60% of Berkeley’s carbon emissions originate in our transportation sector. The Bay Area leads the nation in the number of super-commuters. District 2 abuts I-80 and contains portions of California State Routes 13 and 123. Some of Berkeley’s streets with the highest rates for bicycle and pedestrian auto-related injury fall in West Berkeley. Despite this, District 2 has access to Amtrak, bicycle routes, and AC Transit with connections to North Berkeley and Ashby BART. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically damaged our transit agencies, with drivers and operators severely impacted on the front lines. Meanwhile, low ridership has put local transit agencies in fiscal jeopardy with potential service reduction posing the greatest threat to marginalized transit-dependent commuters.
As your District 2 City Councilmember, I plan to:
- Collaborate with regional leaders to ensure that transit agencies have the resources to maintain their quality of service and protect workers and riders.
- Protect and honor transit workers’ union labor contracts.
- Promote design standards and budget priorities aligned with Berkeley’s Vision Zero initiative to eliminate traffic fatalities.
- Advocate for safer pedestrian crossings, continuous protected bike lane networks, and minimizing parking demand from new construction along San Pablo Avenue.
- Advocate for bringing ferry service to the Marina and launch an electric fleet of fare-free shuttles serving young people, seniors, and West Berkeley commuters.
- Collaborate with Caltrans to ensure that Ashby and San Pablo receive improved infrastructure for pedestrian, cyclist and transit rider safety.
Resources
Street Paving & Traffic Improvement Plans:
- Berkeley’s Five Year Paving Plan
- The recent update to the Paving Plan
- The Pedestrian Plan and Bicycle Plan (includes recommendations developed by staff following robust community engagement.)
To provide feedback:
- Call in to the City Council’s FITES Committee to give public comment.
- Call in to the Public Works Commission to give public comment.
- Complete the Healthy Streets Feedback Survey
Latest Work
- Taplin Proposes Equitable Safe Streets and Climate Justice ResolutionFebruary 9, 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BERKELEY, CA —City Councilmember Terry Taplin has introduced the Equitable Safe Streets and Climate Justice Resolution, which would establish several traffic engineering policy changes to improve street safety: Adoption of the NACTO Urban Street Design Guide as the default engineering standard for city streets, while strongly restricting use of […]
- Councilmember Taplin Statement on Passing of Pedestrian Vincent KoehlerFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Diego Aguilar-Canabal (DAguilarCanabal@cityofberkeley.info) (510) 981-7120 “I’m heartbroken by the news that Vincent Kohler died this week after being struck by a drunk driver in Berkeley on August 19, as reported by Berkeleyside. Our community lost a cherished father, husband, and local business leader who would still be with us today if not for the fatal decision […]
- 4/29 6th St Traffic Calming WorkshopThursday, April 296:00 – 7:00pm Join Councilmember Terry Taplin in a Neighborhood Workshop for calming traffic on 6th Street. Register athttps://tinyurl.com/6thStTraffic
- 4/22 9th St Traffic Calming Neighborhood WorkshopThursday April 225:30-6:30pm Join Councilmember Terry Taplin, Matt George (Berkeley Firefighters Association IAFF 1227),& Kim Walton (District 2 Transportation Commissioner) in a Neighborhood Workshop for calming traffic on 9th Street. Register at https://tinyurl.com/9thStTraffic
- Councilmember Taplin Proposes Urgent Ninth Street Traffic Safety ImprovementsFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4/13/2021 BERKELEY, CA – Jackie Erbe, a local mobility justice activist, was struck by a motorist on March 16 while biking with her child at Ninth Street and Channing Street and was hospitalized with serious injuries. In response to this near-tragedy and countless others like it, City Councilmember Terry Taplin (District 2) […]