Oakland's Most Dangerous Intersections For Pedestrians & Bikes (updated 5-4-2010)

The group Walk Oakland Bike Oakland has put together a fantastic interactive map showing the most dangerous intersections in Oakland for pedestrians and bikes.

A few things stand out when reading the map and looking over the comments: 1) For all the press San Francisco gets in terms of being a dangerous place for pedestrians, Oakland's got it beat; 2) 35th Avenue is the most dangerous place in Oakland for pedestrians and bikes. Here are some of the notable intersections and/or comments:

1. 35th Avenue and Victor
2. 35th Ave & School St
3. 35th and MacArthur Blvd.
4. 35th Avenue and Wisconsin Avenue ('Cars come at you like fast balls when you are trying to cross 35th Ave or to turn left from Wisconsin Ave onto to 35th Ave. People treat 35th Ave as an on-ramp to I-580 or Hwy. 13. A stop light or stop sign is needed!!!')
5. 35th Ave & Victor Ave ('many terrible accidents here')
6. 35th at California
7. Fairmount Avenue & MacArthur Blvd.
8. Lakeshore & Brooklyn (with the comments 'drivers constantly run red light')
9. Lakeshore near Hanover ('pedestrian danger zone')
10. 4th Street and Oak Street ('drivers run red light while trying to get on 880′)
11. Alice Street and 7th Street ('Cars and trucks going high speed coming off the tube')
12. Broadway and 7^th
13. Martin Luther King Jr Way & 12th St ('I can't tell you how many times I've almost been run over by A.C. Transit busses while crossing the sidewalk. They ignore pedestrians and this is a disaster waiting to happen!')
14. Telegraph Ave & 23rd St (nobody stops for pedestrians)
15. Howe St & 40th St Way
16. 45th Street and Shafter Avenue ('Vehicles Speed/Run Red Lights Here Frequently')
17. Pleasant Valley Ave & Montgomery Street (with the ominous note: 'I was hit by car in crosswalk here')
18. Broadway at Lawton Avenue ('Extremely Dangerous Crosswalk - no traffic light, traffic calming devices, cars do not yield to pedestrians.')
19. Claremont Avenue & Forest Street (with the best line yet - 'Wild donkeys stampede here regularly!')
20. UPDATE ****: Peter Webster, the owner of Guitar-O-Rama in Oakland was struck and killed while riding his bike near the intersection of 52nd and Market in Oakland. So now add that one to this list. Our condolences go out to his friends and family.
21. Also, San Pablo & Alcatraz in Oakland. [posted on the East Bay Bicycle Coalition's 'Hazard Report' as follows: "it's unusual that a day will pass without at least one pedestrian having to run out of the way of cars driving inattentively through the intersection. it seems to be a particular problem when crossing from the west to the east side of san pablo on the south side of the intersection, and crossing alcatraz in either direction. not sure what will help address the problem (signage, lights, paint, etc.), but it clearly begs some analysis as pedestrian traffic has already grown substantially and will continue to grow as more residences and businesses populate the neighborhood . . ."

Pedestrian and bike accidents - because the victims are virtually unprotected can lead to catastrophic injury and unsightly permanent scarring. If you need a personal injury lawyer, contact Pete Clancy.