Update on the Hopkins Corridor Project
Yesterday City Manager Dee Williams-Ridley requested that I cancel the previously scheduled April 18, 2023 special Berkeley City Council meeting on the Hopkins Corridor project due to recent operational developments which have impacted the overall project timeline. The City Manager stated that multiple issues including staffing shortages, additional time for review, and Fire Code compliance have made moving forward with the project as proposed infeasible at this time. As the Mayor, I agreed to the City Manager’s request to postpone City Council discussion and action on this item given these issues. Some of the issues mentioned include:
Vacancies in the Transportation Division have impacted the City’s ability to move forward with the project. New proposals, external reports, and a deeper analysis of the project required additional work that goes beyond what the current timelines can accommodate. As a result of the lack of staffing resources, the City Manager paused work on preparing further specifications and designs for the selected Hopkins project per Council’s May 2022 direction.
The action the Council took in October 2022 to explore further options requires additional time for vetting and proper review by stakeholders and City staff.
The project currently does not meet Fire Department statutory or best practice requirements. This includes:
As a designated evacuation corridor, there must be at least 26’ of unobstructed width, which would not be achievable under the current plans. State law prohibits road modifications that do not provide safe access for emergency wildfire equipment and civilian evacuation.
California Fire Code Section 503.4.1 requires that traffic calming devices shall be prohibited unless approved by the Fire Code official, which has not occurred in this case.
The Berkeley Fire Code requires 26’ of unobstructed road width on roadways where hydrants are present.
A road diet on Hopkins would only provide fire trucks with six inches of clearance, with such vehicles needing to travel in excess of 50 MPH during an emergency, meaning that there is too little clearance for normal safe operation, especially if another large vehicle such as a bus or delivery truck is in the opposite lane.
State law requires an analysis of emergency routes and their capacity and safety. A new study, which was approved last month, needs to be conducted before further action can take place.
As a result, the April 18th Special City Council Meeting has been canceled. The City will continue to work diligently to address our staffing needs, and keep the public informed of any developments. Multiple infrastructure projects city-wide are impacted and will need to be reprioritized, including the Hopkins Corridor Project. As such we are unable to provide a timeframe on when this project will return to the City Council.
I am acutely aware of how much this project has meant to members of the community, who for the past couple of years have provided significant time and effort to participate in meetings to express their thoughts on this project. I am thankful for the robust discussion that has taken place and I remain committed to improving the safety and accessibility of our streets.