Accessibility Improvements Made To BART Station Ahead Of New Housing Project: Officials

BERKELEY, CA — BART officials say they've completed a project that is meant to make the North Berkeley station more accessible.

The project includes new two-way cycle tracks along BART access roads, an ADA-compliant ramp linking Sacramento Street to the station's elevator, more lighting, a new speed table designed to slow down cars and the widening of the Ohlone Greenway between Acton Street and Virginia Gardens, officials said.

“I’m thrilled to see the completion of the North Berkeley Bicycle and Pedestrian Access Project,” BART Director Barnali Ghosh said in a statement Monday. “These improvements make it safer and easier for people to walk, bike, and connect to BART."

These improvements come as Berkeley is working with housing developers to build hundreds of homes near the BART station. Roughly half of those homes will be made available to low-income people, officials said.

The plan will also include a new public space over the underground BART tracks with a childcare center and retail space. That $3.4 million project is expected to begin by next year, officials said.

“The North Berkeley access improvements are just the beginning,” Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii said Monday. “With more than 700 homes approved at North Berkeley BART and a similar number planned at Ashby, we’re showing that Berkeley can build more housing while making it easier for everyone to move safely and sustainably through our community.”