In recent years, lots of new construction sites have appeared near Berkeley High School. Although construction is a familiar sight for BHS students, the changes raise questions about how the city uses its space and how development affects the people who live, work, and travel in Berkeley. While construction can help Berkeley grow, it should not make everyday commutes more difficult or less safe for the people who frequent the city.
On Allston Way, right outside of BHS, construction to the road has made it harder for pedestrians to see approaching cars, raising safety concerns for students. “The construction definitely gets in the way of traffic,” BHS sophomore Nikhil Haldar said, “When I'm walking to school, I have to watch out for cars since I am forced to get pretty close to them, which feels dangerous.”
The street has been under construction since the beginning of the school year, and the limited visibility raises concerns about whether drivers and pedestrians can safely navigate the area. “The blocking and all the construction is very inconvenient for pedestrians,” BHS junior Julia Warren-Boyd said. For students who walk to school every day, these conditions are more than a temporary inconvenience. Construction that limits visibility or forces pedestrians closer to traffic can make an ordinary walk to school more dangerous.
As a university town with a dense population, Berkeley is full of pedestrians, along with cyclists who rely on its bike routes. The proximity of construction sites creates additional challenges for people trying to get around. “Berkeley is a pretty walkable city, but construction gets in the way of that,” Warren-Boyd said. When sidewalks and bike routes are obstructed, pedestrians and cyclists have fewer safe and convenient ways to reach their destinations. In a city where many people rely on walking and biking, construction should account for how people will continue to use these routes while work is underway.
The BHS cross country team sends runners out on the streets of Berkeley six days a week for practice. One of its routes is along the Berkeley Fire Trail. Students have historically run up Centennial Drive, yet their path is obstructed by construction at the Cal softball field, forcing students to run in the street. As more construction sites open, students face more obstacles when trying to navigate around traffic, bikes, and other pedestrians. “The construction that we encounter on our runs… is definitely an inconvenience to our training,” Chloe Collomb, a BHS junior on the cross country team, said, “Having to run in tighter spaces or even on the street can be dangerous.”
Construction is part of a growing city, but development should not come at the expense of the people who live, work, and travel there, such as the BHS students who regularly walk and run through these areas. Berkeley needs to consider how construction sites affect pedestrians, cyclists, and runners, especially when safer routes are limited.
