ASHBY BART
The physical division created by a major transit hub highlights the transitional nature of this urban space.
This is a transitional area where the edges of several diverse neighborhoods meet along three major corridors bordering the Ashby BART station, where commuters converge to leave Berkeley. Wide streets, fast traffic, and a no-man’s land created by the station’s parking lot contribute to a division along MLK Way that is reflected in the area’s demographics. However, the presence of a wide array of amenities, services, and cultural institutions suggest that this space also has the potential to become a destination rather than a departure point.
City Context
Area in Focus Vendors sell used items, handcrafts in BART parking lot on the weekends
H I
E
Public Library
Also includes a tool lending library with an array of power and hand tools
Ad elin e
Ashby Supermarket
Independent living and vocational programs for persons with disabilities
3
K
Ashby
West Berkeley
D
1
Award-winning public elementary school with an arts and math-focused curriculum
A
Affordable corner store selling healthy food and no alcohol Ashby
Ashby Stage
Solar powered theater specializing in edgy productions of new and old plays
2
e
G elin
Elementary School
Flea Market
B
Elmwood
Woolsey
Berkeley Senior Center Provides educational programs, social events, and services for senior citizens
Thai Temple
Local Theravada Buddhist temple that hosts a authentic feast on Sundays
Antiques District
Several antiques shops here led the City to brand it the “Antiques District”
L
G H I J K
Large community park featuring a baseball field, basketball and tennis courts Alcatraz
Street Sections
Downtown Oakland
F
Grove Park
Ade
line
E
C J Russell
MLK
D
Ed Roberts Campus
F
MLK
C
This transit hub connects commuters with employment centers in San Francisco
Ad
B
Local Area Map
Downtown Berkeley
A
Ashby BART Station
Lorin District
Historically a separate township, the Lorin is now being branded as a hip arts district
L
Panoramas
1) Martin Luther King Jr Way
View of the Ashby BART Station parking lot and the Ed Roberts Campus from Martin Luther King Jr Way
2) Adeline Street
View of the intersection of Ashby Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr Way, including the local market and theater
3) Ashby Avenue
View of the intersection of Ashby Avenue and Adeline Street, the location of the “Antiques District”
Area cross-section of Ashby BART showing the elevation change and its effect on line of sight
[IN]CITY 2014 Group: Lily Brown, Tim Douglas, Allan Kapoor, Ximena Uribe, Fizza Hayat Instructors: H. Fernando Burga PhD, Nicola Szibbo, Leah Stockstrom
An analysis of the area’s demographics reveal stark differences between census tracts east and west of MLK Area Timeline
“Property crime and petty theft are problems. Once in awhile there are high profile violent crimes.”
“Most of people in this area are very poor; there are also homeless and addicted people.” “This is not a place to be after dark”.
“You can’t stand out here on the corner because of police harassment. They think there are all these robbers and killers up in here but there aren’t. There’s more drugs in People’s Park.”
“Need of pedestrian improvements”.
LEGEND
“[Across MLK] is the same area, it’s just....there’s not a lot of black people over there...Everything below MLK, I guess you could say that’s the ghetto of Berkeley.”
High-density residential
“The Flea market is the center of the area, everybody goes there”.
Low-density residential Commercial
2012
Income
1990
ADE LINE
ADE LI
LINE
2012
ASHBY NE
ASHBY
MLK
MLK
ADE
ADE
LINE
ASHBY
INCOME
MLK
Education
MLK
MLK
1990
BART
MLK
EDUCATION
“There’s a lot of stealing on the weekend because of the flea market”.
Median family income in 2012 dollars
Percentage of population age 25 or over with a high school diploma or higher
African-American Population
2012
MLK
MLK
LINE
Y B H AS
15000 PER SQUARE MILE
ADE
African-American Population as a Percentage of Total Population
9000 TO
LINE
ADE
ADE
LINE
ADE
MLK
1990
ASHBY
Y B H AS
LINE
ASHBY
2012
MLK
MLK
1990
White Population
White Population as a Percentage of Total Population
EDUC
ASHBY BART
The area is heavily used by pedestrians, bicyclists & cars, yet it is designed primarily to facilitate auto flows.
Bicycle Infrastructure and Transit Stops
Pedestrian, Bicycle and Auto Flows 106 104
MLK
17,700
15,
A d elin e
100
Malcolm X. P.S
A d elin e
16,300
Ashby 15,300
Ashby 16,900
Ad e line
MLK
38
165 Woolsey 66 A d elin e
e
A d elin
e
170
00
151
Ade lin
Route 12 Berkeley/Oakland (20-30 Minute Service) * Stop also served by Route F
34,7
A d elin e
Route F San Francisco/UC Berkeley (30 minute service)
Woolsey
133
A d elin e
MLK
Route 49 Rockridge Loop (30 minute service)
262
33 36
Legend
Ashby
Ashby
Ashby
76
MLK
Ashby
MLK 18,300
King
41
A d elin e
MLK
Ashby
280
MLK
Ashby
MLK
Russell St
Adel ine
Grove Park
Bike Boulevard Traffic Circle
Alcatraz
Alcatraz
Alcatraz 10,600
Alcatraz
Alcatraz 10,900
69
West Berkeley Shuttle
50 ped/hour
100 bikes/hour
11,000 cars/day
100 ped/hour
150 bikes/hour
20,000 cars/day
100+ ped/hour
200 bikes/hour
20,000+ cars/day
line
ther Kin
g Jr.
Ade
Lu Martin
Access Points
Ashby
Ashby
Ashby
Ade
A d e line
line
Ashby
r.
her King J Martin Lut Ed Roberts Campus
er King Jr.
Ade line
Martin Luth
Legend Pedestrian and bicyclist acess points Crosswalk with signs and flashing lights Crosswalk with signs Crosswalk with traffic lights
“Auto-Dominated Pseudo Freeway”
How are people getting to BART? Where are they going?
- Griswold, Malinoff, Frick and Deakin, UCTC Report 2010
• Adeline is a 180ft right-of-way Downtown Berkeley with 14ft lanes
k in
sS
t
Ros
e St
Cedar St
lvd
kB
Pea
Shattuck Ave
Hop
Rose St
z z ly
n St
g Jr Way
blo Ave
St
S an Pa
Gilman
Gilma
Contr a Cos ta Co Alam eda C . o.
8%
Gri
80
Martin Luther Kin
Monterey Av
e
Spruce St
Ashby Station: Home Locations of BART Riders by Mode and Share Ashby Station: Home Locations of BART Riders by Mode • Downtown SF trips represent 45% of all trips departing Ashby • Transbay trips represent nearly 57% 70% of trips departing Ashby
Ashby
NORTH BERKELEY
University
Ave
DOWNTOWN BERKELEY
Bancroft
Sacramento St
8%
ay
adw Bro
51st St
Half-mile Station Buffer Capitol Corridor (Amtrak) Amtrak (other)
24
0
0.5
1 Miles
Data Sources: ESRI, 2008 BART Station Profile Study (weekday only; data are weighted from survey sample to represent average weekday ridership)
om tg
r
ll
y Te
M on
dwa
we
B ro a
Po
de ro
24
er y
ROCKRIDGE
rc a
24
5% 5% 1% Walk Bus/Transit Drive Alone Carpool Dropped Off Bicycle
Em ba
A ve
d
Rd
14%
8%
16%
9%
12%
Ce nt er
St
ot R
el
ay
Powell
Market St
80
n
e
Jr Way
Sta
BART Line and Station
Av f o rd
C h ab
nn
t
Dropped off
ther King
Drove alone / carpooled
Shattuck Ave
Martin Lu
Bus, train or other transit
ont
e
St
Bicycle
Alcatraz Av
on S
Walked all the way
Telegraph Ave
Origins by Mode to Station
ASHBY
Tu
Pa t t
Sacramento
Adelin
e St
A ve
College Ave
Ashby
LEGEND
e
rem
Ashby Av
C la
7th St
20%
Ci vic
6th St
Dwight W
One mile Station Buffer
Way
Downtown Oakland (19th & 12th)
• Pedestrian crossing distances reach 150 ft • Auto speeds regularly exceed 25 mph speed limit • No bike lanes on Ashby and MLK • Below-grade BART station obscures visibility • Infrequent AC transit service in the area reduces connectivity [IN]CITY 2014
Group: Lily Brown, Tim Douglas, Allan Kapoor, Ximena Uribe, Fizza Hayat Instructors: H. Fernando Burga PhD, Nicola Szibbo, Leah Stockstrom
ASHBY BART
The Adeline Corridor is a top priority for the City of Berkeley, but how will changes effect the area?
A Potential for Change
UC Berkeley Study: Proposed Changes
The City of Berkeley commissioned the UC Berkeley Transportation Center to study safety and traffic flow improvements to the Ashby BART/ Adeline Corridor.
Traffic
Land Use
Bicycles
The City has also been awarded a $750,000 planning grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to fund a study focused on pedestrian improvements and business development along the Adeline Corridor.
A City Priority “It had a vibrant history before the BART came in and distorted the landscape and the streetscape. I hope...we’ll be able to mitigate some of the problems created by the wide streets and fast-moving traffic.” - District 3 Councilman Max Anderson
“The City Council intends to designate South Berkeley, especially the Adeline Corridor, as our top priority for planning and growth in the coming year.” - Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates A drum circle forms outside of Ashby BART during the Flea Market every Saturday and Sunday
Business Owners Speak “Of all the commercial tenants in this building, only one is paying a market-rate rent, the rest only stay in business because their rents are low. If the city increased foot traffic in this area, the commercial rents would go up, and the businesses here that do not rely on foot traffic and are looking for lower rents would get pushed out.” - Local property manager “I only get about 10% of my business from foot traffic. I anticipated more foot traffic as I thought this was a thriving antiques district.” - Owner of a new home decor studio “I would like to see a pedestrian bridge across Adeline. Crossing the street takes forever and makes the stores on the other side seem a world away.” - Owner of a small antiques shop
A member of the Fire House Art Collective paints a mural celebrating the diversity of the Lorin District
If the City takes steps to improve mobility and accessibility and bring about new economic vitality to the area, how will these changes affect residents, business owners, and the aspects of this area that make it special? [IN]CITY 2014 Group: Lily Brown, Tim Douglas, Allan Kapoor, Ximena Uribe, Fizza Hayat Instructors: H. Fernando Burga PhD, Nicola Szibbo, Leah Stockstrom