Update on Lakeshore Project

This is a message from Councilwoman Nadel's office:

UPDATE ON LAKESHORE PROJECT

This is to give you an update on the construction project on Lakeshore Avenue . In particular, we feel you should be aware of the upcoming parking restrictions on the west side ( Lake Merritt ) of Lakeshore Avenue which will start this Friday, May 1 and will be in effect for about 7 to 8 weeks.

Tomorrow, 4/30, pedestrians will be allowed access to the newly renovated Lakeshore Avenue shoreline trail. To access and egress the trail, there will be access points at the Pergola and the E. 18th Street Pier as well as crossings through the park at Brooklyn and Hanover .

On Friday 5/1, the contractor will start saw-cutting the seam between the curb and the sidewalk in preparation for demolishing and removing the sidewalk. No parking will be allowed on the west side of Lakeshore while the work is being done. Parking restrictions on Lakeshore will be lifted for this weekend (5/2 & 5/3) once the saw-cutting is done.

On Monday morning May 4th, the contractor will start demolishing the sidewalk on Lakeshore beginning at E. 18th. As the contractor demolishes the sidewalk, he will install a 6-foot chain link fence at the back of the existing curb in order to build the multi-use path and install landscaping in the planter strip. The contractor will remove about 1,000 feet of sidewalk per day or about 1/3 of the distance between E. 18th and El Embarcadero and there will be no parking allowed where the sidewalk has been removed and no parking where the sidewalk will be removed during that day of work. By Wednesday, May 6th there will be no parking allowed on the west side of Lakeshore from E. 18th to south of El Embarcadero. We plan to have restricted parking on the west side of Lakeshore for a total of 7 to 8 weeks until mid to late June.

We also plan that after about a 5-week period, the multi-use trail will begin opening in thirds over the next several weeks. The section starting at E. 18th Street will open first. As sections of the multi-use trail open, parking on the street adjacent to the trail will be allowed. The full length of the multi-use trail on Lakeshore, with the landscaped planter strip, is scheduled to be open by mid to late June.

As you may be aware, we cannot allow parking on the west side of Lakeshore with a construction fence installed at the back of the curb because if people did park there they would have to illegally walk in live traffic to reach a sidewalk or they would have to illegally jay-walk to the east side of Lakeshore to reach a sidewalk.

To help mitigate the parking restrictions, we have suspended street-sweeping parking restrictions on the east (residential) side of Lakeshore. Currently, there is no over-night parking for 3 nights per week on alternating sides Lakeshore. Normal scheduled street sweeping will continue on both side of Lakeshore for the duration of construction. If too much trash accumulates on the east side of Lakeshore because street sweeping won't be as thorough with parked cars remaining on the street, we will have the contractor pick up the trash.

A public notice about the above mentioned plan will be distributed to the neighborhood residents tomorrow, 4/30.

In addition, the PG&E duct bank construction project on will start on Monday May, 4th. The project will start at Lakeshore and El Embarcadero, continue north on Lakeshore and wrap around MacArthur Boulevard for a distance of about 100 feet. The total segment will be under construction for about 8 weeks. The part of the work which over-laps the Gallagher and Burke work area will last about 5 weeks. The PG&E contractor and Gallagher and Burke have coordinated their operations and will not be working in the same area at the same time. Lakeshore will be restricted to 1 lane in each direction between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm each day while PG&E's contractor is working. Lakeshore will have 2 lanes open in each direction when PG&E's contractor is not working.

Please contact me if you have any further questions.

Regards,

Lyle Oehler, PMP, ASLA

Capital Improvement Project Coordinator

Project Delivery Division

Community and Economic Development Agency

City of Oakland

Tel: (510) 238-3389

Community Meeting to discuss HarriOak Street corridor this Thursday, April 23

Community Workshop #2 where we will have a larger, community-wide meeting to review and prioritize alternatives for improved safety, access and livability along Harrison Street – Oakland Avenue.

Location: Westlake Middle School , Gym
2629 Harrison Street @ 27th Street

Date: Thursday, April 23

Time: Open House 6 to 6:30 p.m.
Meeting 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

You can view the Agenda and Powerpoint presentation from the last meeting on the CEDA website.

Friday Night Fun

First Friday’s in Oakland = Art Murmur and there is a fantastic line-up for April. Everything is in walking or biking distance from the HarriOak neighborhood. Here are a few highlights of what you can choose from and they are all FREE. Enjoy yourself. The weather’s perfect.

Awaken Café
414 14th Street at Broadway
Domestic Relocation, paintings by Erin Hamilton
& live music with blues & soul singer Amber Gougis
5 to 8 p.m.

Oakopolis
447 25th Street – between Broadway & Telegraph
Earth Days
Artists: Tyrell Collins, Ralph Singer, John Wood, Michelle Bertho and Andrew Kaluzynski.
“Each artist in this Earth Days exhibition has a unique voice for expressing the wonders of nature... and an accomplished method of channeling light into visual language.”
Show opens: 7 p.m.

21 Grand (same street as Oakopolis)
416 25th Street
[Print] Run: works by Jason Byers and Patricia Wakida

Creative Growth Art Center
355 24th Street
CHANGING CHANNELS EVENT:
April Art Murmur Video Screening (with popcorn!)
7:30 p.m.

Studio One Reading Series
365 45th St (off of Broadway)
Readings by Stephanie Young and K. Silem Mohammad. Music from Meklit Hadero
Doors open at 7 p.m., Readings start at 7:30 p.m.

For a full map of all Art Murmur events, click here.

Steve Buel, editor of East Bay Express, Sings to Save His Paper