Description
The underpass on Broadway between sixth and fifth street is is really filthy and smelly with garbage, trash, etc. Needs high pressure cleaning every couple of weeks. People use this to walk to BART. This is an ongoing problem that needs attention. The "artwork" (everyone thinks it is freeway fencing, but my understanding is that Oakland actually paid for this) also needs to be removed so that it is easier to keep clean, since garbage accumulates between there and the fence, itinerants use the semi-closed in portion for camping while passing through, and it looks really ugly.
58 Comments
Acknowledged City of Oakland (Verified Official)
Shaheen (Guest)
Mitch Kapor (Guest)
Tony K (Registered User)
smuir (Guest)
Jeff A (Registered User)
Marc Halpern (Guest)
Jerome and Lois Jacobs (Guest)
My wife and I walk or ride our bicycles downtown most days each week via the Broadway underpass. It is disgusting and smelly and at night it is a dangerous area to walk. It needs to be cleaned up and kept clean in an ongoing way. It's difficult to see how we can improve the Jack London Square area so it is inviting to tourists and our guests when anyone trying to walk there from city center must walk through that smelly and dirty gauntlet.
Jerome and Lois Jacobs
alden (Guest)
Donna Bolen (Guest)
Eileen (Registered User)
Is the underpass technically Caltrans property? If so maybe fill out a service request here:
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/maint/msrsubmit/
If not and it's a persistent problem, perhaps contact your city council member's office about finding a solution to this on going problem.
Jeff A (Registered User)
Thanks Eileen. I submitted a maintenance request to Caltrans as follows:
MSR Ticket Number: 553748
Date Submitted: 2013-06-04 13:31:15
California County: Alameda
State Highway Route: 880
Nearest Town or City: Oakland
Nearest Cross Street (40 characters max): Brdway underpass btwn 5th & 6th streets
Mode of Transportation: Walking
Direction of Travel: Both
Time Situation Noticed: 7 am - 8 am
Type of Situation: Litter - Trash and Debris
Describe Nature of Situation (500 characters max): The underpass on Broadway between 5th and 6th streets is filthy, a health hazard, and smells of garbage, urine, etc. This ongoing problem needs regular attention, maintenance, and high pressure cleaning. People use this to walk to and from BART. Please consider removing the "artwork" so that this space is easier to keep clean, as garbage accumulates between the art and the fence. In addition, itinerants use the semi-closed in portion for camping.
Geographic Location of Situation: Broadway underpass between 5th and 6th streets
Warren (Guest)
Alex Miller Cole (Guest)
Gary Knecht (Registered User)
Streets and sidewalks under I-880 are the responsibility of the City of Oakland. This is NOT a Caltrans issue. Keep notifying the City and don't waste time with Caltrans. The artwork is ALSO the City's responsibility (and it cost the Public Art program more than $250,000). Unfortunately it cannot be removed without involving the artists who created it (I think there were 5 or 6) and getting their approval. If you have time you could contact the Public Art Committee and ask for their assistance. At least one member of the committee lives in the Jack London District.
Meanwhile the Public Works Agency needs to be contacted over and over again! GO TEAM!
Jeff A (Registered User)
Elizabeth K (Guest)
Francine (Guest)
Karen (Guest)
JR003 (Registered User)
Ruth (Guest)
After reading the comments, I just e-mailed the following two people from the City of Oakland's website, hoping they would be the appropriate people to help get the "fence/art" removed, and asked them to post a response on this website.
Steven Huss, Cultural Arts Manager, at shuss@oaklandnet.com or (510) 238-4949
Kristen Zaremba, Senior Public Art Project Manager, at kzaremba@oaklandnet.com or (510) 238-2155.
Ruth (Guest)
Perhaps we should all e-mail the Mayor's office as well. Here is link:
http://www.oaklandnet.com/contactmayor.asp
Eileen (Registered User)
Isn't that District 3? If so, let your city council member know how you feel.
http://www2.oaklandnet.com/Government/o/CityCouncil/o/District3/a/ContactUs/index.htm
Ruth (Guest)
Steve (Guest)
City of Oakland (Verified Official)
http://www2.oaklandnet.com/Government/o/PWA/Connect/ReportaProblem/index.htm
Thank you.
Jeff (Registered User)
Claire Hansen (Guest)
Jeff A (Registered User)
Oakland 311 (Verified Official)
Dear Sir or Madam:
Thank you for contacting the Public Works Agency regarding this matter. This request was erroneously submitted to Caltrans Maintenance. The request has been re-assigned to Public Works KOCB, illegal dumping group for abatement. We apologize for the confusion.
Thank you.
Ruth (Guest)
Ruth (Guest)
For future reference, based on a call with CalTrans and some other research), best initial contacts for Broadway underpass issues are as follows (although CalTrans and City Public Works will exchange misdirected requests):
1. City of Oakland for street level issues on Broadway itself out to the end of the sidewalk. Reporting options are as follows:
a. Use SeeClickFix.com or 510-615-5566 to reach City of Oakland Public Works to report trash, graffiti, dumping, potholes on Broadway, blocking the sidewalk, etc.
b. Use 510-777-333 for non-emergency police issues—e.g. crazy person on the sidewalk yelling and throwing trash.
2. CalTrans for freeway specific issues and issues under the freeway on the other side of the sidewalk (e.g. homeless encampment under the freeway beside the Webster Tube or lighting from overpass level). CalTrans confirmed the following reporting options:
a.. Use http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/maint/msrsubmit/ for any type of service request to be made online. (CalTrans will route to appropriate department within CalTrans).
b. For telephone calls:
i. Use 510-614-5942 to report illegal dumping, freeway pot holes, homeless encampment, or overgrown vegetation.
ii. Use 415-330-6500 to report graffiti on signs, striping, or electrical issue (includes overpass level lighting).
As an actual example, CalTrans has assigned MSR Ticket No. 554354 in response to an online maintenance request for improved Broadway overpass lighting and indicated that they will report back after hearing from the engineering department.
Mitch Kapor (Guest)
Jeff A (Registered User)
Ruth (Guest)
Jeff A (Registered User)
It appears we have to keep submitting the cleaning request as Caltrans considers this "closed."
Received today from Caltrans:
Your concern as submitted in the Maintenance Service Request has been addressed, and your ticket has been closed. Thank you for using the Caltrans web site to notify us of your concern. At Caltrans we're here to get you there. If you have any questions please call our District Office, at (510) 286-6173.
Message from District MSR Coordinator: Cleaned on 06/05/13 & again on 06/19/13.
MSR Ticket Number: 553748
Date Submitted: 2013-06-04 13:31:15
Date Completed: 2013-06-19 00:00:00
California County: Alameda
State Highway Route: 880
Nearest Town or City: Oakland
Nearest Cross Street: Brdway underpass btwn 5th & 6th streets
Mode of Transportation: Walking
Direction of Travel: Both
Time Situation Noticed: 7 am - 8 am
Type of Situation: Litter - Trash and Debris
Description of Situation: The underpass on Broadway between 5th and 6th streets is filthy, a health hazard, and smells of garbage, urine, etc. This ongoing problem needs regular attention, maintenance, and high pressure cleaning. People use this to walk to and from BART. Please consider removing the "artwork" so that this space is easier to keep clean, as garbage accumulates between the art and the fence. In addition, itinerants use the semi-closed in portion for camping.
Geographic Location of Situation: Broadway underpass between 5th and 6th streets
Eileen (Registered User)
Jeff A (Registered User)
In the dark (Guest)
What agencies were responsible for renovating the 40th Street underpass at the MacArthur BART station (neon light sculptures, etc), or for painting the giraffes on the freeway support columns beneath the 580 where it crosses over Oakland Ave. and Harrison Street?
A similar solution seems to be in order for Broadway, where the 880 overpass presents a barrier to the potential continuity of development and activity flowing between Uptown and Jack London Square.
The freeway undercrossing is currently dark and intimidating, and that won't be changed merely by more police raids on the nearby homeless encampments.
What's needed is a complete makeover that transforms the appearance of the undercrossing so that it ceases to be an unsightly barrier to the flourishing of Downtown Oakland; such a makeover has the potential to enhance property values and commerce over a large area where that freeway crossing has long been a blight and an eyesore!
Such a change is long overdue, and a small investment in it has the potential to generate enormous value for the entire city.
Eileen (Registered User)
From the 12/09/2003 agenda of the City Council Public Works Committee Meeting:
"Subject: Installation of Mural along 40th Street / Highway 24 Overpass From: Councilmember Brunner Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution from the Oakland City Council supporting the installation of a mural along 40th Street at the Highway 24 overpass and assuming responsibility for its maintenance and upkeep"
Perhaps write the city councilmember for the area to see what can be done. I think the 880 overpass on the Broadway corridor is in District 3, LMcElhaney@oaklandnet.com
neighbor (Guest)
Jeff A (Registered User)
Wed Ap 30 Broadway Underpass Town Hall
Please RSVP on Jack London District Association's Meetup page (http://www.meetup.com/FriendsofJackLondon/events/176051032/) and then ATTEND the following:
Lynnette McElhany's office, unrelentingly goaded by The Ellington's own Tib Tusler, among others, is holding a Town Hall regarding the Broadway Underpass (6:30 - 8:00 p.m. at Metrovation's offices at 525 4th Street, Atrium, Oakland, CA). ?Key persons scheduled to attend include Steve Huss (the City's Cultural Arts Manager), Joe DeVries (Neighborhood Services Supervisor who coordinates w/ CalTrans), asey Farmer (Councilmember MecElhany's Chief of Staff), and someone from the Office of Neighborhood Investment. ?Please visit Jack London District Association's Meetup page at http://www.meetup.com/FriendsofJackLondon/events/176051032/ to
Mimi (Registered User)
Jeff, Thanks for the post about the meeting on Wednesday, April 30 at 6:30. I'm in Old Oakland, but hope to come to the Town Hall meeting.
Mimi
Tib Tusler (Registered User)
JR003 (Registered User)
Ruth (Guest)
Ben Delaney (Registered User)
Mimi (Registered User)
Mimi
60mile (Registered User)
A glowing golden forest of trees called Aspire by artist Warren Langley, illuminates a site beneath the Western Distributor at Ultimo, Sydney on May 19, 2010. The permanent artwork is designed to strengthen the pedestrian link between the communities of Pyrmont and Ultimo by providing a brighter, more engaging and safer public space.
It would be amazing to have art like this under the 880.
Tib Tusler (Registered User)
Tobias (Registered User)
Mitchell @ 8 Orchids (Guest)
It's about time!
Condtiions at this critical location have a major effect on all of Downtown Oakiland, and indeed on the entire city.
Seth Joseph WEine (Registered User)
Ruth (Guest)
Ruth (Guest)
Ruth (Guest)
Closed Ruth (Guest)
Mimi (Registered User)