UC Berkeley Students Lead Push For Car-Free Telegraph Ave.

BERKELEY, CA — The city of Berkeley’s plans to make a major street near campus more pedestrian friendly is a nice start, but it doesn't go nearly far enough.

That’s according to two UC Berkeley students behind a campaign to make Telegraph Avenue car-free.

Sam Greenberg and Brandon James Yung co-founded Telegraph for People, a student-led group that believes the city’s most famous street – originally built around a streetcar line – was never intended to become the endless sea of vehicle traffic it has become.

They believe their vision for Telegraph Avenue is more consistent with the community’s commitment to sustainability.

“Telegraph for People a is a student-led coalition that aims to turn Berkeley's Telegraph Avenue into a street for people,” the group said on its website.

“Our vision is a car-free Telegraph Avenue that puts pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and small businesses first, with a uniting goal of fighting climate change.”

The city's "Berkeley Southside Complete Streets Project" calls for the creation of bus-only lanes and prioritizing “alternative transportation and transit over single-occupant vehicles on Transit Routes.”

The Berkeley activists cite examples in other major college towns where streets adjacent to campuses went car-free in Boulder, Colorado, Madison, Wisconsin, and Burlington, Vermont.

“You know how students get to campus? They walk Telegraph,” Greenberg told the website StreetBlogSF. "And the sidewalks are so inadequate; it’s almost embarrassing how much space is given to cars.”

The students’ plan appears to have the backing of at least one city lawmaker.

“There may be no better neighborhood than Telegraph and Southside to demonstrate what a green, walkable district can look like,” Councilmember Rigel Robinson told The Daily Californian, UC Berkeley’s student newspaper.

“The advocacy from students and residents on this project is critical to maintain momentum and help the city dream big.”