Fwd: Update on Hopkins plan & Harrison encampment
Alan Gould
Begin forwarded message:From: Councilmember Brent Blackaby <br...@brentblackaby.com>Subject: Update on Hopkins plan & Harrison encampmentDate: August 16, 2026 at 1:57:14 PM PDTReply-To: br...@brentblackaby.com
August 16, 2026Dear Alan,
As many of you know, the City Council recently voted to move forward with paving Hopkins Street, including the installation of a one-way protected bikeway on each side of the street from The Alameda to Peralta Avenue/Ohlone Greenway. The project is expected to remove approximately 147 parking spaces along Hopkins, including within the Hopkins Commercial Corridor.
Ultimately the measure passed by a 7–2 vote, with Councilmember O’Keefe and me voting against.
I believe Berkeley can and should continue investing in safer bicycle infrastructure. However, I also believe we should pursue solutions that improve safety for pedestrians, bikers, and motorists -- including seniors and disabled residents -- while preserving access to our neighborhood commercial districts for all. For many of the more than 20,000 residents of the Berkeley Hills, biking to Hopkins to shop and then returning home with groceries is simply not a realistic transportation option. Our transportation systems should work well for everyone.
Introducing my alternate Hopkins proposal at the July 28 City Council meetingFor that reason, I proposed that Council ask our Public Works staff to develop an additional alternative for consideration: Rather than limiting our discussion to the Hopkins Street design before us, I wanted staff to explore how to create a safe east-west bicycle connection through or adjacent to the Hopkins corridor, including further study of a Hopkins/Rose/Ada route and bicycle boulevards that would reduce the loss of parking. My hope was to provide Council with another opportunity to improve bicycle safety while reducing impacts on parking and neighborhood access on Hopkins.
Unfortunately, my proposal to develop an alternative balanced plan failed narrowly by a 5-4 margin, though I appreciate Councilmembers O’Keefe, Bartlett, and Tregub supporting my proposal and voting in support.
I know many of you are disappointed by this outcome. So am I. We all want safer streets for bicyclists, pedestrians, motorists, and everyone who uses our roads. We want Hopkins businesses to thrive, our parks and recreation facilities to remain accessible, our neighborhoods to be welcoming, and our infrastructure to meet the challenges of a changing climate.
This isn’t the end of this process. Staff will now go off to develop a more rigorous and detailed engineering plan. That process may surface additional issues that will come back to Council for deliberation. And funding will need to be allocated before anything can move forward.
As this project unfolds, I remain committed to listening, advocating for practical solutions, and working with residents, businesses, and my colleagues to ensure that our transportation investments serve the needs of the entire community. I will continue to fight for all District 6 residents to ensure we maintain access to the Hopkins corridor and support our small businesses.
Thank you, as always, for staying engaged and for sharing your perspectives with me. Even when we disagree, your voices help shape better decisions for Berkeley.
HARRISON STREET ENCAMPMENT LEGAL UPDATE
I’ve heard from many neighbors and constituents about the ongoing — and growing — encampment on Harrison Street. This encampment poses a serious health and safety risk for everyone, including the people living there as well as nearby residents and businesses.
For months, our hard-working city staff has gone above and beyond to accommodate people with disabilities living in the encampment so they are safe before closing the camp.
Our homeless response team — spanning public safety, legal, homeless outreach, public health, and public works staff — has complied diligently with multiple federal court orders, even while lawyers representing some members of the camp have dodged, delayed, and stymied progress at every turn.
Throughout, the city’s goal has been to close this camp in a way that respects the dignity of the people living there and addresses their specific disability needs — while protecting the health, safety, and welfare of everyone in Berkeley.
Now, just days before closing the camp, opponents have again blocked the city from acting. While the court did not issue an injunction requested by opponents, which I appreciate, the federal judge overseeing this case has continued to move the goalposts — imposing new requirements beyond what he himself previously ordered.
This is no longer about compliance; it’s about an endless, shifting legal process that keeps the city from ever reaching the finish line. Every delay adds weeks. That is unacceptable.
The city must be allowed to act in the best interest of all residents and businesses in West Berkeley — including those living in the encampment. The city should not be forced into indefinite delay by an open-ended, ever-shifting legal process. Enough is enough.
It’s a privilege to serve you on the City Council. Please reach out anytime with feedback or ideas.
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Office of Councilmember Brent Blackaby
2180 Milvia St, 5th Floor
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 981-7160
bbla...@berkeleyca.gov
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Peggy Mendelson
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meryl siegal
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