According to a report released by Transportation for America - T4A - this week, Oakland continues to see disproportionate people of color and seniors killed in traffic accidents.

It is hard to imagine that demolishing a neighborhood to build a freeway ever made sense, let alone was politically feasible.

But until somewhat recently, density and a mixture of uses (two tenets of modern green development) were considered a public health hazard.

Waiting for the bus or rushing through Oakland, it's easy to take the detailed stonework of downtown's Beaux Arts buildings for granted. We all know and love the Fox Theater, but several smaller Art Deco gems are scattered through Uptown as well.

In 2006, a group of residents in the Oakland/Harrison Street neighborhood saw an opportunity in the proposed development of the new Whole Foods Store in their neighborhood. Through committed advocacy, they secured improved pedestrian access to the  neighborhood and new bicycle lanes. 

Rather than resting on their laurels, they decided to expand their success and create a citywide advocacy organization focused on bicycle and pedestrian issues.  That was the birth of Walk Oakland Bike Oakland (WOBO).  Kassie Rohrbach, a veteran organizer around issues of climate change and sustainable energy, became the group’s first Executive Director this January.