Natsu

  •
    1064 Lake Merritt Boulevard Oakland, California - Civic Center

    Everything from old sleeping bags and rotting tents to human waste is washing into the lake with the tides thanks to homeless camps all along the stretch beneath the pedestrian bridge and on toward the culverts by La Escuelita.

    Every day, trash and waste float out into Lake Merritt from these camps. They're under the pedestrian bridge, along the once pristine and artistic walkways, dotting the shoreline beneath bushes...I've seen discarded water heaters even dumped down into the shallows here, leeching who knows what into the water, and the City of Oakland does nothing to keep them out.

    There are used needles everywhere, graffiti all over the place, human feces left right on the sidewalks? Seriously???

    Time to clean up your mess, Libby..

  •
    2301 Embarcadero Oakland California - South Kennedy Tract

    Numerous homeless camps are set up all throughout this park and next to/behind the buildings. Refuse, the stench of urine and feces, the rusted remains of numerous bicycles that have been dismantled piecemeal by thieves, graffiti everywhere, trash floating out in the estuary, even a capsized and sunken boat.

    Clean it out and clean it up!

  •
    676-698 Bellevue Avenue Oakland California - Lakeside
    The new bike lane across from Children's Fairyland on Bellevue Avenue is now completely blocked by the parking toll shack, forcing cyclists either into traffic or into the danger of being "doored" by parked cars immediately past it. What was the purpose of even creating the bike lane if you're going to immediately block it to get money for cars to park? This is unacceptable. You've basically stated that money is more important than my safety as a cyclist. Move it back.
  • 650 Bellevue Avenue Oakland, California - Lakeside
    What started as a couple of tarps has now grown into garbage all over the place, a shopping cart in the lake, human feces and filth strewn all over the place. This needs to be removed at once - trash from this location is ending up in the lake, and families are boating past this horrid eyesore. Nothing like going past a dump when you're relaxing on the lake, right?
  • 2390 Powell Street Emeryville, California - Emeryville
    There is an older white Mercedes with a dent in the right-rear door that has been sitting in the Watergate Market parking lot for well over a week now. It also smells like it's leaking gasoline. Please remove - not only is it abandoned, it is a safety hazard.
  • 1661-1749 Powell Street Emeryville, California - Emeryville

    The intersection at Powell and the I-580 off-ramp is somewhat blind for traffic turning right. As such, it is very dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists crossing from east-to-west as drivers are inching forward and only looking left toward oncoming traffic.

    This has resulted in quite a few near-misses, myself included, by drivers who never look to the right until it's too late (and some, not even then).

    This would be an excellent place for a crosswalk with embedded flashing lights to better alert drivers.

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    San Francisco Bay Trail Emeryville, California - Emeryville
    The new bicycle lane on the San Francisco Bay Trail between Powell and Shellmound along Christie Avenue is nice, but it was quite obviously never leveled. It may as well be a dirt path, considering how bumpy and rough it is trying to ride along it. This needs a re-do by professionals. Shameful waste of money to make it such a half-baked job. Please fix this - I and many others use this on a daily basis, and this is so rough that it has actually caused my rear rack to dislodge!
  • 3998-2710 Telegraph Avenue Oakland, California - Pill Hill

    Every day that I go into work, I encounter delivery trucks and cars dropping off or picking up that are illegally blocking a PROTECTED bicycle lane. Apparently, they feel that by turning on their four-way flashers, they become somehow "legal", yet the law specifically states otherwise:

    VEHICLE CODE - VEH
    DIVISION 11. RULES OF THE ROAD [21000 - 23336] ( Division 11 enacted by Stats. 1959, Ch. 3. )
    CHAPTER 1. Obedience to and Effect of Traffic Laws [21000 - 21296] ( Chapter 1 enacted by Stats. 1959, Ch. 3. )
    ARTICLE 4. Operation of Bicycles [21200 - 21213] ( Article 4 added by Stats. 1963, Ch. 479. )
    21211.
    (a) No person may stop, stand, sit, or loiter upon any class I bikeway, as defined in subdivision (a) of Section 890.4 of the Streets and Highways Code, or any other public or private bicycle path or trail, if the stopping, standing, sitting, or loitering impedes or blocks the normal and reasonable movement of any bicyclist.
    (b) No person may place or park any bicycle, vehicle, or any other object upon any bikeway or bicycle path or trail, as specified in subdivision (a), which impedes or blocks the normal and reasonable movement of any bicyclist unless the placement or parking is necessary for safe operation or is otherwise in compliance with the law.
    (c) This section does not apply to drivers or owners of utility or public utility vehicles, as provided in Section 22512.
    (d) This section does not apply to owners or drivers of vehicles who make brief stops while engaged in the delivery of newspapers to customers along the person’s route.
    (e) This section does not apply to the driver or owner of a rubbish or garbage truck while actually engaged in the collection of rubbish or garbage within a business or residence district if the front turn signal lamps at each side of the vehicle are being flashed simultaneously and the rear turn signal lamps at each side of the vehicle are being flashed simultaneously.
    (f) This section does not apply to the driver or owner of a tow vehicle while actually engaged in the towing of a vehicle if the front turn signal lamps at each side of the vehicle are being flashed simultaneously and the rear turn signal lamps at each side of the vehicle are being flashed simultaneously.
    (Amended by Stats. 2001, Ch. 127, Sec. 7. Effective July 30, 2001.)

    Nothing is being done about this, and not only I, but other cyclists, are forced out of our PROTECTED lane and into traffic, thus endangering our lives because of selfish, self-entitled motorists who feel they are somehow in the right? This cannot stand.

    It has been demonstrated and proven beyond a shadow of doubt that bicyclists actually pay more in road taxes than motorists, considering the general fund and what it entails, yet we are the ones who ultimately suffer because of the lackadaisical attitude of police and parking enforcement...and we are the ones who also ultimately suffer the majority of injuries and accidents on local roadways.

    Please, start enforcing the regulations! Ticket and fine, and ticket some more if you need to, but keep our roadways safe for cyclists!

    And, if you need to, cite the cyclists as well...they need to know that running that red light, using that crosswalk in an improper manner, and so forth not only makes other cyclists look bad, but is also not only dangerous but ILLEGAL as well!

  •
    3299-3309 Powell Street Emeryville California - Emeryville

    Where to begin? Let's see...dumpsters, recycle bins, and donation bins overflowing with trash all around them that I've actually witnessed the collectors ignore completely, graffiti and human waste that the S.W.A.P. community servants don't even bother with at the public restrooms, abandoned cars and bicycles with a year's worth of dust, droppings, and spider webs, and then there are the drug users in the parking lots from sunup until sundown (no, scratch that, they're here well after the park is allegedly "closed" - I have a boat here so I know)...

    What happened to our once-beautiful park? Why isn't it maintained any longer? Where is the police presence that used to be here? Why must I have to cough and gag at the stench of heavy marijuana smoke as I ride through on my bike practically every single day? Come on, Emeryville! Do something! I love coming out here to relax, but it's becoming "ghetto-ized" to the point that I'm considering just abandoning the park altogether for recreation (since it appears that you have) and taking my boat up to Richmond!

  •
    451-461 Grand Avenue Oakland California - Adams Point

    I was a resident here for many years and so many people crossing the street at Grand and Bellevue have had to dodge cars, including myself on numerous occasions...but many haven't been as fortunate. In fact, an elderly neighbor that lived next door to me was hit, suffered for over a month afterward, and ultimately died from his injuries. An upstairs neighbor was hit and practically crippled for several months, and still suffers pain years later. This is unacceptable!

    I have witnessed people nearly being hit as they try to cross here on a legally-marked crosswalk. I've been fortunate enough to escape being hit, but only barely, on several occasions. As a cyclist, this is a concern for me as well since it's difficult to see pedestrians trying to cross with so much traffic, and I've nearly hit a pedestrian myself while on my bike (not to mention nearly being hit on my bike by drivers not paying attention!).

    This intersection is dangerous for pedestrians that are just trying to get from the park to the coffee shop or from their apartment to the burger joint.

    Better signage? No...they will be equally ignored. Rather, let's install flashing lights embedded in the pavement here! It's well past time that something is done, especially now that there is a new apartment building butting up against this very intersection.

  •
    San Francisco Bay Trail Emeryville, California - Emeryville
    Between Chevy's at 1890 Powell Street in Emeryville and University Avenue near the marina in Berkeley, I have counted no less than 80 tires of various sizes mired in the muck at low tide (no, I'm not exaggerating. I lost count after 85, actually). Please do something about this.
  • 5891 West Frontage Road Emeryville, California - Emeryville
    This area is horrible. Massive amounts of graffiti "decorate" the retaining walls along the bike path, and there's been a shopping cart up next to the Ashby overpass that's been there for over 2 years now (I can only imagine where its contents have finally blown off to). This is by far one of the worst, if not THE worst stretch of bicycle/jogging path along our waterfront, and it has the best views of everything. Come on, Emeryville, make our city shine!
  • 3255 Powell Street Emeryville, California - Emeryville
    Two fairly deep 12"+ diameter "holes" in the pavement above what looks like some kind of an access port, right around the blind curve and just before the park control gate in the northbound lane. These have caused tire/wheel damage to more than one vehicle and bicycle (mine included, both car and bike) and have existed now for over 4 years. Residents and frequent visitors now know where they are and will swerve to avoid them, but this doesn't address the issue.
  • 950-1014 32nd Street Oakland, California - Clawson
    Garbage, suitcases, and other refuse clogging the sidewalk next to the chainlink fence cordoning off the small "park" between Filbert and San Pablo on 32nd street.
  • San Francisco Bay Trail Berkeley, California - Berkeley
    Construction workers on east side of bike/ped bridge over I-80 at University have bike lane routed with cones for east-bound traffic, but west-bound traffic coming UP the bridge is forced into east-bound downhill on a blind curve. This is dangerous to west-bound bicyclists - I was nearly hit twice now by cyclists coming down the hill. Please inform workers to make a safer detour area.
  • 3258-3348 Hollis Street Oakland, California - Clawson

    The stretch of Hollis Street between Peralta and MacArthur is in very bad shape - broken and cracked asphalt, numerous holes, asphalt broken away right down to the underlying cement - this makes it very rough on motorists and cyclists alike, and can create safety hazards, especially among bike riders, having to go directly into the traffic lanes to avoid the problems.

    This has been an issue for over four years now, and has become significantly worse.

  •
    1800 1/2 Powell Street Emeryville, California - Emeryville
    The bicycle maintenance station located at the corner of the Frontage Road and Powell Street needs attention - the allen wrench set and the tire pump nozzle are both broken. Thanks - it's great having these here and there!
  • 598 27th Street Oakland California - Pill Hill
    Another in a string of "urban landfills" are the multiple homeless camps beneath the overpass along 27th Street between MLK and Telegraph. Again, I know these people don't have anywhere else to go, but torn tents, tarps, broken bicycles, store mannequins, crates, and the overwhelming odor of urine and feces are too much to bear for anyone cycling through, and forget about trying to walk - they've completely claimed (and overflowed) the sidewalks here.
  • 3734-3778 Hollis Street Oakland, California - Clawson
    I know they don't have anywhere else to go, but the homeless camp at the corner of Hollis and MacArthur (southwest corner of the Home Depot) has gone from tents and belongings to the equivalent of an urban landfill, spilling over onto the sidewalks and with obvious stolen shopping carts from Home Depot. There is also an aggressive dog there now that barks and snarls at passing pedestrians and cyclists.
  • 1500 Shellmound Street Oakland, California - Clawson
    Large amount of broken auto glass on completely covering west-bound bike lane just before the Shellmound railway overpass that has been there for nearly 2 weeks, posing a danger to cyclists as well as autos turning from side street.