City Government

Opinion: City Must Mitigate Bus Rapid Transit impacts

Published

7 years ago

April 26, 2019

AC Transit’s East Bay Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is going to permanently and drastically change International Boulevard from a four-lane boulevard with ample parking to a two-lane street with 300 fewer parking spaces

As these plans became clear, businesses along its 9.5-mile route organized in 2016 to pressure the City of Oakland to establish the Business Assistance Sustainability Fund (BASF) to mitigate permanent BRT impacts.

While this is an important and necessary program, it is far from sufficient to protect this Black, Brown and Asian businesses from displacement. We must do better.

The BRT Mitigation Fund provides $2,165,000 within the City of Oakland ($255K for San Leandro) to “address direct temporary construction impacts to businesses and make referrals and provide technical support as needed for technical mitigation during construction.”

This fund was capped at a maximum of $100K for each applicant.

The funding for the BRT Technical Assistance and Business Assistance Fund programs was set up to assist merchants in a technical capacity that includes assistance with marketing and addressing changes as a result of the reconfiguration along the International corridor.

Numerous businesses began to exhibit “going out of business” signs, including the Perry Furniture store that has been located on 72nd Avenue for decades.

After canvassing the area on different dates and times to factor in various shifts, it was discovered that not only were the merchants unaware – many were losing customers, and their businesses were being adversely impacted by the delayed construction, even during times where not a single construction worker was visible.

But parking spaces were blocked off, including even access to the entrance of some of these businesses.

After listening to a number of merchants, and the consequent BRT Informational update that was provided during the Council’s Public Works Committee meeting on April 9, it became abundantly clear that changes are needed to the program to ensure assistance, including:

• Provide an additional $5 million;

• Allow funds to address permanent impacts or temporary construction impacts;

• Streamline the permanent impacts application;

• Create separate eligibility criteria and disbursement guidelines for staff and consultants for temporary construction impacts’ funding;

• When construction continues, either consecutively of concurrently, for more than 30 calendar days, businesses will be paid their mortgage and utilities bills on a pro rata basis for every day beyond 30 days upon presentation of their most recent mortgage statement and past 3 months of utility bills.

There will be a Merchant Town Hall taking place Friday May 3, 2:30 p.m., at East Bay Asian Youth Center (EBAYC) at 2025 East 12th St. It is important to understand why few businesses have received funding and to center the voices of those directly impacted.

A majority of Oakland businesses of businesses are d “Mom and Pop” stores. Opposing displacement includes fighting for East Oakland residents and preserving small businesses as well.

During the height of the crack cocaine epidemic in the 1980s, storefronts in my neighborhood were not only open but thriving. At a time when prosperity and development is being proclaimed from City Hall, the benefits are clearly not getting extended to East Oakland.

The city needs to prioritize the health and well-being of these merchants who, like East Oakland residents, are impacted by decisions that not only were they not present to provide input on but required to suffer from what is proclaimed as the “good for the community,” which typically occurs at the expense of African Americans and other communities of color.

For more information, go to https://brt.actransit.org/construction/business-support-services/

John Jones III is an East Oakland resident.

John Jones III

Posts by John Jones III

Alameda County

Oakland Council Expands Citywide Security Cameras Despite Major Opposition

In a 7-1 vote in favor of the contract, with only District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife voting no, the Council agreed to maintain its existing network of 291 cameras and add 40 new “pan-tilt-zoom cameras.”

Published

3 days ago

December 21, 2025

Oakland Post

At the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference, Flock Safety introduces new public safety technology – Amplified Intelligence, a suite of AI-powered tools designed to improve law enforcement investigations. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland City Council this week approved a $2.25 million contract with Flock Safety for a mass surveillance network of hundreds of security cameras to track vehicles in the city.

In recent weeks hundreds of local residents have spoken against the camera system, raising concerns that data will be shared with immigration authorities and other federal agencies at a time when mass surveillance is growing across the country with little regard for individual rights.

The Flock network, supported by the Oakland Police Department, has the backing of residents and councilmembers who see it as an important tool to protect public safety.

“This system makes the Department more efficient as it allows for information related to disruptive/violent criminal activities to be captured … and allows for precise and focused enforcement,” OPD wrote in its proposal to City Council.

According to OPD, police made 232 arrests using data from Flock cameras between July 2024 and November of this year.

Based on the data, police say they recovered 68 guns, and utilizing the countywide system, they have found 1,100 stolen vehicles.

However, Flock’s cameras cast a wide net. The company’s cameras in Oakland last month captured license plate numbers and other information from about 1.4 million vehicles.

Speaking at Tuesday’s Council meeting, Fife was critical of her colleagues for signing a contract with a company that has been in the national spotlight for sharing data with federal agencies.

Flock’s cameras – which are automated license plate readers – have been used in tracking people who have had abortions, monitoring protesters, and aiding in deportation roundups.

“I don’t know how we get up and have several press conferences talking about how we are supportive of a sanctuary city status but then use a vendor that has been shown to have a direct relationship with (the U.S.) Border Control,” she said. “It doesn’t make sense to me.”

Several councilmembers who voted in favor of the contract said they supported the deal as long as some safeguards were written into the Council’s resolution.

“We’re not aiming for perfection,” said District 1 Councilmember Zac Unger. “This is not Orwellian facial recognition technology — that’s prohibited in Oakland. The road forward here is to add as many amendments as we can.”

Amendments passed by the Council prohibit OPD from sharing camera data with any other agencies for the purpose of “criminalizing reproductive or gender affirming healthcare” or for federal immigration enforcement. California state law also prohibits the sharing of license plate reader data with the federal government, and because Oakland’s sanctuary city status, OPD is not allowed to cooperate with immigration authorities.

A former member of Oakland’s Privacy Advisory Commission has sued OPD, alleging that it has violated its own rules around data sharing.

So far, OPD has shared Flock data with 50 other law enforcement agencies.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

Black Arts Movement Business District Named New Cultural District in California

Located in the heart of District 3, the BAMBD is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most important centers of Black cultural production — a space where artists, entrepreneurs, organizers, and cultural workers have shaped generations of local and national identity. The state’s recognition affirms the district’s historic importance and its future promise.

Published

3 days ago

December 20, 2025

Oakland Post

Councilmember Carroll Fife celebrates major milestone for Black arts, culture, and economic power in Oakland. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

Oakland’s Black Arts Movement Business District (BAMBD) has been selected as one of California’s 10 new state-designated Cultural Districts, a distinction awarded by the California Arts Council (CAC), according to a media statement released by Councilmember Carroll Fife.

The BAMBD now joins 23 other districts across the state recognized for their deep cultural legacy, artistic excellence, and contributions to California’s creative economy.

“This designation is a testament to what Black Oakland has built — and what we continue to build when we insist on investing in our own cultural and economic power,” said Fife.

“For years, our community has fought for meaningful recognition and resources for the Black Arts Movement Business District,” she said. “This announcement validates that work and ensures that BAMBD receives the support it needs to grow, thrive, and continue shaping the cultural fabric of California.”

Since taking office, Fife has led and supported multiple initiatives that strengthened the groundwork for this achievement, including:

Restoring and protecting arts and cultural staffing within the City of Oakland.
Creating the West Oakland Community Fund to reinvest in historically excluded communities
Advancing a Black New Deal study to expand economic opportunity for Black Oakland
Ensuring racial equity impact analyses for development proposals, improving access for Black businesses and Black contractors
Introduced legislation and budget amendments that formalized, protected, and expanded the BAMBD

“These efforts weren’t abstract,” Fife said. “They were intentional, coordinated, and rooted in a belief that Black arts and Black businesses deserve deep, sustained public investment.”

As part of the Cultural District designation, BAMBD will receive:

$10,000 over two years
Dedicated technical assistance
Statewide marketing and branding support
Official designation from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2030

This support will elevate the visibility of BAMBD’s artists, cultural organizations, small businesses, and legacy institutions, while helping attract new investment to the district.

“The BAMBD has always been more than a district,” Fife continued. “This recognition by the State of California gives us another tool in the fight to preserve Black culture, build Black economic power, and protect the families and institutions that make Oakland strong.”

For questions, contact Councilmember Carroll Fife at CFife@oaklandca.gov.