Happy holidays

With Thanksgiving just behind us and Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, New Year’s, and the Winter Solstice nearly here, we at Splashpad News wish you the happiest of holidays—whichever you celebrate.

Rainbow Crosswalk on Lakeshore

On November 13, the Lakeshore LGBTQ Cultural District celebrated its second anniversary by unveiling the new Rainbow Crosswalk that crosses Lakeshore Avenue, just outside the LGBTQ+ Center. Mayor Barbara Lee presented a proclamation before cutting the ribbon. “We’re going to continue to stand with the LGBTQ community and continue to stand with artists and small businesses,” she said.

Featuring the colors of the Progress Pride flag, this crosswalk is the city’s first thermoplastic one; a previous rainbow crosswalk downtown, at the site of the Oakland Pride festival, has faded significantly.

According to the Bay Area Reporter, several speakers highlighted that Oakland’s installation of the rainbow crosswalk comes as cities in red states like Texas and Florida are removing theirs. “We here in Oakland will not back down,” said Reverend Kevin Mann of First Unitarian Church of Oakland, who delivered a blessing. “We love our LGBTQ siblings; we love our undocumented LGBTQ siblings.”

Caltrans to study removing I-580 truck ban

Without much notice or fanfare, Caltrans and their consultants held a Zoom meeting to inform neighbors along the I-580 corridor about a study they will conduct to decide whether to open I-580 to trucks. Over 360 people tuned in.

I joined the Zoom, but was on vacation in Portland that week and didn’t take the best notes. Fortunately, this excellent SF Chronicle article provides a more thorough review of the study plans and neighbor responses.

The truck ban was first put in place along MacArthur Boulevard in Oakland in the 1950s. It was then approved (from Foothill Blvd. in San Leandro to Grand Ave. in Oakland) when the I-580 freeway was built in the early 1960s. Although removing the ban has been suggested several times over the years, this will be the first time a study will be conducted to explore this option.

The main issues the study will examine are: How would removing the truck weight restriction on I-580 impact safety, efficiency, reliability, and traffic speed along the I-880 and I-580 corridors, and how would this change affect public health equity for nearby communities?

Like most people who live near I-580, my first question was, ‘Who wants that?’ We don’t need the extra pollution, noise, or potential accidents. But, as soon as the consultants mentioned equity and questioned why those problems should impact only those who live near the I-880 corridor (who are less affluent than those who live closer to the hills), I at least understood why the issue needs to be studied. 

Frankly, nobody should have to live in a truck zone. But instead of spreading the pain, perhaps ways could be found to reduce the problems along I-880, including more and better sound walls and supporting the use of electric trucks at the Port of Oakland, among a myriad of other potential solutions. 

There’s already a petition to preserve the truck ban. If you’re interested, you can find it at the No Big Rigs on I-580 website.

No matter what the study recommends, no changes can be implemented without approval of the state legislature.

The study is expected to last 18 to 24 months, with the final report due in late 2026 or early 2027. For more information, visit the Caltrans website.

What makes news?

In last month’s issue of Splashpad News, we published a story by Nancy Friedman, a “dedicated deadheader” volunteer at the Morcom Rose Garden. She reported about the recent theft and vandalism of 50 of the garden’s well-tended roses. As a result, Oaklandside picked up the story. Because of their coverage, NBC Bay Area also picked it up. Then, it appeared in SFGate (may be paywalled).

Several decades ago, I worked for a peace organization in a church basement in New York City. One day, a gaggle of reporters gathered outside our door to cover Harvey Milk High School for Gay and Lesbian Youth, which, for six months, had been located upstairs in the church building. I asked why they were suddenly covering the high school, and I was told it was because the New York Times had just published a story. 

When I saw the coverage our little article generated, my first thought was to rename Splashpad News the New York Times of the Grand Lake Neighborhood! What do you think?

Neighbor Glynn Washington discusses MAMA- Oakland on KQED

Our neighbor Glynn Washington, who’s already a media figure on NPR with his radio shows Snap Judgment and Spooked, is now a TV celeb as well. Glynn was part of a group of “Bay Area Storytellers” who got the chance to showcase their favorite restaurants on Check, Please! Bay Area. Glynn’s pick? MAMA Oakland, a charming (and affordable) prix fixe Italian restaurant a few blocks up Grand Avenue, on the other side of the freeway. If you haven’t tried it yet, what are you waiting for?!