Ben Gerhardstein
LightNews LightNews
banner
ben-gerhardstein.bsky.social
Ben Gerhardstein
@ben-gerhardstein.bsky.social
140 followers 81 following 5 posts
Safe streets advocate with Walk Bike Berkeley. Dad. Gluten fiend. Weekend warrior.
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Ben Gerhardstein
walkbikeberk.bsky.social
This funding will help deliver Berkeley’s Adeline Street Quick-Build project, which will add separated bikeways for 0.6 miles between the Oakland border and Ashby BART!
bikeeastbay.bsky.social Bike East Bay @bikeeastbay.bsky.social · Feb 10
$68.16M in grant funding from the regional Safe Routes to Transit & Bay Trail program has been recommended for East Bay projects! This includes the East Bay Greenway (Oakland to Bayfair), San Pablo Ave in Contra Costa, Bay Bridge connectivity, & separated bikeways in Alameda, Berkeley, & Emeryville.
"Recommended Cycle 1 Safe Routes to Transit and Bay Trail Program of Projects (Alphabetical Order) Alameda County Transportation Commission East Bay Greenway Multimodal (Phase 1: Lake Merritt to Bayfair) The East Bay Greenway Multimodal (Phase 1): Lake Merritt to Bayfair Project (Project) will create regional "all ages and abilities" bicycle and pedestrian facilities that are safe and comfortable for users 25,000 of any age or experience level through heavily urbanized areas in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. Running parallel and connecting to five San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BARI) rail stations. City of Alameda Stargell Avenue Complete Street Project In the City of Alameda, along Willie Stargell Avenue, install ped crossing improvements at three intersections; and install a connecting Class IV bikeway. City of Berkeley Adeline Street Quick-Build The City of Berkeley seeks to implement a "quick-build" Class IV separated bikeway project to fill a 0.6 922 mile gap in the low-stress bikeway network and provide direct, continuous, safer bicycle access to the Ashby BART Station. City of Emeryville 40th Street Multimodal Project The 40th Street Multimodal Project focuses on enhancing the safety and accessibility of 40th Street and Shellmound Street corridors for all road users. Contra Costa County San Pablo Ave Enhanced Bicycle and Pedestrian Gap Closure Study $ The San Pablo Avenue Enhanced Bicycle and Pedestrian Gap Closure Study will identify and evaluate 425 potential enhanced bicycle and pedestrian improvements along a segment of San Pablo Avenue from Richmond Parkway, through sections of Unincorporated County that includes Montalvin Manor, Tara Hills, and Bayview, through the City of Pinole, to the Pinole-Hercules border.
February 11, 2025 at 5:40 AM
Reposted by Ben Gerhardstein
walkbikeberk.bsky.social
JOB: Berkeley is hiring a new Transportation Division Manager! Please share widely. The City needs a leader committed to Vision Zero and sustainable transportation!
wbcp.applicantpool.com/jobs/1182604
February 7, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Reposted by Ben Gerhardstein
tvrr.bsky.social
A driver killed our neighbor Michael Burawoy last night while he was crossing Grand Ave in the crosswalk in front of Fairyland

Our hearts reach out to his family, friends, students, and everyone else mourning this tremendous loss

www.eastbaytimes.com/2025/02/04/o...
Photo of Michael Burawoy from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Burawoy
February 5, 2025 at 7:20 AM
ben-gerhardstein.bsky.social
Hell yeah, protected intersections are very brat
“brat” stencil on green bike lane in a protected intersection
February 4, 2025 at 7:09 PM
ben-gerhardstein.bsky.social
Brought dry socks and shoes for him to change into at school.
Kid on a bike in rain gear
February 4, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Reposted by Ben Gerhardstein
walkbikeberk.bsky.social
Our statement on Elise Lusk’s tragic death.
Walk Bike Berkeley is deeply upset that Elise Lusk was killed when a motorist hit her as she walked across Ada Street at California Street on January 26. A trip to the grocery store should not end in tragedy. Ms. Lusk’s preventable death again highlights that the City must redouble its Vision Zero efforts to eliminate severe and fatal collisions. We call on the City to quickly install simple, proven measures to slow vehicle traffic and protect pedestrians in response to this and other recent collisions.
January 28, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Reposted by Ben Gerhardstein
warrenjwells.bsky.social
Charge me with ageism if you will, but nearly every serious/fatal pedestrian crash in Berkeley involves a driver born before Eisenhower was president.
After a motorist fatally struck a 66-year-old Berkeley woman Sunday, three council members are asking staff to study adding stop signs to intersections like the one where it happened. The driver, an 87-year-old Oakland woman, pinned Elise B. Lusk under a car at Ada and California streets, near Monterey Market, around 1 p.m., police said. The Berkeley Fire Department extricated Lusk, 66, and took her to Highland Hospital but she died from her injuries, police said. Councilmembers Mark Humbert, Shoshana O’Keefe and Brent Blackaby drew parallels between the intersection where Lusk was killed and the intersection of Derby and Mabel streets where a driver on Halloween 2023 struck a 7-year-old trick-or-treater, breaking the boy’s femur, fracturing his pelvis and lacerating his head. “Something these two intersections appear to have in common is the presence of traffic diverters without stop signs,” according to a proposal for further study that’s likely to go before the whole council in February. “Since there is generally no oncoming traffic, drivers may treat such intersections differently from intersections with through traffic in all directions.”
January 28, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Reposted by Ben Gerhardstein
walkbikeberk.bsky.social
We are deeply upset by this horrible news of another pedestrian death in our community.

Holding all who knew and loved Elise Lusk in our thoughts.
berkeleyscanner.com The Berkeley Scanner @berkeleyscanner.com · Jan 27
UPDATE: The coroner's office has identified the pedestrian who was killed in Sunday's crash near Monterey Market as Elise Lusk, 66, of Berkeley.
UPDATE: Female pedestrian, 66, dead after Berkeley crash
The coroner's office has identified the woman who died in Sunday's crash as Elise Lusk of Berkeley.
www.berkeleyscanner.com
January 27, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Reposted by Ben Gerhardstein
bart.gov
Hey YOU, wanna help improve bike access to BART?!

The BART Bicycle Advisory Task Force has vacancies for people who live or work in all five counties served by BART: San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara.

Join TODAY!

Check out the flyer:

www.bart.gov/sites/defaul...
bart.gov BART @bart.gov · Jan 13
🚲 🚨 A major improvement for bicyclists has just been completed at Ashby BART Station!

The Ashby BART Bicycle Access Improvement Project provides a better and safer bicycle connection to BART from both the west and east, as well as closing a gap in Berkeley’s bike network. 🧵 👇
January 16, 2025 at 10:34 PM
ben-gerhardstein.bsky.social
Yay!
bart.gov BART @bart.gov · Jan 13
🚲 🚨 A major improvement for bicyclists has just been completed at Ashby BART Station!

The Ashby BART Bicycle Access Improvement Project provides a better and safer bicycle connection to BART from both the west and east, as well as closing a gap in Berkeley’s bike network. 🧵 👇
January 13, 2025 at 8:36 PM
ben-gerhardstein.bsky.social
Hit the Berkeley lottery. My block getting smoothened as I type.
Paving equipment in a residential street
January 6, 2025 at 11:34 PM
ben-gerhardstein.bsky.social
#nobikes in the chicago burbs
No bikes sign on a public two lane road
December 28, 2024 at 9:18 PM
Reposted by Ben Gerhardstein
walkbikeberk.bsky.social
We appreciate Councilmember Hahn acknowledging yesterday’s tragic pedestrian fatality on Rose Street.

However, she has not shown a commitment to safe streets.

She was the ONLY councilmember that did not support Measure FF, which is designed to help prevent such collisions. 🧵
Screenshot of Sophie Hahn’s Facebook post stating “I am heartbroken over the just-announced death of a pedestrian in District 5. Sending my condolences to his family and continuing my commitment to reducing injuries and fatalities on our streets.”
November 15, 2024 at 6:34 PM