Rob AriasEmeryville is in the news again for the wrong reasons. Like this recent report labeling us as having the Bay Area’s highest violent crime rate, this time we’re being outed as having the second highest childhood asthma hospital admission rate in California. It’s not that difficult to believe if you think about it. Our proximity to “the Maze” and the Port of Oakland are factors but nutritional deficiencies spurred by poverty have also been linked. Mold is an additional factor most commonly found in cheap, neglected rental units.
Council member Jennifer West recently noted in the ongoing parking debate that vehicles circling for parking plays a significant role in our City’s higher than average level of emissions. The City formed a task force in 2008 and even created an action plan to combat this but the impact will take years to reap any tangible results. It’s never been clearer to me that measures need to be supported to develop our city more responsibly and we need to take more drastic measures in encouraging public transportation (Emery-Go-Round to West Oakland BART, anyone?). What do you *cough cough* think? | More on InsideBayArea.com →
I emailed the Emery-Go-Round probably a year ago or more suggesting they create routes to West Oakland BART and even Ashby BART. A central terminal/stop could be created near Target or IKEA, whichever one sees the enormous economic benefit it could have for them and agrees to help fund such an expansion in exchange for having a major stop right at their doorstep. This really needs to happen.
[…] an Emeryville without the Emery Go-Round: A city who already has the second highest level of childhood Asthma in the state and some of the worst bottlenecks in the county and convert those 1.6 million annual riders to […]