions how to go about I'm all ears.
I'm willing to write a letter and distribute it somehow. I can go to Cox and Elmhurst schools to talk to the principals to see how they are willing to help. I would hope the principals can involve the kids writing letters to the folks you and MERRC wrote to. Parent volunteers can get involved with kids in the classrooms. The parents and the kids can there families and friends submit their signature on a form letter. I'm willing to pick up mail and drive it down to city hall, since cost of stamps might be an issue. I might be able to purchase the envelopes myself, but I haven't checked out how much it would cost. I'm willing to ask office supply businesses for donations, just to get started.
Mary Forte (Registered User)
Anna,
All of the things you are suggesting to do are good.
Send your email to me maryfforte@gmail.com and I will add you to the email I sent so that you can see the responses. So far I have received email responses from Councilmember McElhaney and Chief of Police Kirkpatrick.
What I do expect at a minimum is that there will be a community meeting with the school, neighbors and the City.
It would be good to organize people to go to the next City Council meeting and raise this issue during Open Forum and have lots of people including children attend and speak.
Here are the emails of the people I sent emails to, everyone should send a email and fill their inboxes:
Libby Schaaf ,
"Reid, Larry" ,
"Kaplan, Rebecca" ,
Anne Kirkpatrick ,
"Russo, Ryan"
"McElhaney, Lynette"
Mary Forte (Registered User)
Here are the emails for the above people, they did not copy/paste into my response:
Libby Schaaf officeofthemayor@oaklandnet.com
Larry Reid LReid@oaklandca.gov
Rebecca Kaplan RKaplan@oaklandnet.com
Anne Kirkpatrick akirkpatrick@oaklandnet.com
Ryan Russo RRusso@oaklandca.gov
Lynette McElhaney lmcelhaney@oaklandca.gov
MERC (Registered User)
MERC (Registered User)
Anna Ornellas (Registered User)
MERC (Registered User)